Submerged Science— March 28, 2023
Socially-minded conservation, groundtruthing sharks, and a speedy turtle
I’m just going to stop pretending like this newsletter is going to come out on any kind of schedule. There is way too much going on in my life right now for that, even though I have fun writing these. You’ll get it when you get it, every 1 to 4 weeks, and it will be a nice surprise. Maybe I’ll make a paid tier someday and that will be a good motivator to stick to a schedule. (Should I? Hit reply and let me know.)
Let’s get on to the science!
Turning the Tide
Well-written popular articles in marine science
The Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement was awarded this year jointly to fisheries biologist Daniel Pauly and economist Rashid Sumaila. They are noteworthy researchers in their respective fields, who are striving to honor Black history in conservation. This interview conducted by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson explores how science and conservation can and should have a social context, and how a diversity of backgrounds for people in those fields can help achieve that.
Seaweed as food is in the limelight right now. It’s being sold as a climate solution that feeds us, reduces land use for agriculture, creates habitat, and supports ocean farmers. It’s been happening in Asia for a long time, but the industry in North America is just ramping up. Can seaweed farms scale enough while remaining sustainable to be an impactful and climate-friendly industry? Or is staying small a better approach?
Scientists are predicting a shift in global climate patterns beginning later this year. A switch to an El Niño event would raise global temperatures above the threshold set by the Paris Agreement, having far-reaching impacts on both land and sea. These include increased risk of droughts, fires, flooding, and coral bleaching. The last time there was a similar event, between 2014 and 2017, about 30% of the world’s corals died, and others have not fully recovered.
Elizabeth Claire Alberts, Mongabay
Some Science
Fresh discoveries and peer-reviewed papers
Mesophotic, Euphotic, Eu-nique
The study of mesophotic (“middle-light”) reefs got started because scientists thought these deeper (30-150m) corals and fish were less vulnerable to threats facing shallow reefs, and could replenish shallower populations. But the more we learn about them, the more it is clear that mesophotic reefs are unique ecosystems with their own threats. A recent study surveying locations all over the Pacific and Atlantic, probably the broadest-scope study to-date, has shown that they have unique global biodiversity patterns from shallow reefs.
California Academy of Sciences
I started a nonprofit studying mesophotic reefs in the Caribbean and beyond— check us out at reefsunknown.org!
A Hairy Situation
We have tried many strategies over the years to help us clean up oil spills. You may think of floating barriers, sorbents, burning, or even shoveling. Since an oil tanker sank in the Philippines on February 28 and spilled 800,000 liters of oil, barber shops have been lending a hand and a few sacks of hair to the cleanup efforts. Turns out our hair is really good at soaking up oil.
Shark Collaborators
Seagrasses are important contributors to biodiversity, as nurseries, coastal protection, and carbon storage. But scientists have trouble mapping them with traditional methods like satellite observation, and are too large for divers to survey. Fortunately, a seagrass scientist met a shark scientist and discovered that cameras mounted on sharks were effective at documenting seagrass meadows. And with satellite tracking, they were able to match footage of seagrass to precise locations. Have these sharks done enough for shared authorship?
Joseph Polidoro, Scientific American
Deep Dive
Book recommendation
Pirate Hunters: Treasure, Obsession, and the Search for a Legendary Pirate Ship by Robert Kurson
Okay, this isn’t really science but it does involve mapping, metal-detecting, and diving. This was a fun, true story of a real-life treasure hunt for a sunken pirate ship. How do you take centuries-old information and translate it into an X on a map?
Fun and Fascinating
Last week I got out on the water and saw a pod of spinner dolphins! It was pretty amazing, check out some of the footage on my Instagram:
Thanks for reading! Remember to drink water, eat plants, and don’t be too salty.
Til next time,
Sarah
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