I can’t believe it’s March already! I had a great week in Ventura, CA at the Gordon Research Conference for Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems. It was a small conference of only about 50 people, so everyone got to connect with researchers around the world interested in the same cool ecosystem. There’s a good summary that was published in Science covering what mesophotic reefs are and why they are important— check it out here. The nonprofit I cofounded, Reefs Unknown, was a sponsor at the event, which provided support for an international student to attend, and started some great conversations brainstorming future projects.
The most-clicked link from the last edition was the recent paper on how corals in the Eastern Pacific are more resilient when they swap their symbionts around, and have the capacity to do so through some ocean warming. If you missed it, check it out here.
Let’s get on to the science!
Turning the Tide
Well-written popular articles in marine science
When you think of a thriving ocean ecosystem, you probably think of a coral reef, or a kelp forest, or tuna and sharks chasing a bait ball. But in fact, the surface of the open ocean is its own unique habitat, a home to many species called neuston. These floating communities are beautiful and poorly understood, and are complicating efforts to reduce plastic pollution. Once the plastic has become their habitat, should we intentionally remove it?
Parenting isn’t exclusively the role of a woman in a heterosexual relationship; it’s becoming more and more common for men to take on parental care. While it’s rare in vertebrates for males to be the main caretakers, it’s actually very common in fish. Studies have hypothesized that this is because the costs are lower for males, both in terms of additional reproduction as well as nest care.
The collapse of both the Atlantic cod and redfish fisheries in the North Atlantic led to the closure of harvests of these species. The collapse of these species was harmful to fishers and their communities. But while the cod fishery has yet to recover, the redfish has come back in the millions of tons. Management groups in Eastern Canada are considering reopening the fishery to share the benefits of the success, but how do they make sure it doesn’t collapse again?
Some Science
Fresh discoveries and peer-reviewed papers
The biggest ocean news from this week is that nearly 200 countries have agreed to a historic treaty to protect the high seas. The “high seas” is actually a legal definition, meaning any area of the ocean that is more than 200 miles from any country’s land border. This actually adds up to more than 60% of the ocean, which has been essentially unprotected until now. The treaty provides a legal framework for countries to establish and manage protected areas outside their own waters.
A new study has found that paying fishers to not catch sharks and rays is a cost-effective strategy for conserving these species. Keeping these populations healthy benefits everyone in the form of ecosystem services, but puts more of a direct, tangible cost onto fishers by taking away their livelihoods and sometimes food. These payments eliminate the direct cost to fishers, and are cheaper than more complex management actions, so that everyone can benefit from ocean health.
In the latest strange carbon reduction strategy, natural processes shine in their efficiency and simplicity. The sunflower sea star is a natural predator of the urchins that decimate kelp forests. Giant kelp serves a similar role underwater that trees do on land. So when urchins multiply quickly and eat all the kelp from the roots up, the carbon stored in that forest is quickly released. Supporting sea stars that provide a natural control of these destructive kelp-eaters in turn supports carbon sequestration in the ocean.
Deep Dive
Book recommendation
How Far the Light Reaches: A Life in Ten Sea Creatures by Sabrina Imbler
It’s hard for me to describe how good this book was. The vulnerability that Sabrina demonstrates for the sake of the story serves to highlight the strength they have found along their journey for identity. The book is a set of essays on various experiences they had in their life so far, each reflected in a sea creature feature. It is touching and beautifully written, and you should definitely check it out.
Find it on Bookshop
Fun and Fascinating
Thanks for reading! Remember to drink water, eat plants, and don’t be too salty.
Til next time,
Sarah
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