U.S. SeaStates 2019: Marine Protection in America’s Ocean Areas

As we approach 2020, we see little change in marine protected areas (MPAs) in United States waters. At the end of 2019, 23.1% of U.S. waters are in strongly protected areas. 1.3% of state waters are strongly protected, compared to 23.9% of federal waters. These numbers are unchanged since the administration change in 2017. 

Despite lack of progress, based on numbers alone, the U.S. has achieved and exceeded protecting 10% of its marine area. However, conservationists and international agreements call for effectively managed, ecologically representative, and well-connected systems of protected areas. In this regard, the US still falls short. The waters of the United States contain a wide variety of unique ocean habitats and ecosystems, and we have yet to afford them representative or well-connected protection. Prior to President Obama’s establishment of the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument in 2016, U.S. marine protection was essentially limited to a singular, large marine region in the central Pacific, leaving many unique habitat types in continental waters without protection from destructive practices. 

Even areas which have afforded protections have felt at risk in recent years, as the Trump administration has made attempts to shrink the size of, or re-open our most strongly protected marine national monuments to industrial fishing, such as Papahānaumokuākea, the Pacific Remote Islands, and the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts. For now, those attempts appear to have failed, and existing protected area regulations remain in place.  

As we look to 2020 and beyond, the next questions are, “What progress has been made toward marine protection, and where do we go from here?” To answer the former, members of the marine community have been working toward a common terminology and criteria for measuring and describing marine protection. In 2020, we anticipate early adopting countries to begin assessing MPAs against standardized criteria, and the beginning of a slow integration of this method into regular MPA reporting. 

In regard to what happens next, marine scientists recommend strongly protecting at least 30% of the ocean in ecologically representative and well-connected systems of marine protected areas or other effective conservation measures. At the 2016, International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s World Conservation Congress, a motion was passed by an overwhelming majority to protect at least 30% of each marine habitat in a network of MPAs with the ultimate aim of creating a fully sustainable ocean. Moving forward, the US will need to aim to expand its system of MPAs and integrate strong protections to coastal waters and locations strategically chosen to create a more connected, representative network. 

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4 Things to Know About Blue Whales

There’s a reason why people are infatuated by whales. These massive marine mammals are deep divers, graceful swimmers and majestic jumpers—what’s not to love? Although all whales deserve to be celebrated, there is one that stands out among the rest (with its size, anyway). Today, we’re diving into what makes the blue whale one of the coolest whales in the sea. Read on for four things to know about blue whales!

Blue whales are the biggest animals that have ever lived.

Calling a blue whale “big” is an understatement. They are positively massive. An adult female can grow to 100 feet long—about the length of a Boeing 737. Blue whales can weigh up to 200 tons (400,000 pounds)! That’s 30 times heavier than an African elephant. In fact, just their tongue can weigh as much as an elephant.

Blue whales aren’t just the biggest animals alive in the ocean. They’re not just the biggest animals alive in the world. They are the biggest animals that have ever lived (that we know of, at least). Even the largest dinosaur can’t compare—the Argentinosaurus clocked in at about 220,000 pounds.

Blue whales eat tiny prey.

Blue whales are baleen whales, meaning they have long plates of baleen they use to filter food out of the water. Baleen looks like long, tightly-packed brush bristles, and is made of keratin, which is the same substance that makes up your hair and fingernails. To feed, blue whales strain ocean water through their mouths, trapping their prey in the baleen. The whales then push remaining seawater out of their mouths, leaving behind tiny animals.

For such a big animal, blue whale’s preferred cuisine is surprising. They eat massive amounts of krill: small, shrimp-like crustaceans that are only about 2.5 inches long. Blue whales can eat up to 4 tons of krill a day—that’s 4 times more food that you, a human, will eat in an entire year! Blue whales aren’t the only animals with a taste for krill, either—seals, birds, penguins and other whales also love these tiny crustaceans.

© Gregory "Slobirdr" Smith

Blue whales are loud.

Whales rely on sound to communicate with their fellow whales. Depending on the species, whales can use a series of clicks, groans and grunts to communicate. Blue whales in particular are some of the loudest of all whales—it’s thought that their vocalizations can be heard by other blue whales up to 1,000 miles away. That’s like someone in New York City shouting to someone in Tampa, Florida (but remember, sound travels much faster through water than through air). They’re not the loudest whales in the sea, however: the sperm whale’s calls can reach 230 decibels. In contrast, blue whales can only reach 188 decibels (which, to be fair, is still louder than a jet engine at takeoff).

Blue whales are endangered—and need your help.

Like many whale populations in our ocean, blue whale numbers were decimated because of commercial whaling. Today, they’re listed as endangered, and there are an estimated 10,000-25,000 individuals left. Although their numbers are increasing, they are still at risk from ship strikes and entanglement in fishing gear. Krill, their prey of choice, is also at risk due to climate change.

The good news? Here are Ocean Conservancy, we’re fighting to keep blue whales, and other vulnerable ocean animals, safe from these threats. Learn more about our efforts to reduce and remove ghost fishing gear, support safer shipping methods and address climate change.

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Preparing for Surprises

New shipping lanes open as summer sea ice decreases. Wildfires spread as tundra thaws and forests dry out. Marine debris clumps on rocky shores. Global change is visibly changing Arctic ocean and coastal environments. And at the same time, invisible changes are accumulating.

Ten years ago, parts of the cold, wind-tossed Arctic Ocean crossed an ocean acidification threshold. Ice melt and carbon dioxide from the atmosphere made surface seawater chemistry hostile to calcium carbonate minerals, naturally found in the shells of bivalves, marine snails, and some plankton. Ocean acidification in the Arctic hasn’t gotten as much press as it has in other parts of the country, where it has endangered the United States shellfish aquaculture industry. In the Arctic and elsewhere, ocean acidification is one of many climate-related drivers altering the marine ecosystem.

But we don’t have enough information to develop a detailed picture. We don’t know how most Arctic species will respond to ocean acidification, and we also don’t know how Arctic ecosystems will respond. It’s possible that ecosystem functions like supporting fisheries and providing habitat will not change, but it’s also possible that important links in the Arctic marine food web will break, hurting the human communities that depend on the foods and cultural importance of marine species. Most model projections only offer broad generalizations based on the entire body of ocean acidification research, but we know that fisheries and local traditions often center on specific species. Scientists are getting closer to understanding impacts on specific fisheries, but the information still isn’t specific enough to help managers know exactly how and when to take action.

Marine invertebrates on the beach near Utqiagvik, Alaska, after an October storm © Henry Huntington

Another thing that’s clear: ocean acidification isn’t the only stressor acting on Arctic marine systems. Walruses, for example, might experience gradual changes in the composition and quality of prey from ocean acidification and warming, while also suffering a major threat: habitat loss from melting sea ice. Couple these changes with environmental disruption from increased shipping traffic and oil and gas exploration, plus increased diseases associated with warming, and it’s clear that managing a single threat is not going to be enough.

There’s still so much to learn about how different marine threats will play out for Arctic species. Continuing to support scientific research and monitoring is so important. But more science isn’t enough. We’ll never know everything we hope to, and most knowledge won’t come in time to support major decisions that need to be made now. For example, last year’s Arctic Marine Assessment Programme report included a case study focused on the Greenland shrimp fishery. This economically important fishery is relatively data-rich, given its outsize importance on Greenland’s economy, yet researchers were unable to build a credible bio-economic model projecting ocean acidification’s impacts on the fishery due to lack of detailed information. Nevertheless, the study concluded that key actions were available to manage the fishery in recognition of this uncertainty, to build community resilience nevertheless. Bioeconomic models focusing on many fisheries in other parts of the world show that both ocean acidification’s social-ecological system impacts and adaptation measures are marked by great uncertainty.

To work within this reality, we need to manage ocean and coastal spaces in ways that account for uncertainty and expect long lag times between an action and its outcome. We need to plan for surprises. What if zooplankton are more susceptible to acidification and warming than we thought? We need to be ready for outcomes when the natural system doesn’t behave as humans expect. Walrus have already created new haulouts on the shores of northern Alaska, so who’s to say their next behavioral change doesn’t put them in the path of shipping routes? We also need to think about what “resilience” means in an everyday context for ocean and social systems, our fisheries and our coastal communities. Is it enough to be able to adjust a boat or processing plant for different fishes, or should we plan for an investment in options outside the fisheries sector altogether? The Arctic, with its multiple drivers, critical planetary importance, and focused international governance, is an excellent place to explore these questions, recognizing the limits of our knowledge alongside the need to act now before yet more threats are piled atop each other.

But of course, the Arctic is not isolated. Not only are Arctic lessons relevant elsewhere, but global problems also require global understanding and global action. That is why Ocean Conservancy works across regions, sectors and issues to promote the health of our world’s one ocean. Join us in helping make a difference for our ocean and the people who depend on it!

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Meet the Lumpsucker

What would you get if you combined a ping pong ball, a suction cup and a fish? A lumpsucker.

Lumpsuckers are a group of small, spherical fish that live in the chilly waters of the Arctic, North Pacific and North Atlantic. They’re part of the Cyclopteridae family, which gets its name from the Greek words “kyklos”, meaning “circle” or “round”, and “pteryx” meaning “fin”. There are 30 species of lumpsucker, ranging from the half-inch-long Lethotremus awae to the foot-long common lumpsucker (Cyclopterus lumpus). Lumpsuckers are benthic animals, meaning they live on the sea floor, and can live at depths up to 5,600 feet.

There are a few specific qualities that make the lumpsucker unique. First, they have a suction-cup-like disk on their underside, which allows them to attach to rocks and other surfaces. The disk is actually a modified pectoral fin, and keeps the fish from being swept away by ocean currents. This is especially important because lumpsuckers are not very good swimmers (their ping-pong-shaped bodies aren’t particularly hydrodynamic).

© incidencematrix / Wikimedia

Lumpsuckers’ suction disks also play a role in reproduction. When it’s time to breed, males will migrate to shallow waters to prep a nest. The female will then arrive, deposit her eggs and take off for the open ocean. Then the male’s watch begins: He attaches to a nearby rock and stands guard over the eggs for up to eight weeks. He then uses his fins to fan oxygen-rich water over the eggs and defends the nest against potential predators. Once the eggs hatch, the male returns to deeper waters, until called again to his parental duties.

Lumpsuckers don’t have scales, and instead have bumpy protrusions all over their bodies called tubercles. Tubercles are made of keratin, which is the same substance that makes up your hair and fingernails. These lumps serve as protection from predators and give lumpsuckers their lumpy appearance. They’re not the only species with these distinctive lumps, however: many fish, including goldfish, develop tubercles during breeding season to impress potential mates.

© Giphy

Due to their small size, there’s not a large international fishery for lumpsuckers. But they are an important fishery in Iceland—male lumpsuckers are considering a local delicacy. They also play a unique role in salmon aquaculture: some fish farmers use lumpsuckers to eat parasitic lice off of farmed salmon.

Lumpsuckers may be known as the “pingpong balls of the sea”, but there’s much more to these tiny, sucker-having, lice-eating fish. Plus, you can’t deny that they’re pretty stinking cute!

Want more weird fish species? Check out the frogfish, red-lipped batfish and gulper eel!

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Top 10 Ocean Songs of the Decade

‘Tis the season! While there are many reasons to celebrate this time of year, I especially look forward to Spotify Wrapped—an annual snapshot of our music listening habits and a reflection of the tunes that kept us going throughout the year. As we look back on a decade’s worth of our obsessive music habits, I couldn’t help but think: What would be in our ocean’s top ten? If the waves were grooving to tunes, what would be on repeat?

After spending time peering into the frothy seas, listening to waves crash, putting my ear up to conch shells and consulting with crustaceans, I bring you the ocean’s top ten songs of the decade:

1. Only the Ocean by Jack Johnson

“It will be only the ocean and me”

Jack Johnson is always good for a tune for relaxing while looking out over the water. This song is about going to the ocean for solace when life gets you down. You have to love any song with such fondness towards the sea.

2. The Wave by R3HAB and Lia Marie Johnson

“I’m waiting at the shore with my arms wide open, wind blowing in my hair, let the sea salt soak in”

This song gets what it is like to follow the flow of the ocean. The tune makes me want to put on this song, lay back and go where the current takes me. 

3. Stoked on Life by The Trash Mermaids

“Some people just want things, I just follow my dreams”

First off, I love any song written by mermaids. This song was inspired by Earth Day and proceeds from its release went to support ocean conservation. Scarlett Blu, the songwriter and lead singer of the group, is an avid sailor and diver who wants to see a healthier ocean. I’m stoked on her song dedicated to ocean protection.

4. How Far I’ll Go by Auli’i Cravalho

“See the line where the sky meets the sea? It calls me.”

I’m a big fan of Moana. She’s named after the ocean, she’s friends with waves, and she explores the high seas with her pet chicken. Basically, she has fulfilled all of my life goals. I can’t stop, won’t stop singing her power ballad from this beloved movie. No matter how hard I try, I come back to this soundtrack. I will play this on repeat for decades to come.

5. Trash by Kate Nash

“Impure toxic devotion runs through me like a river to a plastic ocean”

Kate Nash was inspired to write this song after she collaborated on an exhibition aimed to raise awareness about trash in the ocean. The whole experience made her want to use her music as a way to connect people to environmental issues. We hope this will be one of many that puts the ocean in the spotlight.

© Storyblocks

6. Cake By The Ocean by DNCE

“I keep on hoping we’ll eat cake by the ocean”

I cannot think of a more ideal dream than eating confections by the seaside. While this song isn’t really about the sea, it is nice to see the ocean’s name grace the Billboard’s Top Ten and included in a song named one of the greatest pop songs of 2016.

7. Water by Ra Ra Riot

“So, I crawled out of the back door took off all these tight clothes, jumped into the water”

The vastness of the ocean is a source of awe and inspiration. This song captures the perspective one gets from jumping into the water and appreciating how seemingly infinite it is. It’s a beautiful song capturing the transcendent moments the ocean can provide us.

8. Shark in The Water by V V Brown

“Baby, there’s a shark in the water”

While this song isn’t about a literal shark, the powerful chorus of this song has got me hooked. I’m sure it’s a favorite of headbanging Hammerheads and quick dancing Mako sharks world over.

9. Fisherman’s Blues by Emilia Clarke

“I wish I was a fisherman tumblin’ on the seas”

I love this cover of The Waterboys song by the Khaleesi herself. This song speaks of a longing to have the freedom you can have out at sea. There’s a special peace one feels with the stars above you, the water beneath you and the wonders of the ocean around you. This song’s opening lyrics transports you there.

10. A Dip in the Ocean by Fountains of Wayne

“Get a load of the light in the trees and the sweet decay on the maritime breeze”

This is a love song to being by the ocean and all the trappings that go along with it. It’s hard to listen to it and not be tempted to leave immediately for an adventure by the sea.

Honorable Mention: Baby Shark by Pinkfong

Most parents out there are probably sick of this song, but I felt it deserved a shout out. It seems every kid is singing about sharks these days and I’m all for it.

What’s your favorite song about the ocean? Share the nautical tunes that captured your heart @OurOcean!

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Happy Holidays from Ocean Conservancy

The holiday season is a time for reflection, gratitude and hope. We are proud and humbled by the victories we’ve accomplished for our ocean this year—and we couldn’t have done it without you.

Together, we are a strong global community of advocates who can accomplish great things for our ocean. Thanks to the support of generous ocean lovers like you, we are able to advocate for smart ocean science and policy, and spread awareness about the ocean we all love.

As we look forward to 2020, we know it will hold great challenges and great opportunities. Our goal this year, and every year, is to accomplish major conservation wins for our ocean, its wildlife and coastal communities.

We’re dedicating our New Year’s resolutions to our ocean. This year, we pledge to:

• Advocate for science-based ocean action (particularly on climate change—the single biggest threat to the ocean) that supports the wildlife and communities around the world that depend on healthy marine habitats. In particular, we will advocate for communities disproportionately affected by the impacts of climate change on the ocean.
• Research the challenges facing our ocean including climate change, overfishing, ocean acidification, plastic pollution and more, and use that information to develop tangible and effective conservation initiatives.
• Motivate people around the world to join #TeamOcean by sharing ways they can take action in their own communities, like participating in ocean cleanups and encouraging their elected officials to support smart ocean and climate policies.
• Educate the public about the wild and wonderful animals (and people!) who call the ocean home, as well as the threats they face in a rapidly-changing world.
• Partner with policy makers, scientists, businesses and communities to develop sustainable ocean policies that protect our ocean resources and habitats for generations to come. 

We have big plans for our ocean in 2020, and we need your support as we plunge into the new year. Together, we can make 2020 a record year for ocean victories, and we can set the stage for a decade of conservation wins.

I am grateful today and every day for your support. From all of us at Ocean Conservancy: thank you. May you have a joyous holiday season, and I look forward to seeing what we can achieve for our ocean in 2020.

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7 Species Ready for the Holiday SEAson

Candy canes and pinecones, joyful music and fireplace gatherings—signs that the holiday season is upon us! At some point in our lives, I’m sure that each and every one of us has wished that it was a holiday every day. Though we can’t give you an eternal festive season, we can provide you with some insanely shell-ebratory ocean creatures that live every day like it’s a holiday.

Read on to discover seven festive sea critters and impress your loved ones with these jolly-good ocean facts!

Christmas Tree Worm (Spiobranchus giganteus)

© Laszlo Ilyes

Although these worms may resemble the fir trees that are common during December, they actually reside far from the cold in warm waters of tropical coral reefs. Their tree-like structure is useful year-round and composed of appendages that are used for respiration and catching small phytoplankton to eat.

Pinecone Fish (Monocentris japonica)

© Amada44/Wikimedia

Much like the popular seed-bearing cone that shares its name, pinecone fish are armored with strong scale-like coverings called “scutes.” They can occasionally be found along coral reefs, but tend to be associated with undersea ledges and caves.

Cookiecutter Shark (Isistius brasiliensis)

© Jennifer Strotman, Collections Program/Smithsonian

Cookiecutter sharks may sound cute, but don’t let their name fool you. They’re infamous for the cookie-like chunk their bite leaves on prey. Fear not—these sharks are usually found at least 300 feet (90 m) deep and their bites are not fatal.

Fire Goby (Nemateleotris magnifica)

© Rickard Zerpe

Fire gobies received their name from their flame-like appearance. Besides their coloring (yellow, white, orange and red), they also act like flickering flames—darting in and out of burrows to catch prey and avoid predators.

Harp Sponge (Chondrocladia lyra)

© 2005 MBARI

Delicate in name and appearance, the harp sponge sounds like it might be a gentle creature, however, it’s actually a sturdy, deep-sea sponge that anchors itself to the seafloor with a root-like structure. Harp sponges are also carnivorous, using their appendages to capture fairly large prey like copepods and other crustaceans.

Candy Cane Shrimp (Alpheus randalli)

© Dr. Dwayne Meadows/NOAA/NMFS/OPR

While the candy cane shrimp may look like a holiday treat, it’s a far cry from it in flavor. The sweet-sounding crustacean has a symbiotic relationship with Randall’s prawn goby (Amblyeleotris randalli), meaning they depend on each other for survival. The shrimp helps dig and maintain a burrow for the two while the goby alerts the nearly-blind shrimp to any nearby dangers.

Sea Angel (Order Gymnosomata)

© 2il org/Flickr

Frequently mistaken for a holiday decoration, the sea angel is actually a small, swimming sea slug. Sea angels use their “wings” for quick bursts of speed to catch their favorite prey— sea butterflies (Thecosomata)!

Happy Holidays from all of us here at Ocean Conservancy! We are so thankful for your support as we seek solutions to protecting fin-tastic sea creatures like these from some of the greatest global challenges.

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NOAA Budget Agreed to for 2020

This week in Washington was one for the history books. But while the news cameras were pointed elsewhere on Capitol Hill, Congress finally took steps to fund the federal government for fiscal year 2020 (which actually started back in October). As always with budgets, compromises between parties and between both chambers of Congress were reached across 12 appropriations bills and more than $1.4 Trillion in federal spending. What does this final package mean for our ocean and the federal programs that protect and manage it? There’s quite a bit of good news, actually.

We already knew that both the House and Senate rejected the Trump administration’s huge proposed cuts to ocean programs. Here’s how some key programs did in the final bill:

Ocean Climate Change

• NOAA’s marquee climate research programs will receive a 7% funding boost to $169.5 million.
• The Ocean Acidification Program is getting an additional $2 million this year, bringing the program total to $14 million.

Marine Mammals

• The Marine Mammal Commission (which the Trump administration had proposed for elimination) is funded at $3.62 million—more than $200K above last year.
• The John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grants (which have also been proposed for elimination) are funded at $4 million.

© Amanda Ilidas

Fisheries

• The budget line that funds stock assessments (among other things vital for fisheries management) is receiving a 3% funding increase, up to almost $174 million.
• A $2.65 million increase will support electronic logbooks for some fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico.
• $250,000 is provided again this year to fund development of a climate fisheries ecosystem plan for the West Coast.

Ocean Management and Science

• Regional Ocean Data Portals are funded at $1.5 million again this year, the same level as fiscal year 2019.
• Sea Grant (and the important locally-focused work and educational efforts it empowers) is receiving a welcome 9% increase to $74 million.

These investments provide critical research, science, innovation and management to protect and restore our ocean. This holiday season we are grateful for a year of hard work by our partners across the country who fought and advocated to ensure that this strong ocean budget would come to fruition. Thank you and we look forward to continuing to work together with #TeamOcean in the new year!

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We Brought the Blue to This Year’s “Blue COP”

From where I sit, it’s increasingly clear that business-as-usual from the ocean conservation community isn’t working when it comes to addressing climate change. That’s why I’m incredibly proud of our ocean-climate team for playing a leading role in integrating ocean considerations into the international climate effort. Earlier this month, our team was on the ground at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 25^th Conference of Parties (COP) meeting in Madrid (known as “COP25”). From the moment our team touched down they jumped into action and introduced the ocean to the international climate world in a big way.

Historically, UN climate change negotiations have largely overlooked the ocean, even though it is a vital part of our planet’s climate system. In the lead-up to this year’s COP25, however, organizers promoted it as the “Blue COP” because of its planned focus on the ocean and ocean issues. By and large, COP25 lived up to its “Blue” billing. For the first time, an ocean section found its way into a COP decision text. This seemingly small step can become the foundation for increased ocean action for climate mitigation and adaptation.

This ocean progress is critical especially because it was one of the only bright spots to come out of on otherwise disappointing COP—where countries failed to agree on key aspects of the Paris Agreement and major economies failed to signal increased climate ambition. This decade will decide our future, and we need more ambition, not less. We believe the ocean can play a critical role in driving that ambition. As such, we need the ocean to be top-of-mind as we enter a new decade, driving new calls for progress.

From the updates our team sent from Madrid, this COP showed that it is possible to include the ocean in climate negotiations. We don’t have to silo the ocean and climate worlds. Every time I received an update, someone from our team was presenting on a panel, hosting ministerial events, being interviewed by the media or advising countries in the formal negotiations track. The work Ocean Conservancy performed over the past year and at COP itself helped ensure the “Blue COP” lived up to its name.

As I already mentioned, COP25 achieved the first-ever section on ocean-climate action in a COP decision. The language, introduced and championed by Fiji, Indonesia and Costa Rica, recognized the important role of the ocean and called for a discussion when parties convene later this year on our ocean and climate change. Ocean Conservancy is proud to have advised and played an integral role in these negotiations, supporting development of both the original proposal and the evolving text, in coordination with Fiji, Indonesia, Costa Rica, and other countries working to integrate ocean issues into the global fight against climate change.

Additionally, at a series of side events that we hosted and participated in, we mobilized new announcements from leadership coalitions to help set higher standards and generate momentum for ambitious ocean-climate stewardship. These included the launch of the Pacific Rim Ocean-Climate Action Partnership led by Fiji, California, Costa Rica, Peru and Panama, as well as a statement on ocean-climate action from a bipartisan and bicoastal set of U.S. states which demonstrated continued United States leadership despite the administration’s steps to withdraw from the Paris Agreement. Our team also debuted the “Models for Ocean-Climate Action along the Pacific Coast of North America,” which we developed in collaboration with Washington, Oregon, California and British Columbia; and the “Ocean-Climate Guide to Action” in collaboration with California.

We also hosted a high-level ministerial event of the “Friends of the Ocean and Climate” countries (including Fiji, Canada, Sweden, Norway and Chile) to discuss the importance of the ocean in our climate and to take stock of ocean-climate progress at the COP. You can watch a recording here to see #TeamOcean in action.

We compiled the “Blue Program” for the COP presidency, working with NGO and country partners to raise visibility of the more than 90 ocean-related events for government officials and those following remotely. Among the many events Ocean Conservancy participated in, RAY Fellow Kalina Browne moderated a Twitter chat Q&A with scientific leaders from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change—including two of the IPCC’s Vice Chairs—that you can see here and here. You can find an accounting of a selection of our team’s COP25 work on our website. It truly was remarkable waking up nine hours behind Madrid and seeing all of the great work the team carried out while most of us here in the United States were still sleeping.

There’s no question the COP overall was disappointing, given the gap between what’s necessary to address the climate emergency and what major economies are committing to. But I am immensely proud—and inspired—by the work our team has done at the COP this month to advance ocean-climate action. As ocean conservationists, we must acknowledge how powerfully carbon emissions are changing our ocean, and we must aggressively work together to protect the conservation gains of the last century, bring our expertise to bear to transition to a clean energy future, and bring new and diverse voices to the ocean conservation community.

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By Cod! Climate Change is Crushing an Alaska Fishery

For those of us who care deeply about the people, places and animals of the Arctic, there is no shortage of bad news these days. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released its annual Arctic Report Card and let me tell you, it is not the kind you’d be proud to stick on your refrigerator.

The stark facts include: the second warmest land surface temperatures in the Arctic since 1900, distressingly low Arctic sea ice extent, alarming decreases in the thickness of the sea ice and sea surface temperatures well above average.

These drastic changes to the ecosystem have a major impact on an important Alaskan resource: fisheries

For millennia, Alaska Native communities have relied on fish as a critical source of food security and an important part of their culture. The state is famous as a destination for recreational fishermen, giving many the once-in-a-lifetime thrill of landing a halibut or king salmon. And the rich bounty of Alaskan waters in the Gulf of Alaska, Aleutian Islands and the Bering Sea has supported some of the biggest and most profitable commercial fisheries in the world.

Gulf of Alaska pacific cod haul aboard the F/V Mythos © Dave Kubiak

And people who live there are witnessing the rapid changes.

This year the Arctic report card includes a special section entitled Voices from the Front Lines of a Changing Bering Sea. The eight Indigenous authors from Bering Sea communities write:

 “The Bering Sea is undergoing changes that have never been observed in our lifetimes but were foreseen by our elders decades ago. Global climate change is one of many forces beyond our control that are threatening the entire Bering Sea food chain, of which we are a part. Record-breaking temperatures, reductions in sea ice, and lack of snow are impacting our marine mammals, fish, seabirds, and ecosystem as a whole. The evidence exists along our coastlines, in our waters, and is revealed through the hardships we face in bringing harvests home to our families and communities.”

Pacific cod in the Bering Sea have moved north towards the Bering Strait because the “cold pool,” a thermal barrier that kept fish from moving north, has disappeared. In Norton Sound, just south of the Bering Strait, crab pots are coming up full of cod instead of crab.

One of the first victims of climate change has been the Gulf of Alaska cod fishery.

Climate change has caused a shocking decline in the Gulf of Alaska cod fishery. The mass of warm water in the Gulf of Alaska (dubbed the “Warm Blob”) that impacted fisheries and ecosystems the entire length of the West Coast walloped the cod population. The survival of cod eggs drops significantly when water temperatures rise above 7°C (44.6°F). The future is uncertain as 2020 is shaping up to be another warm year in the Gulf of Alaska.

The Warm Blob of 2014 © Ocean Conservancy

With cod stocks falling, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council has had to make tough calls in the past few years. They set an 80% reduction in the catch limit in 2018 and an additional reduction of 5% in 2019. This year, they had to make the difficult decision to close the directed fishery completely in 2020 and reduce catch limits for other fisheries that catch cod while fishing for other species.

The fishery management council prides itself on science-based management, and it was clear that there was no other alternative if the fish stock was to recover. Because of rules put in place to protect Steller sea lions (which rely on cod for prey), the directed fishery had to be closed, and the catch in non-target fisheries was reduced as well.

© Kelly Harrell

Fewer fish in the ocean means fewer fish for people too. The Gulf of Alaska cod fishery is critical to small-boat fishermen and communities, providing one of the few fishing opportunities in the winter, outside of salmon season. Fishermen in Homer, Kodiak, Sand Point and many others rely on this fishery to pay the bills. Many of these communities have few alternatives to the cod fishery for their livelihoods.

Unfortunately, the experience of the Gulf of Alaska cod fishery, and the broader changes reflected in the Arctic Report card, do not represent an anomaly. Dramatic shifts in the marine ecosystem are likely to be the new normal. As the world rallies around global measures to reduce emissions, we also need to adapt our fishery management systems to match the new reality we face—among them being the way we manage fisheries. We need climate-ready fishery management to meet the challenges that lie ahead. This means continuing the strong, science-based management system we have under the primary law that governs federal fisheries (the Magnuson-Stevens Act), protecting habitat, putting renewed resources into collecting data on marine resources, and developing new management tools and systems that can adapt to the changing climate.

Making these changes can help ensure that our report cards—both for the Arctic and for our fishery management systems—are the kind we’d proudly display on the fridge.

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Jean-Pierre Gattuso – 2020 Ruth Patrick Award Recipient

The Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography presents the Ruth Patrick Award each year to a scientist whose research leads to the identification, analysis and/or solution of important environmental problems. ASLO is pleased to award the 2020 Ruth Patrick Award to Jean-Pierre Gattuso for his leadership in, and commitment to, addressing ocean acidification. […]

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Stemming the Impact of Red Tide Starts With Us Working Together

No one can forget the impact that the red tide outbreak of 2017 and 2018 had on Florida’s coast. Covering close to 1,000 miles of the state’s shoreline at its peak, the bloom caused harm to wildlife, public health, the tourism industry and more. This past November, red tide returned once more. That’s why Ocean Conservancy partnered with Florida Sea Grant to conduct a survey of state stakeholders to analyze the public’s perception of red tides and other harmful algal blooms. The results were presented in St. Petersburg to the Harmful Algal Bloom Task Force, which was recently reinstated by Governor Ron DeSantis.

It comes as no surprise that Floridians, who are deeply connected to the waterways they’re surrounded by, felt that the state’s level of water quality was depleting, and doing so fast. The events aren’t just continuing to happen, but their severity and frequency is increasing as well. However, the survey we conducted demonstrated something critical when it comes to saving Florida’s waters: those who call Florida home believe all levels of society have a role in ensuring healthy waters, and that state and local governments are equipped with the tools they need to ameliorate the impacts of algal blooms like red tide, both on the environment and the economy.

© Shutterstock

We should permanently fund ocean observation and data collection to improve forecasting of red tide events. We should have real-time beach air quality monitoring to detect respiratory threats to people and pets and pinpoint red tide events as they are occurring. We should prioritize science, and seek to fill gaps in understanding the impact of climate change on red tide bloom frequency, intensity and duration. We should ensure that the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission and local marine wildlife networks have the adequate capacity and support for response for stranded animals. And we should improve education and outreach to make sure that red tide event information is being widely and effectively broadcast.

We’ll never be able to get rid of harmful algal blooms like red tide completely. It’s a naturally-occurring organism, so what we need to focus on is lessening the severity of its impacts by responding in an efficient and proactive manner. We have the ability to curb potential factors resulting from human activity, like nutrient loads that contribute to the magnitude and frequency of events, especially in nearshore waters.

After the presentation of the survey to the task force last week, we have hope that they will recommend a course of action that improves not only what we know about red tides, but also how to alleviate and how to mitigate their extensively destructive effects.

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Arctic Council COP25 side event on ocean acidification was a call for action

The Arctic is experiencing some of the fastest rates of ocean acidification with potentially severe implications for the ecosystem and communities dependent on these. To raise awareness on acidifying waters and to bring state-of-the-art knowledge on the issue to a global arena, the Arctic Council organized a side event “All aboard! Tackling polar ocean acidification” […]

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Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery: Conservation success and replication in the Sea of Cortez

Featured Pic: The jacks in Cabo Pulmo National Park, Mexico. Image courtesy of Octavio Aburto.

By Dr. Sarah Hameed, Blue Parks Director at Marine Conservation Institute

Swimming alongside a massive swirling sphere of jacks, I pretend for a moment, that I’m a fish. And if I were a fish, I’d want to live right here in Cabo Pulmo National Park, in the transition zone between tropical and temperate environments where the Sea of Cortez meets the Pacific, and where minerals from the land enrich the water that teams with life.

The 70 km² park was protected by the small community of Cabo Pulmo on the southeastern edge of the Baja California Peninsula nearly 25 years ago when leaders in the community recognized their reefs were no longer healthy and their fished populations diminished. Following their protection, the ecosystem began returning to life. Corals grew, fish populations rebounded and big fish returned to the reefs [1]. In the past few years, even the sharks – white tipped reef sharks, bull sharks and tiger sharks – have returned to the area. It took time, but once protected, the reefs and marine life that had sustained the community long ago, began to do so again. For many years, locals continued to fish in certain areas of the park, but as they began to see success from protection, they decided to ban fishing throughout the park. Now Cabo Pulmo National Park is nominated for a Blue Park Award. These awards recognize effective marine protected areas and the people who champion them.

 

In addition to conservation benefits, the community benefits from “spillover” – the movement of fish from the protected area to fishing grounds outside of the park boundaries. The local economy of Cabo Pulmo has also shifted to tourism – the revitalized ecosystem has attracted tourists who want to snorkel and dive with the incredible wildlife in Cabo Pulmo, just like me.

 

Carlos Godínez, manager of Cabo Pulmo National Park, and Luis Lucero, community leader of Los Barriles, look out over the area Luiz would like to see protected, the “Nest.”

 

Tourists have not been the only ones to appreciate the recovery in Cabo Pulmo National Park. Fishing communities up the coast are in the same boat that the fishers of Cabo Pulmo abandoned 25 years ago – they are driving further and further away to catch less and less fish. But they have seen the fishing improve in the region around Cabo Pulmo, and now some of them are ready to follow Cabo Pulmo’s lead. The community of Los Barriles is beginning to plan a marine protected area that community leaders are calling, “The Nest.” Community leaders, like Luis Lucero are studying Cabo Pulmo to learn from its success, and from the threats of development and unsustainable tourism it has faced. While Luiz hopes to protect the community’s fishing heritage and traditional fishing methods, members of the next generation, including his daughter, see their future in a tourism economy. The community will need to decide what they are aiming for.

 

Los Barriles’ intention to create “The Nest” gives me great hope – this is exactly the kind of virtuous cycle of conservation success and replication we need to scale up effective marine protections and safeguard life in the sea.

 

Our own Dr. Sarah Hameed (at the back of the boat in the photo above) is just back from visiting Cabo Pulmo National Park located on the Baja California Peninsula, where the Sea of Cortez meets the Pacific Ocean. Invited by Legacy Works Group to participate in a 5-day floating meeting focused on conservation, Sarah collaborated with managers, community leaders, government officials, conservationists, scientists, photographers and funders aboard National Geographic/Linblad Expeditions ship, Sea Lion.

 

[1] See Aburto-Oropeza, Octavio, et al. 2011. Large recovery of fish biomass in a no-take marine reserve. PLOS ONE 6: e23601.

 

 

 

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4 Fish that Live in the Arctic

When you think of Arctic animals, there are probably a few that come to mind. You likely picture distinctive critters like polar bears, puffins or narwhals—which is great! These animals deserve to be celebrated.

But what about the less charismatic species? The Arctic is packed with weird and wonderful animals, many of whom are found below the cold waters of the Arctic Ocean. Today, we’re taking a moment to recognize some of the lesser-known fish that call the ocean home. Read on to meet some of the Arctic’s most unusual fishy residents.

Salmon Shark (Lamna ditropis)

© Alaska Department of Fish and Game

Salmon sharks are large, slow-growing sharks that are found from Baja California to the Bering Sea. They have a short, stocky body that looks similar to that of a great white shark, and can grow to up to ten feet in length. They eat a wide variety of fish, but particularly like to eat—you guessed it—salmon. You can find large numbers of salmon sharks during the annual Pacific salmon runs. They have a special adaptation that allows them to stay warm in cold Arctic waters: Salmon sharks are endothermic, which means they can control their internal body temperature. Most fish are ectotherms, meaning their body temperature matches the environment around them. Salmon sharks can raise their body temperature up to 20 degrees F above the surrounding water temperature!

Gelatinous Seasnail (Liparis fabricii)

© Kitty Mecklenburg

The gelatinous seasnail is a small, tadpole-shaped fish that lives in the deep, freezing waters of the Arctic. They can be found in depths up to 6,000 feet—which is some seriously cold water. Like other snailfish, it has a disc-shaped mouth that can suck up small invertebrates off the sea floor. We don’t know too much about this small fish, but we do know that this critter is an important prey item for commercially important fish like Atlantic cod.

Fish Doctor (Gymnelus viridis)

© CW Mecklenburg & TA Mecklenburg

This fish may not have gone to medical school, but don’t hold that against it. Fish doctors are small, brown fish that blend in with their preferred seaweed habitats. They sometimes also have dark bands or strips that become more prominent as they get older. Fish doctors live year-round in the Arctic Ocean in temperatures that drop below freezing in the winter. They prey on small organisms like copepods and amphipods, and are eaten by larger Arctic animals like seals, seabirds and cod. Unfortunately, no one knows how it got its name, but perhaps it was for a heroic medical rescue of another fish. Paging Dr. Fish, anyone?

Arctic Lamprey (Lethenteron camtschaticum)

© Randy Brown, USFWS

If you’re not familiar with lampreys, fair warning that these guys are … unique. Arctic lampreys are eel-like fish have no scales and can grow up to about a foot long. Like other lampreys, they have a large suction-like mouth filled with sharp teeth and an even sharper tongue. Lampreys use their teeth to clamp onto their prey, and use their tongue to slowly scrape away scales and skin. There are two types of lamprey in the Arctic: a non-parasitic one that lives in freshwater, and a parasitic one that travels between salt and fresh water. Parasitic Arctic lampreys feed by latching their suckers onto large fish like trout and salmon and leave large red sores on the fish when they’re finished. Although you can technically eat Arctic lampreys, some consider its oily meat an “acquired taste.”

Oh, and there was this one time when Arctic lampreys rained from the sky in Fairbanks (spoiler alert: it was thanks to birds!)

Looking for more Arctic species? Check out these five sharks found in the Arctic.

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