Happy World Oceans Day! Eleven of the Most Amazing Ocean Stories from the Past Year
To celebrate World Oceans Day 2020, we’ve put together some of the top positive ocean stories from the last 12 months to help inspire you to make even greater ocean-loving actions this year. From turtle themed pop songs to undercover albatrosses to the mysterious kraken, the last year saw a lot of amazing things happen around the world, but we hope that with your help, the next 12 months can be even more sustainable and even more inspiring.
1. Several British scientists relocated themselves to Sao Tome, a small island in West Africa, where they hoped to stop turtle populations rapidly plummeting. Many of the locals on the island believed that the five different species of turtle which nest on the white sand were immune to becoming extinct and therefore happily took their meat and eggs. From a survey, the researchers found that Sao Tome inhabitants most greatly trusted news that was received from the TV or radio and so they devised a unique method of communicating with the islanders that was far removed from traditional technical jargon. A local popstar was enrolled to record a new single called ‘Mother of the Sea’, a song which promoted the beauty of our oceans and relayed the importance of protecting turtles, particularly in relation to West Africa’s heritage. While this sounds a little wacky, the song has had great success on the island as new turtle protection schemes have rocketed. It is hoped that this type of innovative, personalised conservation will be pursued more greatly in the coming years to help change behaviour across the globe.
2. Whilst we are on the subject of turtles, in 2019, loggerhead turtles laid a record number of nests along the southeast coast of America whilst the number of green turtles lazing about the seas in Hawaii also hit a record high. This is fantastic news for a species which suffers so many human-induced threats.
3. In Pembrokeshire in Wales, a new project is starting to plant seagrass meadows in shallow waters to recreate the habitat which has been lost over the years due to increased shipping and pollution. It is thought that 90% of UK seagrass forests have been lost, yet these grasses store carbon 35 times faster than tropical rainforests, all whilst housing 40 times more marine life than empty seabeds. So far, the project has collected seeds from Cornwall, Devon and North Wales and has planted 800,000 seeds which should have sprouted by October. This underwater gardening project could not only boost local wildlife but also lend a large helping hand in our climate crisis.
4. Researchers have also discovered a way to reduce bycatch when fishing. By placing lights along thin gill nets which float on the surface of the sea, accidental bycatch of dolphins and turtles can be reduced by an amazing 70%! This low cost solution could easily be adopted in many countries to save endangered species whilst not lowering the number of fish caught, a win-win scenario.
5. In the last year, there have been massive increases in the number and size of marine protected areas. For example, in 2019, Indonesia established three new protected areas within the Coral Triangle, an area of ocean which is home to the greatest diversity of corals and reef fish in the world; an ocean lover’s haven. Indonesia has impressive targets, aiming to set aside 200,000 square kilometres of water for conservation by the end of 2020 and they have already accomplished 96% of this ambitious vision, setting a great example for all the countries who still fail to take marine conservation seriously.
6. There is also, finally, serious action being taken to protect our high seas from overfishing, pollution, heavy shipping and all other human woes. The high seas represent two-thirds of global oceans and include any patch of sea that lies more than 200 miles from land but this isolation means that until now, rules have been very hard to enforce in this vast environment. Last year, the UN hosted talks regarding a global treaty which would protect our high seas and scientists have already identified key areas for management. These include migration routes for top predators such as sharks and seabirds, fish spawning and feeding grounds and areas which may act as a buffer to climate change impacts. These plans hope to be finalised and agreed upon this year, making 2020 a great year for the ocean.
7. One very heart-warming marine story to hit the news this year regarded a New Zealand taxi driver. For the last five years, a taxi driver and her fellow volunteers have driven the streets of Kaikoura to find crash-landed Hutton’s shearwater chicks and give them a ride to local rescue centres. Hutton’s shearwaters are unique in that they breed in the mountains and the chicks take their first flight out to the ocean where they spend most of their lives. However, for first time flyers, it can be tricky to tell the waves from the shiny roads and so many chicks accidentally touch down on the streets. These light grey fluffballs are treated at rescue centres before being released out at sea by volunteer boats. While this incredible work has been going on for years, 2019 marked the year the world learned of this selfless story, something which I’m sure has inspired many other heart-warming actions.
8. Both whale and shark populations continued to boom in the last year as measures to prevent whaling, overfishing and bycatch are becoming increasingly successful. The population of humpback whales in the south Atlantic is now at 93% of its pre-whaling size, bouncing back from a mere 450 individuals in 1950 to over 25,000 today! This is a sign that we really can reverse our mistakes, something which should give us all hope for the future.
9. Scientists also discovered this year that by playing the sounds of healthy reefs on a degraded patch of coral, twice as many fish can be attracted to the area. Healthy reefs are naturally very noisy areas with grunting, snapping and chomping sounds filling the ocean. By playing these noises on underwater speakers on barer patches of coral, young fish were drawn to the area and these fish are essential for cleaning the reef and creating new spaces for coral to grow. This hopes to boost the natural recovery process of our beautiful, diverse corals.
10. In 2019, 169 albatrosses were fitted with radar detection tags and released over the Indian Ocean to allow scientists to understand their breeding and foraging behaviour. However, these tags had one more sneaky use. The radar systems were able to detect fishing boats in remote areas as albatrosses often head straight for these vessels to scavenge food. By analysing the boat data, scientists predict that one-third of these were illegal fishers. The albatross is one of the key victims of bycatch due to entanglement in fishing nets and now these creatures are able to get their own back on unsustainable fishers by exposing their illegal activities. In an incredible story, these birds are arguably flying for their own justice as they turn into undercover cops.
11. Finally, who could forget the unprecedented level of activism we have seen this year. The notion of ‘Fridays for Future’ really kicked off, with schoolchildren leaving the classroom and heading for the streets to fight for a better environment. With 2019 forming the start of youth activism, let’s hope that 2020 is the year worldwide governments start to listen and act.
We hope these tales have inspired you to make some extra lifestyle changes which will benefit our oceans and create some equally incredible and heart-warming stories. Thank you for all your support over the last year and we hope you enjoy your World Oceans Day in whatever way you can.
By Neve McCracken-Heywood