Why 2020 Can Give Us Hope for the Future of the Ocean
2020 was filled with an overwhelming amount of negative news which has left many of us feeling run down and worn out; yet despite it all, the past year has still given us reasons to have hope for the future. Hidden behind all the discouraging major news stories were in fact many positive tales surrounding ocean conservation and protection. From booming seal populations to new marine reserves, 2020 was a surprisingly promising year for our blue planet, so let’s fish around and discover why we should dive head first into 2021 feeling cheerful and filled with optimism.
First off, Scotland has recently created a new marine protected area on its west coast which is now the largest area of protected ocean in Europe. This 100,000 kilometre patch of cold water has meant a total of 30% of Scotland’s seas are now safeguarded, a very impressive figure in the eyes of marine scientists. Some of the ocean now under protection is over 2.5 kilometres deep and home to a wide range of unusual species such as leafscale gulper sharks, Portuguese dogfish and orange roughy fish. The underwater habitats here are also diverse and unique with mud systems, cold water coral reefs and seamounts, also known as underwater volcanoes. Cold water corals are usually very slow at growing, often only gaining one millimetre in height throughout an entire year. This makes them particularly vulnerable as any damage that occurs could lead to a thousand year recovery period. Therefore, Scotland’s pro-active conservation hopes to save these rare and beautiful ecosystems for generations to come.
Similarly, the Turkish government has recently expanded the Gokova Bay Special Environmental Protection Area, the country’s only marine protected area, by 350 square kilometres. This area of coastline lies within one of the most overfished and plastic polluted seas in the world, yet their conservation measures have already enabled fish stocks to increase in recent years. By expanding the protected area, they hope to further restore their local waters which are filled with a bounty of life. The warm waters here are home to sandbar sharks and the Mediterranean monk seal, of which there are believed to be only 700 individuals left in existence. These endangered yet playful seals glide over delicate seagrass meadows filled with feeding turtles, whilst overhead the cliffs are lined with the nests of various seabird species. With Turkey expected to have a boom in development in the coming years, it is promising to see that they are committed to protecting their unique natural landscape alongside growing their economy.
In rather cooler waters, two beluga whales received their happy ending in 2020. The two beluga whales known as Little Grey and Little White were captured and taken from the wild at a young age to perform in water parks in China. After a lifetime in small pools and enclosures, these two marine mammals have recently been released into the sea sanctuary at Klettsvik Bay in Iceland. This is the first project of its kind and it is hoped that it will provide a way of preventing marine mammals being kept in captivity and used for entertainment. Whales are not suited to being isolated in small pools as in the wild they would travel, hunt and feed in family groups, covering vast distances. Whilst a life inside a water park has left them lacking the natural instinct to hunt, these creatures can still enjoy their wild habitat from the safe waters of the sanctuary. Here they are able to explore the sheltered bay and all its nooks and crannies, stretching their flippers in their 32,000 square metre enclosure, a little larger than the nine metre tanks they are used to. Here they will still be fed and cared for by humans but will be free from the burden of performing tricks. The Klettsvik Bay sanctuary has room for eight other whales whilst more sea sanctuaries are being planned around the world. Let’s hope there are many more whales which are given a new lease of life in the coming year.
On the topic of whales, an area of sea in southern Tenerife is set to become Europe’s first Whale Heritage Site in February. 28 different species of cetacean can be found in these warm waters including a resident population of short-finned pilot whales in addition to sperm whales, humpbacks and a large variety of dolphins. The heritage status is granted to destinations which are not only historic whale watching sites but those areas which include whales within cultural, economic, social and political aspects of local life. In Tenerife, humans and whales co-exist in a peaceful nature with a significant amount of income coming from the tourists who eagerly head out to sea with cameras ready to spot these gentle giants. The region also has two protected areas as well as strong legislation protecting marine mammals and research and education programmes running throughout the island. All these factors have meant that Franja Marine Teno-Rasca will join Australia’s Hervey Bay and The Bluff in South Africa as the Whale Heritage Sites. There are currently a handful of other destinations in the running to achieve this status so maybe 2021 will see Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula, Vancouver Island and Marlborough Sounds in New Zealand be awarded for their hard work protecting our ocean’s species.
Costa Rica is often heralded as one of the most sustainable and eco-conscious countries on the planet and this doesn’t stop when it comes to their oceans. A 700 kilometre stretch of the Pacific Ocean between Costa Rica’s Cocos Islands and The Galapagos Islands is on the way to achieving protected status. This new protected strip runs between two established marine reserves which are crucial feeding grounds for multiple species. Whilst animals are safe within the feeding grounds, they immediately come under threat from fishing vessels when they start their journey to the next feeding area. In a modern and forward-thinking approach, conservationists wish to create a safe corridor through which thousands of sharks and turtles can swim to reach the different feeding grounds and this type of conservation will help target migratory species which are so often exposed to multiple threats as they move through areas of both protected and unprotected ocean. The director behind this proposal hopes that this idea will act as a blueprint which is copied around the world to help protect the significant chunk of marine species which circumnavigate the globe across well worn paths.
In the UK, the ‘Wild Oysters Project’ has recently launched with the aim of installing 10,000 oysters into specialised nurseries. Since the mid-1800s, 95% of Britain’s oysters have been lost to overharvesting, habitat loss, pollution and disease. This new project hopes to reintroduce these largely underrated species to our nearshore waters. Oysters are in fact incredibly useful; for example, they improve water quality by removing excess nutrients and particles which increases clarity. Barnacles, mussels and anemones also use oyster shells as a base to grow off whilst dead empty oyster shells provide a place for gobies and blennies to lay their eggs. With oysters performing a variety of ocean tasks and being an easily accessible species, the leaders of the project hope that businesses, schools and community groups will also get involved not only to help the project but to educate the public too.
One species which is not struggling with population numbers is grey seals. Norfolk’s Blakeney National Nature Reserve has had another strong year with a successful autumn season filled with fluffy seal pups. In 2001, only 25 babies were discovered in the area but last year the number of births was an amazing 3,399! National Trust rangers predict that this year the numbers could exceed 4,000 and are even having to devise new ways of counting the young as the numbers are now simply too high for their traditional methods. The fact that this population is doing so well is fantastic news as Britain houses 40% of the entire world’s grey seal population.
In fact, multiple ocean species’ populations appeared to boom in numbers during the last year. Roseate terns are the UK’s rarest nesting seabird after they nearly became extinct in the 19th century due to the popularity of their feathers for ladies hats. Yet 2020 saw a record breaking number of breeding pairs at the UK’s only breeding colony in Northumberland as the species begin to make a comeback. Whilst the species still face many threats, the RSPB have a whole host of plans to enhance the habitat of existing colonies whilst restoring other potential sites. On the opposite side of the world, blue whales are bouncing back from commercial whaling which decimated the population in the 1960s. Despite blue whales residing in Antarctic waters, they have rarely been seen at their historic feeding ground around the island of South Georgia; until this year anyway. 58 blue whales were spotted around the island this summer, a sign which shows that the population is slowly recovering from almost complete extinction.
However, some other species are still struggling, such as the enormous seabird colonies on Gough Island in the South Atlantic. This unknown island is actually home to an astonishing eight million birds from 24 different species and forms one of the most important nesting sites in the world. Yet the introduction of mice to the island in the 19th century has introduced a predator which targets young chicks. The RSPB are now starting work with the local government to remove the mice in an ambitious project which hopes to save two million birds each year. 2021 will be a very exciting year watching the results of this challenging initiative.
As you can see, 2020 was not completely filled with doom and gloom and as many have said, this has been the year which proved that communities can come together, join skills, passions and resources to help save a crisis. Let’s hope that we remember the power of community heading into 2021 and the years beyond as our joint community strength could be the answer to safeguarding our oceans for good.
By Neve McCracken-Heywood