Stories That Give us Hope for the Future of our Blue Planet

We all need to hear some good news every once in a while, especially when it comes to the state of our oceans. So here are some of the positive stories that have emerged over the last few months which give us a glimmer of hope that the future of our blue planet may still be bright.

Let’s start with how scientists are teaming up with tiger sharks to help gather more information on the condition of our underwater environments. Tiger sharks have a formidable reputation as one of the fiercest shark species. When storms hit, other shark species are known to flee from coastal areas but tiger sharks stay put and barely batter an eyelid. This characteristic, combined with the fact these creatures cover great distances and depths, made them the perfect choice for use by scientists to conduct research into seagrass beds. Researchers in the Bahamas attached cameras and tracking devices onto the dorsal fins of tiger sharks which then made their way across the seabed capturing footage of their surroundings. After six hours, the straps holding the devices in place are corroded by the saltwater and float to the surface where scientists collect them. This technique provided a unique perspective as using divers to carry out the same task would be expensive and time consuming whilst photos taken from planes or satellites are often not accurate enough as seagrass frequently hides beneath cloudy murky waters. Seagrass is also often interwoven with other marine plants and it can be tricky to identify specific species from a distant aerial photograph. The footage captured by the tiger sharks is therefore incredibly valuable to marine conservation and the results have been astounding as scientists have discovered the world’s largest known seagrass ecosystem. This 35,000 square mile extent of seagrass stretches over the Caribbean seabed, housing multiple marine species whilst also absorbing and storing carbon. This has been a fantastic find and provides a new valuable argument for ocean conservation in the Bahamas, a region which is threatened by dredging for coastal development and seabed mining for aragonite.  This study just goes to show how much of the ocean we still have left to explore and not just the great dark depths either, whilst scientists are already saying there will be more partnerships with marine animals in the future.

Further out in the deep waters of the Pacific Ocean, the enormous marine protected area that is the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument is seeing fantastic results for tuna. This gigantic Hawaiian reserve established in 2006 is four times the size of California and forms the world’s largest no take fishing zone. Whilst this has benefitted marine species living inside its borders, researchers have also now discovered that it is having a positive spill over effect on those living just outside the reserve. Tuna is one of the species which is most notably booming in numbers as their population recovers from decades of overfishing. This has been seen as a happy side effect of the marine reserve as its main purpose is to protect biodiversity as a whole in addition to culturally important areas. This summer, an incredible 39,000 kilos of lost fishing gear was also collected from reefs in the area, meaning they will no longer be able to ghost fish and entangle marine species.

This year has also seen many new conservation areas set up, including the first ever marine protected areas in The Republic of the Congo. Locals have worked together with charities and university professors to establish three new marine reserves in their coastal waters which cover a fantastic 1,500 square miles. This area is rich in sharks and rays whilst being a globally important site for nesting turtles and a crucial breeding ground for humpback whales. The reserves hope not only to protect these iconic creatures but also to lower the amount of illegal and unreported fishing which takes place along its coast. Illegal fishing can be very harmful to our marine ecosystems as the catch size is unregulated whilst bycatch and damaging fishing equipment are also big issues. Professors involved in establishing the country’s marine reserves ensured that local fishermen were included in the decision making process. This allows communities to still have access to important resources, making it more likely that they comply with the strict guidelines set out to help protect the area whilst they were given the opportunity to share their fears surrounding those who illegally fish.

Other studies in this area of Africa have shown that the number of rare olive ridley turtle nests have increased in the area over the last few years, giving us great hope for their future population. This is a sign that the beach patrols and educational programmes delivered as part of the marine conservation strategy have been successful as the number of poached female turtles and eggs is falling. The bycatch release programme in the area has also made a huge difference to the number of these beautiful turtles, with 18,000 turtles accidentally caught by fishermen returned to the sea since 2005.

Turtles aren’t the only creatures bouncing back from the brink either as whale populations around the world boom after teetering on the edge of extinction during the last century. In July, 150 southern fin whales were filmed feeding together in Antarctica, a staggering number of individuals considering these giant creatures were hunted to 1-2% of their original population size several decades before. Recently there have been more and more sightings of these whales around their historic feeding grounds, giving us hope that they may soon be back to their thriving population size.

Meanwhile, one business in the shipping industry has made a surprising move to help protect our whale species further. All too often we hear of global companies opting for profit over the planet but the Mediterranean Shipping Company has recently made a refreshing change to their operations.  They are one of the global leaders in container shipping but this summer announced that, based on scientists’ recommendations, they would be voluntarily rerouting some of their vessels to avoid popular blue whale feeding areas. The change sees vessels divert a further 15 kilometres south of Sri Lanka, one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, to reduce the impact they have on the whale species which feed and breed off the coastline. Scientists believe this change will reduce the chance of ship strikes with whales by an incredible 95%! The company have also chosen to reduce vessel speed limits in other areas to allow whales time to move out of the way of ships. This voluntary move by a global leader is sure to set a trend for other companies to follow and it is brilliant to hear a multinational company admit they have an important role to play when it comes to protecting cetaceans.

In other parts of Asia, scientists are jumping with joy as they discover new marine species. In Papua New Guinea, a magnificent jellyfish has recently been caught on camera displaying beautiful circle patterns. This moment was captured by a diver who has spent 20 years exploring the area but never before come across this species. Whilst genetic testing is needed to confirm, scientists believe this could be the mysterious Chirodectes maculatus jellyfish which has only ever been spotted once before. Remotely operated vehicles have also potentially discovered 30 new species in an area called The Clarion-Clipperton Zone, a 4.5 million square kilometre patch of ocean between Hawaii and Mexico. Most of these creatures were found at a depth of 4,800 metres in the pitch black and living under incredible pressure. Many of these species have only been studied before via images but now segmented worms and strange corals have been seen in the flesh. Scientists even discovered a gummy squirrel, a yellow caterpillar with a large squirrel like tail. These are exciting discoveries as these are some of the first megafauna found in the area and are much larger than the tiny species seen here before. With deep sea mining firmly on the mind of some businesses and governments, these finds are crucial to help us understand exactly what we have and stand to lose if destructive activities start taking place.

As you can see, there is still so much to celebrate and be hopeful for with regard to our oceans and hopefully these massive wins will spur you on to make that extra effort to protect your local patch of our blue planet.

By Neve McCracken-Heywood