Shellfish and their calcium carbonate shells have taken the spotlight during the ocean acidification discussion. We know that other animals in the ocean will be affected, but we’ve only just begin looking beyond shells and skeletons. Biologists have started to look at the behavior of fish in lower pH conditions – with surprising results….
Conservation Through Technology – A New GPS Mapping Project Benefits Both the Leatherback Sea Turtle and Fishermen
Global Positioning System (GPS) technology is found on every smartphone and on millions of dashboard-mounted units across the country. It facilitates our journeys throughout our busy lives, getting us where we need to go in a timely fashion. GPS has allowed us to graduate from the age of paper maps and into one charted with…
The Plastic Plague – How Plastic Pollution Threatens Our Oceans and What We Can Do About It
“The least movement is of importance to all nature. The entire ocean is affected by a pebble.” – Blaise Pascal At this very moment, there is a plastic plague creeping around Earth and infiltrating our most precious resources. It flows from urban environments, wreaking havoc in our watersheds and oceans. It smothers habitats, imprisons and…
The Last Urban Fishery – Herring Return to San Francisco Bay to the Delight of Fishermen and Marine Life
A stunning natural event is occurring right now in Richardson Bay, one that many had feared would never happen again. Tens of thousands of herring are spawning, releasing millions of roe (eggs). These little fish are hosting an entourage of feasting seabirds and other marine life. Bouncing back from a historically low population just four…
Tobacco to the Rescue- Will this Controversial Product Help Save Two Industries?
Tobacco is earning a new status as a beneficial resource. There is a new and improved use for this product emerging, one that might even be labeled by some as healthy. Aquaculturists in the Philippines have discovered that tobacco is an excellent organic and degradable pesticide and fertilizer for their grow-out fish ponds. Tobacco dust…
Ocean Acidification Promises a Grim Future for Shellfish Unless We Take Action
The phrase “climate change” has passed through the lips of every scientist and policy maker in the nation. It is a looming cloud on the horizon that has already seeped tendrils into our everyday lives. This phenomenon born of fossil-burning machines has a lesser-known cousin that is just as evil – ocean acidification. Climate change…
Protecting the Brain – Omega-3s May Lead to a Treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease
If you have ever had a loved one who suffered from Alzheimer’s, you know what it is like to bear the pain alongside them. In many ways it is much worse than losing someone to an accident or a sudden heart attack. The disease takes years to root itself in the brain, slowly erasing their…
New Albatross-Preservation Methods Show Collaboration is Key To Sustainable Fishing
For centuries the albatross has been a good omen for fishermen. Seeing one meant you were going to have a good haul that day. They were so revered, in fact, that to kill one would result in a curse falling upon the entire crew. Technology seemingly left that combination of self-preservation and reverence in the…
Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary: A Central Coast Marine Preserve to Preserve Cultural Heritage and Protect Ocean Ecosystems
For thousands of years the Chumash Tribe has held a deep and enduring connection to the sea. The waves of the central coast of California conceal ancient sacred sites and villages, artifacts that portray the history of these coastal people. Activists have been pushing to create a new National Marine Sanctuary, which would both preserve…
Seafood Makes Us Happy – Omega-3s Have the Power to Fight Depression and Elevate Mood
Walking the avenues of Japan’s major cities, one might notice an interesting phenomenon. Relative to a street in New York or Chicago, the citizens of Japan tend to smile more, laugh often and convey a sense of contentment. They suffer from many of our same woes: overburdened workloads, busy family lives, a rough economy. Yet…