State of the Oceans — Log 61
YOUR WEEKLY BRIEFING FROM PARLEY
Photo by Scott Wilson
CLIMATE CHANGE
Two recent studies have highlighted the role the oceans can play in mitigating climate change. First, the International Monetary Fund outlined how restoring whale populations could remove hundreds of millions of tons of CO2 from the atmosphere every year. The researchers found that whales sequester 33 tons of carbon in their bodies during the course of their lives. When they die, whales sink and store that carbon on the seafloor for centuries. Whales’ nutrient-rich poop also promotes the growth of phytoplankton, another key sink that capture 40% of all CO2 produced. “Nature has had millions of years to perfect her whale-based carbon sink technology,” the IMF wrote, “All we need to do is let the whales live.”
Next, a Greenpeace report shows how we can mitigate the climate crisis by safeguarding 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030. Protecting marine wildlife along with key ecosystems, such as mangroves and reefs, would help sequester carbon from the atmosphere and improve coastal resilience. A Greenpeace Oceans Campaigner said, “The ocean’s biology is one of our best allies in the fight against climate change. If we can save the ocean, it can save us.”
INNOVATION
A new study has found a surprising technique to mitigate the decline of coral reefs. Scientists placed underwater speakers on degraded reefs and broadcasted sounds associated with healthy reefs (snapping shrimp, crunching parrot fish). Remarkably, the sounds attracted juvenile fish to settle. Sites with “acoustic enrichment” saw 50% more fish species than those with no added noise. Once the fish are back, researchers believe they help reefs recover by grazing on algae, which cleans corals and provides space for new growth. “Fish are crucial for coral reefs to function as healthy ecosystems,” one author said. “If combined with habitat restoration and other conservation measures, rebuilding fish communities in this manner might accelerate ecosystem recovery.”
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MARINE LIFE
A glimmer of hope for vaquitas, the world’s smallest cetacean and most endangered marine mammal. In 2018, scientists estimated that fewer than nineteen of them still lived in the Gulf of California, but a recent survey spotted six individuals and three mother and calve pairings – which means the species is still reproducing. For years, vaquitas have drowned in gillnets intended for shrimp and fish, including the illegal totoaba fishery. Totoaba swim bladders – dubbed “aquatic cocaine” – are thought to hold medicinal value in Asia and can go for as much as $47,000 each in black markets. While Mexico’s protection efforts remain ineffective, this survey offers, as one reporter put it, “slim hope for a species that once was considered to have no hope at all.”
WHALES
A few weeks ago, scientists took their first listen to a blue whale’s heart at sea. Jeremy Goldbogen from Stanford University has been tracking Earth’s largest animal for years, but with a few switches he turned his tags into an electrocardiogram. The biggest finding from this research is that whales do not have a resting heart rate like humans. Instead, their hearts oscillate between extremes: 37 beats per minute (bpm) at the surface and 2bpm during dives. This fluctuation allows blue whales to conserve oxygen, energy, and stay deep longer. “You have long days at sea and in front of a computer,” Goldbogen said, “but these are the moments you get into this business for.”
MARINE RESEARCH
Food, oxygen, carbon storage – the ocean is vital for the planet and human life, yet 95% of it remains understudied. To fill key knowledge gaps and enhance ocean monitoring for future generations, the EU is providing 12.6 million euros to EuroSea, an international consortium of 55 private organizations, intergovernmental panels, and scientific institutions. EuroSea coordinator Dr. Toste Tanhua encapsulated the project’s mission: “We want to pave the way for a sustained ocean observing system that not only provides researchers but also users such as fisheries, aquaculture, coastal protection, the offshore energy generation and ultimately the public with the information they need.”
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