State of the Oceans — Log 74
YOUR WEEKLY BRIEFING FROM PARLEY
Images by Naiara Altuna
CLIMATE CHANGE
As sea levels rise, mangroves could protect 15 million people and prevent $65 billion in annual flood damage. The finding comes from an innovative new study, which used economic and engineering models to analyze flood risk across 434,960 miles of global coastlines. The results, the researchers say, show when, where, and how mangroves could be implemented to improve coastal resilience around the world.
In another nature-based solution to climate change, a team of conservationists has begun a £400,000 effort to replant seagrass in Dale Bay, Wales. Once common off the UK’s coasts, seagrass meadows store carbon 35 times faster than tropical rainforests and can provide habitat for 40 times more marine life than barren seabeds. After eight years of community outreach and scientific trials, the team hopes their work will inspire similar efforts around the world. “We face a growing climate emergency and a biodiversity emergency,” said one of the lead biologists, “And we have to make rapid steps to fight those problems.”
PLASTIC POLLUTION
On Wednesday, the European Commission announced plans to introduce new legislation with the goal of halving all waste by 2030. Microplastics, phone chargers, textiles and more – the new laws would require every product in the EU’s market to be recyclable and long-lasting. Further, the rules would limit single-use items and incentivize consumers to repair their goods instead of buying new ones. While the plan still needs approval from EU member states and the European Parliament, the Commission may also announce another framework to phase out non-rechargeable batteries and excess packaging. “The goal in the end is decoupling resource extraction from our economic growth,” said the EU’s environment commissioner.
MARINE LIFE
New research suggests that sea turtles and other marine wildlife might eat plastic because, to them, it smells like food. More specifically, the algae and bacteria that colonize marine plastic pollution produce a pungent molecule – dimethyl sulfide – which prompts sea turtles to exhibit foraging behavior. Even we humans might recognize the scent as cooked fish or vegetables. As the lead author said, this study helps proves insight into one of the many threats facing sea turtles: “The chemicals that in the past pulled turtles or whales or seabirds long distances [saying] ‘Hey, here’s a good place to go, start swimming in this direction,’ now these same chemicals are coming off of plastic flotsam.”
WHALES
Rare observations of a blue whale offer some hope for Earth’s largest animal. All in one day, researchers off California’s coast tagged a blue whale and witnessed the individual dodge a boat collision. After reviewing the tag data and doing some digging, the team realized that the same whale had avoided a ship strike a few months ago, which raises the question: can blue whales learn to evade boats? The researchers did note that it’s difficult to draw conclusions from just one whale. “I’m not sure that we will be able to change the blue whales’ behavior,” said one co-author, “But we can change the ships’ behavior and change humans’ behavior.”
RENEWABLE ENERGY
Some much-needed good news: Construction of new wind and solar plants will soon be cheaper than coal in all major markets, says a new report by the climate finance thinktank Carbon Tracker Initiative. Wind and solar are already more cost-effective than 60% of coal operations, including the majority of plants in China and half the plants in Australia, the latter of which is the world’s largest coal exporter. “The market is driving the low-carbon energy transition, but governments aren’t listening,” said one author. “It makes economic sense for governments to cancel new coal projects immediately and progressively phase out existing plants.”
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