State of the Oceans — Log 89
YOUR WEEKLY BRIEFING FROM PARLEY
This image by Rynaard de Goede. Header image by Iswanto Arif.
MICROPLASTICS
Microplastics outnumber the stars in the sky, and are found all across the planet. Now for the first time, two new studies show that microplastics are accumulating in kitchen-staple fruits and vegetables. The first study, conducted in Cantania, Italy, examined produce from both supermarkets and smaller sellers. Microplastics were found in food from both sources, and the researchers noted that carrots were the most contaminated vegetable while apples were the most contaminated fruit. In the second paper, experts from China and the Netherlands identified how microplastics enter crop roots and travel up to the parts of plants we eat. Both of these studies were shared with the Plastic Health Coalition, which will host a summit in 2021 to examine microplastics’ under-studied health effects. To date, microplastics have also been detected in beer, seafood, drinking water, and table salt.
INNOVATION
In 2011, NASA satellites first detected the Great Saragassum Belt, a seaweed bloom that stretches 5,500 miles from the Gulf of Mexico to the West African coast. It sounds like a marvel, but the world’s largest seaweed bloom is actually a result of oceanic nutrient pollution and a threat to coral reefs, among other marine environments. Now, a team from the universities of Exeter and Bath may have found a solution for this 9-million ton seaweed patch. Using a combination of catalysts, the researchers can convert the seaweed into low-cost bio-fuels, fertilizers, and even a palm-oil substitute. Though many challenges remain, the team believes the same process could be used to break down plastic pollution found in the seaweed. As one researcher put it: “We’ve created a suite of solutions that can be deployed globally at different locations for different purposes.”
MARINE LIFE
Off Shark Bay in Western Australia, scientists have observed a novel behavior in bottlenose dolphins. In this behavior, called “shelling,” the dolphins herd fish into empty snail shells, bring the shells up to the water’s surface, and tilt their head back – eating the fish like you finish a bag of chips. Though unusual, this behavior is not a complete surprise as bottlenose dolphins have been known to use tools before: wearing sea sponges on their beaks for protection while foraging. While researchers first observed “shelling” ten years ago, the behavior has become more common since a marine heatwave in 2011. Researchers believe the heatwave killed many of the region’s snails, providing innovative dolphins with a new hunting opportunity. It’s also possible that the dolphins taught each other shelling, which may mean they are able to adapt to future environmental changes.
THE DEEP
A recent expedition to the inky depths of the Coral Sea has revealed an unknown world of creatures, deep sea corals and surreal geologic features. In all, the Schmidt Ocean Institute mapped more than 13,000 square miles of seabed with scientists working remotely from land due to the ongoing pandemic. Meanwhile, a separate team have discovered a deep sea soft coral garden in waters off western Greenland – the first habitat of this kind to have been identified and assessed there. The study has direct implications for the management of economically important deep-sea trawl fisheries, which are immediately adjacent to the habitat. Finally, a new paper has described an octopus spotted almost 23,000 feet below the surface – far deeper than than the previous record holder, an octopus photographed in the early 1970s off Barbados.
MASS EXTINCTION
Last seen over 200 years ago, the smooth handfish (Sympterichthys unipennis) is the first modern-day fish to go extinct. This species is survived by thirteen other handfish species that are known for their ability to “walk” on the seafloor using their pectoral fins. The remaining handfish are also threatened, as just four species have been seen over the past twenty years. Destructive fishing practices and the loss of seafloor habitat are thought to be behind these declines. As Professor Jessica Meeuwig said, the smooth handfish’s extinction is indicative of larger problems facing the ocean: “Some claim that the ocean is too vast for marine wildlife to go extinct. But ocean industrialization from fishing, mining, oil and gas exploration, shipping and infrastructure development is catching up with the scale of industrialization on land and with it the risk of extinction for marine wildlife.”
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