Climate Change Actions Using Sargassum and Black Fly Larvae
Release Date: 12/23/2024
Are All Plastics Toxic? What the Science Actually Says About Microplastics and Human Health
How To Protect The Ocean
Microplastics are now found in the deepest ocean trenches, Arctic ice, seafood, drinking water, and even human blood. Headlines often claim that all plastics are toxic, but what does the science actually say? Recent research has detected microplastics in human lungs, placentas, and cardiovascular tissue, raising urgent questions about inflammation, chemical exposure, and long term health risks. At the same time, scientists caution that not all plastics behave the same way, and toxicity depends on polymer type, additives, breakdown processes, and exposure levels. This episode breaks down the...
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Are Marine Protected Areas Just Paper Parks? The Shark Protection Problem
How To Protect The Ocean
Marine Protected Areas are expanding faster than ever, but new research raises an uncomfortable question: are they actually protecting top predators? Satellite tracking of silky sharks shows that even inside designated protected zones, highly migratory species frequently move into heavily fished waters. If sharks cross invisible boundaries every day, how effective are those boundaries in the first place? Shark conservation and ocean governance collide when industrial fishing fleets concentrate along MPA borders and enforcement resources struggle to keep up. Studies reveal that some protected...
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Paper Parks? Why Marine Protected Areas Are Failing Sharks
How To Protect The Ocean
Marine Protected Areas are expanding worldwide, but new research shows that protection on paper does not always translate to protection in reality. Satellite tracking of silky sharks reveals that highly mobile predators regularly cross MPA boundaries into heavily fished waters, exposing serious enforcement gaps. When fishing fleets concentrate along invisible ocean borders, even large reserves struggle to deliver real conservation outcomes. Shark conservation and ocean governance are at the center of this story. Studies published in peer-reviewed journals and vessel tracking data from Global...
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Coral Reefs Are Recovering Faster Than Scientists Expected
How To Protect The Ocean
Coral Reef Recovery is happening faster than many scientists once believed possible, but only under the right conditions. Long-term monitoring from the Caribbean and Indo Pacific shows that reefs can regain coral cover and rebuild three-dimensional structure when fishing pressure is reduced, water quality improves, and protections are enforced. The idea that reefs are doomed after bleaching events is being challenged by real data collected over decades. Reef Resilience Science reveals that recovery is not random. Areas with healthy herbivore populations, strong marine protected area...
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Coral Reefs Can Look Alive and Still Be Functionally Dead
How To Protect The Ocean
Coral reefs can still show living coral cover and yet be ecologically collapsing beneath the surface. In this episode, we break down new coast-to-coast reef assessments from Thailand that reveal a critical warning sign: reefs are losing structural complexity even when coral is still present. Structural complexity, also known as rugosity, is what gives reefs their three-dimensional shape. That shape creates habitat for fish, supports predator-prey balance, fuels biodiversity, and protects coastlines from storms. New research published in Science and Nature Climate Change shows that repeated...
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Ocean-Human Health Connection: Why This Disappearing Habitat Matters to You
How To Protect The Ocean
Ocean-Human Health Connection is not just a theory, it is a reality unfolding beneath the surface of our coastal waters, and most people have no idea their wellbeing depends on a disappearing underwater meadow. In this episode, we explore how seagrass meadows clean the water we swim in, protect shorelines from storms, support the seafood we eat, and regulate coastal ecosystems that directly influence human health. If these habitats continue to vanish, the consequences will not stay underwater, they will show up in our food systems, our economies, and our communities. Seagrass Meadows are...
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What is ethical seafood, and why the way fish are treated could change how you eat forever
How To Protect The Ocean
What is ethical seafood, and why does it matter if fish can suffer in the systems designed to feed the world? As seafood consumption rises globally, most people never see what happens on fish farms or how ethical decisions are made behind closed doors. This episode asks a simple but uncomfortable question: if fish feel pain and stress, what responsibility do we have when we farm and eat them? Fish welfare in aquaculture is rarely discussed in public, yet it affects hundreds of millions of animals every year. In this conversation, we unpack how fish are raised, handled, and harvested, why...
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Right whale baby boom: The fragile hope that could decide the future of a species
How To Protect The Ocean
Right whale baby boom is giving scientists and conservationists a rare moment of hope, but it comes with a hard question: is this surge in newborn calves enough to save one of the most endangered whales on Earth? With only around 360 North Atlantic right whales left, every birth matters, and this episode breaks down why this moment is so important and why the clock is still ticking. North Atlantic right whale recovery has been painfully slow for decades due to ship strikes, fishing gear entanglement, and shifting ocean conditions. In this episode, we explore what led to 21 calves being born...
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Scientific Discoveries That Changed How We See the Ocean
How To Protect The Ocean
Scientific Discoveries are transforming our understanding of the ocean in ways that were once unimaginable. In this episode of Surfacing Secrets: Explore the Ocean. Know the Planet, Richard Dewey, Kohen Bauer, and Gwen Klassen of Ocean Networks Canada share some of the most exciting breakthroughs made possible by real-time ocean monitoring. From mysterious sediment flows to acoustic insights that map marine life, this conversation reveals how cutting-edge technology is unraveling underwater mysteries. Ocean conservation has never felt more urgent or more hopeful. Scientific discoveries...
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Marineland Beluga Whales: What Happens Next and Why This Decision Matters for Animal Welfare
How To Protect The Ocean
Marineland Beluga Whales are once again at the center of a national debate, and the outcome could shape the future of captive whales in Canada. Marineland Beluga Whales face uncertain futures as government decisions, export permits, and welfare concerns collide, raising a critical question, are these whales being protected or simply moved out of sight? Beluga whales in captivity reveal a deeper problem that goes beyond one facility. This episode breaks down the latest updates on relocation plans, the role of federal permits, and why animal welfare groups argue that sending belugas to other...
info_outlineIn this episode of the "How to Protect the Ocean" podcast, host Andrew Lewin interviews Dr. Annalisa Bracco, a professor at Georgia Tech specializing in ocean and climate dynamics. The discussion centers around innovative climate solutions, moving away from the typical focus on the negative impacts of climate change.
Key Climate Solutions Discussed:
Sargassum Management:
Problem: Since 2011, there have been significant blooms of sargassum in the tropical Atlantic, impacting beaches in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. These blooms require costly cleanup efforts, amounting to approximately $300 million per year.
Solutions:
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Sinking Sargassum: Research is being conducted to explore the feasibility of sinking sargassum to sequester carbon. This involves understanding the ecological impacts and ensuring that the carbon captured is not released back into the atmosphere.
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Biofuel Production: Collaborations with engineers and biologists are underway to convert sargassum into biofuels. One approach involves using black fly larvae, which can efficiently consume sargassum and accumulate lipids for biofuel extraction.
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Bricks from Sargassum: A small business in Mexico is creating bricks from dried sargassum, which are reported to be more resilient to storms than traditional building materials.
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Coral Reef Connectivity:
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Dr. Bracco's team is using machine learning to study the connectivity among coral reefs, which is crucial for understanding how larvae disperse and how healthy ecosystems can support one another.
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The research highlights the dynamic nature of coral ecosystems, particularly in the Pacific, where certain areas can recover from bleaching events due to the exchange of larvae. In contrast, the Atlantic faces challenges due to pollution and overfishing, which hinder recovery.
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Interdisciplinary Collaboration:
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The episode emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary work in addressing climate issues. Dr. Bracco collaborates with experts from various fields, including biology, engineering, and computer science, to develop comprehensive solutions to climate challenges.
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Overall, the episode provides a hopeful perspective on climate solutions, showcasing innovative approaches to managing ocean health and addressing the impacts of climate change.
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