Seaweed forests and algal beds cover about 3.5 million square km of our planet — only about 1% of the ocean’s surface — but these amazing ecosystems generate benefits to people and nature far out of proportion to their size. Read More
EDFish
Seaweed to heal the planet
Posted in International, Science/Research Tagged biodiversity, carbon sequestration, Climate change, coastal ecosystems, erosion, Fisheries, Food Security, Natural Climate Solutions, seaweed, seaweed farming Comments are closed
Whales, ships and climate change
In all the years I’ve been studying the ocean, whales have provided some of my fondest memories. I remember those humpbacks singing to each other off Maui; the baby gray whale I saw rolling around in the surf near Bodega Bay; and the blue whales that left me awestruck during trips to the Channel Islands.
Lately, I’ve been studying natural ocean processes that remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, searching for ways to restore or accelerate them so that we can safely slow down the rate of global warming. Whales might be part of the solution.
Posted in Pacific, Policy Tagged carbon drawdown, carbon sequestration, Climate change, Marine Protection, Pacific, west coast, Whales Comments are closed
Seaweeds to the rescue, redux
Recently, there has been a great deal of interest and even excitement about how seaweed might be able to help save us from climate change.
I appreciate the newfound exuberance for seaweed, and wholeheartedly agree that seaweeds do a lot for society and the planet. A similar awakening to the wonders of seaweed occurred in the 1980s, but it is now a distant memory. Let’s revisit the past so we can figure out how to create the conditions that will drive the restoration of seaweed forests and the expansion of seaweed farming at scale so they can contribute to carbon drawdown while benefiting people and nature. Read More
Posted in Science/Research, Seafood Tagged carbon drawdown, carbon sequestration, fishery science, Food Security, Marine Science, research, seaweed, Sustainable Seafood Comments are closed
The return of the blob: How can we help fisheries adapt to warming waters?
Editor’s note: This is the seventh in a multi-part blog series, Fisheries for the Future, examining the impacts from climate change on global fisheries and the opportunities to address these emerging challenges. Throughout the series, we’ll be investigating how climate change will impact the world’s supply and distribution of fish and what we can do to ensure the most sustainable future for ourselves and our planet. Learn more about this work: Resilient Seas
There’s a lot we don’t know about how climate change will unfold. Unexpected events will occur, and when they do we will need to adapt and learn from those experiences. Here’s a story about one of these climate surprises: the “warm blob” in the Pacific Ocean. Read More
Posted in Climate and Fisheries Series Tagged Climate change, Marine Science, Pacific Comments are closed
The promise and peril of manufactured seafood
Credit: Marco Verch via Flickr Creative Commons
Today, there are only two ways to produce seafood: fishermen can catch wild fish, or fish can be farmed in a process called aquaculture. Both methods have many benefits, but also can have adverse impacts on the environment. A growing number of companies are trying to develop alternative ways to produce “seafood,” like “tuna” made by growing tuna cells in a lab.
Will these alternatives make it commercially? If they do, will that result in big environmental benefits or contribute to food security? Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) recently looked into these questions. Read More
Science, warnings and the plight of coral reefs
A tragedy is unfolding on the Great Barrier Reef, the largest living organism on the planet. The non-Hollywood ending is a surprise to many, but it was clearly foreshadowed decades ago by a small group of scientists who were criticized as false prophets of doom and dismissed.
Large sections of the reef are dead. The reef has been remarkably resilient over the last 8000 years, weathering devastating outbreaks of voracious crown-of-thorns starfish, pollution, fishing and coral bleaching. The establishment of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority no doubt contributed to that resilience, reducing impacts from some of these threats, especially land-based pollution and fishing pressure. Recent research by EDF and others shows that managing fisheries is crucial for maintaining healthy coral reefs. Read More
Posted in International, Science/Research Tagged coral bleaching, Coral Reefs, Corals, great barrier reef, tipping points Comments are closed