Oceanographic Magazine / Issue Two by Oceanographic Magazine

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Conservation • Exploration • Adventure

BIOMASS BOOM FINDING HOPE FOR THE OCEAN IN INDONESIA

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Oceanographic Issue 02

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Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Letter I'm hopeful. We ' re n o t q u i t e at the point of having to h a r ve s t j e l l y f i s h b e c a u s e t h e y ' re the only things left in the ocean - not yet at least.

The idea of 'saving the ocean' can seem overwhelming. The sheer vastness of it (two-thirds of the planet's surface), the extent of the mess we have created (plastic pollution, dramatic decline in fish stocks, ocean acidification) and the importance of the sprawling ecosystem to our very existence (50% of the oxygen we breathe comes from ocean plants called phytoplankton) makes for a pretty dizzying picture. Add to that the voices of those who believe we have already passed the 'point of no return', that the scales have been tipped toward destruction, and you'd be forgiven for thinking: what's the point? Most experts, however, believe we do still have time to change the fate we are rapidly rushing towards, that we can adapt and evolve and find solutions to our biggest problems. Personally, I'm hopeful. We are not quite at the point of having to harvest jellyfish because they're the only things left in the ocean - not yet, at least. The reason I have hope (beyond the welcome opinions shared by optimistic professionals) is because of the passionate, practical people working hard to turn the tide on our species' destruction of the marine environment. People such as Andrew and Marit Miner, who have created a privatelypoliced marine protected area and no-take zone in Raja Ampat, Indonesia (p.20); the interdisciplinary team of scientists working to create a blueprint for how archipelagos and small island nations can rid their shores of plastics using ocean current data (p.30); and developers of an app that aims to promote sustainability amongst fishing communities in Mozambique (p.40).

Will Harrison Editor

Strikingly, all of these people share something in common: each of them is tackling a pressing ocean issue on a local scale, making a (relatively) small, but meaningful contribution to saving the ocean. And maybe that's the key, to win the battle locally: a multitude of drops creating a tidal wave of change.

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Contents O N T H E C OV E R

FEATURE S

B IO MA S S BOOM

Manta rays congregate in the bountiful waters of Raja Ampat, Indonesia, one of the most biodiverse places on the planet. Photograph taken by Shawn Heinrichs.

In a remote corner of Indonesia reefs are flourishing and shark populations are booming. As other parts of the world's ocean continue to decline - both in terms of reef health and species stocks - what makes Raja Ampat so different?

Get in touch PAG E 2 0 ED I TO R Will Harrison S U B - E D I TO R

Georgina Fuller

CR EATI V E D I R E C TO R

Amelia Costley

D ES I G N A S S I S TA N T

Joanna Kilgour

PA RT N E R S H I P S D I R E C TOR

Chris Anson

B R A N D M A N AG E R

Gemma Onslow

I N S U P P O RT O F

YOUR OCEAN IMAGES

A S S TO C K E D I N

For all enquiries regarding stockists, submissions, or just to say hello, please email info@oceanographicmagazine.com or call (+44) 20 3637 8680. Published in the UK by Atlas Publishing Ltd. ÂŠ 2018 Atlas Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved. Nothing in whole or in part may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher.

A collection of some of the most captivating ocean images shared on social media, both beautiful and arresting. Tag us or use #MYOCEAN for the opportunity to be featured.

Printed by Warners Midlands Plc ISSN: 2516-5941

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CONTENTS

A CLE A N FUTUR E?

i P H O NE F I SH I NG

The pristine shores on which Charles Darwin landed are no more; Galapagos, like all archipelagos, has a plastic problem. But could the mapping of ocean currents help alleviate - or perhaps even solve - the problem?

Coastal communities in Mozambique rely on the ocean for food and jobs, but small-scale fisheries lack the means to create a sustainable future for both the ocean and the industry. A new app is hoping to put the power to change in the palm of fisherfolk's hands.

Stand-up paddleboard versus single-use plastic. Adventurer Sian Sykes circumnavigated Wales in a bid to highlight the problem of marine plastics. Her two-month journey is a tale of endeavour, reconnection and change.

A famous local reef off Plymouth, England, dredged to neardestruction by scallop trawlers, is recovering thanks to protection from government and funding from local business. Some of the UK's top freedivers went to check it out.

Legend has it that oceanic whitetips are the scourge of shipwreck survivors. For this year's Shark Week, a Discovery Channel team put the theory to the test by casting two 'shipwreck survivors' adrift in the open ocean for two days.

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BEHIND TH E L E N S

CRISTINA MITTERMEIER

S UP vs S UP

R E E F R E C OV E RY

' S HIP W R E C K E D '

CO LUMN S

THE ET H O LO G I ST

T HE E N V IR O N ME N TA L IS T

T HE B IO L O G IS T

P R O J E C T AWARE

Each issue, we chat with one of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading ocean photographers and showcase a selection of their work. In this edition, we meet renowned conservationist Cristina Mittermeier, Co-Founder of SeaLegacy.

Shark advocate and ethologist Ocean Ramsey offers advice on how readers can contribute to the protection of the ocean and the many species, including sharks, that call it home.

Big wave surf champion Easkey Britton talks candidly about the life lessons we can learn through surfing, such as living in the moment and developing the ability to 'just let go'.

Dr Simon Pierce, Principal Scientist at the Marine Megafauna Foundation, discusses the magnetic mystery of whale sharks in Galapagos.

The team at Project AWARE, Oceanographicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s primary charity partner, reveal how they are working to protect North Atlantic Shortfin Mako sharks - and how readers can help.

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Grant Thomas Ha’apai, Tonga Stand-up paddle boarders explore a shallow reef at sunset. Grant wanted to “demonstrate the innate bond humans have with the ocean, whether we are physically in it or floating on it”. He views our relationship with the ocean as “eternal”, it’s health and future inextricably linked with ours. SPONSORED BY

#MYOCEAN

Glen Cowans Grand Cayman Like a ship nosing out of a thick fog, a large tarpon appears from within a dense shoal of baitfish that had, just moments before, seemed an impenetrable mass, blocking the entrance to this undersea canyon like a great silver wall. SPONSORED BY

#MYOCEAN

Alex Kydd Australia An endangered leopard shark swims in the clear, shallow waters of Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia. Amazingly, the skin of juvenile leopard sharks is stripy rather than spotty, like the adult pictured. The species is, as a result, also referred to as the zebra shark. SPONSORED BY

Willos Callaghan Australia A couple walk along Palm Beach on the East Coast of Australia, a building towering behind them. In the sea beside them photographer Willos Callaghan captures the scene through a window of clear water, a wave towering over him. SPONSORED BY

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#MYOCEAN

Erik Lukas French Polynesia

In the rich blue waters surrounding the island of Mo'orea, a curious young humpback whale leaves the watchful eye of its mother to get a closer look at the divers with which is shares the water. SPONSORED BY

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#MYOCEAN

BIOMASS BOOM

Finding hope in Raja Ampat

In a remote corner of Indonesia, where dynamite fishing and shark finning were once commonplace, reefs are in rude health and shark populations are on the rise. Could Misool offer hope for the rest of our blue planet? Wo rd s b y D e n i e l l e S a c h s P h o t o g ra p h s b y S h a w n H e i n r i c h s

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ABOVE: Divers head out to experience the pristine reefs their 'eco-dollars' help protect. OPPOSITE: As anthropogenic pressures increase, the ‘species factory’ of Raja Ampat is critical to renewing ocean reef systems. PREVIOUS PAGE: Key indicator species recorded on Misool’s reefs have increased on average by 250% over six years, and up to 600% at some sites.

irst time visitors to Indonesia will notice several things; generous smiles, trees plump with exotic fruits, looming volcanic peaks, colours, vibrancy, and the ever-present ocean which surrounds the 54,716km coastline, the second longest in the world. The Indonesian archipelago consists of more than 17,000 islands and, while most are uninhabited, this sprawling nation is home to more coastal communities than anywhere else on Earth. The ocean is the lifeblood of these communities and one place where the culture is most deeply connected to the sea is Raja Ampat, the Amazon of the reefs. Raja Ampat is one of the most biodiverse places on the planet. Its waters are home to more than 600 species of coral (in comparison, the entire Caribbean region contains fewer than 60), more than 1,500 species of fish, and its reefs are teeming with manta rays, turtles and wobbegong sharks. Located off the north-western tip of the Papuan mainland, Indonesia’s easternmost frontier, it is a place of abundance, vibrancy and wonder. Despite this wealth of biodiversity, Indonesia is one

of the world’s leading culprits of environmental and ecosystem destruction. The country boasts the world’s highest diversity of shark species, yet is home to the world’s largest shark fishery, where as many as 300 sharks are killed every day. Altogether, more than 100,000 tons of shark is caught every year. But its burgeoning eco-tourism industry is disrupting this fishery, much of which is illegal and all of which is unsustainable. Most importantly, the eco-tourism sector is offering sustainable alternatives to the way Indonesia utilises its blue economy. Reshaping the future Hidden deep in an archipelago of uninhabited islands, pristine reefs, and primary rainforests is private island resort, Misool. Located in the most southern reaches of Raja Ampat, Misool was founded by Andrew and Marit Miners. In 2005, the Miners were diving in this remote area 165km out to sea when they discovered an active shark-finning camp. The stark contrast between the tranquil haven they’d experienced underwater and the

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“Biomass has increased [in the reserve] on average by a staggering 250% in six years, and at some key sites by 600%.”

senseless destruction taking place at the surface jarred the pair into action. It was a catalysing moment that resulted in a promise to protect this exceptional ecosystem. A lease agreement was forged with the local community in 2005, laying the groundwork for a privately managed marine protected area that has now expanded to 300,000 acres (1,220 sq km), with Misool Resort at its centre. The resort was built on the very beach that had once been home to shark-finners. What the Miners were banking on was the concept that tourism could both protect the marine ecosystem and redirect income from marine extraction to a sustainable employment model hinging upon the health of the reefs. They were right. A project developed in 2016 by The Nature Conservancy, named ‘Mapping Ocean Wealth’ (MOW), visualises in quantitative terms what the ocean does for people. They assessed the ecosystem services that the world’s ocean environments provide to humans - food, recreation and tourism, coastal defences, etc - and valued these services in monetary terms. The worldwide annual economic value of coral reefs was calculated at $36 billion; 70 million trips are made to the world’s coral reefs each year; coastal and marine tourism provides work for 6.5 million people. Coastal and marine tourism is projected to be the largest value-adding segment of the ocean economy by 2030. During the research, The Nature Conservancy team identified million-dollar reefs - reefs that generate more than one million dollars per square kilometre per year. Misool was one of them. Since the Miners embarked on their ambitious mission to protect the area, the marine ecosystem in the region has undergone remarkable changes. Shark populations have bounced back and fish biomass has increased rapidly. Surveys in 2007 and 2013 conducted by Mark Allen from Murdoch University in Australia found that biomass had increased on average by a staggering 250% in six years, and at some key sites by 600%. Oceanic manta sightings increased 25-fold between 2010 and 2016. As for the shark populations which had all but collapsed? A 2012 study established that there are 25 times more sharks inside the Misool Private Marine Reserve than directly outside of it. The Indonesian archipelago is renowned for its beautiful and varied diving, but Raja Ampat's astounding biodiversity is widely regarded to be the most breath-taking. Some consider Misool to be the jewel in Raja Ampat’s crown. Photograph by Tobias Zimmer.

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“Rangers work directly with the marine police and army, who have jurisdiction to impound vessels caught fishing illegally inside the reserve."

Renegade conservationists These impressive conservation results were gained through a powerful partnership between local communities and Misool. Before starting to build the resort, the Miners and their equally impassioned partners negotiated a lease agreement that established a No-Take Zone (NTZ) inside which all extractive practices are banned. The concept of sustainable resource management is a strong tradition in Raja Ampat. In this region, communities use a mechanism called ‘sasi’ to ‘open and close’ fishing to maintain healthy stocks of fish and other marine life. This tradition was a crucial negotiating point and the agreement ensured that these activities would continue. It also, helpfully, meant that the concept of sustainability was already very much integrated into the indigenous culture. The boundaries of the lease area were drawn following a series of townhall meetings. It was agreed that the NTZ should be far enough away from the villages so that their traditional fishing grounds remained available, but close enough that artisanal fishers would benefit from the spill-over effect of resurging fish populations. The parties agreed upon an area that had historically been fished illegally by outside fishermen using long-lines, dynamite, and gill nets. The community lacked the resources and infrastructure to intercept the poachers who were decimating their natural heritage. By creating an NTZ with a locally-staffed Ranger Patrol, the local community was able to regain stewardship over their reef systems while growing their local economy. Once the lease was in place, the shark-finners were displaced from that beautiful beach and a team of local and foreign workers was mustered. Over the course of two and a half years, the team successfully transformed the former shark finning beach into a high-end private island resort. But they never lost sight of the mission: to protect the heart of biodiversity. The resort was built from reclaimed wood, which the team milled themselves in their portable sawmill. After a day’s construction work, the local crew would take to a plastic dinghy and chase down Javanese long-liners by throwing pebbles at them. With the full support of local leaders, they hassled intruders and confiscated their gear as well as their catch. Through this the Misool Ranger Patrol was born. The patrol now comprises of a 15-person unit of local rangers that monitors the Misool Private Marine Reserve 24/7. Rangers move between four stations using five dedicated patrol boats and work directly with the marine police and army, who have jurisdiction to impound vessels caught fishing illegally inside the reserve. The team’s conservation initiatives were formalised in 2011 when Misool Foundation was established. This registered Indonesian charity takes a broad approach to conservation and shares a joint mission with Misool

Misool Foundation Rangers collaborate with the police to enforce the Misool Marine Reserve’s fishing ban.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;At the core of the operation is the belief that sustainable tourism and community-based conservation are mutually beneficial.â&#x20AC;?

F E AT U R E

ABOVE: Misool Foundation Rangers prepare one of five dedicated patrol vessels for a day at sea monitoring the no-take zone. OPPOSITE: Shark populations are thriving on the site of a former shark-finning camp.

Resort: to safeguard the most biodiverse reefs on Earth through the empowerment of local communities, providing a structure by which they are able to reclaim their traditional proprietorship of reefs. At the core of the operation is the belief that sustainable tourism and community-based conservation are mutually beneficial. Misool Foundation manages not only the patrol of the Misool Private Marine Reserve, but also a suite of other conservation initiatives. A community-based recycling program, called Bank Sampah in Indonesian, incentivises local villagers to properly dispose of waste by buying their rubbish. Misool Foundation then processes the materials and sells them onto recyclers. The project currently processes approximately one ton of waste per day, which would otherwise most likely end up polluting the ocean. Misool Foundation has also built a kindergarten in a local village and supports primary school teachers. Perhaps most importantly, the two organisations employ more than 200 people, injecting much-needed capital into local communities. Feeding the Coral Triangle As our ocean changes rapidly due to rising temperatures, pollution, acidification and overfishing, the Misool Private Marine Reserve is a bright beacon of hope for the entire Coral Triangle. Raja Ampat’s corals have been shown to be particularly resistant to temperature

Denielle Sachs

fluctuations. While many areas in the region have suffered from coral bleaching events, the reefs in this area remain robust. Currents in this uniquely positioned area could help to repopulate damaged reefs across the region. Located in the Indonesian Throughflow, ocean currents push water from the Pacific Ocean into the Indian Ocean. This flow of water is the largest movement of water on the planet, washing the region’s diverse coral polyps, larvae, and eggs (of some four thousand identified species) westwards. This movement effectively seeds not only the rest of Indonesia’s reefs but possibly even South East Asia’s. Raja Ampat’s role as a ‘species factory’ becomes more important day-by-day. The Blue Future Conservation measures like this are self-reinforcing. They help expand the megafauna population, attracting more ecotourists and ecotourism revenue, which can then be re-invested into education and conservation efforts. Education and increased public attention are also helping build support for conservation abroad. Stories like Misool’s inspire hope. Hope for the future of the ocean, hope that communities can take ownership of their marine assets, hope that change is possible and, with enough dedication and unwavering commitment to the cause, can come quickly enough.

Shawn Heinrichs

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BLUEPRINTING

a cleaner future A sense of evolution is once again in the air in Galapagos, where a multidisciplinary group of passionate conservationists are developing a programme that could enable small island nations and archipelagos to rid their shores of plastic pollution.

Wo rd s b y A n d y D o n n e l l y P h o t o g ra p h s b y J o n a t h a n G re e n

A turtle tries to free itself from tangled rope dangling from a 'plantado', a floating fishing platform commonly used in the waters around Galapagos.

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Marine iguanas sunbathe to raise their body temperatures before heading to the cool ocean to feed.

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omething remarkable is happening in Galapagos. Now that in itself is nothing out of the ordinary. After all, remarkable is a very subjective term. Astonishing things happen in Galapagos all the time, in fact every day for most of the day. That’s why filmmakers and nearly a quarter of a million eco and dive tourists flock to the archipelago, so rich in unique wildlife and imposing landscapes, annually. Galapagos is a place where the extraordinary is ordinary. If you haven’t seen the BBC’s Planet Earth II sequence of the marine iguana hatchlings' dash of death through the racer snake gauntlet, look it up. It's one of the most dramatic pieces of footage ever captured. If you are on San Cristobal island you can take a stroll through the National Park to the spot where Charles Darwin landed in 1835, tiptoe your way through lazing Galapagos sea lions or snorkel with grazing turtles and playful sea lion pups running rings around Galapagos sharks. All before breakfast. Then you can do it again the next day. If you are on Santa Cruz, before lunch you might have dived the submerged volcano crater of Gordon Rocks, finding yourself in the middle of schooling scalloped hammerhead sharks, with squadrons of eagle rays flying below you and the occasional mobula ray or mola mola cruising through. If, that is, the pesky turtles, whitetip sharks, blacktip sharks and sea lions get out of the way long enough for you to see. Or you could have been walking through the highlands surrounded by the lumbering ancient Galapagos giant tortoises that so inspired Darwin. It's easy to see why the place provided him with such food for thought. And I haven’t even mentioned the birdlife. It’s the nature of the interactions with wildlife you can have, on the animals' terms not yours, that makes it so special. I’ll never forget the first time I watched a marine iguana swimming towards me, stop within a few feet and nonchalantly start munching algae. These are the kinds of experiences that are commonplace in Galapagos, but become etched into your being. It's an overused word but Galapagos is unique in so many ways. It's the reason that when UNESCO launched its World Heritage Sites list in 1978, the Galapagos Islands topped the criteria for natural values.

“Models show us how plastic behaves in the ocean, where it comes from and where it goes to. They don’t show us how to stop it, but they can identify where to stop it most effectively.”

Hope and excitement However, it wasn’t any of this that made me sit up and realise I was in the middle of something special in May this year. It was the end of a long week of workshops, I was in a classroom at the Charles Darwin Research Station on Santa Cruz, and I watched fishermen, oceanographers, biologists, behavioural psychologists, National Park rangers, local officials, kids, mums and shopkeepers fist pump, high five and pose for photographs, every one of them with beaming smiles. Excellent collaborations and partnerships in Galapagos are nothing new. You can’t really work there without them. What was new to me however was that this was a workshop on marine plastics. We saw some examples of horrific impact yet ended the sessions with a room filled with hope and excitement. It was remarkable. This is a community that is prepared, and very nearly able, to deal with this global problem. I’ve been working in the field of marine plastics for more than ten years now. I’ve been involved in some amazing projects documenting, awareness-raising and promoting solutions from Australia to South East Asia to the North Sea. But I’ve never experienced anything quite like this. What is going on? Let me take a step back, to late 2016 and another lecture theatre - this one in London, at the Royal Geographic Society (RGS). Professor Erik Van Sebille was giving an overview of marine plastics and the role that oceanography models play in our understanding of the problem. Erik led the team that published the first model pinpointing the plastic garbage patch-like areas at the centre of ocean gyres. He pointed out that the oceanic equator area, which includes Galapagos, is where the lowest concentration of plastics is predicted, as the currents effectively push the debris away toward the gyres elsewhere. I’d been contracted by Galapagos Conservation Trust (GCT) to scope a programme on marine plastics in response to a proposal from the Galapagos Science Center. The proposal had come from Juan Pablo Muñoz, or JP as he’s better known, who is the operations manager at the Galapagos Science Center field station and whose passion is turtle conservation. Over the years he’d seen increasing instances of turtle, and other marine vertebrate, interactions with plastic, usually entanglement or ingestion. He was also increasingly concerned by the amount of plastic accumulation occurring around the islands. He approached GCT, a UK-based membership organisation which has been supporting research and education in the archipelago for more than 20 years, looking to fund a survey to investigate the problem in more depth. But from what Erik was saying, the models predicted there shouldn’t be a problem. So what was going on?

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR ERIK VAN SEBILLE, UTRECHT UNIVERSITY

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“Galapagos is on the brink of being able to show how to manage marine plastic waste at a regional, archipelago level. Right now there’s nowhere in the world better placed to do this.” PROFESSOR RICHARD THOMPSON, UNIVERSITY OF PLYMOUTH

First-hand experience of plastic pollution I got a chance to see the archipelago’s plastic problem for myself in 2017 when I led an education expedition for GCT. I recruited the attendees to look for plastics using well known citizen science methods. We found next to none. Nearly every site we visited was pristine. I understood JP’s worries more the following week when he took me on a trip to San Cristobal island. He explained the 50 sites across the archipelago that are allocated and managed for tourism are tightly controlled and selected, as much as anything, for their ease of access. Much of the southern and eastern coasts of the islands, where tourists don't go, are exposed to prevailing winds and swell, and are largely inaccessible. Once ashore, the sight was sobering. For as far as we could see, the strandline and surrounding area was covered in marine debris - predominantly plastic bottles, fishing-related material, packaging and the usual nondescript remains of larger items which will eventually become microplastic. In places the debris was knee deep. After surveying and filming, we worked through some of the origins of the rubbish. Fishing was clearly implicated with plantados (fish aggregation devices) common, which have up to a hundred meters of nylon nets and baited hooks. It seemed to have origins all over the place, with a few South American and Asian countries top of the list. So much for Erik’s model I thought. While the sheltered bays and inlets on the leeward sides of the islands have a much lower plastic burden, close to none in some cases, it’s the opposite problem on the other side of the islands. Marine fauna, of course, use both. Bringing in the experts Armed with JP’s initial data and first-hand experience, I presented to some of the world’s foremost marine plastic experts, including Professors Richard Thompson and Tamara Galloway and Dr Ceri Lewis from the Universities of Plymouth and Exeter as well as the Australian Government’s marine debris research team. Consistently, their response surprised me. Erik’s model wasn’t wrong. However, it was the wrong model to be using. It’s a question of scale. Finer scale models were needed to understand what was going on in Galapagos waters. We ran some initial data that focused only on the Eastern Tropical Pacific and it showed that, at certain times of the year, there was indeed an input from external currents, but not much. There must be major sources closer to the islands, which questioned the roles of tourism, fishing and the local population. Finer versions of Erik’s model are now in development. It is hoped they will help answer some of these questions. They will tell us the sources, current and weather conditions and when plastics are likely to arrive. More than that, however, they will tell us how long certain items take to get to Galapagos and the likelihood of them arriving intact. This will be key as many of the items on accumulation sites are clearly new, indicating a different route to the beach than just ocean currents.

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TOP: Galapagos is a haven for sharks, with more than 30 species seen in the archipelago's waters. MIDDLE: Blue-footed boobies, a favourite amongst visitors to the islands, are declining in numbers. BOTTOM: A Galapagos sea lion plays in the shallows. PREVIOUS PAGE: Marine iguanas feed almost exclusively on algae. Some wait for low tide to feed, while others dive to dine.

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There was one more meeting that felt like it was part of the turning of the tide. It happened in a pub in York. Professor John Schofield, head of the Archaeology Department at the University of York, has worked for decades on English heritage sites and artefacts. His focus now, though, has shifted. John is at the forefront of the emerging science of contemporary archaeology, becoming known as 'garbology’. Our landfill sites are the treasure troves not only for future archaeologists, but also for him. My impression in the pub that evening was that garbology is a merging of materials science, behavioural psychology and forensic science. The process of discovering an artefact's life history is the same whether it is a Bronze Age helmet or a bottle on a beach. The techniques are a bit different, but the outcome is the same. A picture was emerging: oceanography modelling using existing data backed up by surveys and garbology investigations would provide some answers.ers. What can we do about it? There is, of course, an important, elephant-sized, question in the room remaining. If we find out and quantify the sources of plastic pollution, what can we do about it? After all, just cleaning up would be like mopping the kitchen floor while the sink was still overflowing. This was one of the main questions for the ‘Science to Solutions’ workshop meeting in Galapagos this May, convened by GCT and hosted by the Galapagos Science Center and Charles Darwin Research Station. Galapagos is a very tightly controlled part of the world and understandably so. Anyone who feels restricted or ‘managed’ as a visitor should contemplate the reasons why. What this means for plastics management is that a great deal of data is known about what comes into the National Park, largely because of biosecurity concerns about further introductions of invasive species (other than humans). Richard Thompson described this as data for a ‘plastic budget’ for the archipelago. Understanding and quantifying the main sources of input opens the door for effective, targeted, education and policy. The Galapagos Governing Council is in the process of introducing bans on single-use plastic and has already banned plastic straws. GCT is working with the Council on a programme to phase out plastic bags, which started in July. The Galapagos National Park is already working on major clean-up operations and will be working with the tourism operators to lower the amount of inputs and waste leakage. They also closely monitor nearby fishing fleets. With better evidence of fishing activity and waste management, guided by high resolution computer simulations, the Park rangers will be armed with all they need for diplomatic channels to act.

Andy Donnelly

Galapagos as a beacon of hope The ‘Science to Solutions’ workshop was the beginning of a long road for Galapagos tackling marine plastics. But not as long, perhaps, as it will be for many parts of the world. What the participants did over the course of a week was to show a community united in their determination to solve this global problem locally. They identified the tools they need and mapped the pathway to using them. Effectively there are only a few sources, or taps, pouring plastic into the system in Galapagos and there is real potential to turn them all off. There are three key parallel processes that need to happen to achieve this. The first is to build those finer-scale computer models - a South American continental scale version and a Galapagos version showing detailed current circulation. Both are underway, but will need large datasets to check their accuracy and that means on-the-ground survey work. However, for many of those inaccessible, protected coastlines it is neither practical nor desirable to have teams of scientists or volunteers regularly counting beach plastics. Technology can help here. Drones can get to beaches that humans can’t reach and machine learning software can process vast amounts of data to automate the analysis. This August we trialled the first drones flying over Galapagos coasts in partnership with The Plastic Tide initiative. The models will focus attention on key sources of inputs to the system but also direct clean-up effort. The ocean essentially purges itself at accumulation sites so predicting where and when to clean up should drastically increase the Galapagos National Park’s effectiveness at removing material from the system. The second stream of activity is to document the impact that plastic pollution is currently having in Galapagos. While we know from global examples which species are likely to be affected, providing local data is essential to prioritise the management response. More than this though, this information will feed the education and policy instruments targeting behaviour change, the third stream of activity. Single-use plastic bans, better waste management options on land and at sea, and education and communication initiatives all target behaviour change. We can learn which are the most effective at reducing marine plastic pollution through a research programme, in its early stages in Galapagos. All of this is applicable globally, at least for island systems. In fact, it is a blueprint. Richard Thompson described Galapagos as a model system, one to show the world we can deal with ocean plastics. Globally we need a beacon of hope. Galapagos has inspired us before, so why not again?

J o n a t h a n G re e n

Oceanographic Issue 02

Column

By Ocean Ramsey

The shark ethologist HOW TO HELP SAVE SHARKS

About Ocean Ocean Ramsey is a marine conservationist and biologist, specialising in shark ethology. She is the founder of the non-profit Water Inspired, and co-founder of One Ocean Research and Diving in Hawaii. She is a PADI MSDT and a competitive freediver. TED talk: ‘How sharks affect us all’.

Oceanographic Issue 02

he international trade in shark fins and shark products is complex. It involves multiple industries, countries with different regulations and a global demand which has reduced shark populations globally by about 90%. As a species we depend heavily on the ocean no matter where we live on the planet. Sharks a critical to the health of the ocean, so it’s important, for our own sake, that we protect them. You don’t need to be a marine biologist to help save the ocean, and there are a number of ways to get involved: Becoming a conscious consumer is one of the most impactful things you can do for sharks. Take the pledge to not consume shark products. Consumption of shark products, including shark meat and shark fin soup, can have serious adverse impacts on human health, as sharks are at the top of the food chain and often bioaccumulate heavy metals and toxins. Shark meat is sold under a variety of names to mislead consumers: flake, whitefish, rock salmon. A number of cosmetics also contain shark liver oil labelled as “squalene". Many brands sell shark cartilage as a treatment for arthritis, despite a lack of scientific evidence. Sharks are even used in a variety of pet food and dog chews. Go vegetarian, or if you choose to eat seafood know where your seafood is coming from. Sharks are frequently caught inadvertently as bycatch, in longline fisheries especially, when fishing for other species like swordfish or tuna. The life of one fish could cost the lives of many more, so it is important to support sustainable fisheries rather than commercial fishing operations which often have a lot of bycatch. Check out resources like the Seafood Watch App which empowers consumers to make informed decisions. Politely and respectfully inform any business you come across selling shark products. Many people are simply unaware. We have a pre-drafted letter at HelpSaveSharks.org that anyone can print out and simply fill in the name of the offending company, the type of shark-derived item they are selling and send it to them. It's a quick and easy way of explaining the situation sharks are facing, what their choices are contributing to and how you as an educated consumer are trying to help them and the community by requesting that they stop supporting the destruction of shark populations and the marine ecosystem.

Attend or organise a reef/beach/park clean-up in your area and reduce your consumption of single-use plastics. Marine debris, trash, and plastic pollution is a major threat to a variety of marine life and can make its way into the ocean even from land locked locations. Organise an educational outreach event to engage the young and get them involved with activities and resources available for download at www.oneoceandiving.com. Host a film screening or event to inform your friends and family of the plight of sharks or marine conservation-related issues. Vote with your wallet and shop for a cause. Support brands that give back by donating a portion of proceeds to conservation efforts, such as One Ocean Design’s non-profit line or Xcel Wetsuits’ Water Inspired Collection. Sign petitions, support campaigns and promote initiatives to make your voice count and educate others about the threats to our ocean and ways they can help. See OneOceanConservation.Org for more. Support general marine conservation efforts, including efforts to reduce pollution, and vote for environmental policies. Pollution from agricultural runoff and harmful ingredients in sunscreens such as oxybenzone can kill reefs. Get creative! Every person has a unique talent and some people have precious time they can donate to a cause. Working together, we can make a greater impact faster and turn the tide for sharks, the ocean and the environment for present and future generations. Upload a social media post, spread awareness to as many people as you can reach. You can make an impact and while it may seem small, it all adds up. Every effort counts. See OneOceanConservation.Org or Instagram @OneOceanConservation @WaterInspired for more ideas, events and ways to get involved. Join @OneOceanGlobal to become a global conservation ambassador and local leader. OR

Oceanographic Issue 02

Fish buyers, often women, take sorted catch to market. If any data is recorded, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re the ones to do it using pen and paper.

S M A RT P H O N E FISHING A new app being piloted in Mozambique is helping communities find the hidden figures in their fisheries, empowering them to build more sustainable futures. Wo rd s b y S E I r b y / P h o t o g ra p h s b y G e o r g e S t o y l e

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OURFISH A I M S TO P U T E S S E N T I A L F I S H E RY I N F O R M AT I O N I N TO THE HANDS OF LOCAL FISHERS, THEIR COMMUNITIES AND THEIR G OV E R N M E N T S .

F E AT U R E

n an April morning in the Mozambican fishing community of Fuquete, 20 locals take the short dirt roads from their neighbourhoods to the beach for a day of fishing. They fish with a beach seine, a giant faded green net that piles up in their arms as they carry it out across the sand. They tow the net out into the water, before eventually pulling it back to shore, complete with catch. Everything is done collectively, the fishers working together, side by side. Earnings are split amongst the group, as well as the fish buyers who provide the supplies. In coastal fishing communities like Fuquete, fishing is the backbone of the local economy. It plays a part in the lives of every villager, whether for food or livelihood. But this small-scale fishing industry is an informal and decentralised sector with sparse infrastructure and resources. There is very little information about what goes on under the surface of the fishery’s waters or in local fish markets. The potential for prosperity is stunted by that lack of accessible catch data - a necessity for informed decision-making at local and governmental levels regarding policy and investment. As a result of this absence of critical data, small-scale fisheries have become known by another name: invisible fisheries. If small fishing communities are to lift themselves out of obscurity, the effective capture and proper use of data will be key. International conservation organisation, Rare, is hoping to help them do just that - using an app. OurFish aims to put essential fishery information into the hands of local fishers, their communities and their governments. It offers users the opportunity to discover the real and full impact of the small-scale fishing sector, and learn what it will likely take to transform it. The app is currently being piloted, with the fishers of Fuquete first registering to use the system earlier this year. Felipe Viegas, 33, has been fishing in Fuquete since he was 12. In the years before he began fishing, his father would tell him stories of bountiful seas full of fish, of ten-ton hauls on single outings. “They even [tried] to catch less fish - to preserve the [stocks],” he says. Productive fishing enabled his father to put Felipe and his older brothers through school. Since then, however, overfishing has taken its toll. “The catches aren’t like before,” he says. In small-scale fisheries like Fuquete, local population growth and the associated demand for fish is resulting in overfishing. Competition is leading fishers to fish whenever and wherever possible, perpetuating the dynamic of overfishing and decline. To the rest of the world, the problem can seem insignificant and isolated, but small fishing communities dot nations’ coasts by the hundreds, their people add up to millions, and their sector’s overall stake in global fishing is huge: 90 percent of the world’s fishers and fish workers work in small-scale operations, and about half of the total global fish catch comes from small-scale fishers. Overfishing is taking place all over the world, and so is the decline of fish stocks that millions depend on for food and jobs.

ABOVE: The OurFish app offers a clear and easily navigable interface. OPPOSITE: Rare contractor, Nelson Capaina, demonstrates the OurFish app to fish merchants in Fequete. Traditionally, women are the fish buyers and handle all the money.

Oceanographic Issue 02

F E AT U R E

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IN THE YEARS BEFORE HE BEGAN F I S H I N G , H I S FAT H E R W O U L D T E L L H I M S TO R I E S O F B O U N T I F U L S E A S F U L L O F F I S H , O F T E N - TO N H AU L S ON SINGLE OUTINGS.

Once the nets are pulled in, the catch is sorted according to size. Information, such as fish species, often goes uncaptured.

Oceanographic Issue 02

F E AT U R E

Judite Pakal, Director of Economic Activities in Fuquete’s wider coastal district of Inhassoro, says that fishing practices need to change throughout the area. “Something must be done. If we leave it as it is, things won’t get better.” Critical to such change, is the data collection regarding fish that is landed. “We need to improve the data collection system for catches. It’s missing. Not all fishermen share that information, not all boat owners share that information.” Rare aims to empower ocean-dependent communities to change fishing practices and manage their fisheries more sustainably. The group works with local leaders to show communities that alternatives to overfishing exist, and can empower them economically and socially, placing them as protectors of their marine environment. Rare’s fisheries program, called Fish Forever, revolves around a community-led management approach called managed access + reserves. It combines a system in which local fishers receive exclusive fishing rights in a specific area of their coastal waters, alongside marine reserves, where no fishing is allowed. Pairing the access areas with reserves creates a back-and-forth of protection and restoration: local fishers adhere to the nearby marine protections to benefit from the restored fish populations they support. The approach rests on support from the community. Asking fishers to stop overfishing their waters requires a big shift in thinking from the short-term gains of the practice to the long-term benefits of limiting use and protecting marine areas. Rare has four decades of expertise in behaviour change for conservation. The organisation trains local people to lead social marketing campaigns that tap into the latest behavioural insights to change how communities perceive, use and manage their natural resources. Rare factors into each campaign its gathered insights on how group norms affect individual behaviour, how emotional appeals affect decisionmaking, and more. If behavioural science and social marketing are the means by which communities absorb a conservation message, data is what is needed to help them best execute it - how to design a managed access + reserve area that works with the unique conditions of each fishing community and its waters, for example. Having solid information on fish landings - their volume, composition and trends over time - would enable communities to recognise patterns in their catches, learn successes and failures of management decisions, and adjust their decision-making accordingly. Steve Box, head of Rare’s Fish Forever program, led the development of OurFish. He and his team designed the app around the transaction process between fishers and buyers, viewing it as the optimum point to capture data. A simple, well-designed interface would allow buyers to log details on fish species, weight, count and price - all in real time at the point of purchase. It would offer genuine Oceanographic Issue 02

BEHIND THE LENS

“

WHEN FELIPE VIEGAS REGISTERED, HE F E LT E M P OW E R E D . “IT MEANS I AM A REAL FISHERMAN,” H E S AY S .

F E AT U R E

ABOVE: Mozambique's waters are home to a wide variety of marine life, including migrating whales. OPPOSITE: A fisherman takes a rest from loading heavy seine nets onto boats.

value to its users, while also facilitating more comprehensive data collection. Buyers could set down their pen and paper. The collation and digitisation of rudimentarily recorded data can take a long time, particularly in small fishing communities such as Fuquete. The OurFish app does it instantly, something that appeals to many of those in the industry. Eulalia Batista, a 57-year-old fish buyer from Fuquete, has always used a notebook to record her transactions. She is excited by the app. “To me, it’s welcome,” she says. Anuar Amade, a 40-year-old government staffer, has been working with communities in Inhassoro for eight years. In 2016 he became the manager of a sustainable fishing campaign supported by Rare. In April of this year, Amade and support staff showed people in Fuquete how to use the OurFish system. They were the app’s first registered fisher users. For many of the fishers who register with OurFish, it is the first time they are acknowledged as professionals - every transaction that buyers log into OurFish is attached to the fisher who produced the catch via identification information scanned into the app from ID cards received on registration. When Amade demonstrated the app in Fuquete and began registering the first fishers to OurFish, others quickly followed. Even the simple tactile sensation of holding a card that named them as fishers by profession had meaning. When Felipe Viegas registered, he felt empowered. “It means I am a real fisherman,” he says. For fishers and buyers like Felipe and Eulalia, the app is more than an information-gathering and learning tool - it is a business aid. Because OurFish uses the moment at which fishers and buyers interact as the point of data collection, it allows them to gather not just details about catch, but also the price at which they are sold. They are keeping a digital record of their financial transactions. In a sector largely devoid of paper trails, fishers have the means to provide income statements and prove financial histories. Having that history is a big deal for fishers and communities with a desire to transition from the informal economy of small-scale fisheries to a formal one. “Building proof of income and financial statements will provide fishers with a deeper understanding of their own fishing business and finances. They could eventually use that information to take out loans from financial institutions,” says Carlos Arango, Senior Manager for Economic Resilience in Rare’s fisheries program. For OurFIsh to work effectively though, it requires community-wide support. Once fishers register, the app can be rolled out with buyers to record catch. Rare is piloting the app in six Mozambican communities. Rare’s ultimate goal is to help fishers and their communities get the information and support they need to change their lives. Campaign manager Anuar Amade says the intervention, both in implementing managed access + reserves and opening up access to information through OurFish, has people talking excitedly about the future. “Everyone is excited to see what the result will be,” he says. “The reduction in catches is evident. There is a need to create [the right] conditions for fish stock recovery - these communities’ futures depend on it.”

SE Irby

George Stoyle

Oceanographic Issue 02

Column

By Dr Easkey Britton

The environmentalist BLUE MINDFULNESS: BIG-WAVE SURFING AND LIVING IN THE MOMENT

About Easkey Dr Easkey Britton is an internationally-renowned surfer, artist, scientist and explorer from Ireland. She pioneered women’s big-wave surfing in Ireland as the first woman to surf Aileen’s at the Cliffs of Moher and Mullaghmore. Easkey is a five-time Irish national surf champion, and holds a Ph.D. in Marine Environment and Society. She is the founder of Be Like Water, a platform to explore innovative ways to reconnect with who we are, our environment and each other, through water.

Oceanographic Issue 02

“That’s why being exposed to an environment we can’t control, the sea, matters - it forces us to allow the experience to happen, to feel the joy of that moment.”

can see the wave coming, building momentum. I reposition myself, ready to meet it at just the right instant. Then it comes fully to life, towering over me. At its apex, at the height of its speed, I catch it and ride it. It is a moment of total commitment, when all the mental and physical noise stops. Nothing exists but total awareness of the moment. I’ve always been attracted to the edge. That curiosity and desire to embrace the unknown, to go to the edge and lean into fear, is a powerful and important aspect of surfing. It’s the kind of fear that embraces vulnerability, the art of letting go. It’s a lot about risk-taking and being honest with ourselves. You can’t commit to a wave if you hesitate, if there’s doubt. Tony Bates talked about this in a talk he gave at the Surfing Medicine International conference in Sligo last year, how big-wave surfing can mirror those ‘critical choice moments’ on the journey of mental health. The relationship between the surfer and the wave, for example: when the surfer turns to face the wave, the wave acts as mirror to who we are, reflecting our commitment, our fear and willingness to face it. But in order to go to the edge we have to keep trying and, critically, be ok with ‘failure’ - getting caught inside and being pummelled by the surf. We have to learn to never give up, because eventually there’s a break in the waves. A key part of surfing is learning to fall well and safely. The unpredictability of the ocean necessitates surfers have a high capacity for failure, or a willingness to experience failure. As Bates said: “We never learn to stay on the board until we lose our fear of failing”. Physically, in those situations you need to be strong and prepared, but big-wave surfing is a mental game. Psychologically, how do I prepare myself on those big days, when a storm is raging through the night, delivering all its energy on to a small sloping slab of rock on the west coast of Ireland in the middle of winter? I’ve always believed surfing is an amazing tool for mindfulness practice - mindfulness-in-movement or, perhaps, ‘blue mindfulness’. It comes back to tapping into that state of presence. If I’m distracted or uncertain, it plays out on those big days. If there’s anything I haven’t dealt with, it will come out. In that way, it’s almost like therapy. My mindfulness practice has helped me be present with whatever it

is I’m feeling and to be ok with that, to understand it’s ok to feel that way. In preparation, how and where I direct my attention really matters. By focusing on the practical, the things I can control - my equipment, how I fuel my body, checking the jet-ski - it helps me get grounded. The safety checks are essential but it’s not so much the checking as the ritual - that’s what tells me I have to get in the right headspace. I use the fear as a call to listen to myself. Recent research has shown how simply being near water can have a positive impact on our wellbeing and that time spent in the water, especially the sea, can improve our self-awareness, creativity, health and reinforce our connection to ourselves, each other and nature. Marine biologist Wallace J Nichols calls this human-water connection, ‘Blue Mind’ in his book of the same name. Surfing doesn’t just happen when you’re in the water. Some of the lessons I’ve learned surfing are applicable to the way we move through our day. As a life metaphor, understanding and trusting in the power of the process is so important. The sea can be such a transformative space, capable of bringing moments of joy as well as fear. But we’re amazing at being able to block ourselves from our own joy. That’s why being exposed to an environment we can’t control, the sea, matters - it forces us to allow the experience to happen, to feel the joy of that moment, without trying to control or pass judgement. It allows us to let go of the outcome, which can be a terrifying thing to do. If I truly get into why I surf, it’s for the heightened state of awareness. It’s what is referred to as ‘flow’, a state of total absorption where, if even just for a moment, there’s complete focus and immersion in the present, without any feeling of having to try. It is a state referred to in transpersonal psychology and integral philosophy as ‘non-dual choiceless awareness’. In neuroscience, evidence shows that when we experience a ‘flow state’ the whole brain is synchronised, firing in concert. I like to think of surfing as more like water-dancing. There’s a quote by T.S Elliot about how we can find our stillness in movement: “At the still point, there the dance is”. The experience of wave-riding is this suspended moment. Being able to shift our perception of time like that, especially in such a busy world, can be a truly powerful thing. EB

Oceanographic Issue 02

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THE MOMENT

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Behind the lens

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CRISTINA MITTERMEIER

Behind the Lens places a spotlight on the world’s foremost ocean conservation photographers. Each edition focusses on the work of an individual who continues to shape global public opinion through powerful imagery and compelling storytelling. Leica is proud to support the Wildfowl & Wetland Trust’s ‘Saving the Spoon-billed Sandpiper’ project.

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BEHIND THE LENS

Q&A CRISTINA MITTERMEIER National Geographic Photographer, Co-founder and Vision Lead at SeaLegacy Cristina is a Sony Artisan of Imagery, the editor of 25 coffee table books on conservation issues and the founder of the International League of Conservation Photographers. Most recently, Cristina was acknowledged as one of National Geographic's Adventurers of the Year for 2018 and is a National Geographic Woman of Impact. Earlier this year, she released a Fine Art photography book, called Amaze.

OCEA NO G R A PH I C M AGAZ I N E (OM ): W H E N DID YOU FIRST CONNECT WITH TH E OCEAN? CRISTINA MITTERMEIER (CM): I have a memory as a young child, probably 7 or 8 years old, of going to the coastal town in Mexico where my father grew up, a place called Tampico. The oil industry was big there. I remember going to the beach and really enjoying the waves and then coming out of the ocean with tar stuck to me. My mum spent 30 minutes with a piece of cloth cleaning the tar off me. I don’t remember it as a bad thing - it was just what happened when you were on the beach. I remember loving being in the water, something I feel to this day. Growing up in Mexico, which was - and is - such a fast-growing country, you witness a lot of environmental devastation, beautiful ecosystems turned into developments almost overnight. I’ve been witness to that my whole life. The real thing that I wonder: why are people not as concerned as I am? Take the devastation of the mangroves on the Yucatan Peninsula, for example. I went there in 1985 and returned in 1991. Hotels had replaced the mangroves and estuaries. The ecosystems were gone. In adult life, the ocean has been an ever-present. Just last week I was in Isla Mujeres photographing whales sharks, spending hours in the ocean. It feels like the place where I belong.

OM: YO U W ER E A M ARI N E S C I E N T I S T BE F OR E YOU WERE A P ROFESSIONAL P H OTO G R A PH ER. W H E N D I D YOU RE AL I S E T H E P OWER OF OCEAN P H OTOGRAP H Y? CM: I spent 20 years as a photographer focussed on terrestrial subjects and people before I had the opportunity to shoot underwater. It’s expensive and the learning curve is massive. You need the equipment and the opportunities to get in the water. I was only able to do it because Paul Nicklen, my partner, is a phenomenal underwater photographer and he mentored me. Otherwise there would have been very little chance for me to buy a housing and go experimenting. He loaned me the equipment. I wanted to do it, but just didn’t know how to go about it. It felt like an insurmountable wall of knowledge. I have huge respect for underwater photographers because it’s not easy.

OM: A CENT R A L T H RE AD OF YOU R W ORK F O CUSSES ON H IGH LIGH TING TH E RELAT IO NS H IP BE T W E E N T H E OC E AN AN D H UMANITY. WH Y IS TH AT CONNECTION SO IMPO RTA NT TO YOU ? CM: I often think if extra-terrestrials were to look at the Earth from space they would recognise it as an ocean planet. It is the largest ecosystem, the dominant ecosystem. We are, therefore, all ocean creatures - even if we don’t know it. Our existence is because of the ocean, so it's important to make that connection - to show people that the ocean is not some foreign place that we visit on holiday, but that is it our life-support system. Building that understanding is at the core of what I do.

Oceanographic Issue 02

BEHIND THE LENS

O M: M U C H OF T H AT W ORK RE VOLVES AROUND WOMEN IN COASTAL COMMUNITIES. TELL U S A L I T T L E M ORE ABOU T YOU R DESIRE TO SH INE A LIGH T ON TH ESE P EOP LE AND T H EIR S TORI E S PART I C U L ARLY. CM: I’m a curious person. Every once in a while I encounter a fact that completely shocks me. I studied fisheries and aquaculture at university and was surprised to learn that 46% of the workforce in fisheries is women. When we think about the people who go out to sea, the people who make a living from the ocean, we always think about men. And yet half of those people are women, and many of them have to do the menial jobs that are poorly paid and not recognised - the cleaning, the selling and the packaging of fish. They rarely have access to managerial or more visible roles that are better paid. I feel it’s so important to shine a light on that to open opportunities for women. I also think that if women had more control over fisheries, or if women managed fisheries, we would be a lot kinder to the ocean.

O M: YOU ’ V E S AI D T H AT I F P E OP L E A REN’T SCARED OR WORRIED ABOUT TH E STATE OF T H E O C E AN , T H E Y ’ RE N OT PAY I N G ATTENTION. H OW BIG A ROLE DO YOU TH INK YOUR NO N- PROF I T ORGAN I S AT I ON S E AL EGACY IS H AVING IN GRABBING P EOP LE’S ATTENTION? CM: SeaLegacy’s success is something that’s caught us a little by surprise. It started off as a humble desire to contribute to the narrative of how important the ocean is. We’ve come to realise that ecology - or just a general understanding of how our planet works - is not general knowledge for many people. People have no understanding of how our planet works. We use social media to share small pieces of information that help people realise, for example, the critical role that plankton plays. Or we might answer the question: why does it rain? These are all titbits of knowledge that most people don’t have. SeaLegacy is about sharing from a very personal perspective. It’s been amazing how receptive people have been to this narrative. We remain positive and hopeful, and people have gravitated towards that.

O M: W H AT D O YOU H OP E TO AC H I E V E WITH SEALEGACY? CM: SeaLegacy is only four and a half years old. When you start a non-profit and you’re trying to raise money, it’s like a small airplane that’s trying to take off along a long runway. For us that runway has been trying to make the most of opportunities placed in front of us, stories that are in our own backyard - it’s cheaper than travelling to the other side of the world and it’s what we know best. But now, for the first time, it feels like we are catching up with who we are going to become. For the first time we have an opportunity to sit down with our entire staff, which is now up to 20 people, and look ahead and ask: what are the stories? What are the longer-term objectives for the next year, three years, ten years? Ultimately, for us, that objective is to have a healthy and abundant ocean. Whatever we need to do to get that, that’s the plan.

O M: S OC I AL M E D I A I S A P L AT F ORM SEALEGACY IS H ARNESSING WELL. H OW BIG A ROLE D O YO U T H I N K S OC I AL P L AT F ORM S C AN P LAY IN TH E FIGH T FOR IMP ROVED OCEAN H EALTH ? CM: Just five years ago, the only opportunity to publish any meaningful stories was through magazines like National Geographic, and every photographer was fighting for those limited pages. Social media has changed that. The lightbulb for me was what the world witnessed with the Arab Spring, a social media-ignited revolution. I thought, wow, if we can use social media to fight for human rights and democracy, we can use it to fight for ocean conservation as well. I equate it to a giant campfire that all of us humans are gathered around. We’re having a global conversation, every day, 24 hours a day. It’s an incredible way of communicating. At SeaLegacy we take a lot of time to read people’s comments, because it allows us to see where people’s understanding of certain issues is and where the concerns are.

Continued on p.80...

Oceanographic Issue 02

BEHIND THE LENS

Q&A Continued...

OM: YO U’ VE TA K E N I S S U E W I T H T H E I N AC C ESSIBILITY OF SCIENCE PAP ERS, PA RT ICULA R LY T H E I R P OOR V I S UAL M E S S AGING. DO YOU TH INK TH E OCEAN SCIENCE C O MMU NIT Y NE E D S A C OM M U N I C AT I ON S RETH INK? CM: I find it shocking. When you’re trained as a scientist, you’re trained in the rigours of scientific discourse. When I started doing more advocacy-related work people in the scientific community really looked down on me. It was as if advocacy work was ‘dumbing it down’. But the reality is there is an intellectual barrier for the vast majority of people to understanding science in the way it is generally presented. Science is important, fundamental, but the really important bit is the way we communicate the parts that matter to most people. The vast majority of people don’t need to know the details of experiments, but they do need to know that melting polar regions will impact them. It’s not up to debate; it’s fact. And our job as storytellers is to connect those stories with people on a personal level.

O M: H OW MUCH D OE S S E AL E GAC Y L I AI S E DIRECTLY WITH TH E SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY? CM: A lot. Paul and I have had opportunities over the years to work with many wonderful scientists and form personal relationships with them. We realised when we started SeaLegacy that we were photographers before we were scientists and would need to rely on people who knew more than we did. So we created something call The Compass, a way for us to get the true north of what the story is. The Compass is composed of scientists in various disciplines, from global ecology to climate change. I call them my ‘phone a friends’. These are people who I have a chance to phone and ask questions about things that I don’t understand.

O M: IN T ER MS O F T H E C ON N E C T I ON BE T W EEN P OWERFUL P H OTOGRAP H Y AND PA S S IO NAT E S TORY T E L L I N G, T H E RE ’ S A C L EAR LINK BETWEEN SEALEGACY AND A NOT H ER O R G A N I S AT I ON YOU F OU N D E D , TH E INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION PH OTO G R A PH ERS (I L C P ). W H AT I N S P I RE D YOU TO FOUND ILCP AND H OW IMP ORTANT D O YO U T H INK I T S P H OTOGRAP H E RS ARE I N SH ARING TH E BEAUTY AND P LIGH T OF TH E NAT U R A L W O R L D W I T H T H E P U BL I C ? CM: Both were founded out of a frustration at the lack of meaningful storytelling through photography. Back when I created ILCP a lot of photographers hadn’t recognised the power of visual storytelling for conservation or environmental work. Being an environmentalist was seen as a negative thing by a lot of photographers. I tried to create platforms within existing organisations, but the resistance was huge. I looked for photographers who, like myself, had a desire to use their images to create change and built a platform that would allow them to continue to do that. It was so special and attracted such talent and passion from around the world. It was incredibly rewarding. After a while though, I became an administrator. While all these talented photographers were out in the field, I was in the office making sure the nonprofit worked. After six years I stepped down as president. It’s still a wonderful, prestigious organisation, but I wanted to go back to the ocean. When Paul and I moved to British Columbia I thought about retiring, just spending my time gardening and swimming in the ocean. It lasted a few months. You can’t hide from the news and I felt I had to do something. I wanted to use everything I learned at ILCP and apply it to the ocean. That’s what we’ve done with SeaLegacy.

O M: YO UR NEW BOOK , AM AZ E , H AS J U S T C OME OUT IN EUROP E. WH EN READERS CLOSE T H AT F INA L PAGE , W H AT D O YOU H OP E YOUR IMAGES WILL H AVE MADE TH EM FEEL? CM: I hope they don’t think ‘she’s a great photographer’. I want them to have taken the time to read the text. There’s a lot of knowledge that I’ve harnessed from working with indigenous people around the world on how to become a citizen of this planet, by finding our own sense of purpose and ‘enoughness’. If people take the time to reach that point, by the last page they will have found a new planetary compass, of how to live a life more fulfilled, more purposeful, more aligned with the world, and how to do that in a joyful, hopeful way.

Oceanographic Issue 02

BEHIND THE LENS

O M: PH OTOGRAP H Y H AS T H E P OW ER TO EXP OSE ECOLOGICAL ISSUES IN A P ROFOUND WAY. H OW I M P ORTAN T I S I T T H AT P EOP LE ARE DAZ Z LED AND AMAZ ED TOO, TH AT S IMPLE S E N S E OF T H I N K I N G ‘ W OW’? CM: Because a lot of people don’t have the opportunity to explore, they presume a lot of our planet is already developed and wrecked. With photography you can remind people that this is a beautiful planet, that it’s worth fighting for and that those last remote corners need protecting. You can beat people over the head with a stick regarding the problems we face. We have no shortage of issues to photograph in an apocalyptic way, but that’s defeatist. Hope is a powerful emotion. When you can set your sights on a hopeful future, you can navigate towards that future. If you just focus on the negative narrative, that’s where you’ll end up.

O M: IN T E RM S OF RE C ON N E C T I N G P EOP LE WITH TH E OCEAN, H OW IMP ORTANT IS IT TO INS T IL A S E N S E OF ADV E N T U RE ? CM: Oh my god, so important. When we started SeaLegacy we agreed that we wanted it to be a call to adventure. We recognised what a tremendous privilege it is to be in the water almost every day. Most people don’t get that chance, and the vast majority of the people on this planet will never get that chance. We wanted to bring people on an adventure with us, to take them out into the field - sharing those successes, failures, frustrations, victories. People get invested in that journey with you. Adventure is so important. And it’s an invitation to be more adventurous too. For me, I’ve had those doubts myself since I was young: it’s too dangerous, girls shouldn’t be doing that. I’m trying to share my sense of adventure with other women, to show them that it is entirely possible to be adventurous and be part of that world of excitement.

O M: W H AT ’ S BE E N YOU R P ROU D E S T ACH IEVEMENT AS A P H OTOGRAP H ER? CM: I’m very proud of having coined and defined the term ‘conservation photography’, something different from nature photography that gives purpose to thousands of photographers. It’s made it ok and cool, right? I wanted to create an army of storytellers and I think that has certainly happened. The other day I was looking at the National Geographic Instagram account. When you look at all the images they’ve ever posted, I have two in the top ten! Those two are not hopeful images, they are images of devastation (ed: one of them, an image of a starving polar bear, is featured in these pages). They were difficult to make, the sort of images that scar your soul when you’re working on them. I think that pain and horror shines through. If for every ten beautiful images I make I can create one poignant image that tells a story about what’s happening to our planet, that makes me really proud.

O M: W H AT ’ S BE E N YOU R M OS T E XHILARATING MOMENT AS A P H OTOGRAP H ER? CM: Ay me! Every time I go in the ocean. I was in Antarctica last year. I was there to photograph Paul Nicklen and his encounter with a leopard seal. I got in the water first and was surrounded by five leopard seals. That was exhilarating! I never felt threatened though. Swimming with orcas in Norway was another moment. I had a large female come up close to me. I could feel her echolocations - every click! And last week we were in the water with 250 whale sharks in Mexico. There were so many in the water that while I was photographing one coming at me, another was running me over. They’re harmless but they’re big! I was giggling and crying in my mask. It was beautiful.

O M: YOU R W ORK TAK E S YOU AL L OVER TH E WORLD. WH ERE ARE YOU OFF TO NEXT? CM: I’m off to the coast of Ghana, to photograph a project about women fisherfolk. These are women who were struggling to make a living buying fish. They would buy the fish at 6am and by 10pm if they hadn’t sold their stock, the produce would spoil and they’d be indebted. That debt leads to sexual and human trafficking. A small organisation came up with the idea of bringing in a refrigerator and a smoking machine. By extending the life of the fish they have turned those women into businesswomen. I’m going to photograph that. It’s amazing how small contributions can change the lives and the narratives of people. I’m always excited to photograph that.

Oceanographic Issue 02

BEHIND THE LENS

LEICA. DAS WESENTLICHE.

Antarctica A leopard seal patrols an iceberg on which a group of fledging penguins, on their first swim out to see, have become stranded - a stand-off between predator and prey.

British Columbia, Canada A humpback whale emerges with a big splash from the bubble net he just laid to trap a school of herring, a frequent and amazing sight in the Great Bear Sea.

Canadian Arctic Climate change kills slowly and by proxy. While there is no proof this bear was dying due to climate change, the sea ice the species relies on to hunt is disappearing.

British Columbia, Canada Bridging the gap between above and below, this egg yolk jellyfish dances on the thin blue line, a symbol of how connected the two worlds are.

Silver Bank, Dominica A baby humpback peeks its head out of the water. Cristina feels a personal responsibility to do everything in her power to make sure whales have a safe, healthy home to live in.

British Columbia, Canada Molina Dawson, a young Musgamagw Dzawada’enuxw warrior, sits in an ancestral fishing camp threatened by open-net salmon farms operating without consent.

British Columbia, Canada Gwantilakw Hunt Cranmer yells her anger from the shoreline on Cormorant Island. Unheeded requests to rid her territory of fish farms began before she was born.

British Columbia, Canada Young Ta’Kaiya Blaney, singer, songwriter, drummer and speaker for her people, the Tla’min First Nation of British Columbia, stands on the edge of the Salish Sea.

Kayapo, Brazil A young Kayapo girl bathes in the warm waters of the Xingu River in the Amazon. Her eyes speak of a beloved river about to be dammed forever and the fear of a future unknown.

Pulicat, India A Tamil woman sets out fish to dry in the midday sun. The majority of this small catch will go to make chicken feed; a sad ending for the foundation of life in the ocean.

Antarctica Like a veil of molten gold, the early evening light bathes the fluke of a lone humpback whale as it feeds in the krill-rich waters off the Antarctic Peninsula.

Falkland Islands King Penguins make their way to sea to feed. While one parent risks its life to get food, the other stays to look after their chick. On Volunteer Point, tourists can visit by car.

THE MOMENT

Behind the lens CRISTINA MITTERMEIER Trained as a marine biologist and a photographer, the Mexico City-born

Greenland Cristina Mittermeier combines her work behind the lens with her passion for Knowing that his dogs and environmentalism, telling visual stories in some of the world's most remote his village depend on his aim, areas in order to explore our relationship with the earth and ocean and draw Naimanngitsoq Kristiansen, a attention to the beauty and the plight of our planet. traditional Inuit hunter, keeps Cristina has worked in more than 100 countries on every continent in the a patient watch, waiting for harp seals and walrus to world. Her work is about building a greater awareness of the responsibility of is the camerato forbe capturing special photos. Its reminder that we are inextricably comeLight. near. Motion. Moment. The Leica SL what it means a human. It is an urgent

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Oceanographic Issue 02

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Oceanographic Issue 02

Paddling against plastic Adventurer Sian Sykes this year became the first person to circumnavigate Wales by paddleboard. During her twomonth solo expedition she hoped to highlight our unhealthy relationship with single-use plastic and reconnect people with the marine environment it is blighting. Wo rd s b y W i l l H a r r i s o n P h o t o g ra p h s b y I a n F i n c h

Oceanographic Issue 02

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I used zero single-use plastics. I wanted to show people that if I can complete a two-month expedition without single-use plastics, they can live without them at home.â&#x20AC;?

F E AT U R E

lone in open water, knees flexing with the chop of the Irish Sea, paddleboarder Sian Sykes assessed her options. Ahead of her lay a coastline as familiar as the hills that rolled away beyond it, a place of identity and free-spiritedness, of community and purpose, of distant memories and ever-shaping ambitions. Ahead of her was Wales. Ahead of her was home. It had been another successful day on the water, another day of steady miles and blessed wildlife interactions, another day, sadly, of plastic pollution and debris collections. It had also been a day of staying dry, Sian’s accomplished handling of her paddleboard minimising her exposure to the cold Irish Sea. But this next bit would be different. Comfortable in that place beyond the breakers, she would soon have to make her move toward shore, navigating swell as she moved above a shallowing seabed and into the path of crashing waves. The wind beat at her chapped lips and roughed fingertips as she pulled her helmet strap tight to her chin. Then, under a slate-coloured sky, and with a vast and empty sand beach beckoning her in, she began to paddle. “Surf landings are nerve-wracking,” says Sian. “I hated them. I was on an expedition board and carrying a lot of weight. You want to keep dry before camp, but sometimes you know you’re going for a swim. You don’t know if there are any rocks near shore and you don’t know how many times you’re going to get struck by your board.” On that particular day it wasn’t long before Sian was in the water, her board’s leash frequently pulled tight as waves and board tumbled around her. With everything securely strapped down she was able to focus on making progress towards land rather than worry about her drybagged essentials - tent, food, clothes - disappearing into the surf. As the white water churned and gushed, Sian was “slammed several times”, temporarily disappearing beneath the shapeshifting waterline of a fizzing ocean. She shook off the big hits with sighs of relief every time her helmet took a hit. Still she pushed for land. When it finally arrived, the feeling of solid seabed beneath her feet was as welcome as the deep sleep that would arrive later that evening. With a final heave she dragged her body and board onto the sand, took a deep breath and looked back out to that place beyond the breakers from where she had just arrived. Until tomorrow then, she thought. Sian Sykes was on a mission, a world-first: circumnavigating Wales in a bid to raise awareness of the issue of single-use plastic pollution and the effects it is having on our natural world. As an adventurer and environmental campaigner (she had previously circumnavigated the Welsh island of Anglesey and is a local representative for charity Surfers Against Sewage) this was a journey she was well prepared for. While she planned to collect and properly dispose of marine litter throughout the two-month expedition, her primary focus was on connection, namely reconnecting people with their coastlines and highlighting the link between consumer choices inland and plastic waste at sea. “There’s a massive disconnect between city life and the sea,” says

Sian. “People in cities don’t connect a plastic bottle they throw away with marine litter. They don’t think about how that two-second choice impacts the environment. They don’t know that 80% of marine litter comes from land-based sources. I wanted to highlight that, to connect the roads, canals, rivers and the sea. But most importantly, to connect people with the problem, while also bringing attention to the beauty of the outdoors.” That deadly disconnect between city and sea was something Sian was personally familiar with having lived and worked in London before returning to Wales to live a quieter, less stressful life. She too, had been a single-use plastics polluter. “I was one of those people when I lived in London,” she admits. “We used to have a beer trolley that did the rounds at 4pm on a Friday and everyone drank from plastic cups. I’m well educated, but the cups just went in the bin. I never thought about it.” Ultimately, Sian wanted to reach people like her past self, those blissfully unaware of the small but significant changes they could make to play their part in reducing the amount of litter that reaches the ocean. Having initially planned to start her journey on the Menai Strait, a fast-flowing stretch of water that splits Anglesey from the Welsh mainland, Sian was forced to alter plans at the eleventh hour due to the 'Beast from the East', a huge storm that buffeted much of the UK for several weeks in early 2018. Instead she launched at Connah’s Quay and spent the first ten days moving south on the border between England and Wales. She wasn’t free from the Beast’s wrath and still endured days of snow, hail and furious headwinds, but paddling along estuaries, canals and rivers offered a smoother start to the journey. She found good rhythm and made steady progress, and starting inland certainly didn’t lessen her exposure to plastic. “It was heart-breaking to see so much of it,” says Sian. “In places the water was thick with bottles. I carried a 70-litre bag for rubbish collection, but would often fill it within minutes of starting my day. On stretches of water where there were no bins, I was unable to empty and refill. There was nothing I could do. On those occasions I’d pile bottles on my 12’ 6” board, but there were still so many I couldn’t pick up. It was sad to think most of those would make their way out to sea.” It was that journey - a bottle’s voyage out to sea - that Sian was so eager to highlight. The network of waterways she was using was part of a vast interlinking web, each tributary flowing to the same destination: the ocean. The eastern (inland) side of her journey’s loop was, arguably, the most important from a storytelling perspective: she was headed for the Irish Sea, at that point seemingly so far away, and plenty of plastic would follow.

Oceanographic Issue 02

OPPOSITE: Sian straps kit down to her board ahead of a surf launch at Borth Beach. PREVIOUS: Arriving in Aberystwyth after a long day's paddle.

"There’s a massive disconnect between city life and the sea. People in cities don’t connect a plastic bottle they throw away with marine litter. They don’t think about the environment."

MAIN IMAGE: Sian navigated several canals and portages around locks, which were "always hard work". TOP: Eight million pieces of plastic enter our ocean every day. Sian picked up what she could. MIDDLE: Having safely landed at Fairbourne Beach, there's no time to waste in finding a place to camp. BOTTOM: With a 70-litre 'rubbish bag' often full before a bin was found, bottles were piled up on the paddleboard instead.

The media interest in Sian’s expedition was significant, with both the start and finish covered by national TV channels. The exposure was another victory for the antisingle-use plastic movement - Sian was broadcasting the plastic pollution problem straight into people’s homes across the UK. However, her intentions were much more personal than that. She didn’t just want to show people how plastic was blighting the UK’s - and the world’s precious marine environments, she wanted to give people the confidence to make individual changes, to really do something. “I used zero single-use plastics on my circumnavigation,” she says. “I wanted to show people that if I can complete a two-month expedition without single-use plastics, they can live without them at home. I used a bamboo toothbrush rather than a plastic one, for example, and a bar of shampoo rather than a bottle - small, simple changes.” She knew people would take an interest in her story, and that it would be those interactions that would likely have the greatest long-term impact. What Sian didn’t plan for were the pledges. She encountered positivity everywhere she went and, as she moved through villages and towns, people began making sincere pledges to change - deeper commitments than the casual assurances Sian had anticipated. “Everyone I encountered along the way made a pledge - one singleuse plastic they were determined to give up. It happened by accident, but turned out to be a great engagement tool. It really felt like people were willing to change.” The horror of the plastic pollution witnessed by Sian was, of course, set against the backdrop of a country renowned for its natural beauty, its sweeping landscapes and weathered coastlines. During her time on the water - especially once the 70-litre rubbish bag had been filled - there was little for Sian to do but paddle hard and enjoy the view. The environment around her was, after all, what she was trying to help protect, so savour it she should. “One evening, I launched as the sun was setting,” says Sian. “The wind had died down and conditions were perfect. As I headed around a headland, people shouting

Will Harrison

encouragement from above, five porpoises jumped out of the water around me, bathed in golden light. I arrived later that evening to a small pebble beach drenched in moonlight and found a spot to make camp. The evening was so nice I didn’t bother pitching my tent and instead climbed into my bivvy bag, falling asleep to silver light and the sound of waves crashing against the shore.” Sian’s passion for the marine environment is absolute, but her commitment to living a simpler, more mindful coastal existence was a process that took time. “When I was working in London I used to come back home to Wales at weekends,” she says. “I needed to reconnect with nature and longed to be back by the sea and the mountains. I found it harder and harder to readjust to London when returning from those weekends. It was a progressive change, but eventually I decided to move back.” She took up mountaineering, but had always had a love for the water. “Some friends invited me on a paddleboarding trip. We camped in forests surrounded by wild garlic, stalking fishes and deer, living really simply. That’s where the passion was born.” Sian now runs a paddleboarding business and is on the water every day. Unplugged, but reconnected. As Sian and her friends gathered around those campfires, the smell of smoking logs filling the air, no one could have envisaged the impact that trip would have on her, that she would fall back in love with the Welsh coastline, but in a deeper way than even she could have imagined, or that she would go on to circumnavigate the country by paddleboard to raise awareness of the biggest challenge facing the marine environment in a generation, if not ever. And when that time came, and Sian once again found herself making camp in the Welsh wilderness, it would be her turn to pass the passion on. With every stranger spoken to, every pledge given and honoured, and every wave of support from a distant clifftop, she was sharing her passion with people and, as such, reconnecting them with the beautiful waterways and ocean on which she travelled.

Ian Finch

Sian waits for the tide to come in before heading out over the Aberdyfi sandbar.

Oceanographic Issue 02

Column

By Dr Simon Pierce

The marine biologist WHALE SHARKS: A MAGNETIC MYSTERY

“To be honest, we’re not quite sure why the sharks are here, but the most likely explanation is that they’re calibrating their builtin GPS. Some sharks can detect the Earth’s magnetic field.”

Oceanographic Issue 02

i. I’m Simon. I have a whale shark problem. You’d think a giant shark would be easy to find. Whale sharks are the largest of all fish, growing to about 20m in length and 42 tonnes in weight. Large adults are longer than a school bus, and twice as heavy. That’s a big hunk of fish, which means people are usually surprised to learn that whale sharks have been rather good at eluding scientists since their discovery in 1828. Apparently even Jacques Cousteau only saw two whale sharks during a lifetime of ocean exploration. It wasn’t until the 1980s that scientists became aware that whale sharks can be reliably seen, at least seasonally, at Ningaloo Reef in Australia. In the years since, whale shark feeding areas have been identified at a number of other places, such as Isla Mujeres in Mexico and Mafia Island in Tanzania. What’s my problem, then? All of these sites are dominated by juvenile, or just-adult male sharks. That also holds true for other areas where whale sharks are seen, for instance in Madagascar, Mozambique, the Philippines, the Seychelles, and Thailand. We’re missing the babies, the larger adults, and the female sharks. It’s a fascinating mystery, but - given that whale sharks are now a globally endangered species - I’m not just inspired by curiosity. This conundrum is a huge challenge to effective conservation. Fortunately, there are a small number of exceptions to this general rule. These sites are generally offshore seamounts or volcanic islands. Another problem: these places are hard to get to. I started writing this column while moored at one of these outliers: Isla Darwin, the northernmost island of the Galapagos archipelago. Despite being over 300km by boat from the nearest town, this is the best place in the world to reliably see adult female whale sharks. What’s particularly special about Darwin is that most of the sharks that pass by here are huge, and almost all of them are pregnant. Hardly anything is known about whale shark reproduction. Only one pregnant female has ever been examined by scientists, after she was caught in a fishery in Taiwan way back in 1995. That singular female had more pups than has ever been seen in any other shark: 304 tiny little whale sharks, ranging in size to 64cm long. We really need to know more. That’s why we’re in the Galapagos. Whale sharks normally spend less than a day at Darwin. It’s not a place they come to feed. To be honest, we’re not quite sure why they’re here, but the most likely explanation is that they’re

calibrating their built-in GPS. Some sharks can detect the Earth’s magnetic field. Historical volcanic eruptions at Darwin have created concentric rings of magnetically polarised rock on the seafloor, providing a detailed relief map for animals - if they have the right equipment to read it. Their attraction to this area indicates that whale sharks do, and this is backed up by their incredible diving behaviour. Last year, sadly, none of our satellite tags worked. The crush depth of these tags is around 2km, and the most likely explanation for their failure is that big whale sharks exceed these depths. These extreme dives are also probably related to navigation. The Earth’s magnetic intensity varies on a regular daily cycle, peaking around dawn and dusk. That’s when the sharks usually dive deep. We’re assuming the diving helps the sharks get a more accurate ‘fix’ on their current position. I think that’s very cool but, anyway, back to Galapagos. Every whale shark has a unique pattern of spots, meaning that each individual is photoidentifiable. We saw (and satellite-tagged) seven new sharks this year, raising the total number of whale sharks identified from the Galapagos to 180. None of these sharks have been re-sighted outside the Galapagos. Where are the sharks going? They generally swim out into the Pacific Ocean, far from any landmass. There’s a long productive zone where cooler waters from the Peruvian coast meet warm tropical waters above the equator and, based on our tracking data, the whale sharks are feeding out there. They’re also, most likely, giving birth in that area too. What’s next? We’d love to get more people submitting their whale shark photos from the Galapagos to the global database at www. whaleshark.org. It’s hard for us to visit Darwin for more than a couple of weeks per year, so photos from visiting divers (from years past, too) are a huge boost to our research. We still don’t know how often the sharks breed, but it’s likely to only be once every few years. The more photos we have, the faster we can work that out. Thanks for helping us to solve the mystery. SP About Simon Dr Simon J Pierce is a marine conservation biologist and underwater photographer from New Zealand. He is a co-founder and Principal Scientist at the Marine Megafauna Foundation, where he leads the global whale shark research programme, and a regional Co-Chair for the IUCN Shark Specialist Group.

Oceanographic Issue 02

Champion freediver Georgina Miller prepares for a dive, the famous Eddystone Lighthouse in the distance.

COMMUNITY

conservation Effective and long-lasting ocean conservation often involves communities who care about their coastline. For one famous reef off Englandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s South Coast, funding from local business is helping facilitate its recovery. Some of Britainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best freedivers went to check on its progress.

Wo rd s b y G e o r g i n a F u l l e r P h o t o g ra p h s b y W i l l H a r r i s o n a n d Ja s o n B ro w n

Oceanographic Issue 02

F E AT U R E

ownsfolk scrambled for higher ground, desperate for a better view. Those with telescopes trained their tools on the infamous Eddystone Rocks, a treacherous series of offshore shoals and breaching rocks that regularly claimed the lives of sailors seeking port in the English town of Plymouth. Telescopes were pulled away from eyes in disbelief, mesmerised looks shared. “Impossible,” said some. But there, in the distance, as real as the raging storm that would soon follow, was a glimmer of light high above the water, dozens of tallow candles burning bright, a distant risen sun. Henry Winstanley had completed his lighthouse, the first to ever be built on rocks in the open sea. Winstanley’s ambition to build an offshore lighthouse, realised in 1698, had initially been met with both derision and admiration. The concept of such a construction was so outlandish the story reached far beyond England’s South Coast. During the complicated build process Winstanley was kidnapped from Eddystone Rocks by a French privateer and transported to the court of King Louis XIV, a great prize during a period of war. The King was outraged and demanded the architect be safely

“It is so healthy. The reef is covered in luscious, vibrant kelp. It certainly seems the reef’s protected status is working." BECI RYAN, BRITISH FREEDIVER

returned to continue his important work. “We’re at war with England,” scolded the King, “not humanity.” The monarch knew that, should the architect succeed in his endeavour, the lighthouse would save not just English sailors, but Frenchmen too. Winstanley succeeded, but in 1703, during what became known as the Great Storm, disappeared along with his lighthouse while making vital repairs, swept away by gale-force winds and high seas his weatherbeaten construction could no longer withstand. A new structure was erected shortly after and, in the 300 years since, a lighthouse has stood, almost permanently, on Eddystone Rocks. The structure, in its various forms, is a central thread in Plymouth’s rich maritime history. The iconic third lighthouse, built by John Smeaton, was carefully dismantled and rebuilt in Plymouth Hoe having been decommissioned from offshore duties in 1877. It now proudly overlooks Plymouth Sound and the fourth tower beyond, James Douglass’s lighthouse. With one keeping watch at sea and the other looming large over Plymouth’s skyline, the two towers are symbols of the local community’s connection with the ocean, past and present.

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It is perhaps fitting then, that as the subject of ‘protection’ once again looms large over the waters around Eddystone - this time protection from humankind rather than for it - it should be the local community that is playing such an important role in facilitating its defence. And while no one is scrambling up hilltops in joyous disbelief at unfolding events, there is little doubting this is just as important a chapter in the Eddystone story. Fragile seabed, changing management Topographically, Eddystone is a hazard to mariners, but a haven for marine life. Made up of a series of seamounts, the tallest of which breaches the surface and is home to the lighthouse, the undulating and jagged reef is a sanctuary for myriad species. Its boulders and gullies are awash with jewel anemones and, particularly in the summer months, thick with swaying kelp. Numerous fish species inhabit the reef, including pollack and bass. It is a place of underwater vibrancy, a healthy ecosystem that has thrived, in part, because of the makeup of the seascape - seamounts are a natural barrier to the bottom

trawlers that have ravaged the flatter areas around them. In 2010, the UK government took its first steps in creating an “ecologically coherent network of well managed Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)”, a move welcomed by environmentalists given then UK’s failure to commit to a Marine Nature Reserves programme discussed decades before. The new network of MPAs and Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) - sites adopted by the European Commission and formally designated by national governments - was the first significant step towards creating a framework to properly protect the UK’s marine environment. The scheme has, at various stages, been met with criticism, both in terms of the number of MPAs and SACs created in the first place, and the poor management of those areas that have been given protected status. Many feel the Government’s suggestion that “appropriate and proportionate measures [be] applied to ensure conservation needs are met” is loose phraseology, open to interpretation. It fails, some suggest, to offer clear management guidelines for how MPAs and SACs should be managed.

The freedive team are lowered into the water off the back of a Princess yacht, SEABOBs at the ready. Both companies offer financial support to MCS to aid its Eddystone Reef work.

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TOP: Kelp beds are a common sight on reefs in the UK, a critical habitat for many marine creatures. LEFT: The kelp forests at Eddystone are as healthy as those found off Chesil Beach (pictured). RIGHT: The freedive team saw a variety of marine life on the reef, including a number of jellyfish.

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Eddystone Reef is part of a larger SAC - the Start Point to Plymouth Sound and Eddystone Special Area of Conservation - and, for its first three years of SAC status, remained the subject of bottom trawling and dredging. It was only when special management measures were put in place in 2013 that trawlers were finally banned, with a 200m-wide buffer zone implemented around the reef, offering protection to the flat seafloor around the seamounts. Beyond that limit though, scallop trawlers can still operate, their metal teeth and chain metal-weighted nets continuing to indiscriminately wreak havoc on the seabed. Inside the newly protected area, life is being given the opportunity to flourish once again. It is critical that such recovery is recorded. Data and compelling visual information, combined with statistics from other sites across the UK, could help secure additional protections in other areas of the UK's marine environment. Management and data collection come at a cost however, and while the government does provide some funding to Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities across the UK to help facilitate data capture, it just isn’t enough. Ultimately, it’s up to independent and passionate organisations to collate the information required to build a case for improved and extended protections in UK waters. Local support In the case of Eddystone Reef, data capture is being spearheaded by the Marine Conservation Society (MCS), a UK-based charity at the forefront of the movement for the improved surveillance of existing MPAs and SACs, as well as the expansion of the overall protected network in UK waters. Funding for the effective management of the area has come from the local community, from people passionate about the ocean and their local coastline. Princess Yachts, a Plymouth-based yacht manufacturer, has provided funding that will allow experts to effectively monitor the recovery of the Eddystone site up to 2019. Marketing director at Princess Yachts, Kiran Haslam, said: “We’re proud to be the first yacht manufacturer to partner with the Marine Conservation Society. As someone who studied marine biology at university and is passionate about the ocean, I’m personally delighted we’re able to contribute to the important work MCS is doing.”

Georgina Fuller

The project Princess Yachts is helping to fund uses remotely operated technology - run by a by a multidisciplinary team from MCS, the Cornwall Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority and the University of Exeter - to record the positive changes seen on Eddystone’s protected seafloor. Recent results have revealed an increase in seven types of delicate seabed animals. Sea anemones and cup corals have more than doubled in number and the quantity of tube worms has quadrupled. Bryozoan colonies have proliferated, with seabed coverage more than doubling excellent news for juvenile scallops, which inhabit such areas. In the five years the seabed has been free from dredging, species have thrived, the ecosystem returning to health after decades of exploitation. The recovery clearly demonstrates the benefits of protected areas and could aid MCS in its pursuit of additional restrictions on trawling elsewhere in the UK. A personal visit At 50m, the deepest part of the Eddystone seabed is largely reserved for remotely operated equipment. The shallower parts of the reef, however, are more easily accessible to divers. Keen to highlight the progress the reef is making at all depths, Princess Yachts teamed-up with another MCS sponsor, SEABOB, and a handful of Britain’s top freedivers. Data and recorded visuals are important for science reports and lobbying, but in terms of relaying what the reef feels like and communicating what local firms have contributed towards, there’s nothing quite like first-hand accounts. When champion freediver Georgina Miller returned to the surface after several minutes below, her cobaltblue wetsuit a striking anomaly in a sea of grey, she took a deep breath and smiled. “It’s beautiful down there,” she said. Georgina and her team spent an hour in the water, exploring the reef and seabed at various depths, swimming through gullies and little canyons, taking in the bountiful surroundings. They loved it. Fellow freediver Beci Ryan, said of her experience on the reef: “It is so healthy down there. The reef is covered in luscious, vibrant kelp. We saw loads of fish, as well as plenty of spider crabs and jellyfish. It is so rich in life. It reminded me of Porthkerris, another protected area, which is encouraging. It certainly seems the reef ’s protected status is working.” The team spent two days in and around Eddystone Reef, ably supported by two Princess yachts and half a dozen SEABOBs. Representatives from both companies were onboard to hear how their support was benefitting the reef. For the Princess Yachts team particularly, it was a heartening couple of days on a special local site - a site that each new yacht passes on its way to a new owner across the sea. Out there, beyond the lighthouse.

Will Harrison

Oceanographic Issue 02

Ja s o n B ro w n

A large oceanic whitetip shark makes a close pass, a trait the species is well known for.

‘Shipwrecked’ WITH OCEANIC WHITETIPS

Filming for Discovery Channel’s Shark Week, shark conservationist James Glancy casts himself adrift in the open ocean to see how oceanic whitetips behave toward ‘shipwreck’ survivors.

Wo rd s b y Ja m e s G l a n c y P h o t o g ra p h s b y A n d y M a n n a n d Trev o r B a c o n

Oceanographic Issue 02

“At the top of the food chain, and happily abundant thanks to the Bahamian government’s commitment to Marine Protected Areas and ecotourism: sharks. It was the ideal location for our shipwreck survivor test. ”

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s our twin propeller plane banked into its approach to land on Cat Island, I scanned the ocean below, hoping for a glimpse of a shark. In the coming days I would be floating in that very same water as part of a unique test to understand how sharks behave towards shipwreck survivors at sea. Cat Island is one of more than 700 islands and cays that make up the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. Situated to the south east of the United States and north of Cuba, the archipelago is located in a geographically significant position, commanding the gateway into the Gulf of Mexico. Its geography has defined its history. So too have its ecosystems. Rising out of the deep Atlantic, the Bahamian islands are the breaching peaks of oceanic banks, surrounded by a narrow shelf of shallow water that abruptly plunges to depths of 4,000 metres, resulting in the evolution of rich and biodiverse ecosystems. At the top of the food chain, and happily abundant thanks to the Bahamian government’s commitment to Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and ecotourism: sharks. It was the ideal location for our shipwreck survivor test. The initial idea had been to tell the tragic story of the USS Indianapolis, which sank in 1945 in the Pacific Ocean. Of the 1,200 crew on board, 900 made it into the water, but only 317 survived. Many, it was widely reported, were taken by sharks. In 2017, explorer Paul Allen found the wreckage of the Indianapolis. We planned to visit the location of the ship’s sinking, put a small group of people into the water and record the numbers of oceanic whitetips that engaged with us. We theorised that, as a result of industrialised overfishing in the Pacific in recent decades and the associated decimation of its shark populations, interactions would be few. The narrative would be a striking one - arguably the most famous shark attack story of all time, to an ocean emptied of sharks. However, working in collaboration with Discovery Channel for a documentary for 2018’s Shark Week, the anticipated absence of sharks in the story proved - perhaps unsurprisingly - something of an issue. It wouldn’t make for great TV. The Bahamas was instead chosen for its vibrant MPAs, which offer a haven for sharks. The country has, in recent years, become a world-famous shark diving destination and its reefs offer some of the last places on Earth where you can reliably encounter oceanic whitetips in significant numbers. As a shark advocate and ocean conservationist, I spend much of my time educating people about the beauty of our ocean and the creatures that call it home, particularly sharks. Myth-busting forms a significant part of that. Our decision to shoot in the Bahamas would hopefully afford me the opportunity to bust one of the greatest myths of all: that sharks are man-eaters.

Renowned for their curiosity, oceanic whitetips will often bump divers in the water with them - including cameramen.

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Although solitary creatures, whitetips do congregate around sources of food.

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Oceanic whitetips are scavengers, but do they really target shipwreck survivors as aggressively as some would have us believe? To put this to the test, we planned to drop two ‘survivors’ into deep water and let them drift for 48 hours back toward shallow water. During this period, we would monitor the types of sharks encountered and how they reacted to the survivors at different times of day. As an ex-commander in the Special Boat Service (SBS), where I spent thousands of hours underwater leading missions all over the world, I felt well placed to take on the challenge - I’ve dived with sharks all my life and experienced many survival situations in the Forces. I would be in the water with former Australian paratrooper and shark attack survivor, Paul de Gelder. Paul lost a leg and a hand in a single bull shark bite in 2012 while on a routine naval clearance dive in Sydney Harbour. We would sporadically be joined during the 48-hour period by our expert Discovery Channel crew, which comprised of some of the world’s best underwater cameramen (whose credits include beautiful scenes in BBC’s Blue Planet II series and numerous National Geographic and Discovery Channel documentaries) as well as shark scientists Greg Skomal and Edd Brooks, a leading researcher on oceanic whitetips from the Cape Eleuthera Institute. During our evening briefing, which included the medical evacuation plan should anything go wrong, I was overcome with a familiar, creeping thought: what the hell am I doing? It was a feeling that occasionally struck me during military service. Despite my SBS survival and shark diving experiences, combining the two suddenly felt a little foolish. But it was too late to back out. The species The oceanic whitetip is a migratory pelagic apex predator. It was once the most abundant large shark species in the ocean, but has been subject to dramatic decline as a consequence of fishing bycatch and finning. Its whitetipped dorsal and pectoral fins, which are conspicuously rounded, are significantly larger than most other shark species, and account for its Latin name, Longimanus, meaning ‘long hands’. The whitetip is now listed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List as vulnerable and they are critically endangered in the north-west and western central areas of the Atlantic. The popular misconception regarding whitetips - one that I had previously succumbed to - is that they are the scourge of shipwreck survivors. They have been referred to in historical mariners’ journals as the ‘wolves of the sea’ and ‘sea dogs’, and are often described in more modern accounts as aggressive and solitary creatures that take advantage of any food source. This characterisation was further embellished in Stephen Spielberg’s blockbuster, Jaws. In the film, the enigmatic Captain Quint, a survivor of the USS Indianapolis, describes terrifying scenes of attacks by whitetips, suggesting to the viewer that all

those who died were taken by sharks. Paul and I hoped our time in the water would help disprove this myth. The test Setting off from Cat Island, we transit 20 nautical miles off the coast with two support vessels and the film crew. Less than 500 metres from the shoreline, the water abruptly changes from the turquoise hues of the shallows to the dark blue of the deep. Within minutes of reaching our drop-off location, we spot two white-tipped fins off the stern. Paul and I put on our wetsuits and make final preparations. The safety pen and camera equipment is lowered into the water from the other boat. I had been expecting a bit more time to get into the water and acclimatise before seeing sharks; instead we jump into the deep blue surrounded by four inquisitive whitetips, the safety pen having drifted a few hundred metres away. The surface temperature around us is an initially comfortable 23 degrees Celsius. In sunny conditions we are able to maintain body temperature. For the next four hours, until the sun begins to set, a dozen whitetips (measuring up to 3.5 meters), circle us at varying depths. Groups of whitetips are known to converge on food sources, but these sharks, mostly female, glide elegantly and effortlessly around us in an unthreatening manner. Some are cautious, others come so close we have to gently palm them off. None of them appear to be in 'hunt mode'. They are spectacular to swim with. As the evening light begins to fade, visibility becomes a problem. In daylight, in-water visibility is more than 20 metres. At night, we are blind to the approaches of the sharks around us. Sharks have some of the most sophisticated predatory sensors in the ocean, including electroreceptors in their snout, the ampullae of Lorenzini, a network of jelly-filled pores that allows them to detect electric fields given off by living organisms. During the day, eye contact with the sharks had allowed us to establish a mutual respect. With darkness falling, that connection is disappearing. The sharks can approach unseen. Sharks feed at night. The whitetips tagged around the Bahamas are shown to spend 99.7% of their time within 200 metres of the surface. Paul and I never feel directly threatened, even at dusk, however the crew have been chumming the water to maximise filming time. The chum excites the sharks, making them less predictable, so we make the decision to get into the safety pen for the night. The safety pen is an aluminium frame wrapped with thin baseball netting, held at the surface by buoys. We free-float within its four walls, separated from the sharks by the net. The whitetips glide around the pen, allowing us a break from watching their movements. Without the distraction our adrenaline quickly dissipates and we start to feel tired and cold. Time starts to slow down. The real threat to shipwreck survivors comes from exposure to the elements. From the moment you’re in the water, your body is on a trajectory towards hypothermia. Saltwater wears down your skin and every ounce of

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energy used to move or stay afloat is another step towards exhaustion and dehydration. At sea, survivors face this trio of lethal threats, and unlike survival on land, there is no refuge. Paul and I shiver our way through the night, telling war stories and attempting to sleep in our now activated life vests. As first light breaks on the horizon, we couldn’t be more appreciative of the warmth brought by the sun. It had been an awful night's sleep. We move from the pen back into open water. The sharks remain with us throughout the day, allowing us to study their behaviour toward us at length. Some of the females stay in close pairs, the few males we see remain on their own. Some individuals have hooks and fishing line trailing from their mouths. They are the lucky ones however, the ones that got away. Thousands of longline fishing vessels trawl the Atlantic with lines up to 80 miles long. Many sharks perish on those lines. Despite being immersed in water for more than 24 hours, the experience of being surrounded by whitetips is exhilarating. However, as sunset approaches for the second time, tiredness and hunger begin to kick in. The second night is even worse than the first. My body temperature has dropped and I’m shivering constantly. I have no interest in talking to Paul and he feels the same way. A combination of boredom and cold makes every second a challenge. We’ve finished our 500ml of water. It’s a reminder that exposure is the real enemy out here. When the sun rises on the third and final day, it brings with it a great sense of relief. Return to land Yes, our experiment was rudimentary - most TV experiments are. We chummed the water and had a safety net at our disposal, but we were still just two men drifting in the open ocean. I felt nervous at night - a natural reaction to drifting in darkness surrounded by sharks. These creatures are apex predators that deserve our respect, and there will have doubtless been sailors in the past who have met their end in the jaws of a shark. Oceanic whitetips are scavengers and we were in their natural habitat. That does not mean, however, that they are voracious, mindless killers. On the contrary, they are cautious and inquisitive. The mindless killing belongs to us. As a species, we kill an estimated 100 million sharks every year - via bycatch, or for their fins and meat. Sharks, by contrast, have fatally attacked just 439 people since 1958, according to the International Shark Attack File. Admittedly, there likely aren’t many shipwreck survivors on that list - that’s not easy data to secure but should I ever find myself drifting out at sea again (without a film crew in tow) I’ll be worrying mostly about exhaustion, dehydration and hypothermia, not sharks. It was a privilege to film this experiment in the waters around the Bahamas - and it speaks volumes about the state of our blue planet that we couldn’t attempt this in the Pacific.

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Andy Mann

Trev o r B a c o n

TOP: As night fell, James and Paul lost the only sense on which they could rely for monitoring the sharks' whereabouts - their sight. BOTTOM: Like all sharks, whitetips suffer from 'bad PR'. Interactions throughout the experiment were nothing like how sharks are often portrayed to behave towards humans.

“My body temperature has dropped and I’m shivering constantly. A combination of boredom and cold makes every second a challenge. We’ve finished our 500ml of water. It’s a reminder that exposure is the real enemy out here. ”

Oceanographic Issue 02

CHARITY PARTNERSHIP

Project AWARE ® is a global m ovement for ocean protection powered by a community of adventurers. Project AWARE is an international non-profit organization working to create positive change for the ocean.

www.project aware.org

Feature

T H E WO R L D ’ S FA S T E S T S H A R K IS IN DEEP TROUBLE Project AWARE is once again mobilising its global community to influence governments and encourage action before it's too late!

Sleek and athletic, the Shortfin Mako is the world’s fastest shark. Sought for meat, fins and sport, Mako sharks are either fished commercially or captured accidentally in fisheries targeting other species. For far too long, the top Mako fishing nations have landed this vulnerable species without limit. CLEAR WARNINGS Last summer, scientists associated with the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) released a report on the dire status of Atlantic Mako shark populations, revealing serious overfishing and depletion in the North Atlantic. The new analyses show that the North Atlantic Mako population has a 54% chance of recovering from years of overfishing by 2040 if catches are cut to zero, leading scientists to recommend a complete and immediate ban on retaining Shortfin Makos from the region, as well as measures to reduce the Key Facts: North Atlantic Mako Shark Based on last summer’s population assessment, ICCAT scientists report the following for the North Atlantic Mako shark population: • Overfishing is occurring on an overfished population. • Declines will continue under current catch levels. • Catch must be cut to zero to rebuild stocks within the next two decades. • A complete ban on retention is the most effective, immediate conservation measure.

Mako mortality associated with accidental catches. This advice was presented to fishery managers for possible action at the 25th Regular Meeting of the Commission, in November 2017, but the shark fishing decisions fell far short of the scientific advice and conservationists’ expectations, leaving this exceptionally vulnerable species at risk of population collapse. ICCAT 2017: A WAKE-UP CALL More than 13,000 Project AWARE supporters mobilised to voice their concerns in the run-up to ICCAT 2017. Together with our Shark League partners - Shark Advocates International, The Shark Trust and Ecology Action Centre - and the global dive community, we called for national and international protections for Shortfin Makos and encouraged leadership from top fishing nations to be a part of positive change.

“Project AWARE and its conservation partners have formed the Shark League for the Atlantic and Mediterranean. Together we want to advance ground-breaking safeguards for sharks and rays at specific Regional Fisheries Management Organisations, ICCAT in particular.” DOMINO ALBERT, PROJECT AWARE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS

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CHARITY PARTNERSHIP

S H A R E Y O U R S TO RY O F C H A N G E JOIN MY OCEAN

P R OT E C T W H AT Y O U L OV E W I T H P R O J E C T AWA R E ’ S C L OT H I N G

CHALLENGE YOURSELF FUNDRAISE FOR THE OCEAN

A D D Y O U R N A M E TO T H E # D I V E R S 4 M A KO S P E T I T I O N In November 2017, we handed over the results of the #Divers4Makos petition to use scuba divers' influence with governments of key dive destinations such as Egypt, South Africa and the US. ICCAT Parties agreed to narrow the conditions under which Shortfin Makos can be landed and issued a binding recommendation to immediately take actions to end overfishing of the North Atlantic Shortfin Mako stock. The outcome of the meeting is a first step toward preventing further population decline but is very disappointing. The measure includes numerous exceptions and is not in line with the clearest scientific advice to completely and immediately ban retention. NEW OPPORTUNITIES Since ICCAT 2017, we’ve been keeping an eye on the top Mako fishing countries - the EU (particularly Spain and Portugal), Morocco, Canada, Japan and the US - to ensure that they come up with solid measures to implement the 2017 ICCAT binding recommendation as the first step in the development of a rebuilding plan due in 2019. The 26th Regular Meeting of ICCAT taking place in Croatia, 12-19 November 2018, is a new opportunity to use our collective voice to call for urgent additional actions. We are urging top fishing nations to prohibit retention of Atlantic Mako sharks immediately, as advised by ICCAT scientists, and push for an Atlantic-wide ban at the November 2018 ICCAT meeting.

“The global voice of ocean lovers and shark enthusiasts is once again urgently needed to halt Mako overfishing.”

T H E T I M E TO P R OT E C T T H E AT L A N T I C S H O RT F I N M A KO P O P U L AT I O N I S N OW ! www.projectaware.org/divers4makos

#DiveAgainstDebris Project AWARE creates positive change for a return to a clean, healthy ocean through community action WHAT YOUR SUPPORT HELPS ACHI EVE

183, 172 CONSERVATION ACTIONS

ENTANGLED ANIMALS REPORTED

DOMINO ALBERT

Governments can no longer use uncertainty to excuse inaction. The 2017 assessment is clear: Atlantic Shortfin Makos face a dire situation and a full ban is urgently needed. The time to protect the Atlantic Shortfin Mako population is NOW!

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