Good Stuff for World Oceans Day
World Oceans Day falls on the 8th of this month, so obviously June’s Good Stuff guide features all things underwater. This year, World Oceans Day is pushing for a goal to protect at least 30% of our oceans by 2030.
Our oceans are still woefully under-protected, with just 2% listed as marine sanctuaries. By adopting the 30x30 rule, we can safeguard the oceans against looming threats like climate change and overfishing. You can call on world leaders to protect more of our oceans by signing the petition here.
There is still so much work to do to protect our oceans, but this month I wanted to highlight some of the real good stuff going on in the big blue, starting with some good news stories:
The tiny Pacific island of Niue became the world’s first “dark sky nation.” To protect nocturnal wildlife and reduce light pollution, Niue’s citizens have made changes to reduce the amount of artificial light their communities emit each evening.
Despite the threats posed by fishing gear, warmer seas and plastic, loggerhead turtles on Kuriat Island Tunisia are making a comeback.
Scientists have started building endangered seahorses ‘hotels’ to help their populations recover. In Sydney recently, aquarium-bred White’s Seahorses were released into Sydney Harbour where hotels were already set up, with the aim of boosting the local population.
A generation of whales and other marine creatures are learning what a quiet ocean sounds like, as lockdown reduces underwater noise.
Plant-based bottles which can be recycled or industrially composted in under a year are being developed.
Scientists have realised plankton captures twice as much carbon as originally thought. This tiny ocean critters are essential for a healthy ocean.
Nations are beginning to realise how important seagrass protection is. Learn about a seagrass restoration project happening in NSW below.
This ‘regular bloke’ jumped in and untangled a whale that got caught in the shark nets in QLD.
Ocean Conservation Namibia has launched a campaign to catch, disentangle and release one hundred seals in thirty-days to expose to the world the consequences of plastic pollution and work on longer term solutions to protect the Namibian precious marine ecosystems.
Someone runs the blog ‘Bowiebranchia’, where the various looks of David Bowie are compared to Nudibranchs. This clearly isn’t scientific news, but it is pretty bloody brilliant.
Three North American surfers are collaborating with fishermen to keep hundreds of tonnes of discarded nets out of the ocean each year by turning them into hats.
Cafes are adapting to look after people and the planet by coming up with ways to allow reusable cups.
If we act now, scientists have stated that our oceans can be restored to former glory within 30 years.
Tour guides impacted by COVID-19 helped plant over 600 corals in the Whitsundays.
Watch
Journey down the EAC, dude
The East Australian Current is so much more than just a current laidback turtles ride in Finding Nemo. This three-part series explores what makes this current so vital and unique, and showcases solutions to the huge amount of threats our oceans face.
Australia’s Ocean Odyseey premiers on ABC + view at 8.30 pm, June 9.
Discover how scientists are replanting Sydney's lost underwater forests
Meet the scientists who are quite literally replanting the lost underwater crayweed forests of Cabbage Tree Bay - a stunning marine sanctuary in the heart of Sydney.
Watch an interview with Noumea’s badass grannies who swim with sea snakes every day
Meet New Caledonia’s ‘Fantastic Grandmothers’ who spend their mornings photographing the population of deadly sea snakes that call Lemon Bay home.
Have a Great Realisation
Ok, so this isn’t strictly ocean-related (but everything on the planet is interconnected right!?). This video sums up exactly how I’ve felt over the past few weeks.
Learn the truth about Australia’s shark culling
Envoy: Cull is a soon-to-be-released documentary about Australia’s outdated shark culling practices which endanger humans and marine life. Watch the trailer below and be the first to know about the film’s launch by signing up here.
Watch a BBC sports commentator narrate a penguin parade
“There’s the defending champion, wearing his familiar navy blue and white. Great waddling style.”
BBC sports commentator Andrew Cotter’s viral videos are one of the few good things to come out of COVID-19.
Our new video series explores underwater worlds in under two minutes. Check out our video below which features the puppies of the sea at Montague Island.
This island is just half a day's drive from Sydney and is teeming with wildlife. Here, in the crystal clear waters that surround Montague Island, divers and snorkelers can spend some time with one of the ocean's cheekiest residents, the fur seal. Read a camping itinerary that we think will get your seal of approval here.
Immerse yourself in the wildest places on earth
Dive into the rich coral reefs of Raja Ampat as part of this incredible new VRnature documentary series.
all in stunning cinematic Virtual Reality (VR).
Because who doesn’t love Splash and the Little Mermaid?
Watch wild seals playing with their human
This is the kind of video that always puts a smile on my face.
READ
The Octopus and I by Erin Hortle
This book is about Lucy, a young woman recovering from breast cancer who has an affinity for octopuses which leads her to get them tattooed all over her scarred chest. Hortle writes the book from the voice of an octopus, a shearwater and a seal.
The Soul of an Octopus, Sy Montgomery
Speaking of Octopus, the Soul of an Octopus is an exploration of the capacity of these incredible cephalopods.
Voices in the Ocean: A Journey into the Wild and Haunting World of Dolphins by Susan Casey
Casey shares her learnings after spending two years researching our relationship to dolphins, and the dark side of dolphin research.
Learn about the massive problem of microplastics
We've teamed up with actual human ray of sunshine and incredible marine biologist, Alice Forrest, to create a free book about a teeny-tiny object with a horrifically humungous impact.
'Microplastics, Massive Problem' aims to answer everything you ever wanted to know about microplastics, and most importantly, what you can do to help. Get your copy here.
LISTEN
The quirky sex lives of ocean creatures | Marah J. Hardt
Who would have thought that our own health relies on the sex lives of fish?
Mobilising Communities to Tackle the Plastic Problem with Louise Hardman
Waste is only waste until we waste it. Learn about the Plastic Collective; an ocean impact initiative working to achieve transformational change both environmentally and socially by viewing waste as a resource.
Dr Eleanor Velasquez is an ecologist who researches the tiny school buses of the ocean; floating pumice.
A love story for the coral reef crisis
Parrotfish poop sand and can change colours. What’s not to love? Marine biologist Ayana Elizabeth Johnson shares why she loves these fish and what's at stake -- for us and them -- as climate change threatens the future of coral reefs.
With a shark under each arm: Dr Fish Feelings
For some reason, many people believe fish are not capable of feeling pain. This myth is slowly being debunked, along with many other myths surrounding the behaviour of fishes. Dr Culum Browns work has played a big role in this. This podcast shares some of the discoveries Culum has made.
Last year, I worked with Voiceless to develop their Fish Sentience toolkit. Although the toolkit is an educational resources for high-school students, the fact sheet and video has interesting insights into the capabilities of our fishy friends no matter your age. Check it out here.
And finally
Hiné Mizushima is a Japanese artist living in Vancouver who creates THE most incredible ocean-inspired artworks. Hine is a ‘slow crafter’ who uses felt to craft soft-sculptures of squids, octopus and other tentacled underwater critters. I am obsessed!
