Nurserys, fish stocks, and worm cells
Samantha Andrews
Ocean-focused communications. Freelance marine science writer. Research consultant.
Whale, hello there!
In this month’s Ocean Brief, we look at a new nursery, the state of fish stocks in Cabo Verde, and the cells of a marine worm.
?? A reason for hope
Over in Gladstone, Queensland, Australia, the Coastal Marine Ecosystems Research Centre at CQUniversity has opened the largest purpose-built seagrass restoration nursery.
The nursery is looking to restore damaged seagrass meadows in the Great Barrier Reef.
Seagrass may not be the first thing that springs to mind when you hear “Great Barrier Reef,” but there is a lot of seagrass there. According to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, the Great Barrier Reef is home to the world’s largest seagrass ecosystem! All that seagrass provides food for species like turtles, home to seahorses, filters pollutants, stores carbon, and more.
?? Something to work on
Some bad news for Cabo Verde fishers (that they are already quite aware of). Fish stocks have been declining over the past fifty years.
We’re not talking about a small decline either. Thais Peixoto Macedo and colleagues from the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and Funda??o Maio Biodiversidade (FMB) call it a “staggering decline in local stocks that may exacerbate the vulnerability of West African coastal fisheries.”
Yikes!
The researchers came to this conclusion by using available official catch landing data (which is, to be blunt, very limited) with interviews of fishermen and fishmongers on Maio island, Cabo Verde.
Now, asking people to reflect back over even short periods of time doesn’t necessarily produce the most accurate, most reliable results. It’s not that people are being dishonest, but more that our memories are not as amazing as we think. In this case, the data and perceptions do seem to line up. Moreover, we can see patterns in what the interviewees are saying that can add key information.
?? Something we’ve learned
Did you know that marine worms can regenerate? ??
One species - Platynereis dumerilii? - can even regenerate entire parts of the back part of its body!
Thanks to the work of Alexander Stockinger ( Universit?t Wien ) and fellow researchers, we now know how Platynereis dumerilii?does it.
Apparently, in most species that regenerate body parts, there are special stem cells that can kick off regeneration. These stem cells are located in a “special growth zone.” Need to regenerate? Those stem cells start dividing, and new body parts are made!
If that special growth zone is lost, then no more regenerating stem cells. This isn’t a problem for our amazing marine worm. They don’t rely on existing stem cells to regenerate. Instead, their normal body cells dedifferentiate. That means that the cells are “reprogrammed” to return to a stem cell-like state that can kick off the regeneration.
(PS - please don’t go around cutting bits off worms - marine or otherwise)
?? What else caught my eye
?? Statistically sea-nificant
??? 1,000
The number of tons of very low sulfur fuel oil that spilt into a mangrove in Mauritius when the MV Wakashio ran aground in 2020. Samples taken in 2023 found that oil is still trapped in the sediments that mangrove trees grow in.
?? 43 million
The estimated annual loss Irish fishers are facing after Brexit. The loss comes from the EU transferring 25% of its fishing rights in British waters back to the UK, which heavily impacted the amount of fish Irish vessels are allowed to catch.
?? 220
The number of oil and gas petrochemical companies and industry body representatives identified at the failed Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) for a plastics treaty by the Center for International Environmental Law. At the previous meeting (INC-4), there were 196 lobbyist
?? Terrible joke of the month
Why did the dolphin cross the ocean? ??
To get to the other tide!
?? Don’t forget these free resources
?? Ocean Connections
Want to know who is doing what and where? Foster connections with ocean/coastal-related NGOs and CBOs with this crowd-sourced map and database.
?? Science for all
Want to support marine science? Check out this list of community/citizen science projects.
?? Ocean podcasts
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?? Professional Societies and Associations
Are you working or studying in a marine STEM* field? Looking for a professional society or association? Here’s a list from around the world.
*Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math
?? Tiny Ocean Opportunities
A free, short version of Ocean Opportunities, which lists 600+ ocean-STEM related PhD, Masters, diplomas or certificates, conferences, workshops or courses, webinars, internships, funding, or other types of opportunities.
?? The Communication Brief Newsletter
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