Marine Life and Conservation
U.S. National Park Service (USNPS) The dazzling vibrancy of coral reefs, the fleeting streaks of color as shorebirds alight, flying up and above the waves, the sight of young sea turtles flecked with granules of sand, clambering for open ocean, the bioluminescence of extraordinary organisms churning in deep sea; When we catch glimpses of the myriad life dotting the ocean’s blue expanse, we are often struck by its beauty. But marine life is not only vibrant; it is vital. Wipeter/CC BY-SA So much as the visible compels us, it is the invisible that sustains us. Marine microbes, which drive carbon sequestration in the oceans, comprise more than 98% of ocean biomass. Floating in delicate glass walls of Silica, diatoms, a type of phytoplankton, produce one fifth of the air we breathe. Collectively, phytoplankton are responsible for every other breath we take. These tiny organisms also form the basis of marine foods webs that support Earth’s largest animal, the blue whale. U.S. National Park Service (USNPS) Kendall Jeffrys Larger species also support marine ecosystems. Green sea turtles, for example, foster healthy seagrass meadows and coral reefs, critical habitats for commercial fish species that billions depend upon for their livelihoods or food security. Whales act as ecosystem engineers, recycling nutrients and increasing ocean productivity. As top predators, sharks are good indicators of ocean health and keep marine food webs in balance. These are just a few examples of the roles marine species play on the greater stage of life. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Federal protection of endangered species has allowed some marine life to come back from dramatic declines: 77% of marine mammals and sea turtles listed under the Endangered Species Act are recovering in population size. In 2016, humpback whales had recovered so much that most populations were taken off the endangered species list. Marine mammals not listed as endangered are still protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Despite recovery of some species, many forms of life, such as shore birds, are still facing rapid decline. A confluence of climatic threats to the ocean pushes marine life to a precarious existence. The ocean is 30% more acidic than it was before industrialization. As the ocean absorbs carbon from the atmosphere, it forms carbonic acid which dissolves calcium carbonate structures of corals, mussels, clams, oysters, and starfish. The ocean is not only acidifying but also gasping for air: over the past 50 years, the volume of ocean with no oxygen has quadrupled. Oxygen is consumed by algal blooms spurred by warming temperatures and nutrient overload from sewage and agricultural run-off spilling from land into our seas. “Fish, amphibian, and reptile, warm-blooded bird and mammal — each of us carries in our veins a salty stream in which the elements sodium, potassium, and calcium are combined in almost the same proportions as in sea water.” The makeup of our atoms is not unlike that of the sea. Without ever splashing our feet into its salty waters, we all connect to the ocean in this way. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Some may know the ocean personally, some may know it through photos, art, or the work of marine scientists such as Rachel Carson, whose book Under the Sea-Wind transforms an imagination of ocean life into a vivid reality. The RCC seeks to continue to bring the ocean to life, highlighting our interconnectedness with the sea and our need to protect it. Oceans Without Sharks Would Be Far Less Healthy – New Research With such diversity, it’s no surprise that sharks serve many ecological functions. Read more One of the newly discovered and mapped seamounts located on the southern part of the Nazca Ridge underwater mountain chain is over two miles tall and supports a thriving deep-sea ecosystem, including sponge and coral gardens. Read more The festival raised $17,942 for two Seacoast organizations dedicated to preserving ocean ecosystems. Attendees flocked to Smuttynose Brewery, where over 35 hot sauce companies showcased their spiciest creations, while festivalgoers enjoyed a wide variety of culinary offerings and family-friendly activities. Read more Sharks Deserting Coral Reefs as Oceans Heat Up, Study Shows Sharks are deserting their coral reef homes as the climate crisis continues to heat up the oceans, scientists have discovered. This is likely to harm the sharks, which are already endangered, and their absence could have serious consequences for the reefs, which are also struggling. The reef sharks are a key part of the highly diverse and delicate ecosystem, which could become dangerously unbalanced without them. Read more Click here for Past Issues of the RCC Coasts and Ocean Observer Click here for Previous Marine Life and Conservation News
We come from life in the ocean — the chemistry of our bodies is testament to that past. As Rachel Carson wrote in The Sea Around Us, 
Latest News About
Marine Life and Conservation
There are more than 500 species of sharks in the world’s oceans, from the 7-inch dwarf lantern shark to whale sharks that can grow to over 35 feet long. They’re found from polar waters to the equator, at the water’s surface and miles deep, in the open ocean, along coasts and even in some coastal rivers.
Take a Look at New Species of Marine Life Discovered by Bay Area Scientists
A team of oceanographers led by Palo Alto-based Schmidt Ocean Institute discovered twenty possible new species of ocean life across ten seamounts during an ocean expedition on the Nazca Ridge in the Pacific Ocean, 900 miles off the coast of Chile.
Sizzling Success: New England Hot Sauce Fest Raises Thousands For Ocean Conservation
With sunny skies and a vibrant crowd, the 3rd annual New England Hot Sauce Fest, presented by The Spicy Shark, sizzled with excitement on Saturday, July 27, at Smuttynose Brewery in Hampton.
Climate crisis is driving key predators from their homes and threatening an already embattled ecosystem
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