Blink:

Back in December I posted concerning how our planet is choking on plastic. I gave kudos to the CEO of The Ocean CLEANUP Boyan Slat. Today I would like to post about other ocean renewal projects which long-term will be beneficial to Planet Earth’s health.

Read On:

• Reef Restoration – According to UNEP (UN Environmental Programme) coral reefs support approximately 25 percent of marine species as well a fortify coastal protection. Consequently, reefs directly impact the food and economic security of hundreds of millions of people around the world. UNEP estimates 14 percent of the world’s coral has been lost since 2009. Fortunately, marine biologists around the world are developing innovative solutions to restore reefs. To highlight a few:

1. Collecting coral eggs and sperm to cultivate larvae in nurseries before being transplanted to damaged reefs.
2. Applying probiotic bacteria to helps reefs withstand increases in water temperature so the algae they feed on are not expelled by a rise in temperature.
3. Special drones which collate data to help assess reef help health, plus deploy new coral to damaged reefs in response to changes in a location’s water temperature and its pH levels (chemical conditions).                                                                                                                  
4. Game of Trawls – By the numbers, globally approximately a quarter of the fish caught (20 million tons) are discarded at sea or the dock primarily as a result of bottom-fishing nets collecting everything including the wrong species which becomes waste. France’s National Institute for Ocean Science has partnered with several fish companies to develop a smart net with a network of sensors and cameras monitoring the size and species caught in real time. The fish are sorted in the water. Unwanted fish are then released through a specially designed trap door before they are dragged on board and wasted. The device is called Game of Trawls, (an acronym for Giving Artificial, Monitoring Intelligence to Fishing Trawls). Smart fishing!

• Eco- Museums – Last year the first underwater eco-museum in France and the Mediterranean opened here in Cannes. It made me aware of the world-renowned British sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor. The artist’s submerged statues made from ecological friendly materials provide reefs which encourage underwater flora and fauna to flourish. His underwater art and ecological museums raise awareness to preserve marine biodiversity. His museum in Grenada has been designated by National Geographic magazine as one of the 25 wonders of the world. Jason deCaires Taylor’s informative Ted Talk.

Marine biodiversity is essential to Planet Earth’s health and occupants. It is encouraging to learn about the different innovative solutions in motion helping our damaged oceans heal.

Ocean Renewal – Tomorrow is now!