Issue 37 - May 2018

Latin American and Caribbean countries threatened by rising ocean acidity, experts warn

Latin American and Caribbean countries are at the forefront of the first effects of ocean acidification on people’s lives, according to experts who gathered in Santa Marta, Colombia to address the threat of acidification to the region at an event co-organised by IUCN.

Scallops by Nelson Lagos

Research suggests that rising seawater acidity is already impacting the ability of organisms such as shellfish and corals in the region to build shells and skeletons. This could undermine regional food security and livelihoods in Latin America and the Caribbean, the first regional meeting of the Ocean Acidification International Reference User Group (OaiRUG) heard. HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco, IUCN Patron of Nature, who attended the meeting, called for urgent action on ocean acidification – a call echoed by others present.

“Ocean acidification is a silent storm that is starting to have real impacts on people’s lives, together with pressures from overfishing and pollution, exacerbated by ocean warming and reduced oxygen levels,” said Dan Laffoley, Marine Vice Chair of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas. “Latin American and Caribbean countries depend on the sea for food and livelihoods. Without significant cuts in carbon dioxide emissions, the effects of ocean acidification on this region could be catastrophic.”

Carbon dioxide emissions from human activities are altering ocean chemistry, causing the acidity of seawater to rise. Caribbean islands have seen decreasing pH levels for the last 20 years, whilst seawater saturation of calcium carbonate, necessary for organisms such as corals and shellfish to build skeletons, has declined by approximately 3% per decade. In the colder waters of northern Chile, reduced shell calcification has been observed along with a 25% reduction in the growth rate of cultured scallops. In Patagonian waters, studies indicate that ocean acidification will reduce biomass production of mussel aquaculture by between 20 and 30%.

“It was very important to discover the scale of vulnerability of marine tropical, temperate and cold-water ecosystems present in the Americas, and also the complexities and the economic implications of ocean acidification in the region”, said Captain Francisco Arias Isaza, General Director of the Colombian marine and coastal research institute Invemar. “This places an obligation on scientists, governments and civil society to work together to enhance the knowledge and propose actions to address this issue.”

The event, attended by over 50 delegates from 19 countries including scientists, aquaculture experts, policy makers and civil society representatives, explored how the Latin American region can respond to increased seawater acidity levels. It identified gaps in the region’s ability to cope with current and future acidification, and set out priorities for moving forward, including funding, science, communication, policy decisions and implementation.

The meeting was funded by the Prince Albert II Foundation as part of a long-term strategy of HSH Prince Albert II, with additional support from the International Atomic Energy Agency, and held in collaboration with IUCN and the Latin American Ocean Acidification Network (LAOCA).

A Regional Action Plan on Ocean Acidification for Latin America and the Caribbean: Encouraging Collaboration and Inspiring Action will be published by Invemar in partnership with IUCN and LAOCA later this year.

Issue 37 - May 2018

Thousands of Juvenile Oysters Find Home on Restored Reef

The Southern Hemisphere’s largest reef restoration project has reached an important milestone with the seeding of more than 50,000 endangered Australian flat oysters.

The Windara Reef project is being led by The Nature Conservancy in the waters of Gulf St Vincent in South Australia. It consists of 150 artificial reefs spanning 20ha about 1km off the coast of Ardrossan on South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula.

The reefs were sunk in 2017 and 2018 and the first 30,000 mature native oysters were seeded in January 2018. The native oysters (Ostrea angasi) seeded are eight months old, about the size of an egg yolk and have been supplied by the South Australian Research and Development Institute. Another deployment of native oysters will take place on the reef later this year with the goal of boosting their numbers to more than 7 million in the 20ha zone.

The juvenile oysters are likely to begin producing their spat (offspring) when they reach three years old. It is expected take seven years to create a fully functioning, self-sustaining reef. However, early testing just six months after the first 30,000 oysters were seeded last year found the oysters to be surviving and a number of wild oyster spat had also made their way to the reef, which was an unexpected bonus.

Oyster reefs are considered the temperate water equivalent to coral reefs in tropical waters. Australia’s southern coastline was home to thousands of kilometres of oyster reefs before European settlement but dredging to remove substrate for lime production and the harvesting of oysters for food wiped out all the reefs except for one off the coast of Tasmania. Adult native oysters can filter more than 100 litres of water a day and excrete a mucus-like substance that is rich in nutrients and provides food for small shellfish that in turn provide food for larger fish.

The Nature Conservancy (TNC) has been involved in dozens of shellfish reef restoration projects, chiefly in the United States and is considered a global expert on their establishment. TNC Project Manager Anita Nedosyko said the first dives to measure the environmental benefits on water quality, fish production and biodiversity of stage one conducted last year as part of a six-year study into the success of the project had yielded positive results. “We’ve already seen abalone, scallops, sea urchins, schools of leatherjackets, snapper, magpie perch and cuttlefish,” she said.

Leather jackets schooling at the 9-month-old Stage 1 Windara Reef in May 2018. Picture: Anita Nedosyko/The Nature Conservancy.

The construction of the reef involved placing almost 10,000 tonnes of limestone boulders, each about the size of a soccer ball, to form 150 reefs across the 20ha area. Nedosyko said the individual reef clumps were designed to be close enough together so that native oyster larvae could move across the reef system through tidal flow. She said it was hoped the Windara Reef would eventually lead to increased fish production of 5 tonnes per hectare a year including recreational fishing favourites such as snapper and King George whiting.

“A successful reef for us will be one where oysters are surviving, spawning and producing new recruits and we’re also starting to see some additional biodiversity,” Nedosyko said.

“It’s like a well-stocked fridge – it’s really attractive to fish coming in because they can stop, get fed and move on or decide to be residents.”

The project is the result of a collaboration between The South Australian Government, The Nature Conservancy, The Australian Government, Yorke Peninsula Council and The University of Adelaide. It aims to restore fish stocks for recreational anglers, improve water quality and biodiversity and revive the oyster in the Gulf.

South Australian Environment Minister David Speirs said the project would improve gulf waters and also be a boost for the region as a whole. “This project will result in economic and social benefit to the nearby communities of Yorke Peninsula through the creation of new jobs, particularly tourism associated with recreation and fishing, as well as new volunteering and community education programs,” he said.

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Art & Culture

Ocean-Inspired Paintings

My relationship with the ocean is complex. Many of my most joyful memories are made up of moments when I’m either immersed in the sea or walking along the beach, admiring all of the many colours, shapes and expressions of this majestic mass of movement. As a child I was always the first one in the water and the last one to get out; so comfortable in and fascinated by this other world underneath the surface.

Painting of waves

When I was sixteen and training to become a lifeguard, my father drowned in a fishing accident, and so my whole relationship with the ocean changed. How could something that I love so much take a person that I love so much away from me? After that, in my anger and bitterness, I turned away from the sea for a while.

Eventually, I started to get in touch with the ocean again, bit by bit, and as I did I found great joy and healing, as if coming back home; coming back home to the water and to myself. It was a profound experience. As a part of this healing process I began painting moments from this journey and suddenly found that I have a whole collection of images and paintings as a result.

I continue to paint and I’m more in love with the ocean now than ever before. Sometimes it scares me and my old fears and grief rise up, but I simply acknowledge it, feel it, and express it through my art.

Painting of waves

The sea is so personal for many people – it holds memories and feelings; it’s a very powerful thing. Something to be respected and appreciated. It’s sad to see all of the pollution that litters it now – it has changed so drastically in such little time. This is why I’m trying to be as ethical and eco-friendly as possible when packaging my art. I use 100% biodegradable cornstarch sheets for my prints and reuse old packaging when shipping a painting. Because of my own personal experience, I also donate 10% of profits from my Etsy shop to the International Life Saving Federation – an organisation made up of lifesaving organisations from around the world. https://www.ilsf.org

Painting of waves

My name is Fiona, I’m an artist from Ireland, painting ocean-inspired art. When someone purchases one of my pieces, I hope that they’re taking away more than just a pretty picture – I hope that it’s so much more for them, as it is for me.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fionarossart/

Online shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/BlueWildTribe

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Art & Culture

Surasak Nuibut, Mountain Climber, Adventurer & Travel Photographer: Puncak Gunung Baling Kedah

Gunung Baling is a mountain in Kedah, Malaysia with a peak climbing to 546 meters in the sky. The summit has magnificent views of the surroundings. There is only one basic trail up Gunung Baling but it has decent signage. The beginning of the trail can be muddy and difficult with the steep incline, especially if wet after rains. The trek is worth it though once you embrace the view at the summit. Enjoy this hike and bring people you care about to share those magnificent sights.

Pro tip: Bring a water proof camera or housing and dress for every type of weather imaginable.

Are you ready for a trip like this?

Em Surasak currently lives in Bangkok, Thailand and is an avid adventurer, traveler, photographer, and mountain climber. These days you can find him scaling cliffs throughout Europe and Southeast Asia.

“I’m a dirt person , I trust the dirt. I don’t trust diamond and gold.”

You can follow more of his adventures here on instagram.

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