Issue 71 - April 2021
The Deep Ocean Reveals Surprising Discovery About Human Immunity
Scientists have discovered bacteria from the deep sea with components that are unrecognizable by the human immune system and may hold important properties in the development of cancer treatments and vaccines, according to a collaborative study published in Science Immunology. The findings, published last week, contradict the long-held belief that human cells can recognize any bacteria they come across.
The study, conducted by researchers at the Rotjan Marine Ecology Lab at Boston University, the Kagan Lab at Boston Children’s Hospital and the government of Kiribati, looked at the properties of bacteria from the deep sea collected on a Schmidt Ocean Institute expedition in the Southern Pacific Ocean.
Bacteria from the deep sea were found to have “immuno-silent properties” that neither harm nor benefit the body and in fact are not even detected by the immune system. Those unique properties could be used to better understand how the human immune system is programmed to attack foreign invaders like bacteria or viruses, and could have great potential in developing novel therapeutic treatments for cancer and other diseases (patents pending).
Schmidt Ocean’s research vessel Falkor traveled to the Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA) in 2017 with an interdisciplinary team of scientists to explore and document the region’s deep sea ecosystems for the first time. PIPA is the largest and deepest of the UNESCO World Heritage sites and the first internationally recognized Marine Protected Area (MPA) to be established by a least developed nation – The Republic of Kiribati. Over 80 percent of the deep-sea microbes and bacteria collected were found to be immuno-silent to mammals.
“The diversity of chemical structures expressed by microbial life in the deep sea is totally underexplored and was completely unexpected,” said Randi Rotjan, research assistant professor at Boston University, co–chief scientist of the Phoenix Islands Protected Area, and co–lead author of the paper. “This paper provides the first detailed examples and lays the foundational groundwork, but there is so much more to be done.”
Rotjan, whose research focuses on how living corals respond to wounds from predators, says that the interdisciplinary nature of their team was also a major strength. “Studies like these help to demonstrate the value of marine protected areas and conservation. Although most of the deep sea is unknown and unseen, it is clear that it has transformative potential both for the ocean and for ourselves.
“The deep-sea may harbour the world’s largest resource of exciting biomolecules to enable new immunotherapies–much larger than Rainforests,” says Jonathan Kagan, PhD, Boston Children’s Hospital. “And importantly, we learned that our immune defences are not universal–they work best to detect bacteria from the local habitat.”
Anna Gauthier (lead author) and Aranteiti Tekiau (Kiribati) enjoy the sun and waves on the deck of the R/V Falkor, examining ROV SuBastian close up before it plunges to the depths. Photo credit: Schmidt Ocean Institute 
ROV pilot Adam Whetmore flies the submersible SuBastian onboard the R/V Falkor to collect a coral sample with its robotic arm, at the direction of the science team. Photo credit: Schmidt Ocean Institute
In June, research vessel Falkor will return to PIPA under Rotjan, who will be joined by PhD student Anna Gauthier, lead author of the paper in Science Immunology, who is co-mentored by both Rotjan and Jonathan Kagan, the Marian R. Neutra, PhD Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and the Director of Basic Research at Boston Children’s Hospital. The team will also include a Kiribati collaborator and other collaborators from Boston University and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. In addition to ecologically characterizing the deep-sea coral and sponge communities, the team hopes to investigate the innate immune potential of the deep-sea corals themselves, culturing and testing the response of living corals against diverse bacteria while at sea. The results from the current study and potential outcomes from future work help to further justify the importance of marine conservation for the future of healthy ecosystems, and healthy humans.
About the Organizations
The Schmidt Ocean Institute was established in 2009 by Eric and Wendy Schmidt to advance oceanographic research through the development of innovative technologies, open sharing of information, and broad communication about ocean health. It operates Falkor, a philanthropic research vessel that is made available to the international scientific community at no cost. For more information, visit www.schmidtocean.org.
Founded in 1839, Boston University is an internationally recognized institution of higher education and research. With more than 34,000 students, it is the fourth-largest independent university in the United States. BU consists of 17 schools and colleges, along with the Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences and a number of multi-disciplinary centers and institutes integral to the University’s research and teaching mission. In 2012, BU joined the Association of American Universities (AAU), a consortium of 65 leading research universities in the United States and Canada.
Boston Children’s Hospital is ranked the #1 children’s hospital in the nation by U.S. News & World Report and the primary pediatric teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School. Home to the world’s largest research enterprise based at a pediatric medical center, its discoveries have benefited both children and adults since 1869. Today, 3,000 researchers and scientific staff, including 9 members of the National Academy of Sciences, 21 members of the National Academy of Medicine and 12 Howard Hughes Medical Investigators comprise Boston Children’s research community. Founded as a 20-bed hospital for children, Boston Children’s is now a 415-bed comprehensive center for pediatric and adolescent health care.
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Book Suggestion
An Almost Zero Waste Life: Learning How to Embrace Less to Live More By Megean Weldon
Author Megean Weldon, aka The Zero Waste Nerd, gently guides you on an attainable, inspirational, mindful, and completely realistic journey to a sustainable living lifestyle. Find tips, strategies, recipes, and DIY projects for reducing waste in this approachable, beautifully designed and illustrated guide.
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Book Suggestion
The Eco-Hero Handbook: Simple Solutions to Tackle Eco-Anxiety By Tessa Wardley
As we face a global environmental crisis, The Eco-Hero Handbook addresses all your eco-anxieties and dilemmas to empower you to become part of the solution. From recycling to eating sustainably, ethical fashion to being an eco-conscious tourist, this book is the essential guide to the little changes that will make a big difference.
About the Author
Tessa Wardley is a river-lover and mini-adventurer who has worked and played in waters worldwide from New Zealand to the Arctic Circle. She is a senior policy advisor with the Environment Department and before that, principal in a global environmental consultancy and policy advisor to the Environment Agency. She has written The River Book, The Woodland Book, and The Countryside Book, inspirational titles encouraging readers to have adventures outdoors.
She is also the author of The Ocean Hero Handbook and Mindful Thoughts for Runners.
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Issue 71 - April 2021
SEVENSEAS Travel Magazine – April 2021 – Issue 71
Do you want to light up your life? Find inspiration and peace of mind at Norwegian lighthouses?
Do you dream of falling asleep to the sound of ocean waves? Find peace of mind, new energy or adventures by calming waters? A night at a Norwegian lighthouse with views of the ocean, sunsets or might storms, could be what you are looking for. In Norway, the first lighthouse was lit in 1656, and ever since large ships and small fishing boats have navigated by the lights and sounds from more than 200 lighthouses along the Norwegian coastline. Read more…
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ShoreRivers is the Voice for Clean Water on Maryland’s Eastern Shore
Situated between the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, the Eastern Shore of Maryland has remained a relatively rural region known for agriculture and its beautiful tributaries. Because of its coastal geography and low altitude above sea level, the region is extremely vulnerable to weather events and larger environmental issues such as climate change. Read more…
The Deep Ocean Reveals Surprising Discovery About Human Immunity
Scientists have discovered bacteria from the deep sea with components that are unrecognizable by the human immune system and may hold important properties in the development of cancer treatments and vaccines, according to a collaborative study published in Science Immunology. Read more…
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Five Reasons to go Whale Watching in Riviera Nayarit
Every year, hundreds of whales migrate in search of the warmer Pacific Ocean waters of the Banderas Bay, on the shores of Riviera Nayarit, to feed, mate or give birth. This whale watching season (December 2020 – March 2021) promises to be one of the best and below outlines the five top reasons travellers should visit Riviera Nayarit before mid-spring to catch a glimpse of the gentle giants of the ocean. Read more…
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How To Be a Responsible Underwater Photographer
Love taking photos of the fascinating critters you see on your diving or snorkelling trips? Follow these best practices to make sure you’re photographing responsibly and not harming marine life. Read more…
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The Heron & The Gondola: A Sailor’s Story
I remember having noticed that gondola last summer during a nightly walk. The little dock was dimly lighted and the black line of the boat gently rocked on the surface of the sea. Gondolas always look sumptuous and sophisticated, but that one seemed to possess a magic of its own. It was in the shade but shining, swinging but still. Read more…
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Raet could Become Norway’s First Marine National Park Meeting International Standards
Raet national park was established in 2016 at the South-Norwegian Skagerrak coast, right at the doorsteps of Linking Tourism & Conservation’s (LT&C’s) office in Arendal. With its 607 km2, it is Norway’s largest marine protected area (MPA). The planning time of this park has been with only four years the shortest of any national park in Norway. Read more…
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Seaspiracy may be infuriating ocean conservationists but the silver lining is larger than we think.
The Netflix documentary inaccurately reassigns all ocean problems to fishing, attacks NGOs, while ignoring complex social, economic, and political factors at play. BUT people are talking. Read more…
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Nudibranchs – Jack’s April Underwater Photograph
Nudibranchs are an order of marine gastropod consisting of more than 3,000 species. They are soft-bodied, slug-like animals many of which are adorned with bright colours and extravagant body forms. Most nudibranch species live on reefs in temperate and tropical seas and are a popular species to observe by SCUBA divers around the world. Read more…
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Mako and Whale Sharks Are “Racing” to Help Save Their Fellow Sharks
Do you have COVID-19 burnout? Are you suffering from quarantine fatigue? Need a break from watching story after story on the vaccine rollout? Well, fear not – Nova Southeastern University (NSU) has just the cure to take your mind off of all things COVID! The Great Shark Race 2021 is here! It’s a race unlike any other, and it includes some of the fastest competitors as well as some of the, well, slowest. Read more…
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PADI, World’s Largest Dive Community, Joins Forces to Protect the Great Barrier Reef
PADI®, the world’s leading scuba diver organization, is teaming up with Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef on a first-of-its-kind citizen science project to help protect the earth’s largest reef system. The Great Reef Census provides the opportunity for divers everywhere to impact the long-term health of one of the most iconic dive destinations on the planet through online image analysis. Read more…
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Purdue Study Finds Limited Economic Impacts from the U.S. Rejoining the Paris Climate Accord
President Biden has recommitted the U.S. to the Paris climate accord and also moved forward with a climate plan calling for carbon-free electricity by 2035 and net zero emissions by 2050 — policies compatible with and beyond the 2 degrees C mitigation effort called for in the original Paris agreement. Read more…
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The Eco-Hero Handbook: Simple Solutions to Tackle Eco-Anxiety By Tessa Wardley
As we face a global environmental crisis, The Eco-Hero Handbook addresses all your eco-anxieties and dilemmas to empower you to become part of the solution. See more…
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An Almost Zero Waste Life: Learning How to Embrace Less to Live More By Megean Weldon
Author Megean Weldon, aka The Zero Waste Nerd, gently guides you on an attainable, inspirational, mindful, and completely realistic journey to a sustainable living lifestyle. Read more…
Travel Norway: Are you a modern pilgrim?
It all started back in 1030 AD with King Olav the Holy who walked with his men to the battle of Stiklestad. King Olav fell in the battle and was buried in what is now the Nidaros Cathedral. Already in 1070 people from all over Europe started to do pilgrimages to Nidaros (now Trondheim). The walk has inspired nine pilgrimage routes, all leading to the Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim. Read more…
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James Bowyer: Solitude & Survival in The South
Cue a moment of panic. After an hour-long interview only that morning, I have just signed up to work in Antarctica for eighteen months, providing medical cover for a research station of 27 people in the winter, 160 in summer. I would be the only doctor for at least half of that time, with only narrow windows for medical evacuation in case something goes wrong. Read more…
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Green Berets Earn Blue Stars After Debris Removal Off Key West
The U.S. Army’s Green Berets are known as the most specialized experts in unconventional warfare. This week in waters off Key West, they took part in an unconventional assignment, removing more than 1,200 pounds of debris in waters where they train. Read more…
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Camels Are Dying From Ingesting Plastic Bags
new scientific study showing that desert camels are dying from mistaking plastic bags for food has lead pioneering plastic pollution researchers and others to call for a radical shift in how we discuss the problem that’s harming life in all environments on Earth–on land, not just in the sea. Read more…
Advanced Recycling Strategies Needed to Clean Up Plastic Pollution Problem, Says Baker Institute, Expert
Sustainability across the entire value chain — rather than advances in technology alone — is required to solve the United States’ plastic waste problems, according to a new brief from Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. Read more…
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Release of Nutrients from Lake-Bottom Sediments Worsens Lake Erie’s Annual ‘Dead Zone,’ could Intensify as Climate Warms
Robotic laboratories on the bottom of Lake Erie have revealed that the muddy sediments there release nearly as much of the nutrient phosphorus into the surrounding waters as enters the lake’s central basin each year from rivers and their tributaries. Read more…
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SAWFISH NEWS by Tonya Wiley: Havenworth Coastal Conservation ESA Listing Anniversary for Smalltooth Sawfish in the U.S.
The population of smalltooth sawfish in the United States experienced a significant decrease in numbers and distribution during the 20th century due to overfishing, habitat loss, and limited reproduction. Given the decline, NOAA Fisheries listed the U.S. population of smalltooth sawfish as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act eighteen years ago on April 1, 2003. Read more…
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Since 2004, SEVENSEAS Media has fostered an informal and non-partisan platform to promote understanding of key issues and challenges while building partnerships across an increasingly diverse group of marine conservation professionals and students.
Our mission is to promote communication and build partnerships across the global marine community and to identify and address gaps in the community’s work. SEVENSEAS Media achieves this through multimedia promotion and partnerships. The community consists of a diverse and growing group of participants, including non-governmental organizations, government agencies, foundations, bilateral and multilateral agencies, fellowship programs, independent consultants, and academia/students.
If you are interested in contributing or getting involved, email us Here.
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Recoger “basuritas”, cuidar el agua, habitar el orgullo
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