Global Waves’ Post

❓Ever wondered how your vacation could also be a personal development course? Picture this: instead of lounging by the beach and pretending your pina colada🍹 is a health tonic, you could be diving into the deep blue like a superhero for marine conservation! ✨ So, why not consider swapping a typical vacation for an experience that adds depth (pun intended!) to your life? It might just give you a new perspective on how to tackle life's challenges. Learn more at Reef Environmental Education Foundation 🐠 In life as in the ocean, mastering the currents takes practice, but the journey is worth the dive! https://lnkd.in/gZkqZzCH

"Explore nature close to home" = understand, appreciate and become informed stewards of nature close to home - and hopefully, beyond. Such a critical concept for future stewardship of lands that are gradually being transferred to a generation raised more connected to technology than ecology.

A very relevant and concerning report on apparent decline of large marine mammals off the west coast of Ireland. Clearly more surveys are needed, but also actions to arrest the wider problems that are arising in our marine ecosystem. I have noticed great change over decades since the 1960s; some subtle (such as in seashore assemblages and rock pools), different marine algae, enormous decline in crustaceans, sea urchins almost disappeared, and invasive species establishing. Who is putting all this together? Marine reserves are well and good but usually far too small.

NEW REPORT with Irish Whale and Dolphin Group 🐳⛵️ Five-month operation surveyed +3200 kms of Cork, Kerry & Clare coast. Fresh concerns about lack of monitoring of inshore waters by the state and the latest piece of research pointing to harbour porpoise decline. Irish Whale and Dolphin Group Science Officer and Fair Seas Partner Rebecca Dudley says theirs is the latest piece of research that points to the issue: “Harbour porpoise numbers have been shown to be in decline off many parts of Ireland in recent years. We need more research to explore the drivers behind the decline but it is undoubtedly a cause for concern, given the importance of this species to our Special Areas of Conservation. It is disappointing to see that still no management plans for these supposedly ‘protected areas’ have been developed by the Government. It’s vitally important that additional state resources are allocated to this kind of research. We are lucky to have a group of dedicated volunteers working with us, but effective monitoring of what’s going on in the water off our coastline is a mammoth task and beyond the scope of groups like our own. If the Irish Government is to meet its target of protecting 30% of Irish waters with Marine Protected Areas by 2030, then monitoring must drastically increase along with robust management plans for all designated areas. The message is all the more timely given this Saturday marks #WorldOceanDay2024, which has ‘Catalysing Action for Our Ocean & Climate’ as its action theme”. #FairSeas #30x30 https://lnkd.in/dDEY9cG8

A career in conservation is rewarding!! I personally like ecotourism and environmental education.

🌊 Imagine the ocean as a symphony, each wave playing a vital part 🎶 🔍 Delving into the challenges of ocean protection: - The push for 30% ocean conservation by 2030 sparks debates on quality vs. quantity. - From remote ocean sanctuaries to coastal regions, a closer look is needed for effective conservation efforts. - Calls for a balance between strict conservation measures and sustainable resource management resonate strongly. 🌊 Let's champion a harmonious approach to safeguard our oceans for generations to come! https://lnkd.in/d2HTvwNf

🌊 Discovering the untold heroes of our oceans! From oyster oases in Chesapeake Bay to seagrass guerrillas in Spain, marine conservation success stories are rewriting the narrative of restoration and resilience. Dive into the fascinating case studies of ecosystem comebacks on Cleaner Seas. Which one inspired you the most? 🦀🌿🐢 What can a thriving coral city, once a bleached wasteland, teach us? Just like a resilient ecosystem, our collaborative efforts can turn adversity into opportunity. Let's take inspiration from these undersea victories and become stewards of our blue planet. 🐠💙🌏 https://lnkd.in/gnhn94Ci

Building an appreciation for the natural world: Learning about the sea turtle life cycle can help children to build an appreciation for the natural world. Children can learn about the importance of protecting sea turtles and their habitats.

In June MARE organised a policy day on Marine nature restoration: https://lnkd.in/gUBgh73y Today we present the policy brief we have written based on that day where social scientists from different disciplines came together to discuss this important topic with excellent presentations, break out groups and a fish bowl discussion in the end with policy makers, NGOs and a brave fisherman. The main message? Key advice from marine social scientists to policy is that the success of marine restoration projects can be enhanced by: 1. Careful consideration of social contexts to understand potential (positive and negative) restoration impacts; 2. Involving and listening to affected local communities and users of marine areas and their needs from the initiation phase onwards; 3. Explicit deliberation on underlying values and worldviews, of restoration goals and required knowledge(s); 4. Successful restoration projects can serve as examples for upscaling elsewhere, yet points 1-3 need to be revisited again in the new context. Do send me or Annet Pauwelussen an email or DM if you would like to read the whole piece (which we will post online soon on a brand new page on the MARE website!)

🎉 The first blog post of our #SPOTT10 monthly blog series is here, written by our Blue Finance Specialist, Jack Sheehy! Jack’s blue finance works extends from the seagrass beds in India to the mangrove forests in the Philippines. In this blog, Jack not only explores the depth of his expertise but also shares some personal experiences that sparked his passion for marine conservation. Read Jack’s story here 👇 https://lnkd.in/ecR-i-3r