Marine Life & Conservation
A monster haul from River Ness litterpick
A sizeable haul of litter was recently collected from the River Ness when 20+ members of the Inverness Sub Aqua Club completed their litterpick of the river.
Members carried out the underwater sweep along both banks of the river while staff from Highland Council’s TEC Services lifted the litter into two open-backed pick-up transit vans.
Alan McKinnie, Highland Council’s Waste Operation’s Manager with TEC Services said: “The divers did an excellent job, picking litter from the river that our staff simply cannot get to. Although we can sometimes see litter from the river bank, we need this specialist help from Inverness Sub Aqua Club to help us keep the River area clean and tidy. We are very grateful to them for their time and assistance.”
Inverness SAC’s Underwater Litterpick co-ordinator, Ian MacDonald said: “Friday evening was extremely busy on and around the River Ness with many fishermen, and tourists either fishing or walking along the banks. Our divers became a tourist attraction as people (mainly overseas visitors) stopped to watch and photograph us and ask what we were doing.
“Among the items that we found were the usual bottles and cans, and the more unusual things like an electric strimmer, a baby stair gate, traffic cones, temporary road signs and mobile phones.”
The BSAC Underwater Litterpick 2013 is running until the end of October and there is still plenty of time for you and your club to get involved.
The initiative is not only a great way for you and your fellow members to help tackle the issue of marine litter but can also generate excellent publicity for your club.
You can register for the BSAC Underwater Litterpick 2013 as a club or as an individual online. You will then be asked to complete at least one Underwater Litterpick dive before 31st October and complete the essential Survey form documenting the rubbish you retrieve.
All survey forms submitted to BSAC HQ will go towards their BSAC Underwater Litterpick 2013 report and also be sent to the Marine Conservation Society to help in their on-going research into marine debris around the UK.
For more information on the BSAC Underwater Litterpick 2013 click here.
Marine Life & Conservation
Reef-World launch new toolkit in response to the current global coral bleaching event
The Reef-World Foundation – international coordinator of the UN Environment Programme’s Green Fins initiative – has launched a new coral bleaching toolkit in response to the 4th global coral bleaching event confirmed by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) in April 2024.
The Green Fins Global Coral Bleaching Response Toolkit provides guidance to the marine tourism industry on how they can help manage and monitor the impacts of coral bleaching and get involved in recovery efforts. It features information about coral bleaching, including the causes, impacts and response strategies. The toolkit is compiled from a variety of readily available resources from multiple organizations and initiatives, such as ICRI, Coral Reef Alliance, Reef Check and NOAA, along with Green Fins materials, to ensure it is accessible to everyone. These resources cover methods for reducing local impacts, monitoring the reefs and engaging tourists and local communities.
The El Niño phenomenon has been present since February 2023, which has led to persistently warmer temperatures being experienced around the world and has affected the sea surface temperatures. Coral bleaching has been recorded in all ocean regions ever since. While this event is widespread and serious, there is still hope as bleached corals are not dead corals. Corals can survive bleaching events and thrive if they are given the time to adapt to the changing climate.
“Coral reefs are under a huge amount of stress every day and that reduces their chance of recovery from bleaching events,” said Chloe Harvey, Executive Director at The Reef-World Foundation. “However, this time around the scientists have been watching the data closely, so we’re prepared. We understand what it means and we know what we need to do to respond to it. This global event calls for global action to protect these vital ecosystems for generations to come.”
By equipping the industry with the necessary knowledge and tools, Reef-World hopes to empower these key stakeholders to play a crucial role in preserving the health and resilience of our precious coral reef ecosystems. Reef-World believes that with the right resources, the marine tourism industry can be a driving force in the fight against coral bleaching and contribute significantly to the long-term sustainability of marine environments.
With this momentum, other key players in the industry, such as PADI AWARE Foundation and NOAA, have gotten on board the campaign for more citizen scientists to help out in monitoring coral bleaching. With the toolkit available to all, The Reef-World Foundation is looking forward to more collaborative actions in the industry.
Explore the toolkit on Green Fins’ website: greenfins.net/coral-bleaching
A real solution for an environmental catastrophe is in reach
Six years after setting sail for the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP), we have developed the cleanup technology to relegate the patch to the history books.
On 6 September 2024, The Ocean Cleanup will return to San Francisco, where founder and CEO Boyan Slat will provide an update in which he will announce what is needed in terms of time, money and efforts to eradicate the GPGP.
To confirm your presence, please RSVP to press@theoceancleanup.com
PROGRAM
- Press conference: CEO and founder Boyan Slat will announce the next phase of the cleanup of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
- Interviews: opportunities to interview Boyan Slat (CEO & founder), Joël Jansen (Director of Oceans), Arjen Tjallema (Director of Technology) and Matthias Egger (Director of Environmental and Social Affairs)
- Vessels & technology: visit our two iconic ships, take a look at extraction System 03 and see the extracted plastic up-close and personal*
*Limited availability; RSVP soon to press@theoceancleanup.com
PRACTICALITIES
Date: September 6, 2024
Press conference: 12 pm (noon) / doors open 11.30 am
Location: The Exploratorium (Google Maps)
Pier 15 (Embarcadero at Green Street), San Francisco, CA
Parking: Visit The Exploratorium’s website for details
RSVP: press@theoceancleanup.com
Press kit: a press kit will be shared afterwards
To find out more about the Ocean Cleanup, visit www.theoceancleanup.com.
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