Marine Life & Conservation Blogs
Taking on the Marine Conservation Society’s Plastic Challenge
We have long been supporters of the Marine Conservation Society, so when we saw that they had created a challenge to give up single use plastic for the month of June, we decided it was a challenge worth attempting. After all – how hard can it be?
So, what is the Marine Conservation Society Plastic Challenge all about? The MCS wanted to raise both awareness and money, by creating #plasticchallenge. Those taking part agreed to give up single use plastic for as long as they possibly could during the month of June. Huge quantities of this single use plastic ends up in our seas, rivers and oceans and ultimately kills and maims marine life all over the world. Many species can easily mistake a plastic bag for a jelly fish, the micro-plastic that has broken down is eaten by fish, or the bigger animals – like basking sharks – might simply scoop it up accidentally. What we do know is that throughout the world, dead marine life is turning up with their stomachs full of plastic, or bands from beer cans wrapped around their torso. The one obvious solution is to dramatically reduce the amount of plastic that we use and then cast away.
We very quickly discovered that we needed to change everything about the way we shopped. We had already stopped using plastic carrier bags many years ago, so this aspect was not a challenge for us, but nearly everything else (apart from beer and wine – phew) was difficult. We do not eat ready-made meals, as Nick is a bit of a wiz in the kitchen, so again, that was already easier for us to adapt – but so much salad and veg is pre-wrapped with plastic trays and covering, that buying from local shops and supermarkets was to prove extremely difficult. Some veg was possible, such as leeks and butternut squash, but the choice was limited. The solution to this was very easy for us, as we have a nearby vegan organic supermarket (Unicorn Grocery) that provides old fashioned paper bags for veg – so there was one problem solved. But what about toilet roll, cereal (so many products have a nice cardboard exterior – with a horrible plastic bag within), frozen food, etc? Nick started making things we would normally buy pre-prepared, like hummus, pasta and pizzas, which takes more time, but is ultimately healthier for us (as well as for the planet). As fruit juice is either in plastic bottles, or has a plastic cap, we had to make our own at home. We now have a traditional milkman to deliver glass bottles of milk.
All the supermarkets we visited were willing to put cheese and meats into a re-usable container that we took with us, although we did get some funny looks! We made more regular visits to local independent shops, such as the pet shop that sells locally made dog treats that Paddy (our golden retriever) could walk in a select himself. This has now become a bit of in issue though, as we get dragged to the pet shop on every visit to the shops! Bathroom products such as toothpaste and shampoo cannot be bought in the usual supermarket deals, but a trip into Manchester centre gave us the chance to pop into Lush, who have an amazing range of eco-friendly products.
A lifestyle on the go makes this challenge even harder. We have to do a fair bit of traveling within the UK and overseas. You cannot just pull over at a motorway service station and buy some sandwiches or snacks as these are all wrapped in plastic (apart from the odd pie), so you have to think ahead.
Doing the Marine Conservation Society Plastic Challenge has been a fantastic experience. We will not stop thinking about this at the end of June, but instead use the experience to continue reducing the amount of single use plastic that we buy and then throw away on a daily basis. Have a go, for a day, week or month for yourselves. It gives you a real understanding of the massive scale of the problem facing us.
If you like what we did, or if this has inspired you in any way, or if you just want to support an excellent charity that strives to protect our marine life – then please donate what you can here.
For more information about the Marine Conservation Society, visit www.mcsuk.org.
Saba has an exciting new initiative to restore its coral reefs. This new project, running from 2024 to 2026, will focus on reviving key species in the island’s underwater ecosystems. With a collaborative team from the Saba Conservation Foundation (SCF) and Van Hall Larenstein (VHL) University of Applied Sciences, the project aims to restore both corals as well as sea urchins.
This initiative is centered around coral restoration, specifically reviving two essential coral species—staghorn coral (Acropora cervicornis) and elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata). By mapping parent colonies and using a technique known as coral gardening, SCF will create and maintain coral nurseries. These corals will eventually be outplanted at key reef sites around Saba to not only expand the number of coral colonies, but also provide essential fish habitat. The project focusses on installing coral nurseries, training staff with the newest techniques and starting with the restoration of key reef sites.
Reef Cleaners to the Rescue
It’s not just corals getting a makeover—this project also shines a spotlight on the essential role of grazers, particularly sea urchins. VHL is leading the charge on cultivating and restocking two key sea urchin species, West Indian sea egg (Tripneustes) and long-spined sea urchin (Diadema), known for their ability to keep algae in check. By removing algae, which are important competitors of corals, they help the coral to thrive. By restoring these “reef cleaners,” Saba’s project will give corals the breathing room they need to grow, setting the stage for a healthier, more balanced marine ecosystem.
From Tiny Urchins to Big Goals
The project will be funded as part of the Dutch Government’s Nature and Environment Policy Plan (NEPP) 2020-2030 for the Caribbean Netherlands, a comprehensive initiative aimed at conserving and restoring the unique natural environments of the Dutch Caribbean islands, including Saba, St. Eustatius, and Bonaire. This project is aiming for big milestones: build and maintaining coral nurseries, the expansion of urchin cultivation facilities, and the creation of a dedicated research center. By 2026, the project hopes to ramp up coral and grazer restoration, with the ultimate goal of extending these efforts across the Dutch Caribbean. By linking local initiatives to broader regional goals, Saba’s restoration project promises to leave a lasting impact on both the environment and the community.
Find out more about the DCNA at dcnanature.org.
Blogs
Reef-World marks two decades of marine conservation: strengthening impact amid coral reef threats
Empowering ocean stakeholders to tackle future challenges and ensure the survival of coral reefs and humanity
2024 marks the 20th Anniversary of The Reef-World Foundation’s tireless efforts for global coral reef conservation. The UK charity is the international coordinator of the UN Environment Programme’s Green Fins initiative, known as the leading voice in sustainable marine tourism. Today, Reef-World released its 2023-2024 Impact Report outlining a year of substantive growth and impact in its marine conservation programmes.
Impact Report Highlights:
- Impressive improvements in environmental behaviours to protect coral reefs by the marine tourism industry as the global participation of Green Fins increases.
- Continued capacity building for government and NGO staff to effectively manage marine tourism activities in Asia, Caribbean and Red Sea regions.
- For the first time in Green Fins’ 20-year history, tourism operators have achieved ‘Best Environmental Performer’ status by demonstrating the lowest possible environmental impact in their environmental assessments. In 2024, three dive operators achieved this challenging milestone.
- Significant increases in global participation of Reef-World’s innovative digital conservation tools.
- 138 Green Fins dive operator members achieved the strict threshold for PADI Eco Center recognition.
- Developed four new educational materials and translated two into 16 languages to support the marine tourism industry in achieving sustainability targets.
- Establishing a new Reef-World Development strategy and recruiting new roles – Development and Programmes Managers.
- Reef-World’s board welcomes new Chair and Trustees strengthening organisational leadership.
Reef-World started as a one-person mission to inspire and empower communities to act in conserving and sustainably developing coral reefs and related ecosystems. Today, the team of 12 continues to meet this mission by inspiring and empowering the global marine tourism community to be exemplary sustainability leaders by using the Green Fins guidelines and tools to simultaneously use and protect the world’s precious reefs.
In April 2024, the fourth global coral reef bleaching event was confirmed. Reef-World’s work has never been more urgent as the marine environment, and the benefits they provide humanity, continue to be eroded by global threats. The reduction of local threats, like those from the marine tourism industry, is an essential step to ensuring a future where coral reefs survive and continue to support the millions of people who depend on their ecosystem benefits. Reef-World’s work buys time for coral reefs and related ecosystems to be resilient to the impacts of global threats.
“Right now our corals are facing the greatest fight of their existence as the terrifying predictions of the steps towards their complete extinction are starting to come true. But all is not lost, reefs are resilient and they have existed on this planet for millions of years. We must take action now, to buy time for reefs by reducing threats facing them and allowing them to react and adjust to the changing environment they need to survive in.” – Chloe Harvey, Executive Director
Looking Forwards:
Like coral reefs, the Reef-World team needs to be resilient in the face of the complex challenges of the conservation sector. Reef-World has invested significantly in developing a Culture of Care to ensure the well-being of its team on a daily basis, continuing to be an exemplary employer to enable its team to best achieve the mission for coral reef conservation.
With the foundations of a Culture of Care and organisational development laid, Reef-World is emerging from the end of a natural organisation life cycle, that brings the challenges of growth and scale, stronger than ever. With a new strategy in place to generate much needed resources, Reef-World is excited for the opportunities to leap forward, continue to scale our impact and lean into new innovations and untapped opportunities for marine conservation.
We continually strive to become a forward-thinking organisation that delivers on our goals and commitments to our stakeholders with fresh approaches and not being afraid of steering away from a “normal approach.” This approach is not only applied to our programmes of work but also internally and carries over to our Culture of Care for our team.” — JJ Harvey, Operations Director
The Reef-World Foundation is immensely grateful for the continued support of its grant funders: UN Environment Programme, IUCN’s Blue Natural Capital Financing Facility, Adventure Travel Conservation Fund, PADI Aware Foundation, and World Nomads Footprints Program.
Reef-World would also like to express its gratitude to international partners whose vital support has resulted in significant tangible benefits for our work and mission: PADI; Professional SCUBA Schools International (PSS); Explorer Ventures; 1% for the Planet; ZuBlu; Snorkel Venture, GSTC; Dive O’Clock; Seven Dragons; DiveAssure and Eco Beach, without whom these achievements would not be possible.
The full 2023–2024 Annual Impact Report is available on Reef-World’s website.
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