Book Club: ‘How To Read Water: Clues and Patterns from Puddles to the Sea’
Marine Madness
by Zuzia Dusza
1y ago
In this absolute must-have for all walkers, sailors, swimmers, divers, photographers, and nature lovers, Natural Navigator Tristan Gooley shares his knowledge and skills to help you navigate and interpret the water around you. Combining elements of natural navigation history, tips for observing the weather and behaviour of water bodies, and a personal narrative to encourage the reader to become an engaged noticer of the natural world, he unlocks the hidden secrets of water. ‘There’s so much here that I can’t do it justice; chapters on water at night; currents and tides; reading waves; the coas ..read more
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Book Club: ‘Sea People: The Puzzle of Polynesia’ by Christina Thompson
Marine Madness
by Zuzia Dusza
1y ago
A book all about ancient Pacific navigation Who first settled the islands of the remote Pacific? Where did they come from? How did they get there, and how do we know? The answers to these and more questions are all explored in this mesmerizing novel by Pacific historian Christina Thompson.  For over a millennium, Polynesians have occupied the most secluded islands in the Pacific Ocean encompassing a triangle stretching from Hawaii to New Zealand to Easter Island. Before the arrival of European explorers, these were the only people to occupy this land. Polynesian roots stretch back to grou ..read more
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Penguin Problems: Are human-induced food shortages driving population declines?
Marine Madness
by Zuzia Dusza
1y ago
We all love penguins. Clumsy and awkward on land, stealthy and precise underwater- these charismatic creatures have captured our hearts ever since the release of March of the Penguins. Unfortunately, penguin populations across the globe (especially in South Africa and Antarctica) are facing hardship. Researchers have recently concluded that African penguin populations, as well as other seabird colonies, are plummeting due to overfishing. The issue stems mainly from the over-exploitation of sardines, the main food source of African penguins, Cape gannets, and Cape cormorants. As these seab ..read more
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Farming Fiasco: The world’s first commercial octopus breeding programme
Marine Madness
by Zuzia Dusza
1y ago
It seems ironic that shortly after an amendment to the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill stating octopuses to be ‘sentient beings’ capable of a range of human-like emotions such as joy, pleasure, excitement, as well as pain, distress, and harm, plans of the word’s first commercial octopus farm arose. Yet that is exactly what happened with The Spanish Multinational Nueva Pescanova (NP) introducing plans of selling farmed octopus meat by 2023. The controversial announcement has sparked outrage amongst scientists, conservationists, and animal rights activists alike.  Octopuses, as well as lobs ..read more
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Which countries eat the most seafood per person?
Marine Madness
by Harry Baker
1y ago
The top 10 seafood-consuming nations in the world, plus trends among the world’s richest countries. Around 200 million tonnes of seafood are produced globally every year. (credit: Jakub Kapusnak via Unsplash) Seafood is a vital food group and form of income for millions of people around the world. The seafood industry has more than quadrupled in the last 50 years and is estimated to be worth around $167.4 billion in 2021, according to statistica.  Around 200 million tonnes of seafood are produced globally every year. This comes from a combination of wild catch and aquaculture. The rapid r ..read more
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Cownose rays at Bristol Aquarium (video)
Marine Madness
by Harry Baker
1y ago
Watch Bristol Aquarium’s newest residents in action. One of the three cownose rays now on display in the tropical tank at Bristol Aquarium. (credit: Harry Baker) Bristol Aquarium reopened its doors on May 18 after being closed for months due to the Covid-19 pandemic, meaning visitors were finally allowed to return and see their favourite ocean creatures up close. But during the lockdown, the aquarium also acquired some new residents that are starting to steal the show; three cownose rays (Rhinoptera bonasus).  The group, or fever, of rays (all female) are on loan from the National Marine ..read more
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Book Club: ‘The Island of Sea Women’ by Lisa See
Marine Madness
by Zuzia Dusza
1y ago
A story about the fierce female divers of Jeju island Little is known about Jeju- a Korean island- occupied by brutal Japanese troops in the 1930s and ’40s, later liberated by US forces and turned over to the even more barbarous Korean regime whose wrongdoings were overlooked by both American and U.N. occupiers. Lisa See travels back 75 years to these horrifying events and weaves a narrative that intertwines these historical happenings with the haenyeo culture of female divers who created a semi-matriarchal society in which they were the breadwinners while their husbands carried out ..read more
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Culture Club: Time to let the cetaceans in?
Marine Madness
by Zuzia Dusza
1y ago
Up until recently, culture has been thought of as a primarily human characteristic. However, recent studies shine a light on the fact that non-human animals including Cetaceans (dolphins and whales), may also possess it. They live in tightly-knit social communities, exhibit complex social behaviours, talk to one another and even have pod-specific dialects! A lot of compelling evidence points to this incredible group of marine mammals having rich human-like cultures of their own, with this having important implications for their conservation and welfare.  What is culture?  The Ce ..read more
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Book club: ‘Being Salmon Being Human’ by Martin Lee Mueller
Marine Madness
by Zuzia Dusza
1y ago
Encountering the Wild in Us and Us in the Wild A book all about our alienation from nature and the intrinsic relationship between humans and salmon Norwegian and Pacific Northwest salmon industries remain largely overlooked and Martin Lee Mueller cleverly weaves the stories of artificially inseminated and reared salmon to highlight the long-standing notion of human exceptionalism and creates a critique of the widespread idea that non-human animals are little more than machines, deprived of rich inner lives and feelings. Taking a philosophical spin on the matter, the author argues that the dogm ..read more
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Fear factor: How sensationalised shark documentaries undermine conservation efforts
Marine Madness
by Harry Baker
2y ago
Experts explain why misleading documentaries about sharks can be problematic. A scuba diver surrounded by sharks in the Bahamas. Sensationalised documentaries often make this type of interaction with sharks seem dangerous, but in reality, it is almost always safe. (Credit: Gerald Schömbs via Unsplash) When Brendon Sing first encountered sharks he was as a young boy behind the safety of aquarium glass in his native South Africa. Like many children of his generation, Brendon’s limited knowledge about sharks came from the 1975 smash-hit movie “Jaws,” which meant he was both fascinated and extreme ..read more
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