Blue Whiting: A New Approach to Management
by Zack Good, Marine conservation student, RJD Intern The blue whiting (Micromesistius poutassu) is a medium-sized fish distributed throughout the northeastern Atlantic Ocean (Figure 1). It feeds mostly on zooplankton and smaller fish and also serves as prey for larger fish. As far as humans are concerned, it is a significant source of both income […]
Sea Otters: A Dwindling Species that Helps to Diminish Our Carbon Footprint
By Alex Babcock, Marine conservation student Sea otters are recognized most for their cute appearance and adorable behaviors; however, this species also serves very important roles in its’ ecosystem. A new study, published in this month’s issue of Frontiers in Ecology and Environment, posits the importance of sea otters and carbon sequestration (Wilmers et al. […]
Improving Marine Reserves
By Mary Trainor, Marine conservation student It is a wonderful sign of the times that governments around the world are taking action to protect the ocean. One popular marine management tool is the marine protected area (MPA), which aims to conserve marine life and habitats by restricting what people can do within designated MPA boundaries […]
Do birds of a feather forage together?
By Asta Mail, Marine conservation student Imagine that you are entrusted with the duty of conserving a colony of beautiful seabirds. Your objective is to create Marine Protected Areas (MPA’s) that shelter birds from disturbances, so that they can do what they do best: eat, sleep, fly and reproduce! How then do you decide which […]