The United States is a fishing nation. According to the National Marine Fisheries Service, commercial fisheries in the U.S. harvest more than 4 million metric tons of fish from its waters every year. Additionally, in 2015 nearly 9 million marine recreational anglers made more than 60 million fishing trips. These industries provide millions of American … Read more
When mooring your boat, you may not think much about the sea floor beneath you, but it supports several critical habitats, including seagrasses. Seagrass is found in the shallow coastal waters of most continents and the health of these seagrass beds has wide ranging impacts. For many fish and invertebrates, it provides spawning and nursery … Read more
Last year the first offshore wind farm in the United States began producing power in the waters just off of Rhode Island in a historic moment for New England and for the country. Deepwater Wind’s 30-megawatt, five-turbine farm now powers more than 17,000 Rhode Island homes. Many years in the making, the success of this … Read more
Old boats are a dime a dozen in New England and every year the problem keeps compounding. After a few years off the market, a used boat’s value drops precipitously and eventually it always seems to find itself under a tarp in someone’s backyard, or laying in waste at the back of a boatyard; it’s … Read more
Sharks have been swimming in the oceans before dinosaurs walked the earth, but their future on this planet is now in danger. Nearly one in four species of sharks and their relatives, such as stingrays, are threatened with extinction, largely because of human activities. On average, sharks are caught and killed 30% faster than they … Read more
We left the yacht club in Natal, a city on the northeast tip of Brazil, around 10:00 am aboard the sailboat Borandá. We used the engine to maneuver under the Newton Navarro Bridge, and a few minutes after raising the sails, we left the Potengi River heading towards the Atlantic Ocean. Little by little, we … Read more
Have you ever seen a lionfish? If you have, and you were in the Atlantic Ocean, you have witnessed one of the fastest spreading invasive species problems in the ocean. With eighteen spines protruding off their body, lionfish appear beautiful and exotic but these pervasive creatures have a voracious appetite and those venomous spines can … Read more
“Currently the database for marine mammal strikes is very sparse. We are requesting sailors and boaters help to submit information on current and past incidents, however long ago that may be. By giving a location, date, identification if possible, and any other relevant information you can help scientists better understand where marine mammals are at … Read more
While it seems simple, straws create a pressing threat to our oceans because they are made to be disposable, and on average are used for just 10 minutes. Plastic straws are rarely recyclable, requiring special facilities, and they almost always end up in a landfill, or worse the ocean. Over their lifespan the straw breaks … Read more
As a kid, I hated science – few things bored me more. So, it may seem surprising that I am now, at age 30, a professional scientist – a marine biologist, actually. I earned a Ph.D. in 2015 and have spent the past decade investigating how marine ecosystems function so that we can better protect … Read more
