The Ocean Advocate

ICYMI, after getting tired of seeing heartbreaking posts in the marine biology professional advice facebook groups, I made an exercise for my students. It lets them learn what jobs are actually like, what skills they require, and how much they pay. Here I share it with you, the people. https://lnkd.in/epd8r7mp

Always remember that everything is connected 🍄 Through soil, but also through air and action Plants 'talk' to each other via intricate fungal networks we call mycorrhizal fungi. They exchange nutrients and send signals to each other, warning them for potential danger. This is called the wood wide web. 💦 A plant root can also make its root 100x longer thanks to these fungal root extensions. So, do we really have a drought problem? Or have a fungal deficiency? If you know this, using fungicides makes no sense. 👉🏼 Learning more about this always reminds me of human connections as well. Alone you can't get very far. If we connect with each other, we can achieve near-impossible dreams. And this happens on a very deep level, but also in everyday life. Every time you buy bread in a bakery, dozens of people contribute to making that possible. If you take a train, thousands of people did important things that led to this train riding through the landscape. If you realize this, it doesn't make sense to spread negativity or anger to anyone you might meet since they are part of your network, too. And what you do to your network, you do to yourself. #regenerative #landscapedesign #landscapearchitecture #agroecology #regenerativefarming #agroforestry #farming #tuin #permaculture #voedselbos #nature #climate #health #gutmicrobiome #guthealth

Do you know someone who loves fish? Well it's not too late to get that special someone a Christmas pesent that will last. The marine linefish app for South Africa. I am very proud of my husband Bruce Mann. He loves fish and fishing. In fact, he has studied linefish and marine protected areas his whole career. After 2 years of hard work, he has produced a comprehensive fish app for anyone who loves fish and fishing in South Africa. With detailed profiles of 249 species, including photos, maps, up to date regulations and MPA connections, a length weight calculator and a fun identification key, this easy to use guide is the best I have seen. Thank you to the mydigitalearth.com team for accepting the challenge. All proceeds go to the SAAMBR - The South African Association for Marine Biological Research ORI Fish Tagging Project. https://lnkd.in/deuDeZby #linefish #fishapp #ORITag

In the summer holiday season, South Africa's beautiful beaches 🏖️ take a pounding, not just from the waves 🌊 but from all the people who flock to relax and enjoy them🏄 For ocean lovers 💙 like you (we know you're an ocean lover because you very kindly follow the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation), you probably wish every beach visitor was working to protect the sea and its incredible creatures🐠 During peak season the ocean and its animals are extra vulnerable to plastic pollution and more 🦭 and you may wonder how to change the learnt behaviours that lead to litter. The good news is that at the Foundation, our executive for strategy, Dr Judy Mann-Lang, who is also President of the International Zoo Educators Association and a Senior Research Associate in the Department of Ichthyology and Fisheries Science, Rhodes University and a member of the IUCN's Behaviour Change Task Force, has been researching behaviour change for decades and has insights for those who'd like to contribute to the ocean's health 🪸 Start at the end to begin to protect the ocean, says Mann-Lang. And remember that it's all about systems. For instance, before a lollipop wrapper 🍭 ends up on a beach and then in the sea, it's at a shop. Before it gets wrapped around a lollipop it's manufactured by a company. And even before that, the company is acting according to South African law. So at the top of that system is government, then manufacturers, then retailers and finally customers. If you start at the end, with the state, imagine if the law said manufacturers had to use edible, non-plastic lollipop wrappers and that those wrappers happened to be delicious 😁 👍 There'd be a whole lot fewer wrappers on the beach and in the sea because people's default option was being ocean-friendly. Adjusting systems and making change easy for people are a couple of the keys in the quest to protect the sea. For more behavioural insights, research and reports, follow Dr Judy Mann-Lang (link to LinkedIn profile) and keep an eye on the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation's posts as we delve ever deeper into effecting behaviour change and conserving our captivating sea 🐳 Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/dmj-k3GR

Looking for a festive season gift that has a positive impact? 🐢🩵 Every year, our Turtle Conservation Centre rehabilitates hundreds of stranded loggerhead turtle hatchlings - these little patients need all the help they can get to one day be strong enough to return to the ocean. 🌊 Adopting a turtle hatchling is your chance to support a little turtle's journey back to the ocean and contribute to the survival of an endangered species! 💙 Adopt your turtle here: https://lnkd.in/dGTA6F4n