The Skimmer on Marine Ecosystems and Management
Artificial light may be changing marine ecosystems
Editor’s note: Artificial light at night (ALAN) – whose undesirable effects are more colloquially referred to as light pollution – has long been known to affect sea turtles. Numerous studies document that adult sea turtles avoid nesting on artificially-lit beaches and artificial lights on land draw newly-hatched sea turtles away…
Latest News and Resources for Ocean Planners and Managers
Study shows few downsides to incorporating climate change in ocean planning Researchers map ocean areas that can protect biodiversity, help fisheries, AND provide carbon benefits Most ocean use revenues go to small number of corporations New satellites will track global carbon and methane emissions Climate change already making equator too…
The EBM Toolbox: Resources for the sustainable financing of marine protected areas
An update to this Skimmer article was published in January 2022 as an OCTO blog Resources for the sustainable financing of marine protected areas.
Perspective: Marine ecosystem-based management and wicked problems require incrementalism, not command and control
By Jon Hare, NOAA Fisheries Editor’s note: Jon Hare is the Science and Research Director of NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, in the US. He oversees science related to NOAA Fisheries mission in the Northeast region (Maine to North Carolina) including marine fisheries, aquaculture, protected species,…
How much did the COVID-19 pandemic quiet the oceans?
Editor’s note: Anthropogenic noise in the ocean – from ships, sonar, construction, oil wells, windfarms, seismic surveys, and other activities – harms marine animals ranging from marine mammals to fish to invertebrates. Ocean noise has been documented to: Increase egg and larval mortality, cause developmental delays, slow growth rates, and…
“Never let a good crisis go to waste”: The many intersections of the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change
Editor’s note: Climate change is the greatest threat to the health of marine ecosystems worldwide, and the COVID-19 pandemic has the potential to alter the world’s climate change trajectory, for better or for worse. Numerous, diverse relationships between the two crises have arisen. These relationships have proven enormously changeable over…
Latest News and Resources for Ocean Planners and Managers
New marine planning and management trainings added to Skimmer database More than 50 countries commit to protecting 30% of land and oceans by 2030 Japan and Russia take measures to reduce sale of IUU catch Ten largest seafood companies commit to eliminating IUU from supply chains New WTO head makes…
From the Archives: Ecological grief: New research on the mental health consequences of working in marine conservation and management in a time of rapid global change (MEAM Feb-Mar 2020, Issue 13:4)
Editor’s Note: From the Archives calls attention to past Skimmer/MEAM articles whose perspectives and insight remain relevant. As professionals in the marine conservation and management field, Skimmer readers are hyperaware of large scale and global changes to marine ecosystems. Research is now examining the emotional and psychological toll that these…
Looking ahead to US ocean policy, management, and conservation under the Biden-Harris administration: Ocean policy experts weigh in
It has been a long four years for those in the environmental field here in the US – four years filled with rampant attempts by the Trump administration to remove, weaken, or circumvent environmental protections; promotion of climate science denialism; and obstruction of efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This…
How social science is continuing to change and improve marine ecosystem conservation and management: Part II
In 2017, MEAM (now The Skimmer on Marine Ecosystems and Management) interviewed 17 social science and interdisciplinary researchers from around the world to learn how their work could improve marine conservation and management practice. We updated this coverage in our previous issue. More examples of social science and interdisciplinary researchers…