Welcome, Nairobi Convention Member States, partners, and friends, to this issue of the Weekly News Round-up!
Do you have any events, research, or scientific publications on the Western Indian Ocean that you would like to be included in the round-up? Write to [email protected]!
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Climate change is making ocean waves more powerful, threatening to erode many coastlines
Sea level rise isn’t the only way climate change will devastate the coast. New research finds that it is also making waves more powerful, particularly in the Southern Hemisphere.
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Thriving Marine Protected areas provide food for local communities
South Africa boasts 41 MPAs ensuring a healthy marine ecosystem, vital to the existence of all life. In the lead-up to the celebration of the MPA Day on August 1, it’s important to note that MPAs protect ocean biodiversity and support communities.
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MPA Outlook launch!
The Nairobi Convention and WIOMSA are releasing the Marine Protected Areas Outlook this Friday! Join us this Friday at 2 pm EAT for a virtual webinar to discuss MPA status, coverage, challenges, and recommendations for the entire Western Indian Ocean Region!
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Cold fish: the global cooling effect of ocean life
Last year, a study calculated that since 1950, commercial fisheries of large species, such as tuna and billfish, released about 730 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Some of those emissions came from fishing vessels burning fuel, but a large share was released by the bodies of the fish extracted from the sea. If they had instead been left to follow their natural courses, they would have locked that carbon into the ocean.
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A globally important microbial process hidden on marine particles
Nitrogen is essential for all life on Earth. In the global oceans, however, this element is scarce, and nitrogen availability is therefore critical for the growth of marine life. Some bacteria found in marine waters can convert nitrogen gas (N2) to ammonia (known as N2 fixation), and thereby supply the marine food web with nitrogen.
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Coastal wetlands are nature´s flood defenses
Coastal wetlands – such as salt marshes – provide even more flood protection than previously thought, reducing the risk to lives and homes in estuaries, a new study has revealed.
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Want to learn more about issues critical to ocean protection? Miss any of our recent virtual webinars?
