our group consisted of 14 young women. arriving in san jose, we packed our things into a bus and began the journey to pavones, where we would have our first surfing experience. after the five-hour drive, we filed out to meet our surf instructor, andrea, a beautiful, dark olive-skinned woman in her mid-40s. she had long, dark chocolate-colored hair with sun-kissed strands framing her face. she wore a fuchsia body-length surf suit with a black rash guard tied around her waist. tattoos from the top of her shoulder down to her wrist. she gave us our “intro to surfing” lecture, assigned us our boards, and then it was off into the water. 

the ocean was calm. this was a world-famous beach known for its waves. the beach was a combination of sand and palm-sized stones we had to navigate around in order to reach the water. my beginner surfboard was rather large for my small physique. i balanced the board on my head as i stepped into the water making sure not to cut my feet on the rocks.

once i made it far enough into the water, i put both my hands on either side of the board and pushed myself off the sandy floor and onto the board. i managed to flop stomach down on the board and almost immediately slid off. weird, i thought. i tried again. both hands on either side of the board, i pushed off again and this time made sure to pay attention to where i landed. i aimed for the middle and somehow made it on. only then was i met with the battle of balancing myself while paddling out. the board tilted from left to right, my uncoordinated body struggling to maintain stability. this was much more difficult than i thought, and i had not even gotten to the actual surfing part! 

i navigated myself through the channel and to the spot where andrea sat. she positioned each of the girls and gave a push as waves approached. it was my turn. i swam my board over to her and sat stomach down, arms positioned at my rib cage, gripping the board. my heart was racing. i had been waiting for this! the wave approached and i felt andrea’s push sending me a moment ahead of the wave. let’s go, let’s go, let’s go! the ocean water sprayed my face as i propelled myself upwards, planting each of my feet underneath me and doing my best to stand up as quickly as i could. i was up. i was up! 

my left foot behind and my right in front, i lifted my arms to balance. what a feeling! it was short-lived, i soon felt the board tilt and i plunged into the water. i bobbed up to the surface, my adrenaline surging. i could feel everything. my blood pumping, the sounds of the ocean and my fellow surfers cheering for me, the sand on my feet, the water running off my face. i looked all around me, i wanted to take every aspect of this moment in. the ocean had taught me my first lesson. i had so many preconceived notions of how this was going to go and was surprised at how wrong i was. i loved it. i was ready to have the best month of my life.

as a result of extractive and polluting capitalist ventures, humanity is now engaged in a fight for our ocean’s survival along with the livelihoods of those who depend on it for sustenance, income, and cultural meaning. with industrial overfishing and marine environmental destruction threatening fish and crustacean health, we desperately need to overhaul our maritime relationships and seafood systems. a wealth of environmentally preservative marine stewardship traditions by indigenous communities provide examples of how to do things right. indigenous scholar kii’iljuus barbara wilson of the cumshewa eagle clan notes, “it’s time to…learn about all the things my ancestors did to ensure that there was enough fish and octopus — looking after and respecting the environment.” our planet is in dire need of sustainable food sources that both support our deteriorating natural ecosystems and nourish increasing human populations, requirements met by multiple indigenous seafood systems.

indigenous seafood stewardship past and present

there is an extensive history of first nations people across the world practicing mariculture, or the cultivation of marine life for food in enclosed areas of open waters. indigenous communities along the northwest coast of north america have long harvested herring eggs from kelp, cedar, and spruce fronds they strategically placed in shallow ocean waters. these introduced organic materials enhance spawning grounds, therefore improving the likelihood that herring will return. in new zealand, the māori people have engaged in mara mataitai –– various approaches to mariculture –– to ensure collective food security since 925. for instance, māori communities used bull kelp to fertilize beds of toheroa, a large bivalve mollusk, to enhance its productivity. māori mariculture is informed by utu, a concept dictating reciprocity with the species and ecosystems from which humans derive our resources. if this principle is replicated by ocean stewards worldwide, we can bolster and protect the ocean habitats on which we greatly rely.

one of the most productive indigenous mariculture innovations that could radically transform our seafood systems if adopted at a larger scale is the clam garden. various populations have been constructing clam gardens for at least 4,000 years by building a rock wall at the low tide line that traps sediment, thereby reducing the slope of the beach and increasing clam habitat area. clam gardens specifically support enhanced production by creating a larger area of optimal intertidal height qualified with prime growth conditions. in british columbia, butter clams within gardens had 1.96 times the biomass and 2.44 times the density as their counterparts in unmodified beaches. to create more productive food systems, the seafood industry must take indigenous practices of food cultivation seriously and learn from the skills willing to be shared. there is no use in waiting for western science to confirm what first nations people have known about the success of their seafood systems for centuries.

these examples of indigenous mariculture innovations provide a small survey of the indigenous stewardship methods that bolster seafood supplies while fostering a restorative relationship with our seas, all without utilizing industrial resources or exploiting the environment. in bitter irony, “indigenous people are now the ‘outliers’ on their own ancestral lands,” despite their superior, sustainable stewardship. first nations people engaged with mariculture practices deserve reparations and support from industrial actors and government programming alike. governments can start by reversing restrictive policies such as canada’s fisheries act that asserts federal authority over all fisheries in canada, undermining the rights of indigenous communities to exercise their expertise over the waters they’ve long depended on.

climate-forward collaborations

in a present-day model program, researchers, tribal nations, students, and various indigenous stewards are currently coming together through the cross-pacific regional collaborative hub funded by noaa’s sea grant program in washington state. this project is initiating research, outreach, and education in collaboration with indigenous communities across hawaii, alaska, and washington to advance indigenous aquaculture practices in the pacific region. the group hosts summits, advances existing restoration sites, and plans for future investments in indigenous aquaculture. returns to indigenous ocean stewardship, accompanied by reparatory and collaborative action, can build more gentle yet robust seafood systems while rebuilding the industry’s broken connection to the sea.

this story was featured in our series, slipping through our fingers: the future of water.

how kelp can help

ocean-based kelp farming has emerged as not only one of the most sustainable methods of aquaculture, but an actively restorative one. contrary to its land-dwelling relatives, kelp requires no freshwater, no pesticides, and no arable land to flourish. this low-maintenance system actively protects the surrounding ecosystem from the hazards of ocean acidification (oa) by soaking up dissolved carbon dioxide for use in photosynthesis, thereby restoring ph to healthy levels. kelp can also help to prevent harmful algal blooms (habs) by absorbing anthropogenic inputs of nitrogen and phosphorus –– nutrients that stimulate the toxic proliferation of algae –– to feed itself.

u.s. investment in this method of regenerative ocean farming (rof) has grown substantially in the past decade as people have sought to supplant the tradition of purchasing seaweed products from china and indonesia. with imports accounting for over 95% of edible seaweed products available in the u.s., there is plenty of room for homegrown farmers to take over. such a switch would also eliminate the monetary and emissions costs of cross-continent transportation. farmers such as fogg are therefore “[creating] nutritious, delicious kelp-based products that support ocean farmers and fight climate change.”

currently, maine and alaska are farming the majority of domestic seaweed biomass, but rof is quickly expanding throughout new england and the west coast. researchers project u.s.-farmed seaweed harvests will quadruple by 2035. expansion of the kelp farming industry creates and diversifies coastal jobs, provides healthy seafood from local sources, and buffers marine wildlife from the impacts of oa and habs. so, what’s left to do? sell this seaweed all along the seashore.

taking our taste buds out to sea

finally growing out of the boutique, us-grown seaweed market in 2019, kelp has begun to make a new name for itself by flaunting its applicability and nutrition. kelp is a versatile food that can be kept fresh, frozen, dried, or ground into an array of products, from noodles to seasoning. this salty sea veggie is packed with potassium, magnesium, fiber, essential fatty acids (omega-3’s), high quality proteins, and vitamins a, b, c, e, and k. a single ⅓ cup serving of kelp can satisfy your daily iodine requirements –– a mineral that is essential for regulating metabolism, among other important bodily processes.

the u.s. non-profit greenwave is leading the charge to get more rof operations up and running, and is now directing a market innovation program that helps open up new business channels for these rof farmers. akua is just one of the companies that greenwave is partnering with to develop desirable kelp commodities. courtney boyd myers–the co-founder of akua–launched her first product, kelp jerky, back in 2019 upon learning about the vast environmental, economic, and health benefits of kelp farming. their new headline product is the world’s first commercially sold kelp burger; this is what propelled the company to the national stage. since their initial launch, akua has tripled their purchasing volume and garnered more capacity for food research and development, adding pasta, ground “meat,” and a kelp “krab” cake to their list of creations. “we’re on a mission to make kelp mainstream,” says boyd myers.

and they’re not alone. back in maine, atlantic sea farms (asf) is making waves with their award-winning kelp-based kimchi, fresh seaweed salad, and smoothie-ready frozen kelp cubes. asf even boasts high-profile partners such as sweetgreen and daily harvest. alaska’s barnacle foods is creating a line of salsa made from bull kelp that packs an umami punch. eat more kelp (long island, ny), seagrove kelp co. (alaska), and blue evolution (pacific coast) are also hopping on the regenerative seaweed farming boat. with >80% of domestic seaweed production growth through 2035 projected to be stimulated by value-added edible products, the only thing left to do is get this kelp on your shelf.

kelp can “usurp the burp”

the benefits of kelp are being explored beyond the human market, creating an even larger demand for biomass. one surprising candidate: cows. there are about 3 billion ruminant animals on the planet –– including cows, sheep and goats –– that burp methane as part of their digestive process. methane has almost 30 times the short-term heat trapping power as carbon dioxide, making it an especially potent greenhouse gas. according to the epa, domestic livestock in the u.s. contribute 36% of anthropogenic emissions, and in california alone, 1.8 million dairy cows emit as much co2 equivalent as 2.5 million cars each year. in some environmentalists’ perfect world, the entire planet would be vegan. however, this tactic ignores the 1.3 billion people that partially or entirely depend on the livestock industry as a vital source of income.

through kelp driven innovation, perhaps we don’t have to condemn livestock production outright. researchers at james cook university in australia explored the ancient greek and icelandic practice of raising cattle by the ocean to tackle this conundrum. the team tested out over 20 species of seaweed in cow’s diets and came up with one clear climate-friendly winner: asparagopsis taxiformis. whereas some species reduced methane emissions by 50% when comprising up to 20% of the feed, a. taxiformis reduced methane production by 99% when only taking up 2% of the diet. robert kinley and his team realized that bromoform –– a molecule found in a. taxiformis –– disrupts an enzyme used by a methane-producing gut bacteria in the course of digestion. in addition to solving an environmental problem, seaweed feeds also help farmers save on cattle cuisine: by minimizing energy waste in animal digestion (~15% of feed expenses are lost in methane emissions) the livestock can grow and produce more milk while requiring less sustenance.

many growers and foodies projected that kelp will take over as “the new kale” and come to dominate the plates of health-minded consumers. despite this enthusiasm, kelp still needs all (i’m looking at you, cows) of our curiosity and support to reach an economy of scale in which such nutrient-rich, climate-friendly creations can compete with other gmo, lab-grown, and resource-intensive food alternatives on the market today. the bottom line, says myers: “if we can move people’s stomachs, we can move their minds to be conscious of the impact of their decisions around food and in other parts of their life.” the next time you visit the grocery store, go out to eat, or talk to a friend, try to make a choice that will actively kelp our farmers, our seas, and our planet.

the world has lost 50% of its coral reefs in the past 30 years as oceans have warmed and acidified. climate change drives these changing ocean conditions, which lead to coral disease and bleaching.

onda design is one company working to counteract this trend by developing technology for coral restoration and rehabilitation.

daniel hills-bunnell and peter lowe, two bay area-based engineers, are working remotely on this project. the company, which was founded last year and has received funding from the nature conservancy, is planning to move its operations to florida where offshore reefs are bleaching and dying. 

“we both came to the space of coral restoration from a call for proposals from the nature conservancy about a year ago, and we have been working on developing a high throughput coral farming in on-shore nurseries,” hills-bunnell said.

onda’s strategy, a process called micro-fragmentation, involves taking small pieces of living coral and allowing them to reproduce asexually in on-shore nurseries. once the coral has grown for about six months, the team transplants the coral back into the ocean, where it can fuse with preexisting reefs and continue to grow.

by using small pieces, or micro-fragments, of coral in the nurseries, hills-bunnell said the coral can grow up to 40 times faster than it can in nature. these corals also tend to be more resilient because the team selects samples that have survived bleaching events.

lowe said this rehabilitation is particularly important because of the important role coral reefs play in their ecosystems.

“when you have a barrier reef out beyond the shoreline, it can mitigate 97% of wave energy,” lowe said. “if you have a big storm event, you have huge waves coming in, and that will destroy all the property on the land close to the shoreline.”

partnering with investors who want to prevent coastal erosion and damage is one way onda hopes to fund its projects, hills-bunnell said. these groups could include hotel companies or local governments in coastal areas.

even with the proper funding, though, rehabilitating the world’s coral reefs is a tall order, especially because much of the technology onda is using operates on a small scale or is not even fully developed yet.

“currently what we’re doing is handling individual coral using practices largely borrowed from the aquarium hobby,” lowe said. “if you think about trying to terraform a planet using that technique, essentially, it doesn’t work.”

both hills-bunnell and lowe are working on developing and scaling up this early-stage technology as engineers on the project.

hills-bunnell said individuals can get involved in coral restoration by contributing financially to projects, raising awareness and pursuing careers in the field.

“there’s a lot of different ways you can start to contribute to this ecosystem rehabilitation, and it’s very urgent,” hills-bunnell said. “these ecosystems touch pretty much every facet of life.”

creating new techniques and ways to capture the audience to teach them about the marine environment is important in helping us preserve this resource for years to come.

“people are interested in technology, and developing technology that really maximizes opportunity is critical,” said richard vevers, ceo of the ocean agency, a non-profit organization geared towards raising awareness for effective ocean protection. 

creating these techniques is a long-term goal of vevers. the university of rhode island teamed up with the ocean agency to investigate new habitats and bring public awareness to the sea.

inspired by 360-degree cameras utilized by google street view, the ocean agency developed the hammerhead camera, a similar camera designed to be used in an underwater environment, according to vevers.

the prototype camera was utilized in the catlin seaview survey, the most comprehensive underwater photographic survey that captured over one million images and allowed them to be analyzed. this prototype camera has captured photos of many unique ocean environments, but it was not originally designed for scientific research. 

however, the ocean agency recognized the research potential of the hammerhead camera for monitoring environments including coral reefs to see how they change over time. 

often sites cannot be surveyed multiple times because of numerous external factors (including weather, tides and visibility), but having a camera that can capture images will allow for more comprehensive and tangible visualizations of these sites for a potentially unlimited amount of time. 

“this camera permits us to get stereo imagery that can be reconstructed on a [three-dimensional] model of the place that was surveyed,” said vevers.

while working alongside uri, the ocean agency is fleshing out issues that have been found in previous models of the hammerhead camera. vevers said that two versions of the camera have existed so far: seaview 1 and seaview 2. seaview 1 was a massive camera that weighed over 80 kilograms. when it came time to re-thinking and re-designing the device, size was a primary consideration due to difficulties with transportation. 

in future prototypes the goal is to synthesize three-dimensional and four-dimensional models to allow monitoring of fish populations. to date, no scientist has combined the two in an attempt to monitor the full scope and scale of being at that location.  

vevers hopes to achieve two central objectives with the current model of the camera. the first involves demonstrating how reef restoration is accountable and captures how fast the corals are growing, while also showing that fish populations are returning to these reefs. 

the second purpose of this camera is to bring awareness to the public about diverse underwater environments. currently, there is an international push for coral reef monitoring as a key method to measure and incentivize action to save coral reefs. 

coral reef ecosystems are the most endangered ecosystems due to climate change. according to the ocean agency website, “advances in science and monitoring technology are allowing researchers to make strides toward reef conservation.” 

vevers made a point towards getting more media attention around the issue as well as finding solutions to problems that are currently underdeveloped.

protecting the ocean and conserving this resource is crucial. vevers said that people have a growing interest in technology and believes that right now is a pivotal time for coral reefs and ecosystems –– this camera and upcoming technology will allow us to share the imagery that it collects. 

engaging people with the story of what is unfolding in our environment, while covering the work that is being done to protect and restore ecosystems, is one of the primary means by which we can highlight the urgency of this project. 

to learn more about the ocean agency and the work they are doing visit their website at: https://www.theoceanagency.org 

the rest of the group arrives, and we all don our masks and regulators. i make eye contact with autumn, our dive safety officer back on the beach, before emphatically reaching up and patting my head: the universal divers signal for “ok.” looking back at the group, i give a thumbs down – the signal to descend – and start to let air out of my bcd. just as i’m about to go under, one of the group members points behind me and gives a muffled yell through her regulator. reinflating my bcd and spinning around, i see an otter floating on its back less than 40 feet away from our group. we all watch for a moment as she nibbles on some unfortunate shelled creature picked up from the bottom. as quickly as we notice her, she slips back beneath the surface in search of more snacks. i give the thumbs down, and we follow her. 

now 40 feet below the waves, i check in with the group; my nerves are replaced with the natural calm that i always experience when diving. i feel the power of the ocean as i am pushed and pulled by the same forces that move the kelp forest all around me. though the power of the water should be disconcerting, i find it quite comforting, as though i’m being held. on the rock reef next to me are countless red and blue anemones. crabs crawl around them as fish dart from crevice to crevice within the rocks. a lingcod disguises himself into the top of the reef, hidden from prey but visible to me. i can quite literally feel how alive the ocean is. just as we are about to start the swim deeper into the forest, our otter friend pays us a visit. slinking through the water just on the edge of our view, she swims a lap around us before darting to a crevice in the rocks, grabbing her next snack, and heading back to the surface. as i sit in admiration, a snickers bar wrapper floats past my mask.           

for the last few years, i’ve found it increasingly difficult to find refuge from the signs of human impact. whether it be a candy wrapper on the bottom of monterey bay, a plastic water bottle floating in a remote alpine lake, or a tree cut down by boy scouts in a wilderness area, i can’t escape the signs of damage like i could when i was younger. some of that must be an increase in awareness as i’ve aged, but recently, the wild spaces in which i take refuge have felt increasingly used, neglected, and disrespected. for me, moments of awe and deep respect for the natural world are frequently soured by reminders of what we are doing to our planet. as a kid, i couldn’t wait to become an adult and spend the rest of my life experiencing all the places david attenborough told me about. now, in the beginnings of my adult life, it is apparent that many of the places and much of the biota i once hoped to see are already gone. over the course of my lifetime, we’ve added more than 1.5 billion people to the planet, increased atmospheric co2 by almost 50 ppm, and destroyed an amount of wilderness larger than all of alaska (lindsey 2020; ritchie and roser 2021; roser et al. 2013). i’m only 20. 

these realities often leave me feeling depressed, morose, apathetic, and frankly, pissed-off. i’m not alone in this. even in contingents of my least environmentally conscious friends, these feelings are frequently expressed in our conversations. my whole generation is coming of age under the burden of knowledge that our planet is dying. we’re faced with the constant uncertainty of whether we will be able to save it and many of us have already spent years fighting on its behalf. personally, i’ve spent the last eight years working to protect the boundary waters canoe area wilderness. of that, it has taken the last six years and more than $10 million for our campaign to build back to where we were when obama left office. how are we supposed to battle the same broken system on behalf of the whole planet? for some time now, i’ve felt the tendrils of climate despair and burnout taking hold of me. i’ve seen them grab my friends. we’re only 20. 

i reach out and grab the snickers wrapper just before it drifts out of reach. as we go through the rest of our dive, i pick up several more pieces of garbage; an empty coors can, a cloth napkin, and several more wrappers all make their way into the pockets of my bcd. as i take in all the life around me, i can’t help but wonder how much more i would’ve seen before industry took over the bay, but also how much less i would’ve seen in the early 20th century before conservation efforts began. 

monterey bay is a story of incredible ecosystem recovery (sotka and palumbi 2011). since moving here in january, experiencing the culmination of years of conservation work has reminded me of the positive transformation that is possible when we effectively attack our problems. many of us get so caught up in our fights for the places we love that we forget to remind ourselves why we are fighting.  seeing the bay and coming to understand its conservation success has put some hope back in me and reignited that spark of wonder i felt as a kid watching “planet earth.”

—

works cited

hannah ritchie and max roser (2021) – “biodiversity”. published online at ourworldindata.org. retrieved from: ‘https://ourworldindata.org/biodiversity’ [online resource]

lindsey, r. (2020, august 14). climate change: atmospheric carbon dioxide. climate change: atmospheric carbon dioxide | noaa climate.gov. retrieved march 7, 2022, from https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/climate-change-atmospheric-carbon-dioxide#:~:text=since%202000%2c%20the%20global%20atmospheric,mauna%20loa%20observatory%20in%20hawaii.

max roser, hannah ritchie and esteban ortiz-ospina (2013) – “world population growth”. published online at ourworldindata.org. retrieved from: ‘https://ourworldindata.org/world-population-growth’ [online resource]

palumbi, s. r., & sotka, c. (2011). the death and life of monterey bay: a story of revival. island press.

scaling up these intimate moments between human and nature, the coasts offer a window into the function of relational ecology in sustainable development: to address the question of how a community’s connection to the ocean impacts the development of aquaculture.

islands and oceans

the interconnected waters of planet earth serve as a bridge between land masses, as well as between humans and the environment. in the context of all ecologies, that of the ocean is the most biodiverse and contains the most that is unknown to humanity. in using this ecosystem for profit, human industry has commodified the ocean and exploited this biodiversity. 

in response to this large-scale degradation, aquaculture industries around the world have been developing methods to pursue these resources in a way that honors the ocean and its invaluable ecosystem. the stewards of such innovations are largely the indigenous groups of coastal communities, who have been thriving in unity, using these “new innovations” for millennia. 

through their cultural tradition and roots in the physical environment, many communities illustrate the expanded parameter of human understanding that is present when society and environment exist in unity. although indigenous communities serve as the most deeply and widely connected communities in communion with the natural environment, there are non-indigenous communities that have developed to share similar values. 

relational ecology

in the discussion of post-human geographies — environmental philosophies that de-center humanity — relational ecology serves as the philosophy that represents the “vitality of non-human actors –– climate, animals, plants, waterways –– and their relationship with humanity and amongst one another.”  developed in this context by tim ingold, relational ecology, as a theory and in practice values all, “who might come to share in each other’s wisdoms.” it is this sharing of wisdom, alongside cosmetological beliefs, that inform indigenous ways of life. their stewardship and comprehensive awareness of the patterns in the natural world give the indigenous populations an opportunity to serve their environment and community. this relational ecology can be carried over into the development of plans for aquaculture, thus encompassing some aspects of the rich connection between the community, especially those who are indigenous, and the environment. 

aquaculture

aquaculture is defined as the “cultivation of ocean-dwelling plants or animals, for human consumption.” ever-growing, aquaculture industries in japan, korea and china have set the stage for developments across the oceans. humans are looking to alternative, sustainable food sources to sustain themselves as the world’s resources dwindle. these processes may require sophisticated systems of machinery, nets and treatments. aquaculture requires specificity and careful planning in order to be successful, and sustainable. 

despite the challenges and potential for degradation, there are innovators pushing forward to promote large-scale production. sustainable use of ocean resources has taken place for millennia by indigenous peoples on island nations and other coastal regions. from a larger-scale perspective, by scaling up their subsistence model there is potential to “consume marine food in a more diverse and insightful manner, including eating from lower trophic levels and limiting bycatch and waste.”

island relational ecology

large-scale aquaculture development is happening, and will continue to do so. it is a large opportunity for a shift in economic and societal perspectives that focus only on industrial endeavors, to the ontological basis of relation ecology, so that aquaculture might be conducted in a more sustainable manner.  their position in the economic and geopolitical shadow of multinational corporations often makes small island nations vulnerable to be exploited and ignored. a broader understanding and awareness of natural processes and patterns give policy makers and industry leaders an opportunity to collaborate with local communities to expand sustainable ocean aquaculture. 

this philosophy of relational ecology, fueled by curiosity and compassion, can be carried out by anyone, anywhere, no matter how small their feet are. 

“i took the lead!” a woman shouted to her husband. she reels in a small, bait-sized fish. but nothing big enough to keep. 

“sixteen to fifteen,” her husband, mark, said. “we keep track of fish and see who catches the most.” 

their cat, scamper, roams around the truck of her owners mark and his wife, michelle. white patches stick out on scamper’s mostly brown fur; her pink, sparkled collar, though, stands out even more. two years ago, mark and michelle rescued scamper from a bad home life.

now, scamper likes to prowl on the piers and lounge on the dash of their truck. the truck is more than just a relaxation spot for scamper, though. 

“i got a grill on the back of my truck with charcoal,” mark said. “i’ll filet (fish) right there.” 

once the fish are cooked, mark says he’ll offer the cooked filets to anyone around. during one of the last weekends of december 2021, mark said he caught a lot of spanish mackerel to cook for everyone on the pier.

but cooked fish aren’t the only thing being shared among the fishing community in the tampa bay area. according to mark and michelle, the community has always been friendly to them. 

“you run out of bait, you don’t have any money, someone will give you bait. always,” mark said. “if you need line, someone will give you line. whatever you need if you don’t have it, the next fisherman will share it.” 

interactions like this show just how important fishing communities are to people around the world. 

“i would describe (urban fishing) as vital, because it’s vital in so many ways,” dr. noëlle boucquey of eckerd college said. “there’s so many different benefits that people get from fishing in urban spaces.” 

boucquey and anthropologist dr. jessie fly have been researching interactions like this through a study called the “urban fishing project,” in which student observers go out and take field observations and record interviews with people fishing in various areas around the tampa bay area. 

boucquey has been interested in fisheries since her days of being a graduate student. during her early years at eckerd, she found that fly had similar interests. they decided to collaborate and start this research project. 

“fishing is such a great example of activities that bring people in close relationships to their environment,” boucquey said. “so it’s a great way to study the more theoretical concepts about how people develop their relationships with their environments in particular spaces.” 

dr. angela collins is a florida sea grant extension agent through the university of florida who works with the manatee, hillsborough, and sarasota counties. collins connects closely with commercial and recreational fisheries stakeholders, and agrees that people more closely related to these sorts of environments have a stronger desire to protect them. 

“people want to protect what they care about,” collins said. “and if they don’t have the opportunity to experience fishing, they’re not going to have that experience and passion to want to preserve it.” 

boucquey and fly published some of their findings in a 2021 paper titled “contested commoning: urban fishing spaces and community wellbeing.” 

they summarize in the paper that fishing is valued as much more than a simple pastime. 

“fish provide food, cultural connections, and social capital currency while the spaces and practices of fishing provide relaxation and entertainment,” the paper states.

people go fishing for many different reasons, something that is backed up by boucquey and fly’s paper. whether it’s for sport, subsistence or to just have a clear mental space, fishing can play a huge part in people’s lives. 

in terms of subsistence, this research found that 77% of respondents kept fish that they caught, while 17% of the respondents could be classified as food insecure. on top of that, 11% of respondents used fishing to prevent hunger. 

fishing also supports diverse communities and interactions between diverse groups of people, both economically and ethnically. 

“our surveys showed that there was a huge range, people with very high incomes next to people with very low incomes,” boucquey said. “and that in and of itself is really interesting because there’s not a lot of spaces where you find those people together.” 

from 293 respondents in boucquey and fly’s surveys, 52% identified as “white including mixed,” 15% as “black including mixed,” 22% as “latinx including mixed,” 11% as “asian including mixed,” ” 3% as “mixed, no ethnicities specified” and 3% as “native american or caribbean including mixed.” 

fishing communities all around the world vary in their social dynamics, but those in florida especially have a profound sense of identity. 

“for people that live here, it’s a source of identity for a lot of people,” collins said. “there’s the family heritage, you grew up fishing with your parents and want to share it with your kids. but then there’s also the importance of being able to go out and catch dinner if you need to.” 

fisheries, along with being promoters of community, are also strong economic drivers. in florida alone, fisheries generate close to $15 billion according to a study from 2017. 

“our recreational angling is a huge economic driver for the state of florida,” collins said. “i mean, we’re the fishing capital of the world. more world record fish are landed here than anywhere else on the planet.” 

but climate change is a cause for concern in these communities. not only can projected sea level rise threaten the physical spaces people fish from, but numerous other impacts of climate change threaten ocean chemistry and fisheries patterns. 

“climate change will impact fisheries and aquaculture through multiple drivers and pathways in ways that will be strongly dependent on specific characteristics of the different systems,” the 2017 study states. 

for example, drivers from climate change like temperature, rainfall, altered circulation, acidification and habitat loss can all have profound impacts on fishery environments, according to the 2017 paper. 

this study raises the point that these types of changes will without a doubt have an impact on the benefits fishers get from their catches, speaking economically. 

additionally, coastal development threatens the accessibility to fishing grounds. 

“a lot of people want to live here and build right on the water,” collins said. “but these waterfront areas are also really important to remain accessible for seafood producers, for anglers in general, to be able to get to the water.” 

collins stated that being able to get on the water without having to drive a considerable distance to get to a boat ramp is important, since so many households have some connection to fisheries. 

“if you lived on any street, probably every third house is going to have a fishing rod in it,” collins said. 

sometimes, fishing is just simply a way to take a few hours and relax; the simple casting of a line, the breeze off of a pier or the smell of the saltwater can be therapeutic. and to some, it’s the only way to put food on the table. 

for those of us who buy our seafood, collins said that one of the keys to sustainability is the choices people make. 

“when you’re picking an item off of the menu or at the restaurant or buying seafood at the grocery store, just knowing that you want to protect the ocean helps you make better decisions as a consumer,” collins said.

you’re standing on a beach, while gentle waves lap against the sand. if you look into the water, you can see hermit crabs munching away on algae. the smell of seawater wafts through your nose. warm sunlight streams down, filtering through the geometric glass walls and ceiling. outside, you can see the sonoran desert and the santa catalina mountains in the distance. 

you’re not standing at sea level but at an elevation of over 4,000 feet. you’re inside a former space colony experiment that’s now an earth systems research center.

welcome to the biosphere 2 ocean.

the university of arizona’s biosphere 2 is a unique facility where marine biologists, atmospheric scientists, biogeographers and other scientists conduct large-scale experiments. katie morgan, manager of marine systems at biosphere 2, is currently preparing the ocean for some new accessories. morgan points out the $3 million worth of lights to hang over the surface, which she explains will be critical for helping corals grow under glass that blocks out uva and uvb light. 

biosphere 2 has a long history of groundbreaking research in the public eye. the biosphere 2 ocean provides an opportunity for visitors to see marine science in action, no sea legs required. i was fortunate to have the opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes tour from morgan. here are 5 fascinating facts about the biosphere 2 ocean that are sure to amaze:

1. it’s the biggest research tank in the world, morgan said. filled with 2.6 million liters of saltwater, it’s just a tad bigger than an olympic swimming pool. unfortunately, morgan explained that visitors are not allowed to swim in the ocean, so michael phelps will need to find another place to practice. the biosphere 2 ocean mimics the shape of the ocean floor with a beach that drops off until a reef crest rises up to break the waves, followed by a drop down to a deeper ocean beyond. 

2. the deeper end of the ocean plunges 7 meters, or just over 21 feet—that’s deep enough to cliff-dive into. a tall cliff rises on the edge of the ocean, allowing a bird’s-eye view of the simulated sea. assistant research professor joost van haren, who has worked at biosphere 2 for decades, shared an anecdote about the lives of the original inhabitants of the facility. when biosphere 2 was created as a prototype habitat for humans on mars, the biospherians who lived inside the experiment between 1991 and 1993 didn’t just do research all day. they were able to cliff-dive safely into the water. talk about a fun lunch break! 

3. so where did those 700,000 gallons of water come from? the original researchers knew that to create a true ocean system, they needed all the features of ocean water. these include minerals and microorganisms that turn saltwater into seawater. rather than trying to replicate true ocean water, morgan explained that the creators of biosphere 2 decided to bring 100,000 gallons of seawater from san diego to the facility, carried in milk trucks across the desert.

4. in the late ’90s, columbia university conducted climate change experiments within biosphere 2. according to morgan, columbia scientists knew that with rising carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere would come rising acidity in the oceans. they wondered how high acidity would affect a coral reef system, so they raised the acidity of the ocean to mimic a future atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration of 420 ppm. as a result, corals grew less and underwent a bleaching event, losing their colorful symbiotic algae and starving to death. with the data collected, the researchers predicted that future ocean acidification in the real ocean would cause a 40 percent decrease in coral growth between 1880 to 2065. this was one of the first studies on ocean acidification, a defining issue threatening oceans today.

5. morgan is well aware that ocean acidification is not the only threat facing corals. oceans absorb not only carbon dioxide, but also heat. this function is critical for the health of our planet: it is our oceans that keep air temperatures steady and livable. as global temperatures rise, oceans endure the brunt of it. high water temperatures are hard on corals. morgan likened long heat waves in the ocean to human illness: “if you have a 102-degree fever for two days, you recover. if you have a fever for two weeks, you die.” equipped with a heat exchange system, the ocean can simulate these heat waves. water run through the system is heated or cooled, and then returned to the research tank. according to morgan, the entirety of the 700,000-gallon ocean can be moved through the heat exchange system in 24 hours, enabling groundbreaking research on how heat waves affect corals and what humans can do to save them.

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with 50 international partners, the research team at the biosphere 2 ocean will continue doing critical work. keep an eye out in the news for the iconic glass structure because there’s no doubt that biosphere 2 is going to be making headlines again.

• meet 9 young climate activists of color. many important activists’ names don’t reach mainstream media. take the time to learn about a 15-year-old chief water commissioner for the anishinabek nation, a 19-year-old co-founder of a volunteer climate organization and others!

• gender equality, climate justice and education go hand in hand. (article also available in spanish. / artículo disponible en español.) a young chilean activist reflects on the intersection between climate change, gender equality and education and calls for the climate crisis to be viewed from a feminist perspective. did you know that giving women access to education and family planning directly correlates with decreased carbon emissions?

• the ocean cleanup successfully collects ocean plastics. a dutch non-profit called the ocean cleanup has successfully developed a device that can capture and collect ocean plastic. see videos of how it works.

check back tomorrow for more info on what is being explored at cop26 — and good reads to keep you informed!