Coronavirus: boon and bane for sea turtles

The global pause in the last months has seen an overall resurgence in water and air quality around the world.

It's also a breath of fresh air for marine life.

This has been evident in major ecosystems like River Ganges, where, in some places, the waters have become drinkable again for the first time in two decades [1].

Horseshoe crabs have seen stabilization in its population in Delaware Bay. A precarious respite, it's important though that there's no resurgence in fishing of this dinosaur age relic since its blue blood is crucial to meeting the growing demand for the production of safe coronavirus vaccine [1].

Quieter oceans have also led to the resurgence of 2000 dolphins off the coast of Fujairah in the UAE [2], superpod of 350 sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) off Sri Lanka [3], and more sightings of endangered dugongs (Dugong dugon) off the coast of Thailand [4].

Despite all these good news, giving wildlife time and space to recover can be a double-edged sword for some animals. 

This is the case for sea turtles [5].

Photo of a green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) hatchling, Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica,  from Forbes

The logic is that beach closures would be a good thing for these creatures since this would mean less disturbance to them [5]. True enough. This has been the case in one beach in Thailand where 11 leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) nests have been found since November, the highest record in the past two decades. No such nests had been recorded in the last five years. A real boon. [6,7].

On the other side, the pandemic also meant hampering important research and conservation projects [5,8].

In the case of Turtle Island Restoration Network (TIRN), 300 volunteers are typically enlisted to monitor hundreds of kilometers of beaches in Texas. With the onset of COVID-19, however, only two full-time staff are left to patrol the stretches of beach once a week [5].

This poses a huge threat to the critically endangered Kemp's ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys kempii) since the transfer of their eggs to the hatchling facility is curtailed. Poachers are also likely to steal eggs for income. Beach closures also mean slow response to the threats they are facing [5].

Many turtle conservation groups are also hard hit financially [5,9]. Budgets are usually obtained from volunteer programs which have come to a complete halt due to travel bans [5,10]. Along with this is loss of donations from larger institutions, drying up funding reserves for conservation [5]. This is most critical for projects that have taken decades of work for sea turtle populations to recover [9].

You may click here to know more about sea turtles.

__________

[1] Degnarain, N. (2020, May 16). Six places where oceans, rivers and marine life have rebounded during the coronavirus pandemic.  Forbes. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/y8hdjm8p

[2] Haza, R. (2020, April 14). Watch: rare albino Risso's dolphin spotted off Fujairah coast. The National. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/ya6vvkb3

[3] Rodrigo, M. (2020, May 6). Researchers miss out on sperm whale superpod in Sri Lanka amid pandemic. Mongabay. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/y8ed449s

[4] The Star. (2020, April 27). Thai oceans see more fish and dugongs amid coronavirus closures. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/y73zjl39

[5] Owens, B. (2020, May 6). COVID-19 is not all good for wildlife. Hakai Magazine. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/ycap8owy

[6] Geggel, L. (2020, April 21). Baby leatherback sea turtles thriving due to COVID-19 beach restrictions. Live Science. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/y9jwte9d

[7] The Guardian (2020, April 20). Coronavirus lockdown boosts numbers of Thailand's rare sea turtles. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/y9z4bdcd

[8] Daffurn, E. (2020, April 27). COVID-19: Good or bad for the ocean? Scuba Diver Life. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/ya2ljun7

[9] Sea Turtle Conservancy (2020, June 1). Sea turtle conservation work in Tortuguero threatened due to COVID-19. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/yamjeg6p

[10] Sunkara, L. (2020, April 29). COVID-19 travel restrictions are further endangering sea turtles. How to help. Forbes. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/y9xk2tyj

How Do You Weigh A Living Whale?

Credits to Fredrik-Christiansen (Photo from Oceanographic Magazine)

The obvious answer is that scientists can't really use a scale.

For starters, dead whales can weigh as much as 210 kg to a whopping 160 t. Besides, measurements can be inaccurate given the physical distortion of carcasses caused by bloating and deflation.

But scientists have something new in their arsenal.

Something that can be used above the sea...

But first, let’s learn about how whales are weighed in the past.

The only way to get data on the body mass of whales was to weigh dead or stranded individuals. Studying blue whales, for instance, was limited to dead specimens from whaling operations, fisheries bycatch and beach strandings.

This can be especially limiting with scientists boxed from collecting longitudinal data over a whale's lifespan. This has prevented the inclusion of body mass in many studies in ecology, physiology and bioenergetics.

But now scientists can accurately estimate the weight of free-living whales.

The answer? 

Drones.

Scientists took aerial photos of 86 southern right whales off the coast of Península Valdés, Argentina.

The waters were clear and the sheer number of whales gathering every winter to breed allowed for the measurement of both the dorsal and lateral sides of the whales.

With crisp images, they were able to get data for length, width and height.

These values were then plugged into a model (and voila!) an accurate calculation of whales' body volume and mass.

What's more fascinating is that the parameters of the model can be adjusted to estimate as well the size of other marine mammals, an alternative that can be considered over invasive methods.

This discovery opens a lot of doors for research.

For one, they can now explore the growth of known aged individuals to calculate their body mass increase over time and the energy requirement for growth. They can also peek into the daily energy requirements of whales and derive prey consumption.

Weight data can also provide insights on how chronic stressors influence whale survival and how they can produce offspring.

This innovation also paved the way to recreating a 3D mesh of the whale and a full-color 3D model in the works, which can be used for studying movement and for educational purposes.

SeaLifeBase hosts data on the weight of marine mammals, from blue whale to the dwarf sperm whale, the smallest known whale.

Feel free to explore.

Happy learning!

___________________

[1] Christiansen, F., Sironi, M., Moore, M. J., Di Martino, M., Ricciardi, M., Warick, H. A., Duncan, J. I., Gutierrez, R., Uhart, M. M. (2019). Estimating body mass of free‐livingwhales using aerial photogrammetry and 3D volumetrics. Methods in Ecology andEvolution.

[2] EurekAlert! Researchers use drones to weigh wales. Retrieved from  https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-10/whoi-rud100119.php?fbclid=IwAR2aML0gasxOfu2q2IqSwNoax8znfubn0EH36CHKgnz2nhqXi7muvdVjyWI

[3] Jefferson, T.A., S. Leatherwood and M.A. Webber 1993 FAO species Identification Guide: Marine Mammals of the World. Rome, FAO. 320 p. + 587 figures.

A rare and unforgettable sight: The rainbow-colored blanket octopus

What's better than seeing a rare sea creature? 

Well, seeing two of them and capturing them on camera, of course!

The deep sea never fails to amaze us with bouts of often odd and elusive, yet all the more wonderful creatures.

Take the recent sighting of the rare blanket octopus, which the lucky cameraman Joseph Elayani was able to encounter and film in the wild. On a night dive in the open sea at Romblon (Philippines), at depths of 9-22 m [1], he caught sight of not only one but a pair of female rainbow-colored blanket octopus. It was a glorious moment for Elayani as he witnessed the rapidly shifting colors of the arms, from hues of pastel blues and purple to stunning reds and oranges. This change in color is deemed to be the octopus' reaction from the different light levels of the camera or as a strategy to ward off predators [2].

Credits to Joseph Elayani via Cater News

Blanket octopuses are pelagic creatures found in the Atlantic, Mediterranean and the Pacific, in tropical to subtropical waters. They belong to the genus Tremoctopus [3]. It got its name from the sheets of webbing that extend between some of their arms [4]. 

Octopus, in general, are known to be masters of disguise, changing color patters to blend to their environment and escape predators or sneak on their prey or even mimic other species. Blanket octopus, meanwhile, are known to spread their majestic arms out to drive away would-be predators [4].

One of the things that make them odd is the sheer size difference between sexes: while males are less than an inch long, females can grow up to six feet long and weigh up to 40,000 more than males. It's also unusual that they are immune to the stinging cells of the perilous jellyfish Portuguese man-of-war, which it uses as a weapon against predators [4]. 

Current population data on blanket octopus is unknown [4]. For the meantime, immerse in the beauty that these two lovely octopuses have to offer.

We welcome collaboration with marine scientists and enthusiasts alike. If you have more information or photos on blanket octopuses, you can leave us a message at sealifebase[at]gmail[dot]com.

___________

[1] Good News Pilipinas. Rare rainbow-colored blanket octopus caught on diver’s camera in Romblon waters. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/2Y3HEVL

[2] Best, S. (18 Jun 2019). Stunning rainbow blanket octopuses spotted swimming in depths of ocean. Mirror.  Retrieved from https://bit.ly/2YiRpKU

[3] Turgeon, D.D.; Quinn, J.F. Jr.; Bogan, A.E.; Coan, E.V.; Hochberg, F.G.; Lyons, W.G.; Mikkelsen, P.M.; Neves, R.J.; Roper, C.F.E.; Rosenberg, G.; Roth, B. (1998). Common and scientific names of aquatic invertebrates from the United States and Canada: Mollusks, 2nd ed. American Fisheries Society (Special publication 26), Bethesda, Maryland. 526 p.

[4] National Geographic. Blanket octopus. Retrieved from https://on.natgeo.com/32VuskK

[5] USA Today (4 June 2019). Rare 'rainbow' blanket octopuses caught on camera in the Phillippines | USA TODAY. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/2L92yem

Creature feature: Meet the dumbo octopus

Illustration by Maxeen Bayer based on the Disney character Dumbo

Deep in the ocean floor lives an octopus, its common name derived from the Disney character Dumbo who can fly with its big ears. Just as the sky is for the endearing elephant, the dumbo octopus hails from the deep, steering the waters by flapping its ear-like fins [1].

To date, there are 21 known species of dumbo octopus (Grimpoteuthis) [2]. Being bathypelagic animals, they live 13,000 feet below water (or almost 4000 m) and are rarely seen in shallow waters. They live in tropical to temperate latitudes and have been observed in New Zealand, California, Oregon, Philippines, and in other areas [3].

Dumbo octopus comes in different sizes, shapes, and colors. Its average size is 20 to 30 cm (7.9 to 12 inches) in length and its mantle, either U- or V-shaped. Like other families of octopi, their tentacles are umbrella-shaped, characterized by webbing between their tentacles, which help them navigate while swimming and crawling on the surface. Their ear-like lateral fins also help them propel around the water [4].

Grimpoteuthis has large eyes, about a third the diameter of their head, but it has limited use in the eternal darkness of the deep oceans. However, to defend itself against predators, it uses its ability to change color and camouflage against the ocean floor. When it camouflages, the ears emit a different color than the rest of its body [4].

They are carnivorous, eating isopods, amphipods, bristle worms and more. Their mouth is different from their kin, engulfing their prey rather than grinding and ripping [1].

The male octopus has a special protuberance in one of its 8 tentacles used to deliver the sperm to a female octopus, which the octopus stores until conditions are favorable for laying eggs on shells or small rocks on the seafloor. Young dumbo octopi are large when they are born and must survive on their own. They can live for 3 to 5 years [1].

Very little is known about these creatures. If you have more information on dumbo octopus, SeaLifeBase welcomes collaboration. Kindly send us a message at sealifebase(at)q-quatics(dot)org.

Written by Maxeen Danielle Bayer

_______________

[1] Helmenstine, A.M. (2018, April 24). All about Grimpoteuthis, the dumbo octopus. ThoughtCo. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/2W3CUtP

[2] WoRMS Editorial Board (2019). World Register of Marine Species. Available from http://www.marinespecies.org at VLIZ. Accessed 2019-03-15. doi.10.14284/170

[3] Oceana. Cephalopods, crustaceans and other shellfish: dumbo octopus. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/2Jfo2qM

[4] Ocean Conservancy (2018, October 8). Everything you need to know about the dumbo octopus. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/2OAYNBg

[5] National Geographic (2018, October 29). Rare dumbo octopus shows off for deep-sea submersible. YouTube. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/2u9gcEP

Who's Got Jellies in their Gut?

Gelatinous zooplankton, loosely termed as jellyfish, can be found throughout world’s oceans, known to cause large blooms. This group includes scyphozoan jellyfish, siphonophores, ctenophores, salps, pyrosomes, and appendicularians [1]. 

If we were asked who dines on these jellies, we might reserve the term ‘belly-full-of jelly’ to charismatic sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea, Chelonia mydas) and the ocean sunfish (Mola mola). And it's indeed fitting since an adult leatherback turtle, for instance, ingests an average of 330-kg jellyfish wet mass per day or 73% of its body mass [1]. 

With the rise of new technologies in recent years, however, this exclusivity is no longer true: It turns out that not only such massive marine predators get a chunk of their diet from jellyfish. There’s a whole lot on the table, from birds to fishes to worms, joining the feast [1].

New approaches to study the diet of marine animals such as stable isotope analyses or SIA (getting animal tissues to estimate trophic level), animal-borne cameras, remotely operated vehicles or ROVs, and DNA metabarcoding support the finding that a diverse range of marine predators feed on jellies, not incidentally but targeted [1].  

SIA revealed that jellyfish forms a substantial part of the diet of bony fishes Chloroscombrus chrysurus, Thunnus thynnus, Euthynnus alletteratus, Tetrapterus belone, Xiphias gladius and the green sea turtle Chelonia mydas. 

Animal-borne cameras revealed 42.2% of prey capture for some species of penguins, consuming scyphozoans, salps and ctenophores [1]. 

Metabarcoding showed that jellies make up 20% of food DNA sequences of the two species of albatross, ahead of crustaceans in terms of importance. Meanwhile, next-generation sequencing showed that the endangered European eel Anguilla anguilla has got gelatinous zooplankton in its diet. Seen through powerful ROVs, deep-sea octopus (Haliphron atlanticus) and benthic animals, like echinoderms, crabs, shrimps, amphipods, sea anemones, and worms join the slew of jellyfish predators [1].

Hays et al. 2018 Figure 2A, showing a diverse group of predators worldwide feeding on jellyfish.

Overwhelming evidence of widespread jellyfish consumption throughout the world’s oceans means that jellyfish cannot be simply considered a bycatch, but targeted and opportunistically consumed by many marine predators. However, it's important to note that this shift may be influenced by changing ocean conditions [1]. 

Also, knowing that a growing number of marine life now relies on jellyfish for nutrition signifies their susceptibility to harm, or even death, for mistaking plastic wastes for food [1]. 

These findings are important given that jellyfish holds a huge fraction of the pelagic biomass and have recently increased their abundance worldwide [3]. The study also challenges the common notion that undermines the energetic gain from jellyfish consumption, thus the need to better understand its dietary value [1].

To know more about jellyfishes and other gelatinous zooplankton, visit SeaLifeBase. 

__________

[1] Hays, G. C., Doyle, T. K., & Houghton, J. D. (2018). A Paradigm Shift in the Trophic Importance of Jellyfish?. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 33(11):874-884. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/2DCvaY7

 [2] Lewis, A. (2011, January 5). Leatherback turtle feeding. YouTube. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/1vo1QO8

This is Why We Celebrate Our Reefs

Arthur's Rock, Mabini, Batangas (Photo by Maria Lourdes Palomares)

This year, 2018, marks the third celebration of the International Year of the Reef (IYOR).  It was first conceived in 1997 by the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) to address the rising threats to our coral reefs and its associated ecosystems—mangroves and seagrass beds. Because caring for our coral reefs becomes ever more critical today, this celebration aims to inspire people to come together and help improve the conditions of our reefs for the long-term.

But first, what actually is a coral?

IN SHORT, THEY'RE ‘FLOWER’ ANIMALS

For centuries, taxonomists have been baffled about corals. Yes, they’re like plants—immobile, photosynthetic, home to many creatures. In contrast, like animals, they can be insidious: to capture a nearby prey, they fire their toxic nematocysts from their stinging cells (cnidocytes). Quite a character, right?

Thankfully, with the invention of the microscope, corals have landed their spot: they are clearly animals, but "flower animals" to be exact [2].

Photo by Maria Lourdes Palomares

A LONG-STANDING CONNECTION

What makes corals as we know them today? 

What clads them with hunting colors?

And what enables them to build colonies underwater?

It's the zooxanthellae. They're single-celled dinoflagellates.

Zooxanthellae and corals are inextricably linked to one another. These symbiotic algae live within the corals’ tiny polyps, channeling almost 90% of the food it makes—glucose and amino acids—which enables the growth of calcium-laden structures [6]. Specifically, these reef-building corals (Scleractinia) need light and thus restricted to shallow sunlit waters. However, not all  Scleractinia have zooxanthellae. In fact, half of all Scleractinia do not have symbiotic algae (azooxanthellate species) and thus are not limited by light, temperature and depth. This eases competition for space, allowing them to live in different ocean depths, relying on plankton for food [7].

So we know now that zooxanthellae breathe life to reef-building corals, while corals provide a home to the algae. It's a partnership that has long stood time.

And why is this partnership so special, especially now? A recent study reveals this relationship dates back to 160 M years ago, during Middle Jurassic, well before the days that wiped out dinosaurs. This is particularly interesting to scientists because it opens possibilities on the coral algae's resilience against rising temperatures [4].

BUT THEY'RE UNDER THREAT

The Earth has warmed 1°C since the 19^th century. Although it sounds no big deal, even half a degree increase in global temperature is a step away from coral mass mortality (what we experience today) to a world where corals become 'rare' [5].

When corals experience stress from severe pollution, increased temperatures and acidic waters, they excrete their algae, their very life, and thus become bleached [2]. This wildly impacts marine life, which highly depends on these ecosystems for food, shelter, and breeding [3]. On the bright side, there are more tools available now to increase public awareness on coral bleaching. A great tool, NOAA Coral Reef Watch uses a daily global 5km satellite (based on sea surface temperature monitoring) to depict areas where coral bleaching heat stress currently reaches various levels. 

BEYOND ECONOMIC VALUE

According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), healthy reefs and other ecosystem services amount to more than $29.8 B yearly. But beyond the huge economic value we get from reefs—food security, coastal protection, tourism, medicines, among countless benefits—the presence of corals reminds us that there is so much in nature that's difficult to put a value on. 

Reefs are too precious. They leave us in awe. A world without them is just difficult to imagine. 

Conservation International produced a great film series called Nature Is Speaking, where known figures literally embody the Earth. In the video below, Ian Somerhalder is the CORAL REEF. And he's not just a rock. He does way more than we could imagine.

WHAT CAN WE DO?

Protecting our oceans can be a lot to take in and these days we can be easily flooded with reminders to do our part as ocean stewards. Sure, incredible movements spur here and there and they’re truly commendable. But how can we, as ordinary citizens, not only contribute this year but also commit long-term?

                                                                                            

Luckily, there’s a number of small things we can do—things that we're probably doing now—which we can improve upon and anchor to a more meaningful purpose.

One way is to reduce our plastic use by bringing our own recyclable shopping bags. We can also participate in coastal clean-ups. It might also be a good idea to make our time online worth it by creating and sharing meaningful content. Nowadays, if we're keen to put our curiosity to good use, we can become a citizen scientist and participate in real data gathering. We can also know more about corals online—SeaLifeBase, a database of all non-fish species in the world, can be a good place to start.  Happy learning!

_______________

[1] International Year of the Reef. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/2qkNjGi

[2] Amorina, K. 1 Sep 2016. Coral, Explained. Hakai Magazine. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/2Aoq5T0

[3] Murali. 16 Sep 2018. Why Coral Reefs are Important for Earth. City Today.  Retrieved from https://bit.ly/2ERfS5R

[4] Halton, M. 10 Aug 2018. Coral Reefs 'Weathered Dinosaur Extinction."  BBC News. Retrieved from https://bbc.in/2Pcg2Zp

[5] Plumer and Popovich N. 7 Oct 2018. Why Half a Degree of Global Warming is a Big Deal. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://nyti.ms/2QPjRAR

[6] NOAA. Corals. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/2ReIlUl
[7] Veron, JEN. 2000. Corals of the World, Vol. 1,2,3. Australian Institute of Marine Science.

The Big Life In Between Grains

Photo from Entouriste

Let's imagine ourselves walking along the shore, adoring this stretch of white sand.

What do you see? Apparently, it's too tricky to tell. 

Only if we find ourselves curious and play with the sand for a bit we'll be able to spot some critters. There could be hermit crabs trotting along, worms making tunnels, and seaweeds washing ashore. Or there could be a seabird waiting for its meal. 

But for the most part, life on the shore seems quiet and empty.

Now, if we change the scenery and make a visit to a busy thriving forest, how would our "lifeless" beach compare?

As anyone who's been in a forest, it's easy to tell the animals are there. We can tell there are cicadas, birds, earthworms, a variety of plants, and fascinating insects we don't know about. We know it's alive from the cacophony of sounds and colors.

In fact, Professor E.O. Wilson remarks that, when we put a cap on all the living terrestrial groups, only seven different phyla exist in the woods [1].

But when we drench our feet in sand and foam, it's a different story...

“The surf may at first seem lifeless, composed of water and soil and washed clean. The opposite is true … among the grains of sand in the surf zone, you will in time find twice the number of phyla." -E.O. Wilson

The beach, in fact, holds 14 different phyla against the seven in the forests. Professor Wilson talks about diversity here, not population in numbers [1].

Who knew that the sand alone hosts an impressive universe of little, wriggling creatures down our feet? 

The Interstitial Breathes

These invisible organisms breathing in between grains are called meiofauna (smaller than 1 mm but larger than about 45 microns), and they comprise as Wilson calls the "little-known planet." 

Purely meiofaunal organisms alone make up five out of the 34 recognized phyla in the animal kingdom. They are literally a thriving empire of organisms—one footprint of moist sand carries as big as 50,000 to 100,000 individuals [2].

These meiofauna—gastrotrichs, kinorhynchs, gnathostomulids, loriciferans,  nematodes, priapulids,  rotifers, tardigrades—are easy to overlook but they're actually there, clinging for life, clad with smart adaptations suitable for a life in the interstitial.

They're small but they boast complex physiology comparable to the relatively huge macrofauna. They have also developed an array of adaptations to their ever-shifting habitats: Tardigrades (water bears) have claws and suction in their toes to grip on grains; kinorhynchs use their spine-bearing mouth to hook into sand or mud; free-living nematodes possess slender bodies, easing in between grains and use thread-like setae to hold on to their substrate; gastrotrichs are known to hang too tight to their substrate with a strong adhesive.

Check out this creative and interactive infographic (Hakai Magazine) of some meiofauna and the challenges they face in their big world [3].

Photo of a gastrotrich (David Scharf/Corbis, Hakai Magazine)

The Beach We Came to Know

Meiofauna bridge important links in benthic food webs. Aside from serving as important food to many organisms, they are key decomposers which feed and break down detritus, thus keeping microbial communities active and enhancing nutrient recycling. Through bioturbation and burrow construction (plus their sheer number) they render stability to our benthic ecosystems and shape them as we have them today [5].

Ultimately, these make them the very life of the beach: without meiofauna, our beach is but a mire of untouched, organic debris [2].

A clear grasp of their number and diversity, though, remains to be seen. Wilson says we haven't even come close to documenting all of them; there's just a lot to learn and new worlds to discover [1]. And new ways of seeing things, too. 

The next time we go the beach and grab a fistful of sand, we know we're not alone—a multitude of organisms keep us company, living their big lives in between grains. 

-------------

If you have more information on meiofauna and other non-fish organisms, we'll be happy to have you as one of SeaLifeBase collaborators. Let us know by sending us an email or visiting our FaceBook page.

[1] Krulwich, R. (2016, March 3). An empty beach isn't empty at all. National Geographic. Retrieved from http://bit.ly/1Umi4SB

[2] Mason, A. (2016, March 21). The micro monsters beneath your beach blanket. Hakai Magazine. Retrieved from http://bit.ly/2vi5aPL

[3] Mason, A., Garrison, M. & Kingdon, A. (2017, April 28). Life interstitial. Hakai Magazine. http://bit.ly/2w5DLxW

[4] Gerlach, S. A. (1978). Food-chain relationships in subtidal silty sand marine sediments and the role of meiofauna in stimulating bacterial productivity. Oecologia, 33(1), 55-69.

[5] Schratzberger, M. & Ingels, J. Meiofauna matters: the roles of meiofauna in benthic ecosystems. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/2KP4hCz

Collaborator of the Month: Dr. Charlie (J.E.N) Veron

If you have worked on corals and coral reefs, then you're probably well acquainted with the most comprehensive resource for corals there is, the 3-volume Corals of The World by John Edward Norwood Veron or as cited in the scientific community, J.E.N or Charlie Veron. Can you imagine your life without such a valuable resource? The thing is, Charlie Veron almost did not become a scientist. 

He is known today as the "Godfather of Coral" and likened by David Attenborough to Charles Darwin.

In his memoir A Life Underwater, Charlie chronicles his love for marine life as a child, his long holdup (how he almost didn't make it back to the sea), how one chance helped him pursue his true passion, and how he became a revolutionary self-taught coral specialist.

His work has been instrumental in our present understanding of coral reefs, from how they reproduce to how they evolve, and how they, in the light of climate change, have been dying. "Without his early work we wouldn't have had the basic benchmarks to see the nature of the changes that we are now seeing. He provided that baseline to put everything in context," says the scientist Tim Flannery [1].

Veron's contributions to coral reefs and marine biology are monumental. He was the first to compile a global taxonomy on corals. Also, contrary to common notion, he shed light that the the Indo-Philippines archipelago has the most diverse corals in the world, not the Great Barrier Reef. He is also known for his seminal theory, Reticulate evolution, on how corals have evolved [1]. 

To date, he he has worked on all the major coral reef regions of the world and has over 100 research publications, including 12 books and monographs on corals and coral reefs. 

Among his many books, his three-volume Corals of the World (2000), with his permission to use data and photos, has been invaluable to documenting the diversity of reef-building corals in SealifeBase. 

Over his 50-year career, Veron hasn't only been an insatiable learner of corals. He's been fearless in protecting the marine life he has reveled in his whole life. 

In his memoir, his adventures urge us not only to guard scholarly independence, but more importantly to learn to be persistent and take risks. He explains why today is the most pivotal time to protect our incredible marine life.

You may purchase Charlie's delightful memoir through this link.

_______

[1] Elliott, T. (2017, July 14). Live near the beach? Coral reef expert Charlie Veron has some advice for you. The Age. Retrieved from http://bit.ly/2vFfOMo