#protect the ocean Tumblr posts

[sarahmackattack]

I'm mad that deep sea mining is a thing people are doing so instead of just complaining to my cat, I'm making art about it.

These wheatpastes will be going up this week.

Wanna stick something up near you?

Get stickers here

All $$ supports Skype a Scientist, a small science education nonprofit that is connecting people with science through personal connections with scientists and art!

[blessedscavengers]

protect our oceans

terfs fuck off

made in 2023

[respect-the-locals]

💙🦈 WORLD SHARK AWARENESS DAY!! 💙🦈

Did you know??

Sharks, one of our planet’s oldest species with fossils dating back over 400 million years, have played a pivotal role in marine ecosystems far longer than we have existed on Earth.

Deemed a keystone species, sharks exert such a profound influence on their habitats that their absence would dramatically alter the entire ecosystem. As apex predators, they stand at the pinnacle of the food chain, crucially maintaining the balance of marine life by regulating prey populations. Sharks control species abundance, distribution, and diversity, which reciprocally affects the health of marine habitats.

Organizations worldwide, like the Shark Conservation Fund, are striving to protect sharks directly. Others, such as Blue Ventures and Saving the Blue, indirectly work towards their protection by safeguarding marine habitats and engaging coastal communities.

[clonedchaos]

Happy Sea Otter Awareness Week! 🎉 🦦

Who knew? It’s Sea Otter Awareness Week!

I’m honored to share a birthday week with one of my favorite animal species, and I wanted to take a bit of time to yap about them— I’m an animal caretaker at heart, what can I say?

So what are Sea Otters exactly? They’re carnivores for one, mostly preying on hard mussels, crustaceans, and even urchins. They’re intelligent enough to use tools such as rocks or their sharpened canines to break open these hardy delicacies. Have you seen the action before? It’s adorable!

Pretty practical for an animal without opposable thumbs, huh?

Speaking of their prey, did you know sea otters are actually known as a keystone species? Kelp forests thrive in the ocean, producing around 50% of the earth’s oxygen! Cool, right? Unfortunately, purple urchins love to chow down on the bases of kelp, causing them to break off and die. These forests provide shelter, oxygen, and food for its diverse species that call it home. Without them, the ecosystem itself falls apart.

Fortunately, sea otters find no problem in having an urchin feast for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Sea Otters also lack blubber. Instead, they have millions of tiny hairs clustered together to help them thermoregulate their bodies. Their whiskers, called vibrissae, help them detect prey that they might not otherwise see with their eyes. This is due to vibrations in the water.

Sea Otters also give birth to one pup at a time, given the high demands and dangers of the ocean. Fun fact— the mother will sometimes wrap her pup in kelp like a seat belt and leave to find prey. That way the little one won’t wander off and mom knows they’ll be right where she left them.

The bond between mother and pup is strong. They’ll even take in orphans and raise them as their own in rehabilitation scenarios.

Usually, males stay apart from the females, while the females stay with the pups. Sometimes they’ll aggregate in one area and form what we call “rafts”. They hold hands so they don’t float away from one another. :)

You can typically tell females apart from the males if the otter has scratches on her nose. For some reason, the males typically bite the female’s nose for courtship purposes— definitely not a way to get a girlfriend in our society, but it works for the otters I guess.

Sea Otters spend about 10% of their day— or around 2 hours— rubbing oil onto their fur. This oil is made in their sebaceous glands and is completely natural. It serves to keep their fur water proof; the water rolls right off! Many birds have similar behaviors.

Perhaps the most silly fact I learned about them was that sea otters have “armpit pockets” to store extra food in.

Human adaptations are so lame in comparison imo.

Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be an animal learning session if we didn’t talk about the sad reality of our climate and the planet. Sea Otters are threatened by oil spills, boating accidents, and habitat loss; amongst quite a few others.

With such a rapidly warming climate, toxic algal blooms can spring up on the coasts; in part due to fertilizer runoff entering our oceans. These blooms are toxic to many species, sea otters included. This messes with their neurological functions to the point they forget to do basic necessities to keep themselves alive.

So, do your part to limit your carbon footprint by recycling, eating sustainable fish, using non-chemical fertilizers, keeping our beaches clean, and please DO NOT APPROACH A SEA OTTER!

Yes yes I know they’re adorable, believe me. But it is literally illegal to touch or disturb one. Keep our furry friends safe and admire from a distance.

Enough with the doom and gloom, have some silly little sea otter pictures:

THEY USE THEIR STOMACHS AS TABLES, STOP— 😭😭😭😭😭😭

[thrdchld]

🦈 : do you think sharks get sad? do you think they yearn for a gentle touch?

[ellaandtheocean]

Say no to oil exploration in Aotearoa New Zealand

The new National/Act/NZ First coalition government has promised to remove the ban on offshore oil and gas exploration. This could have horrific impacts on our marine environment and the species that live there, including but not limited to:

Oil spills, which smother and kill marine life

Total destruction of poorly-studied seabed habitats

Degradation of endangered species habitats - including the rarest dolphin subspecies in the world, the Maui dolphin

Noise which will disturb echolocation and communication of cetaceans

We can take action to try and stop this. If you live in NZ, write to your local MP (can find their contact details here: Members of Parliament - New Zealand Parliament (www.parliament.nz)) or the new ministers for Conservation (Tama Potaka), Oceans and Fisheries (Shane Jones) and Climate (Simon Watts). Let them know politely but firmly that you do not support this legislation change. There are also several petitions/open letters that are currently open:

Green Party of Aotearoa petition: https://action.greens.org.nz/saveoilandgasban

Greenpeace open letter: https://greenpeace.nz/resist-oil-exploration

[chrismho]

Mermay 2023 Drawing Challenge, Day 8 - Dystopian 

A dystopia is defined as an imagined state or society in which there is great suffering or injustice-- unfortunately as governments and companies continue to run unsustainably, wastefully, and without regulation, as they continue to ignore what is becoming a seriously, SERIOUSLY big problem, this state seems more and more plausible. The world has lost 30-50% of its coral reefs already according to NOAA. It's still not too late to turn things around. The ocean is such an incredible and breath-taking and awe-inducing world, not to mention we kind of NEED it to survive and thrive! We can definitely make a difference as individual consumers but the real change happens with legislation and policy change.  We need to vote people who care about the planet into office.

[linyidao]

protect coral reef

[mediocrephd]

This is so cool! Finding animal life beneath hydrothermal vents is incredible! Some of the things they found in the underwater cave systems in earth's volcanic crust include snails and tube worms. These tube worms alongside chemosynthetic bacteria, use the hydrogen sulphide in the chemical plumes from thermal vents by oxidising it to create energy and sugars to survive. How cool is that?!

I think this article also really demonstrates how important it is to conserve and protect lesser known ecosystems and species.

[afoxespalette]

Earth Day:

Today we honor Mother Earth, The planet that gives us all birth; A day to deepen our connection, And celebrate all of creation.

From the birds up in the sky, To the bees that buzz on by, And all the creatures down below, We thank them for the gifts they bestow.

From far and wide, To every corner of the earth, We give our thanks and gratitude, For all the beauty and its worth.

From the ocean deep, To the forests and the trees, May we cherish and protect, So that future generations can roam free.

On this Earth Day, we are reminded, Of the impact we have on this planet; To reduce our carbon footprint, And protect all creatures and habitats.

For every living thing that crawls, And those that walk on two legs tall, May we all do our part, And protect their homes with all our hearts.

From far and wide, To every corner of the earth, We give our thanks and gratitude, For all the beauty and its worth.

From the air we breathe, To every blade of grass and every tree, May we cherish and protect, And keep our planet healthy and free.

Let us remember today and every day, That Mother Earth needs our love and care; For every step we take and every word we say, Let it be for the earth and all it's worth.

From far and wide, To every corner of the earth, We give our thanks and gratitude, For all the beauty and its worth.

May we live in harmony, With all creatures and their diversity; For this earth is our shared land, A gift for all to truly understand.

-- AFoxesPalette

[respect-the-locals]

🪼Daily Cnidarian Fact:🪼

Portuguese Man o' War: The Portuguese man o’ war, is often called a jellyfish, but is actually a species of siphonophore, a group of animals that are closely related to jellyfish. A siphonophore is unusual in that it is comprised of a colony of specialized, genetically identical individuals called zooids with various forms and functions, all working together as one. Each of the four specialized parts of a man o’ war is responsible for a specific task, such as floating, capturing prey, feeding, and reproduction. Found mostly in tropical and subtropical seas, men o' war are propelled by winds and ocean currents alone, and sometimes float in legions of 1,000 or more!

[afropuffsartstudios]

Happy Marine (Sea) Day to My Friends Over in Japan

(July 15, 2024)

3 ways to celebrated Marine Day no matter where you are:

Take part in a clean up project near you.

Read books about an ocean animal you don't know about (visit you local library or use your library app).

Learn about safe and healthy ways to conserve water.

[enablechange]

Paddleboarders unexpectedly discovered a breathtaking hidden cave off the Irish coast.

[marandsviet]

(via "Healthy Earth, Healthy Us number 1" Classic T-Shirt for Sale by MarandSviet)