Plastic derived from the Greek plastikos meaning ‘capable of being shaped or moulded’, is a long lasting, cheap and strong product that can be found everywhere. The miracle material with its ideal properties for manufacturing is at the heart of a global epidemic. The properties that once made plastic an ideal product also make it a gravely problematic one, a result of our throwaway culture. To date, over 300 million tons of plastic is produced each year, of which 8 million tons finds it’s way into our oceans yearly.

The first time I saw stony coral tissue loss disease, I knew it could mean the end of these beautiful coral reefs that I grew up with, unless we act now!”

The Twilight Zone was not just a hit TV series by Rod Serling. But the counterpart which shares its name, “Coral Reef Twilight Zone”, captivates audiences just as much.

I became aware of threats against the ocean as soon as I started scuba diving, whether it was seeing coral bleaching during a dive or discarded fishing nets covering coral reefs, my eyes were now open to what most will never see. The threats to our ocean are mostly hidden to humans and this is why it has been so devastating, and little has been done to stop it.

Jacinta Shackleton is a marine biologist and educator at Lady Elliot Island, located right on the Great Barrier Reef. You might recognize her name from her stunning work filming and photographing marine animals. Most notably, she is 1/~50 people to have seen and filmed an Ornate Eagle Ray.

Coral reefs, the cities beneath the waves only cover less than 1% of the Earth’s surface but are home to 25% of all known marine life. They provide us with food, protection, jobs and medicine, yet we destroy, damage and degrade these intricate ecosystems mercilessly. We have now decimated 50% of coral reefs worldwide. At this rate, they could all be destroyed come the end of the decade

World Ocean Day feels a little different this year. Heck, everything does. During this time of the COVID-19 pandemic, and a fight for racial justice, some us have retreated from others, some have sought creative ways to cope with lingering anxiety and the thought of the unknown, and some have taken their anger and sadness to the streets in the form of protests.

Due to the safety precautions put in place to protect communities from the COVID 19 outbreak, there has recently been a collapse of the tourism industry. I thought this would be an excellent opportunity to reflect on the impact that tourism has on coral reefs.

Tristyn Garza is a graduate student at the University of West Florida, with a focus on microplastic pollution. Tristyn is working with samples from the Great Lakes to Antarctic identifying and categorizing microplastics. Learn more about her work and her research journey below!

Maria Rodgers, a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Southern Mississippi’s Gulf Coast Research Lab, studies the responses of marine species to oil in the Gulf of Mexico. With an impressive six publications to her name, read further to unravel how Maria got to where she is now.

Marine biology is using the powerful methods of molecular biology to answer a variety of evolutionary and ecological questions. Meet Yasmin is a Marine Molecular Biologist studying at the University of Plymouth and the Treasurer for the Royal Society of Biology. Here is an insight to what life is like as a molecular biologist!

Fengjia Liu is a first-year PhD student with the University of Highlands and Islands and based at the Scottish Association for Marine Sciences (Scotland, UK). Her research focuses on ecotoxicology of sea urchins. https://www.sams.ac.uk/people/research-students/fengjia-liu/

Dr. Sarah Davies, an assistant professor at Boston University utilises molecular techniques to understand how reef-building corals adapt and respond to climate change. Her lab, ‘The Davies Marine Population Genomics Lab’, seeks to understand precisely how and why these responses occur. To date, Dr. Davies has over 30 publications and is an inspiring woman in her field. Continue below as she reveals her journey from junkyard to assistant professor.

The microbiological organisms of the marine world create a splash way too big for their size. The feats of the tiny range from resourceful to beautiful and even frightening. Coccolithophores have been impacting our world since the day they first evolved. Here are the ways that microscopic creatures impact the marine world.

Lisa Steiner is the marine biologist for Whale Watch Azores, and has been since 1988! WOS Editor, Dana Tricarico dives into what brought Steiner to this archipelago, and what she has learned in the field of marine mammal science along the way.

Missing The Sea? Welcome to your very own ‘Marine Entertainment from your Home’! Each day for the next 10 days, we’ll be releasing a blog article full of juicy, ocean related content for you to explore from the safety of your living room couch...

Missing The Sea? Welcome to your very own ‘Marine Entertainment from your Home’! Each day for the next 10days, we’ll be releasing a blog article full of juicy, ocean related content for you to explore from the safety of your living room couch...

Missing The Sea? Welcome to your very own ‘Marine Entertainment from your Home’! Each day for the next 10 days, we’ll be releasing a blog article full of juicy, ocean related content for you to explore from the safety of your living room couch...