Quick Dips
Curated topical articles on the Blue Economy

Students’ solar-powered camper van turns heads on 1,800-mile road trip

Weronika Strzyżyńska, The Guardian Energy Solutions

Dutch team designed and built two-person van with kitchen, bed, shower, loo and range of up to 450 miles a day.

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Algae sex could save corals from climate change

Mike Williams, Futurity/WEF Fisheries & Aquaculture

A new study shows the algae that are important to corals are able to reproduce through sex. 

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This is how oil spills damage our environment

Charlotte Edmond, World Economic Forum Plastics & Pollution

Oil can kill surface-dwelling animals and birds by poisoning or suffocation, as well as affecting buoyancy and natural waterproofing.

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Tuna Fishing and Retail Groups Join Pew in Encouraging Ratification of Crew Safety Treaty

Kristine Beran, The Pew Charitable Trusts Fisheries & Aquaculture

Cape Town Agreement would lower risks in one of world’s most dangerous professions and curtail illegal fishing.

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How the UN’s Global Biodiversity Framework could become the ‘Paris Agreement for nature’

Andrea Willige, World Economic Forum

The Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) is a United Nations-led initiative to tackle its root causes and could have a similar impact as the Paris Agreement.

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Why the ocean is our ally in fighting climate change: experts tell Radio Davos their hopes for COP26

Alexander Court, World Economic Forum

Radio Davos dives into the frozen waters of the Arctic and sweltering mangrove swamps in Colombia.

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World Octopus Day IG Live

Investable Oceans Fisheries & Aquaculture

We were thrilled to host @Octonation founder and octopus fan #1 Warren Carlyle @octowarren to celebrate one of our favorite cephalopods! We talked about how amazing octopuses are, why people love them, and what’s in store for the future.

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Countries Must Adopt Ecosystem-Focused Management for Northeast Atlantic Fisheries

Jean-Christophe Vandevelde & Ashley Wilson, The Pew Charitable Trusts Fisheries & Aquaculture

Failures show need for precautionary catch limits and sustainable strategy for mackerel, herring, and blue whiting.

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Oceanic Global Launches 'Blue Standard' to Create Sustainable Industries for the Ocean

Tiffany Duong, EcoWatch

The Blue Standard, as the program is called, is a cross-industry standard that empowers businesses to become leaders in sustainability and accountability for the ocean and the planet.

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Rising sea surface temperatures driving the loss of 14 percent of corals since 2009

UN Environment Programme

The “Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2020” report, released today, documents the loss of approximately 14 per cent of the world’s coral since 2009.

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Shipping firms vow to cut emissions if governments support low-carbon tech

Fiona Harvey, The Guardian Shipping & Ports

Industry calls for levy to fund new technologies – but environmentalists say proposal blocks climate progress.

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Research reveals how much plastic debris is currently floating in the Mediterranean Sea

Suzanna Burgelman, Frontiers Science News Plastics & Pollution

The Mediterranean Sea is considered a hot spot for plastic pollution. This is likely due to its densely populated coastlines, fishing, shipping, tourism, and a limited outflow of surface water to the Atlantic.

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'Living seawalls' bring back biodiversity to Sydney Harbour

James and Redmayne, Jill Gralow, Reuters Fisheries & Aquaculture

About 50% of the natural shore of the harbour has been transformed by seawalls and pilings, which do not support biodiversity the same way a natural coastline would.

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People want to do right by nature. They just need a nudge, study shows

Mongabay Plastics & Pollution Tourism

Subtle messaging and cues can encourage tourists to engage in behaviors that protect the marine ecosystem, a new study says.

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How aquaculture can contribute to climate-friendly food systems

Bente E Torstensen & Øyvind Fylling-Jensen, The Fish Site Fisheries & Aquaculture

Only 6-7 percent of the protein currently consumed by humans originates from aquatic sources. Given global population growth and the potential to produce food more sustainably in the oceans than on land, this must change.

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Bringing Blue Food to the Policy Table: Highlights from the U.N. Food Systems Summit

Blue Food Assessment Fisheries & Aquaculture

Last week, the first-ever United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) brought together community leaders, national delegates, nutrition experts, and civil society experts to spark a global food system transformation.

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A $10 million initiative to turn agricultural waste into aquafeeds

The Fish Site Fisheries & Aquaculture

A new $9.8 million aquaculture research centre is being developed at Deakin University in order to produce novel feed ingredients for the industry.

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Why there's no need to wait for blue carbon

Rob Fletcher, The Fish Site Fisheries & Aquaculture

In order for the seaweed industry to thrive and grow sustainably, it needs to be self-sustaining and market-driven, not reliant on the possibility of blue carbon credits, according to Briana Warner, CEO of Atlantic Sea Farms.

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Sinking Marine Snow Aids Oceans in Locking up CO2

ETH Zurich, Futurity

New research sheds light on how oceans absorb carbon dioxide.

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‘False choice’: is deep-sea mining required for an electric vehicle revolution?

Karen McVeigh, The Guardian Energy Solutions

Deep sea mining firms claim their rare metals are necessary to power clean tech – but with even major electric car firms now backing a moratorium, critics say there is an alternative.

Read more → (9 minute read)