Introduction One of the greatest disasters at sea over the past century has been that of overfishing. Overfishing occurs when we remove fish faster than they can reproduce such that their populations cannot replenish and they begin to decline. This has a lasting impact beyond the individual species being fished, as removing one species creates ripple effects throughout the ecosystem. While humans have participated in fishing practices for thousands of years — for subsistence, recreation, or as a cultural tradition — the rapid acceleration of industrial fishing has put great strain on global fish populations and in turn marine ecosystems as a whole. Today we will discuss the history of overfishing, dive into specific case studies to address the repercussions of overfishing, and cover the solutions that are underway. Purse seiner fishing net catching about 400 tons of Jack Mackerel in Peru. Photo Credit: C. Ortiz Rojas The Disaster: Overfishing Fishing provides income for 10-12% of the world’s populations and 3 billion people rely on seafood for their protein. Fishing has become a very lucrative and vital global business, but the cost on our oceans has been incredibly high. Every year, humans catch roughly 90 million tons of fish. It is estimated that up to 37.5% of fish stocks are exploited or overfished. This overfishing also results in up to 38.5 million tonnes of bycatch yearly (animals caught unintentionally in fishing nets). Leatherback turtle as bycatch among tuna in the Atlantic Ocean. Photo Credit: WWF While humans have always fished, global seafood production has quadrupled over the last 50 years. This unprecedented strain on fish populations and marine ecosystems has taken its toll on our oceans, and many fish stocks are near collapse. The fishing industry has demonstrated in real time the Tragedy of the Commons: when everyone, acting in their own short-term self-interest takes from a shared and limited public asset (in this case fish), the end result is a complete depletion of the common good. However, we did not reach this level of overfishing accidentally. Government subsidies have incentivized overfishing, and industrial fishing techniques have made it easier to catch massive quantities of seafood. These techniques include net fishing (such as purse seine fishing or trawling), line fishing, and dredging, which catch massive quantities of fish, result in bycatch, and often destroy the environment in the process. Types of commercial fishing methods. Graphic credits: Marine Stewardship Council Impacts: Specific Case Studies To better understand the impacts of overfishing, we’re going to zoom in on two different species that have been overfished: Atlantic cod and Pacific sardine. In New England, Atlantic cod was once so abundant that Cape Cod got its name from the fish. Early explorers touted the Atlantic cod-filled waters and they quickly became a sought-after fish in both America and Europe. In the 19th century, industrialized fishing techniques accelerated fishing of the Atlantic cod. Longline fishing began with five mile lines and hooks every 3 feet. In the 20th century, steam boats with trawling nets brought in six times as much fish as regular sailing boats. By the 1960s, the invention of the freezer and factory ships increased fishing even further. Between 1962 and 1992, the biomass of Atlantic cod dropped 93%. In the end, the collapse of the Atlantic cod stock destroyed the fishing industry in New England and put 30,000 people out of work. Atlantic cod caught in Newfoundland 1948. Picture Credit: Library and Archives of Canda On the other side of the United States, along the West coast, a different fish faced a similar fate. Pacific sardines (Sardinops sagax caerulea) support a plethora of marine life across mammals, fish, and sea birds. In the 1930s, sardine populations peaked at around 800,000 metric tons, but overfishing (alongside poor ocean conditions) led to their collapse by mid-century. In response, the fishery was closed to allow populations to recover. However, in the 1990s when sardine populations had returned, so did the fisherman. Learning little from their own history, the fisherman once again began fishing sardines excessively. Between 2006 and 2015, sardine biomass declined 95%. This resulted in thousands of malnourished sea lions and starving brown pelicans. Sardine fisheries were eventually closed yet again in 2015 and have remained closed since. Pacific sardines. Photo Credit: EcoWatch The stories of the Atlantic cod and the Pacific sardine are not unique — they are just two of thousands of overfished species — but they demonstrate how overfishing hurts not only the fish being caught, but also the ecosystems they uphold and the people who depend on the fishing economy. When we fish beyond nature’s limits it hurts fish, marine life, and people. Recovery / Conclusion The greatest way to combat overfishing is to limit the amount of fish that can be caught. Permitting and quotas can help regulate how many fish one can legally remove from the ocean. Consistent tracking and measuring of fish populations and health ensures that we don’t place too much pressure on fish populations. Placing moratoriums on overfished species can provide those species with the space to recover. Another effective solution is to establish Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) where fishing is not allowed. Within MPAs, fish populations can thrive and create what is known as spillover. When fish populations inside MPAs grow they may expand beyond the MPA borders and into areas where fishing is allowed. This keeps fish stocks at a healthy level and allows fishing industries to stay in business without fishery collapse. Sustainable fishing practices that allow fish populations to replenish themselves are vital to the continued survival of both marine ecosystems and fishing economies. Citations / Directories Citation No. 1: “Overfishing 101: Everything You Need to Know”, Written by Linnea Harris, Published on August 18th, 2023. Published by NOAA. Retrieval Date: October 9th, 2026. https://www.ecowatch.com/overfishing-facts-ecowatch.html Citation No. 2: “What You Need to Know About Overfishing”, Written by Emily Wong, Published on July 2nd, 2024. Published by Earth.org. Retrieval Date: October 9th, 2026. https://earth.org/facts-overfishing/ Citation No. 3: “Plenty of Fish?”, Written by Unknown, Published on June 10th, 2022. Published by United Nations Climate Change. Retrieval Date: October 10th, 2026. https://unfccc.int/news/plenty-of-fish#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20Food%20and,pushed%20beyond%20their%20biological%20limits. Citation No. 4: “Commercial Fishing Methods”, Written by Unknown, Published on Unknown Date. Published by University of Washington. Retrieval Date: October 11th, 2026. https://sustainablefisheries-uw.org/seafood-101/commercial-fishing-methods/ Citation No. 5: “On the Backs of Cod”, Written by Unknown, Published on Unknown Date. Published by Science History Institute. Retrieval Date: October 11th, 2026. https://www.sciencehistory.org/stories/magazine/a-tragedy-with-no-end/ Citation No. 6: “The Modern Day Pacific Sardine Collapse: How to Prevent a Future Crisis”, Written by Unknown, Published on Unknown Date. Published by Oceana. Retrieval Date: October 11th, 2026. https://usa.oceana.org/responsible-fishing-modern-day-pacific-sardine-collapse-how-prevent-future-crisis/ Citation No. 7: “Pacific Sardines”, Written by Unknown, Published on Unknown Date. Published by Oceana. Retrieval Date: October 11th, 2026. https://usa.oceana.org/responsible-fishing-pacific-sardines/ Strategic Partnerships Reel Guppy Outdoors SharkedSkooler Marine Enthusiasts Podcast Cash Daniels Tides of Tomorrow The Open Book, Topanga Olivenbaum Music Pitfire Artisan Pizza Three J’s Kitchen Presence News Our Loyal Patrons P. R. Ochoa

A photograph of Delta 2, a scientific diver from Rapport Erebus’s The Mirror Without Image, screaming in absolute terror after being accosted by a group of underwater shadow people. Credit to Rapport Erebus. Recently, our head writer interviewed the incredible Oceanic Horror Producer, & Creator of The Mirror Without Image, Rapport Erebus! Rapport Erebus is a French analog horror producer best known for his web series Rapport Erebus, & The Mirror Without Image. The eponymous series Rapport Erebus focuses on a mysterious massive blue hole opening in the middle of the Pacific, leading to scientists discovering a behemoth of mythical proportions. His current series, The Mirror Without Image, focuses on a mysterious city underneath the Timor Sea, leading to the uncovering of a horrifying truth. In today’s interview, we sit down with Erebus to discuss his passion for the ocean, his analog horror journey, his creative process, his eponymous series Rapport Erebus, The Mirror Without Image, & his advice to aspiring oceanic horror storytellers. Before delving into today’s comprehensive 17-question interview, please note that everything said has been edited for clarity, & that the opinions of our interviewee do not necessarily reflect the opinions & values of our organization. With that being said, let us delve into the contents of the interview! The Contents of the Interview Questions About His Career: 1. What sparked your passion for marine biology & all things ocean? Well, it’s kind of a family business. My grandmother was a biologist; she was a teacher of biology at a French college, & my father was in the Navy. I do video stuff, so I’m kind of the synthesis of these 2 ancestors of mine. 2. What sparked your passion for video & motion graphics? It was kind of an accident; at first I studied graphic design. I wanted to do some print work. It was a long time ago; I’m quite old, I’m 36, that’s old for a YouTuber. Video & motion graphics were the hot thing in 2011, & 2012. So, I started; I told myself, okay, let’s go this way, & I’ve been working in video ever since! 3. What sparked your passion for ocean / analog horror? I think I was always a little bit scared of the ocean. There’s something weird about it, about the fact you can’t see underwater. That’s the main contact point with horror. You really can’t see 2 to 3 meters in front of you. That’s a great device for anything horror! I’ve always loved horror movies. I saw a documentary in 2019 called Last Breath. It’s about Chris Lemons who was a saturation diver who got disconnected from his vessel. He survived 30 minutes in the darkness of the abyss. That was really my main media inspiration to start doing underwater horror stuff. A haunting deep sea underwater photograph taken by the fictional Blackwood Petroleum’s ROV 3 in The Mirror Without Image. The photograph features a building at the bottom of the sea, the first sign that something is terribly, terribly wrong. Credit to Rapport Erebus. 4. How did you come up with the name “Rapport Erebus”? Rapport is just report, that’s self-explanatory. Erebus is a Greek deity, but it’s also the passage to the underworld. It’s the gate to Tartarus, & the deeper parts of the underworld. My series was about a hole found in the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. I thought Erebus would be a great name for a gate to the underworld, & there’s a lot of references to Greek mythology throughout the series. The main thing that made me want to add these references is because in France, the last nuclear atomic bomb test was called Project Xouthos, which is a Greek name. I’m really interested in making things sound realistic. For example, I told you my father was in the Navy; I asked him for the ranks of people who would be diving. There’s Capitaine de vaisseau, & ranks like that. I also asked for the vessels used by the French Navy (Marine Nationale) at that time. I tried to make it look realistic, & to link some real elements to the story. 5. What is your favourite marine or terrestrial animal? I’m going to be quite classic; it would be the leatherback turtle. I don’t know if it’s the graphic designer in me, but they are very aqua-dynamic. It’s a really nice design. A gorgeous photograph of a Leatherback Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) in the open blue. Credit to NOAA Fisheries. Questions About His Analog Horror Series: 6. What inspired you to begin creating analog horror? How did you start? It’s very inspired by Lovecraft, & by cosmic horror. I think discovering something & finding out that everything you know might be wrong. All you think about, your history, your preconceived notions you have about how the world works. The cosmic horror angle that Lovecraft has was the main feeling I wanted to convey. Another great reference is the first Alien movie. In the first Alien (1979) movie, when they explore the derelict & find the corpse of an alien, it’s the feeling of “Okay, everything is falling apart”; that’s the kind of dread I wanted to convey. I think Kane Pixel’s Backrooms (2022-) is what made me think I could do it. If you look at the Backrooms, the 3D work is quite simple. It’s the concept that made it work. It’s really endless rooms; it’s just a few polygons of 3D work. I’m not a very good 3D artist, but I told myself, it can be done. I just had to find the time & a good concept, & just do it! All the voices were done by me (in the eponymous Rapport Erebus) but I also used post-production on top. My wife did the female voices in the episode Incident (Episode 4), but apart from that it was just me. I tried to make things quite stiff; they are scientists & navigators, so they should attempt to maintain their composure, not freak out like a civilian. 7. Who are the core characters in Rapport Erebus, both human & non-human? For the human ones, I’m sorry to say, they don’t matter much. I didn’t make it a character-driven story. I focused on the story & the concept. That’s kind of an analog horror trope if you look at Local 58, or several analog horror media. The horror comes from the concept & sound design; the ideas are dreadful. There aren’t any important human characters. All that remains of fictional diver Adrien Fleury after an encounter with Prognathodon kerberos in the Rapport Erebus web series. Credit to Rapport Erebus. The main characters are the monsters. What is that creature at the bottom that is guarding Erebus? What’s below Erebus? What’s the creature behind the door at the bottom of Tartarus, the cave below Erebus? These are the most interesting things, & people ask more questions about those than about what happened to this character or that character. The final thing that fictional diver Adrien Fleury saw before meeting his terrifying fate in the Rapport Erebus web series. Credit to Rapport Erebus. The first character, the Prognathodon, is kind of like Cerberus. In Greek Mythology, it’s the 3-headed-dog that guards the underworld. The thing at the bottom of the hole, the last creature, doesn’t have a name. It’s drawing from Lovecraft at that point. It’s Cthulhu-inspired; it might be Cthulhu. It’s also inspired by the Bloop. The Lovecraftian Entity that Prognathodon kerberos is protecting in the Rapport Erebus Web Series. Credit to Rapport Erebus. One peculiar thing is the last nuclear test, Xouthos, that France did in the Pacific Ocean. Roughly a year after that, the Bloop was heard. That was interesting to me. The 2 events were really close in geography & time. I wanted to link them in a horror story. Both creatures are out there, roaming the Pacific. The end is open. The last episode is the bloop; I wanted people’s imagination to fill in the gap, & continue the story with their own canon & lore. I think it helps people to remember & continue talking about stories after they’re finished if they still have something to talk about. If they still have theories, the analog genre is about the community following the stories, adding on top of the lore, & inventing theories. That’s something I wanted from the get-go. I wanted to have this community-minded project. A spectrogram of The Bloop, a mysterious underwater ultra-low-frequency noise recorded in 1997. The sound sparked speculation of an underwater beast of mythical proportions capable of creating such a noise, but was later proven to be the result of ice breaking. Credit to the NOAA. 8. What is your series “The Mirror Without Image” focused on? I wanted to do something with a city underwater. I think the visual is very uncanny of discovering an underwater history; it’s called submechanophobia. There’s thalassophobia, which is being scared of the depths & creatures of the ocean, but there’s also submechanophobia, which is the feeling you’d get from going to the bottom of the ocean & seeing a chair or car. You know, finding things that shouldn’t be there. I really wanted to go in that direction. I built up from that starting point. A collection of underwater dolls featured in The Mirror Without Image. Credit to Rapport Erebus. The series is about scientists discovering a city underwater in the Timor Sea, a bit north of Australia. That allows me to do it in English. I think the first series (Rapport Erebus) being in French is a deterrent for English-speaking audiences. The second series is in English, English & Japanese because there are 2 timelines that are going to cross over. There’s the Australian point of view, & the Japanese point of view. The Japanese timeline is in the 1940s just before the atomic bomb, & the Australian timeline is in 1995. They explore these underwater cities, & find things which are going to get weirder & weirder. 9. What inspired you to create a series which juxtaposes WW2 & the 1990s? It’s a geometrical thing. I started with the idea that there’s a city that appears in the middle of the Timor Sea. The first timeline is about nuclear things; it’s about the atomic bomb & the bombing of Hiroshima in 1945. I looked at the magnetic field lines of Earth at that time, & the Timor Sea was linked to Hiroshima. I told myself, what if there was a weird experiment going on with higher dimensions in Hiroshima? What if the real story is hidden from us? In Rapport Erebus, the final atom bomb of France wasn’t an atomic test; it was to kill a Lovecraftian creature at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. What if the real reason for the atom bomb in Hiroshima was not an accident? Hiroshima wasn’t targeted first; it was weather conditions that made Americans choose Hiroshima at the last minute. I wanted to say, what if the real reason was because of Japanese scientists developing a new kind of weapon? To spoil it, the atomic bomb was the igniting thing that made the Japanese experiment go on, & duplicated Hiroshima at the bottom of the Timor Sea. A bridge at the bottom of the Timor Sea. Credit to Rapport Erebus. The Mirror Without Image is much more written than Rapport Erebus. I started doing Rapport Erebus without knowing how many episodes I would produce. For The Mirror Without Image, I took a really long time writing it. I wanted it to be interesting, & to have conflict. Putting 2 timelines is interesting; I think the OSS versus the Japanese & Blackwood Petroleum versus the Royal Australian Navy & CIA creates conflict, so it’s interesting. 10. Do both of your series take place in the same fictional universe, or do they exist independently of one another? I think it’s the same universe, but they are not related at all. They co-exist in a parallel Earth, & they are both Lovecraftian. For the second series, The Mirror Without Image, Lovecraft wrote a lot stories about higher dimensions that we can’t see, but exist in ways we cannot perceive. It’s the same Lovecraftian universe. 11. Walk us through the process of creating an installment of Rapport Erebus or The Mirror Without Image. What is your creative process? How do you render visuals? How do you find voice actors? For Rapport Erebus, it was easy because it was in French. I did all the voices. You start with the writing; you need to know where you’re going, so you can know which things are going to work & which things to adjust. For Rapport Erebus, I do a mid of motion graphics, like 2D & 3D motion graphics. For The Mirror Without Image, there’s more archive work, but there’s also 2D & 3D motion graphics. I tried to find real archives from archive.org for the 1945 timelines. Mainly, I start writing it, then do the voices, sound effects, & music. After that, I make the visuals. I tweak the music & sound design to see if the rhythm is aligned with the images. After that, I just upload them to YouTube. For voice acting in the new series, it’s text-to-speech, except for the last episode. For the last episode, a YouTuber called Cursed Content contacted me because he wanted to do a video on The Mirror Without Image. He said that if I needed voices, he’d be more than happy to do them. So, he recorded voices for me! I sent him a script, & he did multiple takes which was great. I changed his voice in post-production to differentiate characters. That’s also a trick, & why I got into analog horror, because the visual & the sound is quite degraded. There’s lots of noise over the voice on the radio in atmospheric diving suits, so you can hide the fact that the voices are tweaked in post-production to make different voices. It’s the same thing with visuals; you use VHS filters to make the image more noisy & less high quality. It helps your brain fill the gaps to make it more believable. A photograph of a whale swimming above a submerged apartment complex in Episode 11 of The Mirror Without Image. Credit to Rapport Erebus. 12. How many installments do you currently have in The Mirror Without Image series, & how many do you intend to produce total? What is the future of The Mirror Without Image, & your work as a whole? (Note: This interview was conducted on September 16th, 2026.) The last episode released was episode 17 (as of September 16th, 2026). The last episode of The Mirror Without Image will be episode 18. It should be really short, about 3 minutes. It will tie in the 2 timelines with a neat bow. It was a really big project when I started. I didn’t think it would take so much time; it’s a full-length movie. After episode 18, I will edit all the episodes together like I did for Rapport Erebus. It will be an hour & 12 minutes long movie. I did a full movie! I think I’m going to take a break after that. For the next project, I will have to think about having producers or having people interested in financing it, because it’s a lot of work! I started it in March (2026), doing it in the mornings before work or evenings after work, doing double days almost every day. If it gains traction, people like it, & want more of it, & someone is interested in financing something like that, maybe. I don’t know if I have the courage to do it as a personal project. There’s a question that comes back in a lot of comments about whether I use AI or not. I was surprised that it was such a polarizing thing; I think it’s much less polarizing in France than it is in the US. I use a bit of AI, especially for The Mirror Without Image episodes with shadow people. For the 3D rendering, I use a little bit of DLSS 5 to re-texture the 3D to make it look more realistic. I know people are really polarized on this issue, but I have to say it; I have to be honest, because I don’t want to lie to people. It’s an issue that a lot of people have a problem with, so I wanted to be honest & address it. I think that the thing people need to understand is that it isn’t all there is. It’s not like I push a button, & a movie comes out. It doesn’t work like that at all. That’s not how I used it. I enjoy the comments speaking on the story, on theories, & things like that as opposed to more technical discussions. If people can forget the technical, focus, & be immersed in the world & in the story, that’s the biggest thing for me, to make them forget that they’re watching CGI. That’s my goal. A photograph of Delta 1 in Episode 11, a fictional diver in The Mirror Without Image. Credit Rapport Erebus. 14. Across your work in oceanic horror, what has been your proudest moment or greatest triumph? I think it’s being recognized by people I follow, for example, EmmortalMarcus. He’s an analog horror YouTuber. He does reviews & things like that. He reviewed Rapport Erebus, the first series, & gave a shout-out to the second one a few months ago. Seeing notifications about my work from people I follow on YouTube with my actual personal account, that’s a proud moment. 15. Across your time working in oceanic horror, I’m confident that you have encountered your fair share of hurdles & challenges. What is the largest challenge you’ve faced? How have you overcome it? The challenge is to find time, & courage to do it. We have a lot of other things to do like taking out the trash, cooking, or cleaning your room. Finding time is really the hardest thing. You’ve just got to believe in your idea, & just go through it, even if you’re doubting. Remember that the people seeing your content for the first time might have the same emotion that you had when you had your idea! Even if you’re not satisfied, it’s better to release something than to not do anything at all. At the end of Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995-1996), the hero Shinji doesn’t want to build relationships with people because he doesn’t want to get hurt. If you don’t want to get hurt, or face criticism, you’re paralyzed; you won’t be able to do anything. You need to throw yourself out there, & just do it! Even if some people criticize it, you might have pushback; push through & open yourself to the people. If they like it? Great! If they don’t? Well, too bad, but that’s life. 16. Do you have any advice for aspiring ocean horror authors, video creators, writers, or voice actors? There’s a rapper in France called Orelsan; he had a punchline “If you want to make a film, you just need something to film it with”, That’s kind of the philosophy, especially towards young people. If you have time, if you live with your parents or something, learn Blender or After Effects. Pick up your phone & film a short film with it. Throw yourself, & just do it! 17. Do you have any final words about Rapport Erebus, The Mirror Without Image, analog horror, or the haunting beauty of the sea? Go watch it! If you are scared of the ocean like me, & if you like horror movies, you have some series just for you on YouTube! A photograph of the incomprehensible amalgamation of underwater shadow people featured in The Mirror Without Image in Episode 17. They do not follow the typical rules of geometry, or biological symmetry. Credit to Rapport Erebus. Directories / Credits https://youtube.com/@rapporterebus?si=ytJpU4UcXO2A65Ek Strategic Partnerships Reel Guppy Outdoors SharkedSkooler Marine Enthusiasts Podcast Cash Daniels Tides of Tomorrow The Open Book, Topanga Olivenbaum Music Pitfire Artisan Pizza Three J’s Kitchen Presence News Our Loyal Patrons P. R. Ochoa

A K9 unit & wildlife officer inspecting packages at the Long Beach Sea Port for wildlife trafficking. Credit to Mongabay. California’s Pacific coast is one of the most biodiverse and abundant ecosystems worldwide teaming with almost 2,000 species of microorganisms, plants, fish, marine mammals, turtles, invertebrates, and seabirds supported by a Mediterranean climate. Its famous offshore, underwater, and coastal rock formations date back to the Cretaceous period and help subsidize this special bionetwork making the state’s ocean waters and sea life sacred and unique. Unfortunately, California’s precious coastal ecosystem also faces massive threats in the vein of climate change/global warming, the devastation of kelp forests, ocean acidification, algal blooms, and habitat destruction; sounding the alarm for the time-sensitive need for human intervention, conservation management, and awareness. The Pacific Tide series highlights monthly oceanic events occurring on the California coast and/or portraits important species who call the Pacific coastline waters home emphasizing the importance of conserving this critical ecosystem. In this month’s installment of The Pacific Tide, we expose the dark world of wildlife trafficking and poaching rings with marine and aquatic animals being highly coveted; citing examples of a 500-sea specimen trafficking bust, multiple episodes of abalone poaching, and illegal clamming among others. Learn how this unlawful activity damages the California coastal oceanic ecosystems, causes disease, endangers food web resilience, harms fisheries/ocean farming, undermines marine conservation efforts, and injuriously traumatizes the laundered specimens. We also explore how the state of California is combating wildlife trafficking and poaching with the founding of a statewide confiscations resource network, laws enacted to protect both wild and sea life, and how the general public can get involved to help report trafficking and poaching. 2,000 Marine Animals…Inside a Box Truck?! Mouths taped shut, secured inside everything from toys to food containers to human bodies; multiple plane rides enduring turbulence, temperature changes, and atmospheric elevation alterations, boat trips on choppy waters, and an absence of food, water, or even space to properly move… This might sound like the plot of the next kidnapping/crime documentary to air on Netflix; but it is the traumatic reality of animals laundered in wildlife trafficking rings. Archetypally, wildlife trafficking is associated with exotic animals such as monkeys and tigers; but even more lucrative and statistically significant are the illegal marine/aquatic pet trade and restaurant delicacy trafficking with the endpoint bullseye based in Los Angeles, California. It is here, at either the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) or at the world-famous San Pedro and Long Beach Harbor Ports; that trafficked sea life - often traveling from as far as Fiji, Indonesia, the Caribbean, Australia and other far-flung dots on the map - are smuggled into the City of Angels attempting to anonymously slide past wildlife agents tasked with intercepting animal trafficking that can foreseeably damage the California coastal oceanic ecosystems, cause disease, endanger food web resilience, harm fisheries/ocean farming, undermine marine conservation efforts and injuriously traumatize the animals being laundered. On June 19th 2026, Los Angeles-based U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) officials clocked into their work shifts expecting the usual chaos that comes with inspecting endless crates, boxes, products, transportation vehicles, and even the bodies of travelers; watching for illegally trafficked marine/sea wildlife. This particular Friday was unknowingly going to send shock waves into the weekend as a box truck carrying 2,000 endangered and near-threatened species of marine animals was intercepted and seized by wildlife agents. Ocellaris clownfish, rabbitfish, yellow longnose butterflyfish, lemonpeel angelfish, emperor angelfish, Banggai cardinalfish, powder blue tang fish, bamboo sharks, brown-banded sharks, crabs, shrimp, clams, turtles, aquatic invertebrates, corals, sea cucumbers, sea anemones and snails, among a host of other marine species; were smuggled into cramped spaces and inside small, cloudywater-infested tanks/ bags suffering from dehydration, injury, parasites, stress-induced trauma and weight loss resultant from lack of food during their harrowing journey. “These animals are likely from [the] reef, and that means that all animals that live in nature have some level of parasites,” Nate Jaros, Vice President of Animal Care at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, California clarified, “And when you bring them into a stressful environment, those parasite loads can start to increase. Those fish are going to need medical treatment to ensure that we can rid them of parasites that are also compromising their health”. Heading to either illegal pet trades or restaurant consumption; this intercepted truck caused an urgent logistical and legal nightmare for the city of Los Angeles. A distinguished photograph of Nate Jaros, Vice President of Animal Care at the Aquarium of the Pacific looking after 500 of the 2,000 seized specimens intercepted in Long Beach on June 19th, 2026. Los Angeles’s Aquarium of the Pacific (Long Beach) swooped in like superheroes taking on 500 of these trafficked sea creatures and logging/categorizing the entire truckload while triaging physical and medical conditions. Aquarium staff and veterinarians worked into the dawn hours of the early summer weekend, providing intensive care to the hundreds of seized oceanic animals now in their custody and stabilizing them in quarantine tanks hoping to recuperate the confiscated creatures and either send them onwards to other accredited ocean rehabilitation centers or integrate them into their own Aquarium of the Pacific habitats. A quarter of the laundered sea animals were discovered deceased immediately upon intake or shortly after unable to overcome their fast-debilitating medical conditions. Due to the unverifiable origin of trafficked marine life and their weakened immune systems; these precious animals suffer the unfortunate fate of losing their freedom as release into California’s Pacific waters is impossible, attributed to the potential disruption to steady marine ecosystems and food webs. With many of the 2,000 truck-bound smuggled sea specimens being endangered species or on marine conservation lists; this means extra precautions and considerations were legally required. Aquarium of the Pacific President and CEO Jeff Flocken describes, “Wildlife trafficking disrupts national and global ecosystems and puts animals on the path to extinction. We are proud to answer the call to help trafficked wildlife and are committed to providing immediate care and a sanctuary for all of those that we can help”. The June 19th Truck Fiasco may sound unusual and catastrophic but wildlife trafficking specifically of ocean marine animals is commonplace, standing only behind drug and human trafficking with Los Angeles being the epicenter of North American operations. In July, a further 300 marine animals found a home at the Aquarium of the Pacific from an additional trafficking incident. Since 2023, the Aquarium of the Pacific has housed more than 3,000 trafficked ocean specimens with Los Angeles seeing more than a dozen sea life confiscations by August 2026 on track to topple previous records. Corals confiscated as freight at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) comprise a significant portion of trafficked sea life into the United States and are especially problematic as coral species number in the thousands and often require microscopic examination to identify. While the transport and trade of sea animals isn’t entirely illegal; it is a detail-oriented system of permits, regulations, laws, and dotted I’s and crossed T’s; with endangered and threatened species being exceptionally prohibited but in great demand on the black market. However, it isn’t just trans-international animal trafficking threatening harm to California’s oceanic environment but something closer to home: poaching. Leave California’s Abalone, Alone! A striking aerial photograph of Santa Catalina Island featuring the beautiful Avalon Casino. Credit to seattlemet.com. Los Angeles, California may be a premier vacation destination; but Los Angelinos often desire to escape from the bustle and heavy, grey smog. For that end, residents can board an hour-long ferry ride (22 miles) to Santa Catalina Island, one of California’s Channel Islands distinguished for its European resort ambiance, Art Deco architecture, crystal blue bays, and vibrant wildlife. Underneath this tranquil beauty lies the seedy underbelly of Catalina: poaching. Catalina is the home to an enormous natural population of the marine water snail, abalone. Red, black, green, pink, and white abalone varietals are among the highest-demand seafood cuisine delicacies but are heavily protected in California where treasured abalone are critically endangered due to overfishing, their snail-speed growth cycle (pun intended), and disease-related population wipeout. Although it is illegal to take or possess abalone anywhere along the California coast with the exception of approved sustainable fisheries during pre-selected seasons; this doesn’t stop poachers who are more fixated on the $150 average return per abalone on the restaurant black market than California’s wildlife laws. Diabolical poachers often steal abalone from Catalina’s waters under the glow of moonlight alongside cliffs and bluffs that are difficult for policing wildlife officers to monitor even in the brightest sun. California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) agents responded to a September 6, 2026 report at Catalina’s Alamitos Harbor involving three suspects seen poaching for green abalone undermining the island’s abalone conservation efforts. Only one suspect freely admitted to the poaching and was released with a lax promise to appear in court. Not all abalone poachers are so lucky when caught by CDFW officials to walk away with a slap on the wrist. Hee Won Chai and Jin Chai Jeong, both from the Los Angeles metropolitan area, pled no contest to the taking of eight pink abalone, three green abalone, and four spiny lobsters (outside of lobster fishing season) off the shores of Catalina and to the tampering and destruction of evidence resulting in the permanent annulment of both men’s fishing licenses and $62,000 fees directed to each suspect with some of the proceeds going to the CDFW’s abalone preservation fund. A photograph of a pink abalone (Haliotis corrugata) in the wild. This species is a favourite among California poachers. Credit to Adam Obaza. Catalina’s poaching rings encroach on other marine life outside of abalone with poachers increasingly targeting rare fish positioned at the illegal exotic aquarium market. David Hornbaker, a convicted poacher with a long list of previous infractions, was spotted by CDFW agents in Catalina’s harbor squirting quinaldine (a chemical anesthetic used to stun marine life before capture) at schools of blue-banded and zebra-banded goby fish – a practice that is illegal in the United States although regularly-practiced in other parts of the world. Hornbaker was caught in the act underwater with squirt bottles and containers while attempting to abandon the evidence and unconvincingly claimed to be unaware of the laws he was already cited for multiple times dating back to 2013. Officials counted 172 gobies in Hornbaker’s possession which, at the going rate of $5,000/fish on the aquarium black market, could have yielded an $860,000 profit had the CDFW not intercepted (the gobies were released back into the Catalina waters after the recorded count). This incident STILL didn’t stop Hornbaker who was caught yet again partaking in his life of poaching crime when Santa Cruz Island officials identified Hornbaker with the possession of rockfish without a license and the failure to list sea cucumbers (also a restaurant black market delicacy) on a dive log. Hornbaker was finally struck down when he pleaded guilty in the California Supreme Court of Law for the Catalina goby fish episode but was only charged with a misdemeanor and a measly $115 fine. However, the CDFW did rescind all of Hornbaker’s fishing licenses and confiscate all of his equipment; since then, Hornbaker hasn’t been seen again. A photograph of a Blue-Banded Goby Fish, the kind poached by David Hornbaker. Please note this exact individual was not poached. Credit to @marine_encylopedia. Poaching isn’t limited to the confines of Catalina Island with criminal activity buzzing up and down the California coast. A recent San Diego, California abalone incident spanned enough twists and turns and characters of interest that a game of ‘Clue’ would be put to shame. San Diego’s upper echelon, private San Diego Yacht Club (SDYC) was caught in a scandalous confrontation when a hot tip was reported of men poaching abalone and lobster from a ship registered to a top SDYC elected commodore. The boat was empty of persons of interest but shucked abalone and scuba gear were strewn about the boat decks. Officials later discovered Kyle Clark and Jesse James, both members of SDYC, on another boat; admitting to the abalone and lobster poaching. Both suspects faced $164,000 in fines and darkened the reputation of the SDYC. An abalone poaching incident was also documented off the Mendocino, California coast in the early months of 2026 when CDFW wardens spotted a male and female duo poaching purple sea urchins with the female suspect then concealing abalone down her pants in what seemed almost like a comedic bit in a cartoon. The woman was cited for abalone poaching and faced a potential sentence of $40,000 in monetary fees and a year in prison. Just a month prior, a poacher was intercepted by the CDFW with 15 abalone in the same Mendocino location. Mendocino is a hot spot for abalone poachers with a notable incident of 11 poachers intercepted taking 400 abalone in under 72 hours resulting in several of the apprehended poachers fleeing the country and the rest charged with $71,400 fines. Seized poached abalone in Monterey, CA. Credit to KQEDQuest. As 2026 draws to a close; poaching hasn’t slowed down with an October 3rd incident occurring overnight at Pismo Beach (12 miles from San Luis Obispo, California) with CDFW wildlife officers spotting four poachers in possession of 494 clams with two of the clam-jackers fleeing the scene (one of these two returned). Pismo clams suffer from over-harvesting leading to state conservation protections hoping to recover species population numbers. Only 16 of the 494 clams were of legal harvesting-size and none of the poachers were able to present valid fishing licenses or lawfully-mandated clamming tools/devices. The three poachers (the runaway poacher never returned) all hail from the San Francisco Bay area and were arrested and booked for multiple violations including clamming after hours (clamming is only permissible during daytime), absence of fishing licenses and clamming tools/measuring devices, the possession of clams exceeding the bag limit of 10, and the possession of undersized clams below 4 ½ -inches with the failure to return immature clams. CDFW agents successfully re-buried the clams under the 2-inch depth requirement and expect the clams to fully recover from their ordeal. Government officials hope that criminal charges will deter future poachers as the unlawful activity has been on a steady incline in California. CDFW Assistant Chief Mike Stefanak affirms, “Successful prosecutions such as these will hopefully serve as a deterrent for anyone considering committing these crimes against the environment”. It isn’t just the law that poaching and trafficking violate; they also debilitate California’s marine ecosystems. The Crushing Consequences of Marine Trafficking and Poaching in California Marine poaching and trafficking might be a financially-lucrative incentivized way to land your face on a wanted poster; but it is also devastating to California’s Pacific biodiversity. Delicate ecosystems are unended, disease can grow rampant, food web resilience is threatened, conservation efforts towards native species are undermined, and existing regulated fisheries are economically impacted in the short and long term by poaching and trafficking. The widespread poaching of abalone destroys California’s marine food webs even potentially risking the entire extinction of kelp forests which would be ruinous for the Pacific. Existing marine habitats are also faced with destruction from poaching and disease spread through oceanic ecosystems by discarded trafficked sea life. Often, non-native species are detected to be released into California’s coastal waters which can be invasive to existing sea life. California boasts ecosystems unseen elsewhere in the world with 7,500 species found solely in the Golden State making it critical to maintain the intricate balances at all times. Authorized fisheries also face loss of income as poachers illegally sell sea delicacies to restaurants, which in turn can be devastating to the entire state’s economic hard line. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) reported that illegal wildlife trafficking into California continues to escalate with live corals holding the top spot in demand. Some of these corals are dumped into coastal waters and become invasive to coral species already calling California home. The marine trafficking statistics are hard to ignore with 48,793 laundered animals at the California border confiscated between 2015 and 2019, comprising these corals plus crustaceans, mollusks, turtles, and fish largely due to the high demand from restaurants on the black market. These numbers have been doubling with each five-year data set with the 2020-2025 period finding 72,989 trafficked animals seized at the California border with 26,296 being endangered and protected species. Poaching and trafficking is a $20 billion a year enterprise which makes the only viable solution to nullify the demand. A photograph of seized invasive Chinese Mitten Crabs (Eriocheir sinensis). Credit to the United States Fish & Wildlife Service. California is also seeing an exponential upsurge in protected sea cucumber trafficking (100 tons confiscated between 2011-2021) bringing in a high profit as the restaurant delicacy is valued at $29.5 million. Chinese Mitten Crabs, so called for their furry claws that resemble Russian hand muffs, are consistently trafficked into California during the Chinese New Year season and have caused overwhelming damage to California freshwater ecosystems and estuarine infrastructure. Chinese Mitten Crabs that either escape or are purposely released into California’s coastal oceanic waters devastate existing marine species by pilfering food sources, consuming fish eggs, spreading marine diseases, and burrowing into infrastructure causing architectural damage. Caulerpa algae, a non-native alga trafficked for aquarium filtration systems, has overtaken native seagrass in both the San Diego and Newport Beach (Orange County) bays harming the California fish species that use the existing algal ocean carpeting as nurseries. This marine invasion not only caused environmental destruction but had a profound financial impact on California costing millions to ‘clean’ with divers having to uproot the algae by hand. Trafficking and poaching can also impact human health with zoonotic disease (illnesses that jump from animals to humans) being prevalent in illegal trade. Trafficked turtles often carry a highly-infectious form of Salmonella that radically sickens humans upon contact. A photograph of trafficked turtles. Turtles are one of the most popularly trafficked aquatic animals. Credit to the United States Fish & Wildlife Service. California’s Response to Marine Poaching and Trafficking California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), California Fish and Game Commission (CFGC) and U.S. Department of Agriculture officials can often be found collectively seated behind hundreds of computer monitors in warehouse-sized rooms in what might look like a telemarketing call center operation but this is actually an undertaking aimed at scouring internet websites, private forums, and public online groups for the potential sale of any trafficked and poached marine specimens and any ‘viral trends’ fueling the demand for these animals. At the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), 12 warehouses of incoming cargo are inspected all day, every day, by wildlife officials and canines trained to ‘sniff out’ illegally trafficked animals including marine species from corals to sea turtles and sharks to seahorses. Meanwhile, wildlife officials patrol California’s 1,954-mile-long Mexico border, coastal waters bays, and more than 100 million tons of cargo that collectively enters California’s airports and harbors; but this is a behemoth task shouldered by too few staff members for the scope of the job. Wildlife inspectors were already severely understaffed; but with the current presidential administration’s piercing of funding budgets toward wildlife protections and federal layoffs of agents in the field: an additional 33% reduction in the USFWS workforce has caused a further strain. In early 2026, 5% of wildlife agencies were terminated with a further 420 layoffs pending. It is vital to find ways to counteract these weaknesses and continue to battle California’s trafficking and poaching crisis. One of the principal holes in tackling California’s marine life trafficking and poaching; is the burden of where these animals will ‘go’ after being confiscated. Wildlife inspectors and agents intercepting traffickers and poachers heavily pursue the legal ramifications but their job description ends within these boundaries and they are often at a loss as to who to call during the critical time bomb of these animals needing immediate medical care and resources. Launched in 2023, California established a pilot program intended to solve this dire need with the Southern California Wildlife Confiscations Network. The Southern California Wildlife Confiscations Network is a unified collaboration between the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) streamlining the placement of seized animals with accredited zoos, sanctuaries, aquariums, universities, and permit-approved animal facilities on their roster. With this program, wildlife agents can quickly access vetted network members through one point of contact department; shortening the downtime between law enforcement seizures and necessitating animal care to increase the chance for survival. “Across the country, it’s always a challenge with humanely placing animals,” expressed Dan Crum, a USFWS Office of Law Enforcement Pacific Southwest Region official, “Most agents deal at the local level and do their networking within the vicinity of their points of entry. And these may not be the best places for the animals. We decided we needed a cleaner, simpler way of placing confiscated animals”. The initiative’s ocean species resource care members already include the Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Aquarium of the Pacific, San Diego Zoo, Oakland Zoo and the Turtle Survival Alliance with additional partners added regularly. Beth Schaefer, Director of Animal Programs at the Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens in Los Angeles, California explained the zoo’s Southern California Wildlife Confiscations Network participation, “One of the biggest problems for the agents is looking down at an animal they confiscated and thinking, ‘I don’t know what to do with this.’ They’re stressed out about how to take care of the animals because their job is law enforcement, and I realized that we could seriously help with this issue”. Even in its infancy, the Southern California Confiscations Network has been a massive success already placing nearly 5,000 trafficked live specimens into coordinated care with state government officials hoping to expand the program nationally. California state officials also work on the legal side to dampen the demand for trafficked and poached animals with the passing of a wave of wildlife protection laws and an increase in felonious charges. California hopes that strengthening state penalties for animal trafficking and poaching making them equal to that of drug and human trafficking, money laundering, and racketeering with sentences of 20 or more years in prison and fines of $250,000 fines; will send a clear message and potentially deter criminals. California has already enacted House Bill 96 and the California Endangered Species Act (CESA), both prohibiting the sale of trafficked and poached animals and animal parts while California Governor Gavin Newsom recently authorized Assembly Bill 1319 that allocates California state funding and protections to endangered and threatened animal species after the recent federal defunding of the U.S. Endangered Species Act. The Golden State moreover bans the taking, possession, trade, and sale of shark fins. The general public is also encouraged to mitigate poaching and trafficking through identifiable and easily-accessed methods. California urges residents not to ‘like’ or interact with social media accounts that possess exotic trafficked and poached animals, as this increases demand for endangered animals. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) advises residents to use CALTIP (Californians Turn in Poachers and Polluters) where anonymous and confidential reports of trafficked or poached animals can be directed either via an 800-number manned 24 hours a day, seven days a week, through text message, or a downloadable CALTIP smartphone app. As an incentive, any reports that lead to a verifiable arrest of poachers, animal traffickers, or environmental polluters result in the eligibility of a $3,500 reward to the informing individual. With the state of California and caring citizens working together; we can prevent the future trafficking and poaching of marine animals, escape further damage to California’s oceanic native species and food webs, bypass economic devastation, and obviate the suffering of laundered animals. If you believe you have witnessed animal poaching and trafficking in the state of California, you can report the incident to authorities by using CALTIP: • Call CALTIP at 1-888-334-CALTIP (888 334-2258) 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Be prepared to provide any and all details regarding the alleged incident. You do not have to provide your name and may remain anonymous. • Send a text message to tip411 (847411) from your smartphone with the subject of ‘CALTIP’ followed by a space and the body of your message. You do not have to provide your name and may remain anonymous. • Download the free CALTIP app from any iPhone or Android device where reports can be made with live two-way chat capabilities to wildlife authorities. A group of wildlife officers preparing to board a commercial fisherman’s vessel to inspect their catch, & ensure proper compliance. Credit to California Department of Fish & Wildlife. Directories/Credits 1: “Long Beach Aquarium Takes in Nearly 500 Trafficked Animals After Massive Seizure”, Written by Lily Dallow. Published on August 28, 2026 by KTLA 5 Los Angeles News https://ktla.com/news/local-news/long-beach-aquarium-takes-in-nearly-500-trafficked-animals-after-massive-seizure/ 2: “Long Beach Aquarium Nurses Nearly 500 Trafficked Fish Back from the Brink”. Written by Sarah Kim. Published on September 20, 2026, by Hoodline Los Angeles https://hoodline.com/2026/09/long-beach-aquarium-nurses-nearly-500-trafficked-fish-back-from-the-brink/ 3: “How the Aquarium of the Pacific Scrambled to Save Hundreds of Sea Creatures After 2 Massive Smuggling Busts”, Written by Long Beach Post. Published on August 28, 2026, by The LA Local https://thelalocal.org/neighborhoods/long-beach/how-the-aquarium-of-the-pacific-scrambled-to-save-hundreds-of-sea-creatures-after-2-massive-smuggling-busts/ 4: “Suspect Caught Poaching Abalone Near Catalina Island, Wildlife Officials Say”, Written by John Ross Ferrara. Published on September 18, 2026, by KTLA 5 Los Angeles News https://ktla.com/news/local-news/suspect-caught-poaching-abalone-near-catalina-island-wildlife-officials-say/ 5: “Poachers Fined More than $120,000 for Taking Abalone and Lobsters Off Catalina Island”, Written by Debbi Baker. Published on September 15, 2016, by The Los Angeles Times https://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-abalone-poaching-20160915-snap-story.html 6: “A Poaching Scandal Made Waves in San Diego’s Yacht Club Community”, Written by Ry Rivard. Published on October 18, 2018, by Voice of San Diego https://voiceofsandiego.org/2018/10/18/a-poaching-scandal-made-waves-in-san-diegos-yacht-club-community/ 7: “California Poacher Busted After Hiding Two Abalone…in Her Pants”, Written by Sage Marshall. Published on February 9, 2026 by Meat Eater https://www.themeateater.com/conservation/wildlife-management/california-poacher-busted-after-hiding-two-abalone-in-her-pants 8: “Poacher Busted with $5,000 Worth of Fish by Snorkeling Calif. Officer Loses License”. Written by Ashley Harrell. Published on April 23, 2021, by San Francisco Gate News https://www.sfgate.com/news/editorspicks/article/2021-04-poacher-busted-california-channel-islands-16118401.php?IPID=SFGate-HP-CP-Spotlight 9: “Illegal Wildlife Trafficking Affects California Animals, Too”, Written by Chris Clarke. Published on February 11, 2014, by PBS SoCal https://www.pbssocal.org/redefine/illegal-wildlife-trafficking-affects-california-animals-too 10: “It’s ‘whack-a-mole’: Alarming Rise in Pet Trade Fuels Wildlife Trafficking into California”, Written by Spoorthy Raman. Published on November 25, 2025, by Mongabay https://news.mongabay.com/2025/11/its-whack-a-mole-alarming-rise-in-pet-trade-fuels-wildlife-trafficking-into-california/ 11: “Five Ways Illegal Wildlife Trade Endangers Our Oceans”, Written by Unknown. Published on April 12, 2024, by Oceana https://oceana.org/blog/five-ways-illegal-wildlife-trade-endangers-our-oceans/ 12: “The Southern California Wildlife Confiscations Network”, Written by Mary Ellen Collins. Published on October 19, 2022, by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums https://www.aza.org/connect-stories/stories/southern-california-wildlife-confiscations-network-wildlife-trafficking-alliance 13: “Pilot Wildlife Confiscations Network Is Launched in Southern California”, Written by Reuters. Published on October 31, 2023, by Times of San Diego https://timesofsandiego.com/life/2023/10/31/pilot-wildlife-confiscations-network-is-launched-in-southern-california/ 14: “New SoCal Network Helps Save Animals Rescued from Illegal Wildlife Trade”, Written by Jovana Lara and Lisa Bartley. Published on October 28, 2023, by ABC7 Los Angeles News https://abc7.com/post/southern-california-wildlife-confiscations-network-animal-trafficking-zoos-aquariums/13985392/ 15: “New Network Gives Hope to Animals Trafficked Through Illegal Wildlife Trade”, Written by Public Affairs HQ. Published on October 27, 2023 by United States Fish and Wildlife Services https://www.fws.gov/press-release/2023-10/new-network-gives-hope-animals-trafficked-through-illegal-wildlife-trade 16: “CALTIP - Californians Turn in Poachers and Polluters”, Written by Unknown. Published on Unknown Date by the State of California Department of Fish and Wildlife https://wildlife.ca.gov/Enforcement/CalTIP 17: “AB 1319: Protected species: California Endangered Species Act”, Written by Nick Schutlz and Tasha Boerner. Published on October 11, 2025, by Cal Matters Digital Democracy https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab1319 18: “Pismo Beach Police Seize 494 Illegal Pismo Clams”, Written by Pismo Beach Police Department. Published on October 7, 2026, on Facebook by Pismo Beach Police Department https://www.facebook.com/PismoPolice/posts/over-the-weekend-a-vigilant-officer-observed-a-group-of-individuals-in-possessio/1435563525367120/

A distinguished photograph of Freya Longden. Freya, with long green hair and glasses, stands on a rocky beach wearing a black shirt. She is holding a mermaids purse, which is a dark coloured slate egg. Credit to Freya Longden. Recently, our head writer sat down for an interview with the infectiously passionate Marine Scientist & Accessibility Advocate, Freya Longden! Freya Longden (She/Her) is a British marine scientist & accessibility advocate hailing from Bristol, UK. She is best known for her work with the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth, UK, & her advocacy for accessibility in marine science. In today’s interview, we sit down with Freya to discuss her infectious passion for the ocean, her work in marine science, what ocean literacy looks like, her accessibility journey, what it means to be accessible, how we can learn to be more accessible in ocean spaces, & her advice for young, passionate people looking to make their way in an ocean profession. Before delving into today’s comprehensive 16-question interview, please note that everything said has been edited for clarity, & that the opinions of our interviewee do not necessarily reflect the opinions & values of our organization. With that being said, let us delve into the contents of the interview! The Contents of the Interview Questions About Her Passion: 1. What sparked your passion for marine science & all things ocean? Pretty much exploring to begin with, especially as a kid. I spent a lot of family holidays by the beach, especially in the Southwest of the UK. I absolutely loved getting involved getting out there, seeing what I could find. It went from there really. We went to Devon & Cornwall, which are pretty much seaside towns. There are a lot of beaches, a mixture of proper sandy beaches, & some rocky shores. We spent a lot of time either snorkeling through kelp beds or rockpooling, finding all kinds of things. It was a really lovely place to explore; they’ve got some amazing biodiversity down there. 2. Was there any particular person, place, media franchise, or book that assisted in sparking your passion? Dawlish is such an amazing little area in Devon. It’s got these amazing cafes, & wildlife to explore. A photograph of Dawlish, Devon County, England. Small boats line the cozy shoreline. Credit to Devon Guide. For a person, I’d say Steve Backshall. He was a big inspiration to me. I remember running home from school every day to make sure I made it in time for an episode of Deadly 60. Now, 15 years later, I still rush to put on whatever show he’s just released, or read his articles. For media, I’m a big Disney fan. I’m a massive Disney fan. My favourite has always been Lilo & Stitch. I fell in love with lots of tropical animals, just from watching Lilo & Stitch on repeat & falling in love with Hawaii, which made me really want to explore the local wildlife I’ve got here because of that. They had so many amazing local species that they were exploring alongside fighting aliens, & all kinds of things in the film. 3. What sparked your passion for marine education & ocean literacy? I’ve always loved sharing information to be honest. I was the nerd friend at school, always coming in every day at lunch, being excited about these new facts I’d learnt from a documentary & things like that. It came from seeing my friend’s reactions, & my classmates' reactions to some of this cool information. I’ve really seen how important ocean literacy is. The ocean is so important, from producing the oxygen we breathe, to medicine, to biodiversity, to the mental health benefits of the ocean. It’s so important; it’s such an integral part of our lives. I think having an ocean-literate society is so important for protecting the ocean, but also for protecting ourselves as well. To me, ocean literacy is about having the knowledge & understanding of how our oceans work, how they function, our relationship with them, & then having confidence to be empowered to engage with it. Whether that engagement is going for a sea swim, reading a book about the ocean, or contacting local counsellors & government about marine issues, just confidence to be involved. Quite often, I think the ocean can be a scary place for a lot of people. Being able to connect people with it, then being able to take it further in whatever way works for them, is the definition, to me, of what an ocean literate person is. 4. What is your favourite marine or terrestrial animal personally, & what is your favourite marine or terrestrial animal which you have worked with? I generally love animals that have quite a weird biology. I don’t particularly love octopuses & sharks. They are incredible animals, down to how many different species there are, & how long they’ve been around. My favourite to work with has probably been Gloria. She was a Giant Pacific Octopus that I worked with a long time ago while I was a volunteer. I spent quite a lot of time doing public shows with her, with her eating & enjoying her enrichment activities, & me telling the public all about her while she was doing it. She was such an amazing octopus, incredibly intelligent, & it was amazing to get to see her every day. She was probably my favourite I’ve worked with, but even now I work with some amazing animals like turtles & sharks that I really love as well. A photograph of the brilliant Gloria, a former resident of Bristol Aquarium. Unfortunately, Gloria passed away in 2021. Her legacy lives on in the hearts of many. Credit to Bristol Aquarium. Questions About Her Career: 5. Which university did you attend for your bachelor’s degree, & was there any particular reason for your choice in that institution? I went to the University of Plymouth for my undergrad, I did a course in Marine Biology & Coastal Ecology which was absolutely amazing. I loved my course so much. It was incredible to get to meet so many different researchers in the field. That was one of the main reasons I picked Plymouth in the end; all of the lecturers are really active in their fields. It’s such a great city for marine science. It’s known as the Ocean City in the UK because of its connection with Plymouth Sound National Marine Park, which is the first marine park in the UK. It’s also home to the Marine Biological Association, the Ocean Conservation Trust, Plymouth Marine Lab, & loads of independent researchers alongside the university. It’s just this amazing hub of marine activity. I thought it was a perfect place for me. It’s a place I’ve visited quite a lot as a kid as well, on family holidays. Plymouth felt like a very good place for me to be. 6. Which university did you attend for your master’s degree, & was there any particular reason for your choice in that institution? I was very lucky that I got to stay in Plymouth for my master’s degree. I’ve just finished that degree (July 2026). I decided that Plymouth was still the perfect place for me. I absolutely love it here! I’ve got an amazing network of friends & family down here now as well. So, I thought I’d stay. The course is absolutely brilliant, very skills-based. Our coursework wasn’t all writing essays. It was creating parliamentary documents, & things like that. We got a lot of skill development in our assessments, like learning how these different documents need to be formatted, & what sort of content they need. I was able to do some amazing fieldwork as a part of my dissertation as well. It made sense to me to stay where I was, & progress at home. My project was looking at an invasive seaweed species, Worm Wart Weed (Gracilaria vermiculophylla) in UK estuaries, & how that impacts benthic macro-biodiversity. This species hasn’t been studied in the UK very much at all. It’s been around for the last 20 years, but no one’s looked at what it’s doing as an invasive species. A small patch of bristly Worm Wart Weed (Gracilaria vermiculophylla). Freya Longden studied the distribution of this species for her Master’s Degree at the University of Plymouth. Credit to David Fenwick. Part of my fieldwork was going to Kingsbridge Estuary, which was absolutely amazing. I got to do the project in collaboration with South Devon National Landscapes Estuaries Partnership, which is this amazing group that helps manage lots of estuaries around Devon. I got to do lots of sampling in the estuary, which was incredibly muddy. I’m still very grateful that my fieldwork team managed not to get themselves stuck & need to be rescued. It was great! I spent a few days in the estuary speaking to the local community that came by to check out what we were doing. We got to take loads of samples of organisms living in the mud, then recorded the presence & absence of seaweed, which I’ve now been able to use to look at diversity metrics to create a baseline map of its distribution in that part of the estuary so that whoever takes it further in the management scheme can refer back to the original baseline map to see how it's changing. It looks like seaweed impacts community composition. Even though roughly the same sort of species richness was present in the areas with seaweed compared to those without, the actual identity of what those species are was very different. That will obviously have impacts higher up the food chain, like for migratory birds commercial fish species, & any other animal group living around the estuary. It has lots of knock-on effects, which is amazing, & my advisor Melanie Austin was absolutely amazing, & supportive as well. 7. One of your earliest positions was as an Aquarium Assistant with Bristol Aquarium in 2021. How did you enter the field of Aquarium Sciences, & what did you focus on in this position? I started off at Bristol; it was my first sort of big role. I started off volunteering there for about a year, doing things like public talks, specifically with octopuses, sharks, & things like that. I also did things like shadowing the school’s team when they were doing school tours. I got to spend quite a lot of time talking to the husbandry department, seeing what their day-to-day life looked like, & things that they focused on. From there, I got the role of Aquarium Assistant, which is this amazing front-of-house position where you kind of bounce around a few different areas. I’d spend mornings doing admissions, & helping with stocktaking, then I’d run & do school tours or a birthday party, then I’d do these big public talks to a few hundred people. It was a very varied role. Bristol Aquarium is one of the only marine things near Bristol, so I was very grateful to get a role with them there. It was just this amazing experience, meeting people in so many different careers & niches. That’s where I particularly fell in love with engaging with communities. We had quite a lot of community groups from the South West (UK) come to visit us for various workshops. 8. What did you do in your capacity as an intern with the international sea turtle conservation organization Archelon Research Foundation? This was so much fun to do! As part of my undergraduate degree, we got to do a placement year. I spent 3 months in Greece over the summer on Crete with the Rethymo project with Archelon, & it was just amazing. We were doing lots of public interactions, going into local hotels in the area, doing talks to visitors & guests, but we also got to do quite a lot of very practical conservation work. Our teams would survey a big stretch of beach around the north part of Crete, & we were recording any conservation concerns that we were finding, things like tire tracks on the beach near nests, or if we were seeing particular erosion patterns along the coast we were able to report those. We also got to help with the hatching session, which was absolutely amazing. Once we identified the nests, we could mark them, wait for them to hatch, then record how many hatchlings made it to sea. We would look at the eggs inside the nest after hatching, excavate the nest, & look at the different development stages of any eggs that weren’t able to hatch. Some of those could have been because of bacteria in the nest, or not being fertilized in the first place. We got to report all of that data back to Archelon, who was able to track any trends over the last 10 years in the area to see what the turtle population was doing. It was absolutely incredible! It was these 3 amazing months where I got to live in Greece with friends; it was absolutely brilliant. It was very warm, & the accommodation was tents. We were in a campground. I did camp for 3 months, which was definitely a challenge for me. I love camping, but that was a particularly long time to spend on an air bed. But, it was Crete in summer, so it was just absolutely beautiful right by the beach. We got to spend our time off snorkeling & exploring the island. It was a really, really special place. A beautiful photograph of Freya Longden. Freya, with green hair tied back, is wearing a bright blue shirt. She is sat on a sandy beach next to a loggerhead turtle hatchling. Freya studied these creatures during her internship with the Archelon Research Foundation. Credit to Freya Longden. 9. What do you focus on as an Ocean Discovery Ranger with the National Marine Aquarium? How would you describe the facility to those unfamiliar with it? A photograph of the Atlantic Ocean Exhibit in the National Marine Aquarium at Plymouth. Credit to TripAdvisor. The National Marine Aquarium is an aquarium in Plymouth. It’s run by the Ocean Conservation Trust, which is an amazing ocean charity in the UK. It has 3 main focuses that it works with. The first one is the community & public engagement side. That means getting people to the aquarium to come explore, & come to learn with us. We also do skills things like work experience programs, volunteering, snorkelling sessions, things like that. We also do habitat restoration of seagrass meadows around the Southwest. We have this amazing habitats team that researches, restores, & monitors seagrass beds around the area. We also have our advocacy side, which works quite a lot with local MPS, local government, the UK government, & the UN as well, trying to drive marine policy change. It’s an amazing charity. We’re very lucky that we have a lot of resources & facilities to do so many different projects through it. My work is primarily with the engagement team. I run all kinds of activities as part of my role, which is so much fun! I have the most amazing ranger team. Everyone is so incredibly talented, professional, & passionate. I absolutely love doing things like our Oceans For All sessions, which can be sensory sessions, & tours. We have virtual reality headsets that we can take into different settings for people who can’t access the beach as easily. Things like going into residential care homes, & taking them to all kinds of community groups around Devon. It’s so much fun to do! There are so many people who, as a kid, might have gone to the beach, or they might remember swimming in the sea, but they don’t have as easy access to these amazing blue spaces. Being able to bring the ocean to them or for them to come to the aquarium & explore different areas & all the amazing wildlife is really special. I remember there was this amazing woman who hadn’t been to the beach in like 3 decades, & she stepped into the aquarium. I remember seeing her walk in for the first time, & she just immediately started crying. The ocean had been such an important part of her life for so long, but because of health concerns, she wasn’t able to go, so being able to provide that experience, & that connection again for her was a lovely thing to do. She was an absolutely amazing lady to speak to. Questions About Her Advocacy: 10. You have been a champion of accessibility in the field of ocean science. What led you down the road of advocacy? The ocean as I’ve said has always been a very, very big part of my life. I was unfortunately diagnosed with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME/CFS) about 10 years ago. I’ve been quite limited physically in what I can do. It’s been a really tough journey for a very long time, especially when I was still at school. I had lots of teachers & doctors telling me that I would never make it in marine science because there wasn’t a place for me here. My disability would be too much for anyone to want to deal with professionally, & there just wasn’t space for me. People wouldn’t want to be working with me because of it. I’m quite a stubborn person, so I didn’t take it too well. I was 7 when I decided I wanted to be a marine biologist, & I wasn’t going to let that stop me. I’ve been in a very privileged position where I’ve been able to attend university. I’ve still been able to work, but there are lots of people with ME/CFS & similar conditions who don’t have that luxury, because it can be a very difficult disability to live with. I want to give that back, & show people in similar positions that it hasn’t got to be the barrier that you might be told it is. There are so many different accommodations now, & generally people are a lot more accepting of needing extra support, & being able to provide that extra support. There is a place for everyone in the ocean. The ocean supports all of us, & so we all should have a say. We should all have the chance to engage with it. It doesn’t matter what that engagement looks like, whether it’s small things or big things. If it’s things from home, that’s something I’m a big advocate of; you can be an ocean scientist from home. Citizen science is absolutely incredible, & it is still science. There are so many ways to get involved; you haven’t got to do that traditional path anymore. 11. Why is accessibility important for people in marine science? I think it’s important because so often throughout history, people with disabilities have been overlooked. For a long time, we were shut away, ignored, & silenced. But actually, the ocean is for all of us. It impacts all of us, & quite often people with disabilities have had to adapt to different situations; there are so many skills that we have developed because of our disabilities. These can be super helpful in dealing with marine issues, like our resilience, problem-solving, adaptability, flexibility, & just looking at things from a completely different perspective can come up with so many different ideas that wouldn’t have been thought of without us being there. Even down to smaller things like having chairs with backs on them for support can be so helpful to so many different people, but until someone says it, you don’t think about it. The ocean is very much a place where we need every single person involved to deal with it, for the ocean’s sake, & our own. It’s important that everyone is given that opportunity to be a part of it. 12. How can we, in the ocean profession, make our spaces more accessible? This is a really difficult question because access in general is quite a personal experience, so things that might make something more accessible to me might then be a barrier for someone else. It’s about trying to find that balance to support as many people as possible, & having flexibility to change access if you need to. Even things like adding image descriptions to social media posts can open up a lot more engagement because other people can then access those posts. So often, people are having these conversations about how we can make our different institutions accessible without actually consulting any people with disabilities. If you’re trying to engage a community of people, how can you do that without speaking to them about it? We all have different requirements & different needs, & without those voices, you don’t know which ones are feasible. They might have ideas of what works for them already that can be more easily implemented. It’s about having those conversations, & being honest about what’s practical & possible within your setting as well. There are some accommodations to places that are not practical, whether that’s building age, location, or something similar, but there are lots of other things you could do instead that might make it more accessible. I think there’s this big idea at the moment that if you’ve got a ramp, that immediately makes your entire building accessible to everyone, but there’s no such thing as fully accessible. There’s always going to be a balance between what access facilities you have that become barriers for someone else. It’s also about keeping those discussions open & ongoing, not just a 1-hour Zoom call with someone, then making all the decisions. Things can change over time, & some things need to be an ongoing process rather than a one-off conversation. 13. What has been your proudest moment or biggest triumph thus far? (Note: This interview was conducted on September 23rd, 2026) Definitely finishing my master’s degree. I submitted that last week. To me, that was a big one because I’ve been told quite a lot that I would never finish my GCSEs, or finish my A-levels. I would never get into university. I would never get a degree. I would never get a master’s degree. So, to me, my biggest achievement is finishing school. Being able to say that I have been able to do this, I have done this, & look at all these amazing things I’ve been privileged to do is a big one for me. Also, getting my role at the National Marine Aquarium with the Ocean Conservation Trust, because they were a charity that I’ve followed ever since I was a kid. Being able to be a part of the team, & being part of providing that experience for other people is really special. 14. Across your career, I’m confident that you have encountered your fair share of hurdles & challenges. What is the largest challenge you have faced across your career? How have you overcome it? For me, this really links back to my disability issues. My biggest challenge was probably people’s perceptions of what I could & couldn’t do. During my time at university people would assume that because of my physical challenges, I wouldn’t be able to do fieldwork. By advocating for myself, I was very able to explain what accommodations I’d need, & I was able to still do these things. Taking regular rest breaks, being able to sit down instead of long standing periods in the lab, things like that really do make a difference. I was very lucky that I was able to work with some amazing people. Definitely the biggest challenge that I’ve experienced, & a lot of friends in similar positions have, is people just assuming things rather than asking you. Quite often people don’t want to ask because they don’t want to come across as not being sure what to do. They don’t want to be in a very difficult, uncomfortable, conversation. Unfortunately, a lot of times these conversations are uncomfortable, & that’s okay. It’s okay to feel that way. I was very lucky, especially in my fieldwork. In my master’s, I was the project lead, & I was able to tailor it to what I needed. All the volunteers I had with me during that time also had various physical conditions, so we created this amazing safe place in the fieldwork team, where if someone needed a break, it was no questions asked; we would always stop immediately for however long as needed. It was also in a 30° C (86° F) heat wave, which for the UK is very, very hot. It was in a heat wave, with no shade, in an estuary, so it was quite a physical thing. I think having that space for people to be able to say what they needed is really important. 15. Do you have any advice for disabled individuals looking for careers in marine science, or young, passionate people who have an interest in marine biology? Use that passion! There’s a reason that you love this so much. There is absolutely a place for you in marine science, marine conservation, & the marine field. We need everyone, & you are definitely a part of that. Passion is our drive; it’s the thing that makes us want to do what we do. Take opportunities as they come, even if they’re not necessarily the thing you’re most interested in. You can still learn a lot from it; you can get a lot of skills from it. It’s also okay to say no to opportunities. That is something I learned quite early on in my career. There were things I was getting involved in that I didn’t particularly enjoy, & things that were offered to me that didn’t fit how I was thinking or feeling. They were too much at the time. It’s okay to say no. So often we are told to take every single thing that comes to us, because it’s such a competitive field. It’s okay to take a step back, whether it’s for your own mental well-being, or it’s just not the right fit for you. If you ask for accommodations & try to advocate for yourself, & get some sort of pushback from that, maybe that’s not the environment that’s best for you. It’s okay to say no to things. 16. Do you have any final words about your work, your advocacy journey, science communication, ocean literacy, accessibility, or the beauty of the sea? The ocean is such an amazing place. It connects all of us. We have this amazing habitat, resource, & space. It’s really special to me to be able to do all the things that I’ve done, & hopefully inspire other people to be a part of that journey, in whatever form that looks like. Whether that’s citizen science at home, signing petitions, sending emails to MP’s, or picking up a bit of litter on your walk to school or work. You haven’t got to do these big dramatic acts for you to be a conservationist or involved. Simple things go a really long way, especially if everyone is able to get on board with that. If you have a bit of self-doubt that you’re not doing enough, you absolutely are. Just caring is an amazing place to start. A photograph of Freya Longden in the field. Freya is crouched in an estuary. She has green hair and glasses, and is wearing dark coloured waterproofs (coveralls). She is sampling the estuary mud using a quadrat and sediment corer. There is a white tub next to her with extra equipment like sample pots inside. Credit to Freya Longden. Directories / Credits https://www.linkedin.com/in/freya-longden-77053325a?utm_source=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=member_ios Strategic Partnerships Reel Guppy Outdoors SharkedSkooler Marine Enthusiasts Podcast Cash Daniels Tides of Tomorrow The Open Book, Topanga Olivenbaum Music Pitfire Artisan Pizza Three J’s Kitchen Presence News Our Loyal Patrons P. R. Ochoa

A photograph of the beautiful, brilliant, oxygen-poor Baltic Sea. Credit to pvproductions via Magnific. The area of the central Baltic Sea covering (as of 2024) approximately 70,000 square kilometers is considered the largest human-induced oxygen dead zone. The second largest is located in the Gulf of Mexico, yet it is 3 times smaller than the largest one. However, despite this fact, few people know of its existence, and the importance of preventing it from expanding. Here, we will break down the causes behind the formation of oxygen-depleted areas and go through the consequences that follow. Hypoxia in relation to marine environments is a term used to refer to depletion of oxygen levels in a water body. The threshold level of hypoxia applies when the dissolved oxygen (DO) drops below 2 mg/L, which prevents marine life from living, in turn causing the formation of ‘dead zones’. In these areas, fish along with benthic organisms (organisms which live on the ocean floor) are unable to live due to insufficient oxygen levels. Mobile organisms such as fish are able to flee to oxygen-rich areas, while sessile organisms such as anemones suffocate. One of the natural causes for hypoxia to occur is stratification of the water basin. The Baltic Sea is highly stratified with little mixing of the water, limiting the exchange of oxygen from the higher layers to the bottom one. This, combined with the sea being closed-off (which impedes the inflow of oxygen-rich waters from the North Sea) and the large river runoff, this paralyzes the oxygen levels near the sea floor. Only sporadic saltwater inflow that occurs mainly in winter (Major Baltic Inflows MBIs) are able to ventilate the deepest parts of the sea. Oxygen depletion can also result from eutrophication, which is caused by the excess of nutrients and organic matter increasing productivity and organic matter content that sinks to the sea floor. With time, depleting oxygen levels and decomposition of organic matter shift the processes from aerobic (using oxygen) to anaerobic (without oxygen) which, in turn, leads to less efficient decomposition and increased deposition and accumulation of organic matter on the sea floor. The accumulation of organic matter encourages microbial activity and the consumption of dissolved oxygen in bottom waters. A swirling emerald algal bloom in the Baltic Sea. This photograph was taken on August 15th, 2020. Credit to SciTechDaily. Due to excessive nutrient inputs since the 1950s, eutrophication in the Baltic Sea has increased. Localized declines of dissolved oxygen levels were noted in the Baltic as early as the 1930s but the hypoxia became widespread 30 years later. Globally, the number of dead zones has doubled each decade since the 1960s. The volume of the area with hypoxia in the central Baltic Sea increased from 15% to 26% since 1960. This trend will be amplified with global warming, increasing the dead zone. The table below shows the changes in hypoxic (red) and anoxic (black) areas in the deep waters in the Baltic Proper over the years. The graphic clearly shows the expanding problem of oxygen depletion and areas unable to support marine life. Credit: J. Carstensen et al. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2014. There are different forms of eutrophication-induced hypoxia. The most common one, responsible for half of the known dead zones, occurs once a year. It’s caused by the spring phytoplankton blooms and appears in the summer when the stratification is strongest and the water is warmest, lasting until autumn. Once the oxygen level returns to normal, there is visible recolonization of marine life to some extent. A quarter of hypoxic zones are caused by periodic oxygen depletion happening more often, however it seems to be less severe, usually lasting from days to weeks. This type is represented by waters like the York River in the Chesapeake Bay. Episodic oxygen depletion, happening less than once a year, is the initial sign of reaching a critical point of eutrophication, which then tips the system into hypoxia. Hypoxia increases in time and space, especially in systems prone to stratification, where oxygen depletion may be persistent - this lasting form of oxygen depletion accounts for about 8% of dead zones, including the one in the Baltic Sea. The progression of hypoxia starts with a pattern seen in eutrophic systems when enhancement of deposition of organic matter promotes microbial growth and respiration, causing a greater demand for oxygen. With the growing oxygen depletion, mass mortalities of benthic animals occur. Then, when hypoxia becomes seasonal or periodic, animal populations cycle between being abundant and nonexistent. With time and persistent oxygen depletion the final phase takes place - the hypoxic zone expands, turning into anoxic waters and in turn generating hydrogen sulfide. Hypoxia alters sedimentary habitats as well, disrupting nitrification and denitrification, causing ammonia, ammonium, and phosphorus to accumulate in the sediments. It is estimated that in the persistently hypoxic dead zones in the Baltic Sea, there are around 264,000 metric tons of carbon of annually missing biomass, which account for about 30% of total Baltic secondary production. As a result, the secondary production has doubled outside of the dead zones. Oxygen consumption rates, with one source being the respiration of zooplankton and higher trophic levels, have substantially increased. Paired with organic matter sinking to the sea floor, ineffective ventilation of deep water, slower decomposition under hypoxic and anoxic conditions and remaining oxygen being consumed by the oxidation of hydrogen sulfide, the oxygen concentration is severely low. Nutrient concentrations, like intensified nitrogen fixation, fuel cyanobacteria blooms, which in turn cause even higher oxygen depletion. All those factors outweigh the ventilation and exchange of the deep waters in the sea. The present conditions in the Baltic Proper make it highly unlikely that dissolved oxygen levels higher than 2 mg/L will retain for extended periods of time. The consequences of those oxygen dead zones follow a pattern revolving around marine mortality and disruption of the food web and ecosystem. This affects aquaculture and fisheries as well, limiting the catch numbers of commercially fished species. Hypoxia and anoxia are one of the most widespread human-induced environmental issues in marine environments, influencing habitat loss and harmful algal blooms. Managing the nutrient runoff from rivers is crucial in preventing or slowing down the expansion of hypoxic areas. Although the Baltic Sea has the largest oxygen dead zone in the world, there are many ecosystems struggling with similar conditions. It is highly important to note the changes in the ecosystems and prevent these dead zones from forming early on. A photograph of the still Baltic Sea. Credit to Zeiss Photography. Citations / Directories Citation No. 1: Spreading Dead Zones and Consequences for Marine Ecosystems, Robert J. Diaz, Rutger Rosenberg Citation No. 2: How oxygen deficiency in the Baltic Sea proper has spread and worsened: The role of ammonium and hydrogen sulphide, Carl Rolff, Jakob Walve, Ulf Larsson, Ragnar Elmgren Citation No. 3: Recently Accelerated Oxygen Consumption Rates Amplify Deoxygenation in the Baltic Sea, H. E. Markus Meier, Germo Väli, Michael Naumann, Kari Eilola, Claudia Frauen Citation No. 4: Near seafloor methane flux in the world’s largest human-induced dead zone is regulated by sediment accumulation rate, M. Ketzer, C. Stranne, M. Rahmati-Abkenar, S. Shahabi-Ghahfarokhi, L. Jaeger, M.A.G. Pivel, S. Josefsson, L. Zillén Strategic Partnerships Reel Guppy Outdoors SharkedSkooler Marine Enthusiasts Podcast Cash Daniels Tides of Tomorrow The Open Book, Topanga Olivenbaum Music Pitfire Artisan Pizza Three J’s Kitchen Presence News Our Loyal Patrons P. R. Ochoa

A photograph of Lewis Gibson, creator of the oceanic analog horror web series Santa Rosa Aquarium. Credit to Lewis Gibson. Recently, our head writer interviewed extraordinary Oceanic Horror Producer & Creator of Santa Rosa Aquarium, Lewis Gibson (SquakProductions)! Lewis Gibson (SquakProductions) is an analog horror producer best known for his web series Santa Rosa Aquarium, which focuses on a mysterious fictional aquarium where people go missing, the animals act strange, & the staff acts stranger. In today’s interview, we sit down with Lewis to discuss his passion for aquariums & the sea, his analog horror journey, his short film Country Lanes, his web series Santa Rosa Aquarium, & his advice to aspiring analog horror producers. Before delving into today’s comprehensive 19-question interview, please note that everything said has been edited for clarity, & that the opinions of our interviewee do not necessarily reflect the opinions & values of our organization. With that being said, let us delve into the contents of the interview! Questions About His Passion: 1. What sparked your passion for aquariums & all things ocean? It started when I was younger. I think I watched Finding Nemo every single day until I was about 7. I indoctrinated myself into it subconsciously. I used to visit aquarium shops all the time. There’s still one local to me that I visit quite a lot. I still keep fish now to a smaller extent. I think that started things off, growing up in that environment. 2. Was there any particular book, person, place, thing, or media franchise which contributed to sparking your passion? There’s a conservation aquarium sort of about an hour from where I am called The Deep. It’s the only place in the country that has sawfish. I used to go there when I was younger, that was interesting. That was the first time I would ever see sharks up close, that’s a really vivid memory in my mind. 3. What sparked your passion for ocean & analog horror? No one really thinks to do it. I think the ocean is such an under-utilized concept. It’s terrifying. It’s an environment in which people aren’t built to survive. We are no longer in our own habitat. We’re in a place where if you look down, you don’t know what is beneath you. I don’t want to say that it hasn’t been done before, because I have seen one about a deep-sea trench that helped inspire me. That was terrifying. It used a lot of CGI. It’s untapped potential. Analog horror has been funnelled into these scenarios all about people that look strange. It’s often the same tropes that are repeated. I think the ocean is a nice change of pace. 4. How did you get the name “SquakProductions”? It’s gone to the point where I don’t know. It’s like 5 years old. In high school, I had this friend group, & I think someone made a typo, & they kept repeating it. It turned into an inside joke. When I went to make my YouTube channel, I wasn’t expecting anything to happen from it. I thought, I’ll use that because it’ll be funny. I’m at the point where I’m too big to change it. I’ve sort of dug myself into a hole, & now I’m stuck with SquakProductions. 5. What is your favourite marine or terrestrial animal? Personally? The giant squid! It’s not even necessarily anything to do with the squid itself, but more the history of it. How it went from a myth, something you’d compare to Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster, something people would talk about seeing then get called crazy for it, to something which exists. It’s not unheard of but, you know, most myths tend to be disproven over time, but this one is one that is a real thing that exists. It’s not anything to do with the squid itself. As fascinating as they are, I think they are up to 13 meters long, it’s just the story & the history behind the giant squid. A photograph of an 8-foot (2.43 meters) long Giant Squid (Architeuthis dux) caught swimming off the coast of Japan. This giant squid seems to be molting. Credit to Yosuke Tanaka. Questions About His Work: 6. How did you begin producing Analog Horror videos? I started in early February (2026). I’ve always been interested in horror as media. I think the retro analog aspect of it is something that I really do enjoy. I think my favourite horror film of all time is Sinister, I’m not sure if you’ve ever seen it, but in there the main character finds tapes which have an analog feel to them. That definitely helped. I think it’s a good entry point. Up until today, I made everything on my phone. I couldn’t shoot an hour & a half feature film with no budget. But with analog horror, if you have an idea, you can make it. I think that’s what makes it such a good way to get involved & try to make something. It gets rid of the excuse of “I don’t have a budget”. 7. You began producing Analog Horror in February, 2026. What avenues of Analog Horror did you explore before finally beginning Santa Rosa Aquarium? I messed around with it for a while. At first I didn’t have a series in mind. I was just experimenting with classic analog horror techniques. Stuff like the early Mandela Catalogue or emergency warning broadcasts. There’s someone in your house & it’s not quite right, that kind of thing. I wasn’t focused on story, I wanted to try & work on the technique. The style, the audio, the fuzzy background noise, & the robotic voice. I messed around with that for a while, making one-off videos until I realized people are getting a bit tired of this now. Then, I messed with some body-horror type stuff, because I wanted to show rather than say if that makes sense. I did my short-lived sensory deprivation surgery series (Dr. Sigbon’s Sensory Deprivation Surgery), which some people still think is good, but I think it’s limited. There’s nowhere I could go with that. I might return to it one day, but I don’t have any plans to, because I think it’s more of a concept than a series. After the release of Invincible season 4, I thought “Here’s a TV show I like, I like making analog horror, I can put 2 & 2 together here & I can do both!” I tried to do an analog horror based on Invincible, which worked well for a while. I think the problem with that is I can only work within that universe. I can’t add things into it very much. I’ve got to abide by the rules of that, which some people did enjoy. It’s why I probably won’t go back to doing something based off a pre-existing brand again. Once that season ended, people had sort of gotten over it. I thought I should move on as well, I was getting bored of it, & I was running out of ideas. Time for something fresh. I messed around with the short film (Country Lanes), & then I started making Santa Rosa Aquarium. 8. Walk us through your short horror film “Country Lanes”. What does this title focus on? What inspired you to create it? What was your creative process for an in-person film? Have you ever watched the creep films? That was a big inspiration. Not necessarily anything to do with the plot, or anything to do with the actual substance, but just in terms of the scenario. There’s nothing supernatural going on, it’s just a weird guy. I feel like people are so underutilized in horror, which sounds strange. Think of most horror, it could resemble a person, but there’s always something supernatural going on, like they’ve been brought back from the dead. I think people are so scary in general, & that is not taken advantage of nearly as much as it could be. The best part is, it’s very cheap to make. I don’t need to make a giant monster, I can just do it myself, which is what I did. I played the antagonist in that film. That was an experience as well, it was me & 2 friends that I managed to get to do it as well, partly because I can’t drive & one of them needs to drive the car. It’s definitely the longest I’ve worked on any individual video. In terms of inspiration for the story, there’s a very old YouTube video called No Through Road. It’s basically just 5 teenagers driving around rural England in a car. The radio starts to glitch out, starts playing creepy music, then lights start to flicker, & in one of the flickers, a man is sitting in the middle of the road. He starts attacking the car while creepy music plays in the background. It sounds really basic, & it is, but what’s so well done is the execution. As someone who lives in England, the way they acted was so authentic. I think the first five minutes are just them talking to each other in the car. The way they acted was so authentic that when a lot of people see it for the first time they ask if it’s real. That was a big inspiration of mine in terms of the story is in a rural English village, driving on a road. 9. What is Santa Rosa Aquarium? How would you describe it for those who are not familiar? Santa Rosa Aquarium is a fictional aquarium, contrary to popular belief. I know at the start of the series, a lot of people were asking if it was real. They were like, I live in Santa Rosa, I’ve never seen this before, blah blah blah. You know what? I’ll take that as a compliment! If you think it’s real, it means I’m making it look real enough, so I’m happy with that. It’s a fictional aquarium set in 1980s America where people go missing, the animals act strange, & the staff acts stranger. I would give more of an overview of the story, but it’s currently unraveling, so I can’t give too much away because I don’t know where I will be up to by the time it releases. I don’t want to give too much away apart front what I’ve published up until today, pretty much. The logo of Santa Rosa Aquarium. Credit to SquakProductions. 10. What sorts of marine life occupy the Santa Rosa Aquarium? In the world of the Santa Rosa Aquarium, what is the Mermaid Program? There’s a mix of everything really. There’s beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas), they’ve got their own dedicated tank. There’s river dolphins (Inia geoffrensis), which are slightly infamous within my sort of fanbase. There’s sea lions, jellyfish, starfish, there’s a whole bunch of things. A photograph of an Amazon River Dolphin leaping out of the water in a whorl of water. Credit to wildlife photographer Kevin Schafer. The good part is I haven’t fully published maps yet that are complete, which means if I have a cool idea, I can put it in there & no one can tell me I can’t. About the mermaid program, if you’ve been to aquariums before, sometimes they’ll have mermaid performances. People will dress up, they’ll put a mermaid tail on, & they’ll dive around in the tank. That always terrified me, because the idea of being trapped in an aquarium with a bunch of sharks & that sort of thing whilst not being able to move your legs separately, & being stuck in a big mermaid costume is scary. I wanted to find a way to utilize that. I think the mermaid program is the most popular episode on TikTok, it hit one million likes a few weeks ago. 11. What are the primary exhibits of Santa Rosa Aquarium? What are Sectors A, B, & C? That depends on how you define primary, because there’s primary in universe in terms of the biggest tanks, & primary in terms of what’s relevant to the story. I’ll start with what’s relevant to the story. There are river dolphin lakes. Obviously, river dolphins are a freshwater species, so I thought why not put them in an outdoor lake? I thought that was an interesting idea. Another thing that scares me is zip lines. Not zip lines in general, but the ones that go over large bodies of water or between mountains. I thought, well, how about we have a zip line that goes over the dolphin lake? A photograph of Sector A of the fictional Santa Rosa Aquarium. In universe, Sector A houses the outdoor entertainments of the facility. Specifically, it houses the infamous dolphin zipline. Credit to SquakProductions. Then there’s the beluga tank, beluga whales are definitely interesting because of their whole echolocation thing. That’s underutilized. I’m sort of using them in a way similar to sirens or mermaids. The belugas will sort of speak to people. Obviously that’s not real, so you’ve got to suspend your disbelief a little bit there. I can’t say why just yet, that definitely won’t be revealed for a long time. I’d say the primary exhibit in terms of story is Deep Blue, which is supposed to be a recreated slice of the ocean with a few surprises. It also contains my one & only retcon. I first had it at 2 million gallons large, which sounds really big, until I did a little bit more research & I found out that 2 million gallons actually isn’t that big, so I upped it to 7 million gallons, using the excuse of they got more funding & the investors really liked it. No one seemed to notice or care. I’m going to say I got away with that retcon. A photograph of the Kelp Maze in the fictional world of the Santa Rosa Aquarium. The Kelp Maze is housed in Sector B. Credit to SquakProductions. 12. What made an aquarium, & Santa Rosa, CA, ideal locations for an analog horror series? I’ll disclose the Santa Rosa thing first, that is a very short & anticlimactic story. I didn’t know it was a real place. I’ve now leaned into it, knowing it is. I just needed an American city-sounding name. I wanted to do San Diego at first, but that’s already a big thing, so I thought I’d mess around with that, change it around, & I ended up with Santa Rosa. That’s when I ended up with people in my comments, like, I’m from Santa Rosa, & I didn’t know this was real, I’ve never been there before. I was like, Hey, it’s fine. I didn’t know it was real either! I’m only just learning you exist. People are always very disappointed when they learn that. They always expect some sort of childhood story of exactly why, something like I visited Santa Rosa when I was 5, but that never happened. I only learned it was real a month ago (July 2026), & now I’m sort of stuck with it. I’m sticking with it. To answer your question about the aquarium itself, I think they’re also very under-utilized, arguably more than the ocean itself. A lot of people think it’s unrealistic that this stuff would happen. In future installments it gets a little more unrealistic, & a little more out there. But at the very start, it’s not that far-fetched. You’ve got to think about what happened at places like SeaWorld in the 1990s. There was an Orca, Tilikum, which killed 3 people, which sounds a lot like what happens in my series, so suddenly it’s not that far-fetched. You put animals in a place where they’re not supposed to be, & then all of a sudden things can start going wrong. 13. Walk us through the process of creating an installment of Santa Rosa Aquarium. What is your creative process? I very, very rarely have several episodes planned out at once. What I like to do is I’ll have a plot point, I need to get the story from A to B. Then I’ll give myself 2 or 3 videos to get there, & I’ll figure out what I want to do with that. I don’t like restricting myself. I could take a month & I could write every single episode. I don’t want to do that because the number of times I will be mid-episode, & think, I’ve got a good idea, let’s do this. I like to take it a few episodes at a time. When I do get around to making individual episodes, if I need a voice actor, I will usually use my Discord to find them. I have a sort of roster of voice actors that I like to use on the regular. You’ve probably noticed there are a few recurring voices, especially PG, I love that guy. He’s my main voice actor for most of the training taped. I’ll use one if I’ve already got them. If not, I might put out a post on my TikTok or Discord saying I need someone with these specifications, please message me. Then I’ll get about a hundred messages, & I will try to check as many as I can. Unfortunately, I end up leaving a lot of people undelivered, which I’m sure annoys many people, but there’s just too many requests at some point. Then I’ll write my scripts out. I like to do that all myself, which I think helps. A lot of people ask if they can come on as an extra writer, which sounds good in theory, but then I lose that creative control. I know roughly where the story’s going throughout all the volumes. If I don’t have that full control, I worry that it won’t come out the way I want it to. I do everything myself pretty much, apart from the voice acting. If I could change my voice, I promise you I would do my voice acting myself as well. Then I’ll send the scripts out to the voice actors. While I wait, I’ll sort of edit any picture I want to use, you know, if I need to make a picture of a building, exhibit, or logo. I’ll spend my time making that using photo editing software. Then once I get my scripts from the wonderful voice actors, I will put the audio in. I will make it sound terrible, which is good because if people’s microphones are not good, I’m still going to give them a shot because it’s easier to make okay audio sound terrible than it is to make okay audio sound amazing. I will put all the text on screen, & I’ll put everything together. I’ll put the grainy VHS filters onto it, add some static to the background, post it, & call it a day. 14. How many installments do you currently have in the series, & how many do you intend to produce total? (Note: This interview was conducted on August 22nd, 2026). I’m up to 13 parts. I like to do them in sort of one-minute episodes, & release them one at a time. 8 of those make up volume 1, & the rest are part of the currently releasing volume 2. I don’t like to do it all at once & release it because then I don’t know what people are thinking. I would not have invested so much time into Santa Rosa Aquarium Volume 1 if I didn’t know people were going to like it, do I like to release it piece by piece. I may change that once people have got a bit more faith in me. I release them on TikTok & YouTube. In terms of plans for the future, I’m halfway through releasing volume 2 right now. I have plans for 5 volumes all together, plus, a 3D rendered short film which will be around 7 minutes long involving someone diving into Deep Blue. A non-official piece of fan-art showcasing a diver in the Deep Blue Exhibit in the world of Santa Rosa Aquarium. The oceanic analog horror series has built a loyal fanbase, with numerous pieces of fan-art such as this. Credit to The Nice Octopus. 5 volumes is the plan, because that’s how many ideas I have that would be unique without me saying “You thought this was bad? Well something worse has happened, & it’s getting worse!” I don’t want it to be one of those things where I’m continuing it for the sake of continuing it. I’ve got 5 very distinct volumes laid out. 15. What are your plans for the future of the Santa Rosa Aquarium series? I’ve got big plans! I bought a PC today (August 22nd, 2026). This is my first time using it. Obviously, that ups my production value substantially compared to my iPhone. I’m in the process of trying to learn Blender so I can have some found footage style installments, which helps with the immersion. I want to show that I can go bigger & better. Once I figure out how the hell Blender works, hopefully I can do that. I did a little bit of work on it today, I figured out how to make a basic cube into a rectangle, & I nearly cheered when I did that. I’ve got a long way to go before I make a realistic aquarium environment. 16. Across your work in oceanic horror, what has been your proudest moment or greatest triumph? Appearing on a podcast is definitely one of them, it’s a first time for me. Other than that, I would probably say, the views & the likes, they’re great, it keeps people watching & shows people are interested, but for me, I love watching people talk about the episodes in YouTube videos, & make theory episodes. Anyone can scroll past a video, click, & press like, but when people are taking hours, days, or even weeks in some cases, to make a theory video, it’s so flattering. It helps me remember that every number that comes up on my videos is a real person who genuinely cares about what they’re seeing. It’s so fascinating that people are so interested in something I came up with on a whim. 17. Across your time working in oceanic horror, I’m confident that you have encountered your fair share of hurdles & challenges. What is the largest challenge you’ve faced? How have you overcome it? There’s 2 sort of big ones in the short-term & long-term. The short-term is trying to tell a story while I’m limited in production capability. I was doing everything from my iPhone, so I can’t make a big animation of a dolphin jumping out of the water & grabbing this little boy off a zipline. I’ve got to imply that. I have to use my words to try & scare people rather than outright showing it, so that’s been a big challenge, one hopefully I can overcome soon now that I’ve got a production quality boost. That one’s always been a struggle, because people these days on social media need constant action. They need something going on. They’ve got to start seeing the dolphin bite people, or someone start drowning. They’ve got to see it themselves, but I couldn’t do that. So, I had to try & keep people invested by writing a story. Which is to say, the fact that people are still interested now shows that I successfully managed to do that by some miracle. In terms of long-term challenges, it’s balancing the realism with the horror. In my eyes, if something’s not possible, it’s not quite as scary. I understand that some of the incidents that happen at Santa Rosa Aquarium couldn’t happen. In one of them, someone gets sucked into a filtration pipe. I had someone in my comments saying “I work in an aquarium, & the filtration pipes are way too small for anyone to get sucked into it.” If you’re coming into it with that belief, you’re coming in to criticize me. You’re looking for an inconsistency to pluck at. You’ve got to suspend your disbelief slightly. I guarantee this is the same person who could watch paranormal activity & get scared by the ghost. I’m sure you can let your mind believe that maybe a filtration pipe was a foot wider than it would be normally. I’ve got to try to balance that realism with the horror, which I’ll admit I’ve still not done perfectly. I’m still working on that. It’s about trying to find that balance. If it’s too scary, it’s not plausible. I can’t write that 10 people died in the aquarium in one hour, because then obviously it would have been shut down. I’ve got to make it plausible. Yet then, I can’t have 1 person hurt their foot fifty years ago. That’s not scary. I’ve got to find a balance, which I’m still trying to do, but it makes it more difficult when some people are so called experts, & are coming in trying to pluck me apart to find inconsistencies. 18. Do you have any advice for aspiring ocean horror authors, video creators, writers, or voice actors? I don’t want to sit here preaching & giving advice as if I’ve made it, because the truth is I’m just getting started. My advice is, if you have an idea, whether it be a story, an analog horror, or anything, just do it. Chances are it might be terrible, it might be bad, but a bad concept will be a concept every time because that bad result actually exists. A concept in your mind, no one else can see that. So, until you put that onto paper, a word document, or into a video software, no one’s going to know. You’ve got to find a balance. If it’s too plausible, it’s probably not scary. If it’s too scary, it’s probably not plausible. I still haven’t found it myself, but the longer you go on, the closer to the middle you will eventually be. 19. Do you have any final words about Santa Rosa Aquarium, the beauty of aquariums, analog horror, or the wonder of the sea? You’ve got to remember animals aren’t people. Animals don’t abide by the same principles of morality that we do. So, saying that animals are evil, just because of something they do, can be very damaging. Animals will act on instinct. Pointing at animals as evil can cause terrible damage. As great as the film Jaws (1975) is, it caused irreversible damage to sharks. There is a reason that the animals in Santa Rosa Aquarium act the way they do, there’s more to it than just evil animals acting evil. A photograph of Lewis Gibson, creator of the oceanic analog horror web series Santa Rosa Aquarium. Credit to Lewis Gibson. Directories / Credits https://youtube.com/@squakproductions?si=NAHS_X9ileZpAZf4 https://www.instagram.com/squakproductions?igsi=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ== Strategic Partnerships Reel Guppy Outdoors SharkedSkooler Marine Enthusiasts Podcast Cash Daniels Tides of Tomorrow The Open Book, Topanga Olivenbaum Music Pitfire Artisan Pizza Three J’s Kitchen Presence News Our Loyal Patrons P. R. Ochoa

A distinguished photograph of Dr. Robert T. Paine out in the field, holding a sea star. Credit to the University of Washington. This article is part of our Marine Hall of Distinction collection. In this special collection, we discuss the marine scientists who we feel have contributed the most to marine biology & oceanography. We do this to commemorate these marine scientists & show gratitude for everything they have contributed to our oceans. Today's marine scientist is Robert T. Paine. Robert T. Paine was an American marine ecologist, zoologist, & author. He is best known for coining the term “keystone species”, a phenomenon which occurs when a species is important to an ecosystem than its relative abundance might imply. In today’s article, we will delve into his formative years, education, personal life, career, achievements, accomplishments, & awards. With that being said, let’s plunge into the extraordinary life & career of Robert T. Paine! His Formative Years & Education Robert Treat Paine III was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on April 13th, 1933. He is the grandson of Robert Treat Paine, the Founding Father, Revolutionary, & first Attorney General of Massachusetts. He was born to Robert Treat Paine Jr., & Barbara Birkhoff. His father was a curator of Japanese Art at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. He is well known for his role in art restoration efforts in post-war Japan, & for his book The Art and Architecture of Japan (1958), which he co-authored with Alexander Soper. His mother was an accomplished writer & photographer, & daughter of the extraordinary Dutch-American mathematician George David Birkhoff. His curiosity for the natural world was sparked at a young age. As a toddler, he enjoyed observing ants in his families driveway. As he grew older, he began exploring the wooded areas 30 miles west of Cambridge, hunting for earthworms, salamanders, mushrooms, & the like. He also enjoyed birdwatching, growing to be respected as naturalist of birds by the local Bostonian Birdwatching community of the day. This love of birding remained until his death. It is said that he could identify a bird not only by its visual markings, but by its song. Before leaving for the prestigious Harvard University, he decided to venture on a summer road trip that would ultimately change his life, & his relationship with the natural world. Driving roughly 4,400 miles from Boston to Alaska, he spent the summer working in salmon canneries. He learned numerous maritime, exploration, & adventuring skills which would go on to serve him well in his career as an ecologist. Upon returning, he earned his bachelor’s degree in palaeontology from Harvard University in 1954 under advisor Ernst Mayr. After a 2 year stint in the US Army, he began graduate school at the University of Michigan. After taking zoology courses under the late great Frederick E. Smith, Robert found his true passion, & switched majors to zoological studies, with Smith as his academic advisor. For his dissertation, he decided to study brachiopods in Bay Mouth Bar, Franklin County, Florida, on the Gulf Coast. According to his own account, the young Robert arrived with “few funds, no boat, and no place to live”. Thankfully, the field station director of Florida State University Coastal & Marine Lab, Dr. Harold Humm, took him in, giving him free lodging & a boat to do research with. There, he studied the ecology, range, & habitat of local brachiopods. Later in his career, he would return to Bay Mouth Bar with a fleet of graduate students & post-docs to research the local marine life. Finishing his P.hD in 1961, he took a post-doctoral fellowship at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Shortly thereafter he moved up the West Coast to join the faculty at the University of Washington, where he would stay for the next 36 years. His Personal Life & Career Upon joining the University of Washington, he began studying community ecology, with an experimentalist philosophy. Over the course of his career, he would contribute a multitude of concepts to the field of community ecology with his collaborators. He is credited as one of the earliest scientists to study vertical zonation in the intertidal zone. Above all, he is best known for his 1966 paper coining the term “Keystone Species”, to describe the relationship between ochre sea stars (Pisaster ochraceus) & California mussels (Mytilus californianus) in the intertidal zone. This term Keystone Species is used to refer to species in an ecosystem which are more ecologically important than their relative abundance might suggest. What this means in practice is that they sustain a vital component of the local ecosystem, & are integral for ecosystem health. A photograph of (from left) Brian Silliman, Robert T. Paine, & Peter Kareiva. The trio of scientists are in Patagonian Argentina, surveying the coast. Credit to Brian Silliman. At the age of 65, he formally retired from the University of Washington, being honored with a retiree party filled with collaborators, fellow faculty, & students alike. Unfortunately, Dr. Robert Treat Paine III, affectionately known as Bob, passed away on June 13th, 2016, at the age of 83 as a result of acute myeloid leukemia. He was survived by his daughters Anne, Susan, & Nancy, along with his former wife Alice E. Coleman. He is fondly remembered by family, colleagues, & former students alike for his remarkable dedication, enthusiasm, energy, whimsical unseriousness, & enduring body of work. Over the course of his career, he was well known as an ethical, just scientist. He was revered for his efficiency & parsimonious approach, with a high science-per-dollar ratio. Robert T. Paine will continue to influence new scientists for generations to come. A photograph of Robert T. Paine with a pile of purple sea stars (Pisaster ochraceus), surrounded by kelp on Tatoosh Island. Credit to Anne Paine. His Awards, Achievements, & Accomplishments He coined 2 of the most important terms in community ecology, keystone species & trophic cascade. The former refers to a species having a disproportionately large ecological impact, larger than its relative abundance implies. The latter refers to an ecological interaction where upper trophic levels (predators) affect lower trophic levels. The impact of these 2 terms cannot be understated, as they both influence the field of ecology dramatically. Over the course of his illustrious career, he received fellowships, awards, or similar honours from the following institutions: Lerner Marine Fellowship, American Museum of Natural History Fellowship (1959); Sverdrup Postdoctoral Fellowship, Scripps Institution of Oceanography (1961-1962); Third Tansley Lecturer, British Ecological Society (1979); AAAS Fellow (1980); John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Fellowship (1981-1982); Robert H. MacArthur Award, Ecological Society of America (1983); National Academy of Sciences (1986); the Ecology Institute Prize (Germany) (1989); honorary doctorate, Colby College (1996); visiting lectureship, British Ecological Society (1996); Sewall Wright Award, American Society of Naturalists (1997), American Academy of Arts and Sciences (1999); and the International Cosmos Prize (2013). We thank the National Academy of Sciences for putting this list together. He was honored in Serengeti Rules (2016) by author Sean Carroll, with a chapter dedicated to his work on trophic webs. He established a long-term research facility on Tatoosh Island in Northern Washington in collaboration with the local Makah Indigenous Peoples. He led the Ecological Society of America as vice president from 1977 to 1979, before being promoted to president. He sprouted one of the most fruitful academic families in the last half of the 20th century. He personally trained 40 graduate researchers as well as post-doctoral fellows. These researchers went on to train students of their own, who trained students of their own, growing his academic family to hundreds of individuals. An illustration of Robert T. Paine’s sprawling academic family tree at all of the scientific lives he touched. This chart was illustrated at the time of his retirement by Myriam Kohn. Credit to Myriam Kohn. Directories / Credits Citation 1: “Biographical Memoirs: Robert T. Paine (1933 to 2016)”, Written by Mary E. Power, James A. Estes, Peter Kareiva, Simon Levin, Jane Lubchenco, & Stephen Palumbi, & Published in 2018. Credit to the National Academy of Sciences. https://www.nasonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Paine_Robert.pdf Citation 2: “The “Keystone Species” Concept That Transformed Ecology”, Written by James MacDonald, & Published on June 30th, 2016. Credit to JSTOR Daily. https://daily.jstor.org/how-the-keystone-species-concept-transformed-ecology/ Citation 3: “Remembering a ‘Keystone’ Ecologist, Robert Paine”, Written by Andrew C. Revkin, & Published on July 14th, 2016, at 2:20 PM. Credit to the New York Times. https://archive.nytimes.com/dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/07/14/remembering-a-keystone-ecologist-robert-paine/ Citation 4: “Robert Treat Paine III (1933 to 2016)”, Written by Mary E. Power, James A. Estes, Peter Kareiva, Simon Levin, Jane Lubchenco, & Stephen Palumbi, & Published on June 19th, 2017. Published by the National Academy of Sciences. https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1706692114 Citation 5: “In Memoriam: Robert Treat Paine III (1933–2016), An Outsized American Naturalist”, Written by Brian R. Silliman, Peter Kareiva, & Catherine A. Pfister, & Published on November 4th, 2016. Published by The University of Chicago Press Journals. https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/689447 Citation 6: “The Man Whose Dynasty Changed Ecology”, Written by Ed Yong, & Published on January 16th, 2013. Published by Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-man-whose-dynasty-changed-ecology/ Citation No. 7: “Robert Paine, Ecologist Who Found ‘Keystone Species,’ Dies at 83”, Written by Sam Roberts, & Published on June 17th, 2016. Published by the New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/18/science/robert-paine-ecologist-who-found-keystone-species-dies-at-83.html?_r=0 Strategic Partnerships Reel Guppy Outdoors SharkedSkooler Marine Enthusiasts Podcast Cash Daniels Tides of Tomorrow The Open Book, Topanga Olivenbaum Music Pitfire Artisan Pizza Three J’s Kitchen Presence News Our Loyal Patrons P. R. Ochoa

Introduction For thousands of years, ocean currents have flowed around the globe, influencing weather patterns and shaping ecosystems as they go. This global conveyor belt has a “motor” called the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) that drives our currents, but climate change is weakening it. It may be surprising that global warming impacts ocean currents, but the warmer our planet gets, the more likely our dynamic ocean and weather patterns will shift. In this article we’ll explain what the AMOC is, how warming temperatures affect it, and what this means for ocean currents, people, and our planet. Oceanic current map developed from satellite data. Photo Credit: Benjamin Storer / University of Rochester The Disaster: A Weakening AMOC To understand the implications of a weakening AMOC, it helps first to understand how our ocean currents normally function. Surface currents are driven primarily by wind while deeper currents are driven by salinity and temperature. Both of these factors can influence the density of water which creates the pressure changes that drive deeper currents. This is known as thermohaline circulation. Because of these influences, our ocean currents are able to travel around the planet, bringing water from the equator to the poles and back. The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation specifically refers to the system of currents in the Atlantic Ocean that carries warm equatorial water northward and colder water southward. A map of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. Warm equatorial waters travel northward, bringing heat with them. Cold, salty water sinks in the North Atlantic, ultimately powering ocean currents worldwide. Photo Credit: NOAA Let’s pretend you are a water molecule floating through the AMOC system. We’ll start along the equator. Here you are warmed up by the intense equatorial sunlight. As you float northward, you are picked up by the Gulf Stream, a strong ocean current leading you upward along the coasts of the Americas. Every second, 17 million cubic meters of seawater is carried northward by the AMOC (an equivalent of 6,800 Olympic swimming pools!) The Gulf Stream carries you farther away from the heat of the equator and you eventually begin to cool. By the time you reach the North Atlantic, you’ve become much, much colder. In fact, it is so cold that the water around you freezes into sea ice. As this sea ice forms, salt is left behind and the salinity of the ocean water increases. Compared to where you started, the ocean is now both colder and saltier, and both of these characteristics make the water denser. Denser water sinks. You begin to rapidly drop toward the bottom of the ocean. This sinking is incredibly powerful, and it drives the AMOC cycle, acting as a motor to the ocean current system. As you float down, you also travel back southward where you will eventually resurface near the equator in a process known as upwelling. Upwelling brings nutrients from the deep sea to the surface, which helps support marine life. When you surface, you are warm again and ready to continue traveling the globe. All ocean currents are connected, and the AMOC (particularly the sinking in the North Atlantic) is powerful enough to drive the flow of water around the planet. The AMOC allows for the transfer of heat from the equator northward which helps regulate the weather in Europe, keeping it from freezing over despite its high latitude. But climate change threatens to shut the whole system down. With rising temperatures, the water in the North Atlantic is becoming less dense. This is both because warmer water is inherently less dense and because it is now too warm for the sea ice to form. Additionally, melting ice and increased rainfall are adding back more freshwater. The combination leads to less salty and therefore less dense water. Without dense water to rapidly sink, the motor of the AMOC is slowing down and threatening to disrupt ocean currents everywhere. The Impact Some data suggests the AMOC has already slowed down by as much as 15% since 1950. So what happens if the AMOC shuts down entirely? Without the AMOC, Europe would no longer receive the extra heat from the equator that the AMOC provides. This would make for much colder winters. Additionally, the climate is a very fragile and interconnected system, so while Europe would be the most directly affected, these changes would also impact weather patterns globally. An AMOC collapse could affect the Indian monsoon season and create droughts in parts of Africa. It could also increase sea level rise on the East Coast of the US and affect rainy/dry seasons in the Amazon, etc. The AMOC brings warmer temperatures to Europe by distributing heat northward from the equator. Without it, Europe would see much colder and harsher winter weather. This image is of the Dolomites in Italy. Photo Credit: Anastasia Gubinskaya / Getty Images Recovery / Conclusion The AMOC collapse is an example of a climate “tipping point”, meaning that it would have massive repercussions and would be nearly impossible to reverse. While research has not yet determined how soon or how certain that collapse might be, it is clear that the AMOC is slowing down, and even a little bit of that weakening could have serious implications. That’s why it is important that we take immediate action to slow emissions, curb climate change, and avoid it altogether. In order to keep our ocean currents and our weather patterns stable, we need to protect the AMOC and avoid another disaster at sea. Citations / Directories Citation No. 1: “Effects of Climate Change”, Written by Unknown, Published on Unknown Date. Published by NOAA. Retrieval Date: August 30th, 2026 https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/tutorial_currents/05conveyor3.html Citation No. 2: “Oceans Explained AMOC”, Written by Unknown, Published on Unknown Date. Published by National Oceanography Centre. Retrieval Date: September 1st, 2026 https://www.noc.ac.uk/discover-the-ocean/oceans-explained/the-atlantic-meridional-overturning-circulation Citation No. 3: “ What is the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC)?”, Written by Unknown, Published on Unknown Date. Published by NOAA. Retrieval Date: September 8th, 2026 https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/amoc.html Citation No. 4: “What would happen if the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) Collapses? How likely is it?”, Written by MIT Climate Portal Writing team, Published on November 7th, 2024. Published by Climate Portal. Retrieval Date: September 9th, 2026 https://climate.mit.edu/ask-mit/what-would-happen-if-atlantic-meridional-overturning-circulation-amoc-collapses-how-likely Citation No. 5: “What is the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC)?”, Written by Unknown, Published on Unknown Date. Published by NOAA. Retrieval Date: September 9th, 2026 https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/amoc.html Strategic Partnerships Reel Guppy Outdoors SharkedSkooler Marine Enthusiasts Podcast Cash Daniels Tides of Tomorrow The Open Book, Topanga Olivenbaum Music Pitfire Artisan Pizza Three J’s Kitchen Presence News Our Loyal Patrons P. R. Ochoa

A photograph of the gorgeous coast near Trieste, Italy. Credit to Dovolenkářka. Today’s article focuses on the oceans surrounding Trieste, Italy. Trieste is a port city located in Northern Italy along the Adriatic Sea. It has a fairly large population of 198,668 individuals. It is located near the Italian-Slovenian & Italian-Croatian borders. The city links these 3 countries, as well as the rest of the Mediterranean, making it a center of trade. Modernly, it is considered the Mediterranean endpoint of the 21st-century Maritime Silk Road, an international development initiative developed by the Chinese Government. Trieste is often colloquially referred to as the “City of Science”, given its heavy research presence. Across Europe, it has the highest number of researchers per capita, at an astounding 37.1 per thousand individuals. In addition to its scientific prowess, it is also known for its contributions to the coffee industry, affectionately referred to by lovers of the drink as the “City of Coffee”. Annually, residents of Trieste consume twice the mean of the average Italian. The city is packed with historic cafes, coffee breweries, roasters, & important companies. Apart from its statuesque architecture, vibrant culinary scene, & domineering research industry, Trieste is known for its natural beauty. With wonders such as the Miramare Nature Reserve, Rosandra Valley Reserve, & Carsiana Botanical Garden, the city is home to thousands of fascinating creatures, both terrestrial & marine. Trieste’s coastlines boast brilliant biodiversity, from Fan Mussels (Atrina fragilis), to Peacock Blennies (Salaria pavo). Thousands of species large & small call the waters surrounding Trieste their home. As a result of these robust ecosystems, an eco-tourism economy has developed. Coastal walks, snorkelling, boat excursions, & scuba diving are all available at the UNESCO MaB Miramare Reserve. In this article, we will discuss the salinity, tides, temperatures, & marine geography, the most prominent ecosystems, marine flora, & marine fauna of Trieste. With that being said, let us delve into the beautiful blue waters of Trieste, Italy! The Salinity, Tides, Temperatures, Depth, & Marine Geography of Trieste The salinity around Trieste fluctuates wildly depending on the season, weather, & local conditions. Salinity in the Gulf of Trieste may vary from 35 to 38 parts per thousand (practical salinity units). (Salinity is measured in 1000-gram increments of water, & for every 1000 grams of water, a certain amount of salt is present.)This measurement is called parts per thousand, or practical salinity units. Factors such as seasonal freshwater runoff from rivers, namely the Soča (Isonzo) River can play a role in influencing the salinity. Water leaving the region through processes such as evaporation can increase salinity, while water entering the region through freshwater inflow may decrease the salinity. As such, the salinity in the region varies significantly depending on seasonality & local conditions, with the average hovering around 37 parts per thousand (practical salinity units). The tidal charts for Trieste may be found on a plethora of websites, including https://www.tide-forecast.com/, https://www.tideschart.com/, & https://www.thetidechart.com/. Tides are relatively low, with a maximum tidal range of approximately 130 centimeters (4.3 feet) during especially strong spring tides. Tides generally stay between 40 & 60 centimeters (1.3 to 1.9 feet). Trieste’s waters are generally calm, with gentle waves. The temperature charts for Trieste may be found on similar websites, including https://www.seatemperature.org, https://seatemperature.info/, & https://seatemperature.info/. The average annual sea temperature is approximately 63.5° Fahrenheit (17.54 Celsius). According to this average, it is recommended that anyone who desires to engage in diving, or a similar aquatic recreation should use a 4 to 5-millimeter-thick wetsuit. A few of the most popular beaches around Trieste include Beach Barcola, La Lanterna, Topolini Beach, Liburnia Beach, & Sisitiana. A photograph of Liburnia Beach near Trieste, Italy. This beach is known for its lovely pebbled shores, & calm coastal waters. Credit to Mitja Kemperle. In the Gulf of Trieste, water reaches a maximum of 121 feet, with an average of 61 feet. The seafloor around Trieste is predominantly flat, & composed of Holocene-aged (8,800 to 10,000 years ago) marine sediment. The Marine Ecosystems of Trieste Ecosystem Type No. 1: Intertidal Zones An intertidal zone is an area of coastline that is exposed to air at low tide, & is covered with water at high tide. It is a very important location for many small marine animals, such as gastropods, crustaceans, & bivalves. Many animals will take advantage of the nutrients & microorganisms that come in with the high tide. Tide pools are a kind of rock formation located in the intertidal zone, in which water becomes trapped to form a small pool at low tide as the tide recedes, creating a miniature sea of sorts. These pools generally have species from the phyla Echinodermata & Mollusca in them. Around Trieste, these zones are also inhabited by a species of endemic brown macroalgae known as Fucus virsoides. This brown macroalga provides important habitats to the local marine life. Ecosystem Type No. 2: Soft Muddy Seabeds Much of the seafloor in the Gulf of Trieste is composed of soft, flat, muddy seabeds. These seabeds are a hotspot for benthic, or bottom-dwelling marine life. They act as a space for benthic fish such as the common sole (Solea solea), & peacock blenny (Salaria pavo). In addition to benthic fish, they act as a hotspot for molluscs & echinoderms such as the common octopus (Octopus vulgaris), common cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis), noble pen shell (Pinna nobilis), purple sea urchin (Paracentrotus lindus), brittle stars, sea cucumbers, & sea stars. A noble pen shell (Pinna nobilis) sticking out of the seafloor, surrounded by all manner of marine life. This photograph was taken off the coast of Spain, in the Mediterranean Sea. Credit to Ullstein Bild. Ecosystem Type No. 3: The Pelagic Zone The open waters around Trieste are home to larger marine life such as the Blue Shark (Prionace glauca), bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus), squid, sea turtles, & dolphins. Blooms of the jellyfish species Rhizostoma pulmo can also be found from spring to autumn. As a result of the water column being so shallow, water can vary significantly in temperature depending on seasonal conditions. The Marine Flora of Trieste Trieste is home to an abundance of marine flora, including common eelgrass (Zostera marina), little neptune grass (Cymodocea nodosa), & the endemic brown macroalgae Fucus virsoides. Common Eelgrass (Zostera marina): A seagrass meadow of what is believed to be Zostera marina. Credit to Sue Scott. Common eelgrass, also known as seawrack, is a true seagrass native to the North Pacific & Atlantic. It is characterized by bright green slender blades, usually 7.8 to 19.6 inches (20 to 50 centimeters) long. This species is frequently found along the coast, & is known for favouring muddy or sandy shorelines. It is known for forming dense aggregations known as meadows, which act as an important habitat for juvenile fish. This species is also an important food source for seabirds. Little Neptune Grass (Cymodocea nodosa): A photograph of a patch of Little Neptune grass. Credit to Bernat Garrigós. Little Neptune grass is a species of true seagrass native to the Mediterranean Sea, & Atlantic Ocean. It is recognized for its long, thin, dark green blades. Fucus virsoides: A photograph of a patch of Fucus virsoides. Credit to Alchetron. Fucus virsoides is a species of brown macroalgae endemic to the Adriatic Sea. Although it once formed extensive underwater forests, it is now considered endangered. It is the only species of its genus known to inhabit the Mediterranean. Favouring rocky coastal waters, this species may be seen growing along the sea cliffs around Trieste. It is important to note that algae isn’t technically a plant, & is instead a heterokont/stramenopile, making it a protist. The Marine Fauna of Trieste From the shores to the pelagic, Trieste is positively teeming with marine animals. Creatures include the common sole (Solea solea), peacock blenny (Salaria pavo), common octopus (Octopus vulgaris), common cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis), noble pen shell (Pinna nobilis), purple sea urchin (Paracentrotus lindus), blue shark (Prionace glauca), bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus), squid, sea turtles, common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), barrel jellyfish (Rhizostoma pulmo), bull ray (Aetomylaeus bovinus), & assorted brittle stars, sea cucumbers, & sea stars. A photograph of a scuba diver jumping into the gorgeous Miramare Marine Reserve. Credit to Hostel Museum. Directories / Credits Citation No. 1: “Trieste Gulf”, Written by Unknown, & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by the Friuli Venezia Giulia Tourism. https://www.turismofvg.it/en/sea/sea-trieste-gulf?LangSetCMS=en Citation No. 2: “The 33 best beaches in and around Trieste”, Written by the Wanderlog Staff, & Published on February 28th, 2025. Published by Wanderlog. https://wanderlog.com/list/geoCategory/110104/best-beaches-in-and-around-trieste Citation No. 3: “Species and Habitat”, Written by Unknown, & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by AMP Miramare. https://www.ampmiramare.it/en/species-and-habitat/ Citation No. 4: “Interactive Identification Key for Marine Organisms of the Gulf of Trieste”, Written by Nataša Dolenc Orbanić, Claudio Battelli, Janja Plazar, Petra Furlan, & Nastja Cotič, & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by the University of Trieste. https://dryades.units.it/home/index.php?procedure=ext_key_home&key_type=var&key_id=10002 Citation No. 5: “Wetsuit thickness & temperature guide”, Written by Mark Evans, & Published on April 24th, 2023, at 3:05 PM. Published By Scuba Divers Magazine. https://divernet.com/content-marketing/wetsuit-thickness-and-temperature-guide/#Scuba_diving_wetsuits Citation No. 6: “Submerged and buried Pleistocene river channels in the Gulf of Trieste (Northern Adriatic Sea): Geomorphic, stratigraphic and tectonic inferences”, Written by Ana Trobec, Andrej Šmuc, Sašo Poglajen, & Marko Vrabec, & Published on June 1st, 2027. Published by Elsevier. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0169555X16310893 Citation No. 7: “Multi-platform study of the extreme bloom of the barrel jellyfish Rhizostoma pulmo (Cnidaria: Scyphozoa) in the northernmost gulf of the Mediterranean Sea (Gulf of Trieste) in April 2021”, Written by Nydia Catalina Reyes Suàrez, Valentina Tirelli, Laura Ursella, Matjaž Ličer, Massimo Cello, & Vanessa Cardin, & Published on May 31st, 2022. Published by EGUsphere. https://egusphere.copernicus.org/preprints/2022/egusphere-2022-393/ Citation No. 8: “Thickness of marine Holocene sediment in the Gulf of Trieste (northern Adriatic Sea)”, Written by Ana Trobec, Martina Busetti, Fabrizio Zgur, Luca Baradello, Alberto Babich, Andrea Cova, Emiliano Gordini, Roberto Romeo, Isabella Tomini, Sašo Poglajen, Paolo Diviacco, & Marko Vrabec, & Published on June 14th, 2018. Published by Copernicus Publications. https://essd.copernicus.org/articles/10/1077/2018/essd-10-1077-2018.pdf Citation No. 9: “Trieste, sightings of bull rays: Unique Mediterranean case but threat to mussel farms”, Written by Chiara Zampiva, & Published on July 17th, 2026. Published by Euronews. https://www.euronews.com/2026/07/17/trieste-sightings-of-bull-rays-unique-mediterranean-case-but-threat-to-mussel-farms Citation No. 10: “Common Eelgrass”, Written by Unknown, & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by The Wildlife Trusts UK. https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/marine/seaweeds-and-seagrass/common-eelgrass Citation No. 11: “Little Neptune Grass”, Written by Unknown, & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by PlantSnap. https://plantsnap.com/plant-care/cymodocea-nodosa Citation No. 12: “Fucus virsoides in the Adriatic Sea: a glacial relict in the era of climate changes”, Written by Emannuelle Descourvières, & Published on April 16th, 2026. Published by the University of Trieste. https://arts.units.it/handle/11368/3108140 Citation No. 13: “Ecophysiological responses of Fucus virsoides (Phaeophyceae, Fucales) to past and present nutrient conditions in the northern Adriatic”, Written by Emmanuelle Descourvières, Martina Mulas, Sara Natale, Raquel Sánchez de Pedro, Alessandro Alboresi, Cosimo Solidoro, Vinko Bandelj, & Annalisa Falace, & Published October 7th, 2024. Published by the University of Trieste. https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00227-024-04523-1.pdf Citation No. 14: “9 Beaches in & Around Trieste”, Written by Kat Smith, & Published on April 16th, 2026. Published by Mamma Mia Indeed. https://www.mammamiaindeed.com/articles/beaches-in-trieste Strategic Partnerships Reel Guppy Outdoors SharkedSkooler Marine Enthusiasts Podcast Cash Daniels Tides of Tomorrow The Open Book, Topanga Olivenbaum Music Pitfire Artisan Pizza Three J’s Kitchen Presence News Our Loyal Patrons P. R. Ochoa

A photograph of the beautiful coastline of Patagonia. Credit to golero/Getty Images. Today’s map is an antique 173-year-old nautical chart of Patagonia. This chart is rather large, at 26.5 inches long by 38.3 inches wide. It is in pristine condition, with minimal soiling, except for some discolouration on the far left. It focuses on the southern reaches of Argentina, as well as Chile. It also features the Falkland, & South Shetland Islands. In today’s article, we are going to examine this fascinating antique nautical map, discuss it, & analyze it. With that being said, let’s delve into the frigid, unforgiving waters of the South Atlantic! The Chart A 173-year-old antique nautical chart of Patagonia, produced by Aime Robiquet. Credit to raremaps.com. This chart features the southern tip of Patagonia, Tierra Del Fuego, as well as the South Shetland Islands. It is filled with useful navigation information, critical to any mariner of the era looking to navigate Patagonia. It is elegantly decorated with a minimalist cartouche consisting of curved & wavy lines. 3 compasses roses are available throughout, which would have assisted sailors in not losing their way in the formidable Strait of Magellan. It is in French, as it was originally published in Paris. Off the coast of Western Patagonia, the phrase “Les chiffres de Sondes experiment des Métres, Pour convertir les Métres en brasses il fault divisier par 1.62”, which roughly translates to “The figures from the experimental depth soundings are in meters. To convert meters to fathoms, divide by 1.62”. This would have been used by any sailor looking to gauge the depth of the sea surrounding them in order to ensure they would not run aground, & that they had enough swivel to support their anchor. Information for this chart was gathered from 2 primary expeditions, respectively from 1826 to 1830, & from 1831 to 1836. During the first of these expeditions, the HMS Beagle & the HMS Adventure were dispatched by the Royal Navy to explore Patagonia, Tierra Del Fuego, & the Strait of Magellan, with the goal of developing a more advanced understanding of the region for navigation & shipping. Captain Pringle Stokes, the commander of the HMS Beagle, unfortunately passed away by suicide during the voyage. He was quickly replaced by the 23-year-old Lieutenant Robert FitzRoy. After a hostage situation in which a group of Indigenous peoples from Tierra Del Fuego took hold of one of the Beagle’s tenders (support boats), resulting in Captain FitzRoy taking multiple Indigenous individuals hostage, the expedition ended relatively peacefully, having achieved its goals. Upon its return, the HMS Beagle was renovated to have the best scientific & navigational equipment available. A second expedition was then dispatched to the region in 1831, with Charles Darwin in tow. Darwin would go on to make some of the most consequential biological, geological, & geographical observations during this fateful journey, publishing Journal & Remarks, later renamed The Voyage of the Beagle (1839) as a result of the expedition. A watercolour illustration of a group of Indigenous peoples hailing the HMS Beagle somewhere in Patagonia. This illustration was done by English landscape painter Conrad Martens, who joined the HMS Beagle from 1833 to 1834. An Analysis of the Chart The chart was originally published in 1853 by Aimé Robiquet. Aimé Robiquet was a French cartographer, hydrographer, & publisher during the 19th century. Unfortunately, very little is known about his life, including his date of birth & death. His offices were located at Rue Pavée Saint Andre No. 2, in Paris, France. This chart was originally titled “Carte des Cotes de la Patagonie et des Mers du Cap Horn Dressee d'apres de Travaux du Cap.e R. Fitz Roy de la Marine Britannique”, which roughly translates to “Map of the Patagonian Coast and the Seas off Cape Horn, Based on the Surveys of Captain R. Fitz Roy of the British Navy”. Upon reviewing the publishing house, & time it was made, this chart was most likely manufactured using lithography. Lithography is a method of printing that arose in the 1820s, & remained the most popular method of printing in both color & grayscale until the early 1960s, when more efficient methods became available. Although it has existed since the mid-1790s, it took a long time to gain popularity in Europe due to technical difficulties. It only began gaining commercial popularity in the early 1820s. It is still used for certain kinds of printing today, such as fine art printing, however, digital printing is far more common. In the lithographic method, the artist will draw directly onto a printing surface, such as zinc, or copper, until they are satisfied with the drawing. After this, the surface will be covered with a chemical etch, which will bond it to the surface. With this process, the blank areas will attract moisture to the plate & repel the lithographic ink, while the areas that are drawn on will hold the ink. Water is then wiped onto the unpainted areas to help prevent the ink from deviating. After the image is inked, the paper is laid over it & covered with a tympan, & the tympan is pressed down. Finally, these materials pass through the scraper bar of the litho-press. Afterward, an exact copy of what was supposed to be printed is revealed. It is extremely useful for making high-resolution prints in high quantities. A stunning photograph of Yendegaia Bay National Park, Hornos Island, Chile. This island is located at the southern tip of Tierra Del Fuego, near Cape Horn. Credit to Andreea Lotak. Directories / Credits All credit for the map analyzed today goes to Rare Maps, a California rare & antique maps store. To purchase this chart, antique atlases, or other cartographic objects, please visit www.raremaps.com. To be clear, this is not an advertisement for Rare Maps, as we do not have a partnership with them. Strategic Partnerships Reel Guppy Outdoors SharkedSkooler Marine Enthusiasts Podcast Cash Daniels Tides of Tomorrow The Open Book, Topanga Olivenbaum Music Pitfire Artisan Pizza Three J’s Kitchen Presence News Our Loyal Patrons P. R. Ochoa

A photograph of a gorgeous dolphin stampede in Southern California. Credit to Stacie Fox. California’s Pacific coast is one of the most biodiverse and abundant ecosystems worldwide teaming with almost 2000 species of microorganisms, plants, fish, marine mammals, turtles, invertebrates, and seabirds supported by a Mediterranean climate. Its famous offshore, underwater, and coastal rock formations date back to the Cretaceous period and help subsidize this special bionetwork making the state’s ocean waters and sea life sacred and unique. Unfortunately, California’s precious coastal ecosystem also faces massive threats in the vein of climate change/global warming, the devastation of kelp forests, ocean acidification, algal blooms, and habitat destruction; sounding the alarm for the time-sensitive need for human intervention, conservation management, and awareness. The Pacific Tide series highlights monthly oceanic events occurring on the California coast and/or portraits important species who call the Pacific coastline waters home emphasizing the importance of conserving this critical ecosystem. In this month’s installment of The Pacific Tide, we introduce the not-so-glamourous but incredibly astonishing subject of dolphin poop! Dolphin stool is a leading solution against climate change helping absorb Co2 through the Cetacean Carbon Sequestration Cycle; single-handedly fighting greenhouse gases. Also explore with us while we dive among California’s Pacific coral reefs flourishing from under the nutrient benefits of dolphin poop plumes. Discover the U.S. Navy’s dolphin fleet at the Navy Marine Mammal Program and the groundbreaking procedure of dolphin fecal microbiota transplants (FMTs) spearheaded by Cardiology Veterinary Consultant, Dr. Barbara Linnehan, using dolphin-to-dolphin trans-rectal transplants to entirely cure dolphins suffering from gastrointestinal disease and maligned gut microbiome flora communities. California: The Dolphin Capital of the World The coastal beaches of California are undisputedly a gorgeous spectacle filled with palm trees, rolling sands, rocky cliff outcrops, dazzling sunsets, and sparkling, blue waters topped with white-capped waves; being well-worthy of its vacation destination title and postcard images. If this visual tapestry wasn’t heavenly enough; it becomes museum-quality when California’s most eminent marine mammals are spotted leaping into the air with the sun glistening off their wet, rubbery skin: dolphins. Renowned for their intellect, problem-solving skills, cheerful disposition, playfulness, and almost human-like social behavior; these Cetaceans (the scientific order including dolphins and whales) have been a ‘fan-favorite’ for generations, from the iconic “Flipper” television sitcom to the Lisa Frank school supplies pasted with colorful dolphin images owned by all 80s and 90s school children and every other derivation imaginable. California is the dolphin capital of the world, home to approximately one million dolphins up and down the Golden Coast. With more dolphins than Alaska, Hawaii and Florida combined; California has a greater density of dolphins per square mile than anywhere on Earth with 12 species of dolphins enjoying the west coast’s Pacific Blue. California’s primary dolphin species – Bottlenose, Common, Pacific White-Sided and Risso’s – are frequently observed swimming in families, pods and mega-pods ranging from 50 to 10,000 dolphins stampeding up to 200 miles daily at a minimum speed of 30 miles per hour with acrobatics added for flair. These California dolphins grow between 8 and 13 feet and recharge their energy bank by consuming 4 to 6% of their body weight, per day. With such a large appetite; dolphins can only thrive in oceans abundant in their favorite meals of a plump fish or slimy squid. California’s Pacific Ocean is the ideal sustenance grocery store for dolphins; ever-stocked with their favorite snacks which is why dolphins can be frequently spotted in both shallow California coastal waters and in the more temperate underwater canyon upwellings of the deeper seas. Dolphins serve a critical role in Pacific Ocean ecosystems being more than just a ‘cute’ gymnast in the oceanic Olympic games; as they are a sentinel species biomarker highlighting the health grade of the marine environment: a higher population of dolphins in the Pacific means the ocean is salubrious and teeming with food sources. Dolphins don’t just ‘take’, however, but also ‘give’ by single-handedly improving their watery home by creating a positive bio-cycle: greater number of dolphins → resultant of food-heavy ocean → resultant of large population of dolphins. How do dolphins act as a superhero of the ocean? It isn’t by donning a colorful cape but rather by means of something less glamorous: their fecal excrement. A photograph of a dolphin defecating in the ocean. Credit to Michelle Green. Is Dolphin Poop the Answer to Amend Climate Change? With upwards of a million dolphins swimming in California’s Pacific waters; this means a LOT of dolphin fecal matter floating in this giant toilet moonlighting as one of the ocean’s most important ecosystem players. Dolphin excrement is rich in nutrients particularly nitrogen, iron, and phosphorus which kick-starts the process of carbon sequestration: the absorption of the over-saturation of carbon dioxide that is the villain behind global warming and climate change. This powerful trifecta recipe in dolphin stool is the favorite metabolic nutrient food source of phytoplankton which acts as the trees of the ocean by undergoing photosynthesis and absorbing the pesky carbon. Matthew Savoca, a Marine Scientist at California’s Stanford University plainly describes phytoplankton as, “When they grow… they’re sucking in carbon dioxide and incorporating that into their cells”. When phytoplankton expires in death; the stored carbon is buried deep within the ocean’s sea beds thus diminishing the volume at the surface attempting to wreak havoc. California’s dolphin headquarters are a prime producer of this beneficial fecal matter with a single dolphin pod estimated to produce upwards of 634 pounds of nitrogen a year. Multiply that by California’s million-dolphin population and you will find that this Cetacean Carbon Cycle is not just benefiting oceanic ecosystem resilience and habitat productivity; but is also fighting global warming by regulating Co2. A diagram depicting the Cetacean Carbon Cycle. Cetaceans will move carbon across the planet both vertically, and latitudinally from north to south. Credit to the International Whaling Commission. Dolphins aren’t bashful with bathroom habits preferring to defecate at the surface with their carbon crusader poop mostly consisting of soft stool clouding the water in a fecal plume. This ‘Dolphin Tap’, coined by scientists, fortifies the carbon absorption cycle with dolphin excrement feeding phytoplankton, zooplankton (such as krill) eating the phytoplankton, fish in turn consuming krill, and finally dolphins imbibing on the fish; basically, making dolphins the regenerators of their own food chain while reducing greenhouse gases. This induction of the Dolphin Tap rightfully earns dolphins their moniker as ‘ecosystem engineers’ by means of reshaping their marine environment physically and biologically simply by being alive. Dolphin poop has been found to be beneficial in combating climate change and in restoring biodiversity; scientists and environmental policymakers are exploring the process of ‘ocean seeding’ to mitigate climate change – biomass ocean regeneration through the dissemination of artificial dolphin poop. Yes, artificial poop. This mock poop behaves akin to natural dolphin stool with identical minerals feeding the phytoplankton at the starting line of the carbon sequestration cycle. Even though this imitation feces is organically sound, using rice husks loaded with the perfect formula of nitrogen, iron, and phosphorus; ocean seeding is still in its infancy, and unknown in the extent of any negative side effects such as ocean deoxygenation. Richard Sabin, the Principal Curator of Mammals at the Natural History Museum in London, England cautions, “'It requires careful research as it's a big step to release detritus of any kind, including nutrient-rich types, into the ocean to make sure that the balance of nutrients and penetration of sunlight isn't adversely affected.” California’s dolphins are already working to save the planet by means of Co2 reduction through their fecal matter but a hero never rests when there is a cry for help; especially when the signal is coming from within the ocean, itself. California’s Hidden Treasure Trove of Corals If you’re planning your next vacation with the itinerary to swim among alluring, colorful coral reefs; you likely assume you need to book a plane ticket to a lush, tropical island or most famously: the Great Barrier Reef. What if I told you that you can find coral reefs in more temperate waters edging the entire California coastline? It might sound like nonsense; but it’s true! California’s corals are the direct definition of the adage of a ‘hidden gem’ even though the state’s shoreline is abundant in these underwater jewels. A photograph of a group of purple hydrocorals off the coast of California. Credit to Gabriel Lu. Traditional corals reside in shallow, warm waters growing and expanding through the process of photosynthesis thriving off the sun’s rays and symbiotic relationships with algal communities. In contrast, California’s reefs are primarily deep-sea corals found at a depth of 10 to 10,000 feet existing on a mineral-nutrient diet rather than solar power which fails to penetrate these depths. Although less famous; California’s coral reefs are a key asset to the Pacific oceanic ecosystem and even boast rare corals that are native to the state’s waters resembling a homage to a candy store with Strawberry Anemone, Bubble Gum Coral, Purple Hydrocoral, and Barrel Sponges sounding more like dessert than sea creatures. Coral reefs can be found parallel to the entire shoreline with the largest reefs living off Catalina Island, another 80 miles off the Monterey coast at the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (Davidson Seamount), Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary, and the mighty Sur Ridge in Central California’s waters. California’s corals are more than just a Candyland board game and are essential marine ecosystem players being the adhesive holding together the sea beds and providing a habitat for sea plants and animals. If these reefs were to become metaphorically bulldozed; California’s coastal waters would suffer an identity crisis with the extinction of tide pools, kelp forests, and in turn: marine animals and plants. These corals are of such importance that lawmakers have zoned each California reef as a marine sanctuary area and prohibit the alteration, destruction, or taking of the precious California corals. A photograph of a gorgeous orange coral reef near Santa Catalina Island, CA. Credit to Brian Huang. Corals have existed off the shores of California for thousands of years with many of today’s reef generations being formed over multiple centuries. Age doesn’t protect these corals from modern-day damage, global warming, or being highly threatened by ocean acidification and bottom-trawling fishing. Central California’s waters are characteristically low in pH hastening acidification and the destruction of the bio-diversity of its corals. Humans are also ill-fated for these gems of the sea with scientists finding evidence of pesticides, trash, ghost fishing gear, anchors, and toxic chemicals at a depth of 12,000 feet testing the resilience of these mighty but fragile reefs. "The California coast could be considered the front line for ocean acidification damage, within 50 years, and certainly by the end of the century. As ocean acidification due to our C02 emissions intensifies along this coast, those corals are gonna have a hard time," clarifies Jim Barry, a marine biologist working at California’s Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. Scientists, ocean conservationists, California oceanic restorationists, and lawmakers have worked in tandem to protect and restore corals by implementing artificial rock reefs up-and-down the coast dating back to as early as 1958. Although these efforts are celebrated; the real guardians of corals aren’t manmade but a bit closer to home…You guessed it: dolphin poop! Dolphin Poop: The Knight in Shining Armor to Coral Reefs The cornucopia of corals in California’s coastal waters is increasingly threatened by rising water temperatures, elevated levels of carbon, ocean acidification, and man-made stressors such as overfishing causing an urgent level of panic among marine biologists and ocean conservationists. These colorful relatives of jellyfish and sea anemones are critical to California’s oceanic ecosystem in support of biodiversity and seabed infrastructure. Corals have an evolutionary flaw of being anemic of phosphorus and nitrogen – two key nutrients they absolutely require to flourish and grow. In swoop the dolphins with their superpower feces that are rich in this coral cocktail. California’s dolphins are creatures of habit with regimented schedules opting to spend extended periods of time ‘resting’ in sheltered parts of the sea before venturing in the pursuit of the hunt or play. Where do dolphins like to metaphorically spend a lazy morning and conserve their energy? In the peaceful, undisturbed deep-sea corals of the Pacific. During this respite period, these dolphin pods defecate frequently providing the exact nutrients that corals desperately demand making dolphin poop a vital ally in coral maintenance and restoration. Scientists have even discovered that dolphins return to the coral habitats after the hunt to digest their prey which means even more pool plumes gifted to the corals solving reef grief. Marine studies have concluded evidence of dolphins being consistent nutrient transporters to coral communities with data collected between 2013 and 2022 showing that a single dolphin excretes almost half a pound of beneficial poop a day (81 pounds a year) and spends 36% of their waking hours in coral reefs. Extended to pods, 3000/5300 pounds of dolphin nutrient waste is absorbed directly by corals, annually. In order to protect California corals; it is vital to sequentially protect dolphins with their savior poop. Dolphins are the chief marine species to encounter human activity exposure 82% of the day spread across tourism, boats, freight vessels, fishing, and even offshore drilling. Marine mammal advocates stress the importance of passing dolphin-protection policies against human-centric threats in order to maintain their benefits to coral (and oceanic) ecosystems. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) upheld a governing law in Hawaii declaring a 50-yard approach limit to spinner dolphins (who have been proven to protect and restore Hawaii’s corals) within two nautical miles of the shoreline. California’s marine scientists and activists seek similar protections for the Golden State’s cetaceans. The Healing Power of Dolphin Poop Transplants You’ve heard of Navy SEALs, but have you heard of Navy Dolphins? Bottlenose dolphins, that is! In 1959, the United States Navy founded the ‘Marine Mammal Program’ under the tutelage of the Reconnaissance and Interdiction Division at the Naval Information Warfare Center in Point Loma (San Diego), California. This program trains bottlenose dolphins (and California sea lions) to participate in U.S. Navy missions including the detection of undersea mines, the attachment of recovery lines, and even James Bond-esque security detail for the recognition of unauthorized or suspected ‘enemies’ in California’s coastal waters. If protecting the California shoreswasn’t heroic enough; the U.S. Navy dolphin fleet also facilitated the discovery of a marine mammal medical breakthrough using none other than their amazing poop! Dr. Barbara Linnehan, the Navy Marine Mammal Program’s Cardiology Veterinary Consultant was serving in her role as the Director of Animal Health & Welfare (2022- 2025) studying the delicate gut microbiomes of the dolphin fleet; when she documented dolphins suffering from gastrointestinal infirmities not responding to standard veterinary antibiotics. A dolphin’s intestinal system and gut microbiome host 80% of its immune system working in cahoots with the rest of the dolphin’s organs to keep overall health, in check. Dr. Linnehan was familiar with the practice of transplanting fecal stool from a healthy human host to that of a gastro-maligned recipient better known as fecal microbiota transplants (FMTs); and it dawned on her that fecal transplants could potentially be replicated among cetaceans. Linnehan and her veterinary team spearheaded a groundbreaking dolphin-to-dolphin fecal transplant resulting in the complete recovery of the gastrointestinal suffering of the ailing dolphin. A table depicting the steps of an FMT transplant. Credit to the study Evaluation of the safety and efficacy of fecal microbiota transplantations in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) using metagenomic sequencing. To explore this new field of dolphin fecal microbiota transplants; Linnehan teamed with Sho Kodera of the Gilbert Lab at the Center for Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine at University of San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography to conduct a first-of-its-kind comprehensive study and implementation of dolphin FMTs. From January 2019 to February 2022, scientists transplanted stools collected from healthy dolphin donors in California’s Navy Marine Mammal Program to dolphins with poor gastrointestinal health before sequencing the gut microbiomes and authenticating signs of the re-growth and recuperation of dolphin gut flora. The team performed dolphin FMTs trans-rectally using eight healthy dolphin host donors with the transplants resulting in the full recoveries of all recipient dolphins with gastrointestinal disease and recuperation of the diversity of gut microbial communities even in those dolphins previously resistant to medication. The gut microbiomes of recipient dolphins post-transplant were found to resemble the healthy donor and successfully maintained positive gut levels even two years after the procedure. Linnehan’s team even secured a ‘dolphin bank’ of logged dolphin poop available for future emergency dolphin FMTs. Think of it as a dolphin pharmacy, if you will. Dr. Linnehan explains, “During the project, we also came up with an effective protocol for banking healthy donor dolphin feces for later use. This has proven beneficial so that when an FMT is needed we have a healthy dolphin stool bank to pull from”. The dolphin fecal microbiota transplant study also investigated procedural methods such as using fresh versus frozen dolphin feces, rectal transplants or oral supplements, and a single FMT or a series of transplants in order to create a solid methodology for future dolphin fecal microbiota transplants. Dolphin FMTs not only emphasize the benefit of dolphin stool but have also piloted an alternative treatment for cetaceans with gastrointestinal disease. Although primarily beneficial, veterinary medication has been found to destroy both ‘good and bad’ dolphin gut microbial flora preventing full recovery and regrowth. Dolphin FMTs avoid this pitfall and offer an encouraging new treatment plan. “This work is important to the veterinary community because it highlights a therapeutic option other than antibiotics to effectively treat gastrointestinal diseases in cetaceans, and describes a safe and effective protocol to alter the gut microbiome in animals with dysbiosis,” Dr Linnehan asserted. The next time you think of feces as ‘gross’; remember that dolphins are using their stool to fight climate change and maintain oceanic ecosystems, ‘feed’ and restore coral reefs, and heal the gut health of fellow cetaceans through trans-rectal transplants. The power of dolphin poop! Directories/Credits 1: “Get to Know Common Dolphins and the Dolphin Stampede”, Written by Unknown. Published on Unknown Date by Captain Dave’s Dolphin Safari https://www.dolphinsafari.com/common-dolphins-and-dolphin-stampede/ 2: “Common Dolphin”, Written by Unknown. Published on Unknown Date by Orange County Outdoors https://www.orangecountyoutdoors.com/wildlife/marine-mammals/common-dolphin 3: “California is a Dolphin Paradise”, Written by Erik Olsen. Published on February 13, 2023, by California Curated https://californiacurated.com/blog/california-is-a-dolphin-paradise/ 4: “Five Different Types of Dolphins in Dana Point”, Written by Unknown. Published on Unknown Date by Captain Dave’s Dolphin Safari https://www.dolphinsafari.com/five-different-types-of-dolphins-in-dana-point/ 5: The Dolphin Tap: Assessing the Ecosystem Role of Spinner Dolphins in Supplying Nutrients to Coral Reefs in Maui Nui, Hawai’i, Written by Unknown. Published on February 13, 2026, by Pacific Whale Foundation https://pacificwhale.org/the-dolphin-tap-assessing-the-ecosystem-role-of-spinner-dolphins-in-supplying-nutrients-to-coral-reefs-in-maui-nui-hawaii/ 6: “Nutrient-Rich Dolphin Poop Could Help Save Damaged Coral Reef”, Written by Nidhi Goyal. Published on July 12th, 2022 by Industry Tap into News https://www.industrytap.com/nutrient-rich-dolphin-poop-could-help-save-damaged-coral-reef/63155 7: “Why Cetaceans”, Written by Unknown. Published on Unknown Date by World Cetacean Alliance https://worldcetaceanalliance.org/who-we-are/why-cetaceans/ 8: “‘Ocean Gardeners’: How Whale Poop Helps Fight Climate Change”, Written by Asiye Latife Yilmaz. Published on June 5, 2026, by Anadolu Ajansı News https://www.aa.com.tr/en/environment/-ocean-gardeners-how-whale-poop-helps-fight-climate-change/3957355 9: “Artificial Whale Poo Could Help Restore Ocean Biodiversity”, Written by James Ashworth. Published on March 9, 2022, by United Kingdom Natural History Museum https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/news/2022/march/artificial-whale-poo-could-help-restore-ocean-biodiversity.html 10: The Dolphin Tap: Assessing the Ecosystem Role of Spinner Dolphins in Supplying Nutrients to Coral Reefs in Maui Nui, Hawai’i, Written by Grace L, Olson, Shannon M. Barber-Meyer, Jens J. Currie. Published on January 14, 2026, by Frontiers in Mammal Science https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/mammal-science/articles/10.3389/fmamm.2025.1712553/full 11: “Dolphin Poop Helps Save Coral Reefs”, Written by Cathy Brown. Published on August 22, 2022, by Good Nature https://www.nathab.com/blog/dolphin-poop-helps-save-coral-reefs 12: “How Dolphin Poop Could Help Save Damaged Coral Reef”, Written by Talker News. Published in July 6, 2022 by Talker Newshttps://talker.news/2022/07/06/how-dolphin-poop-could-help-save-damaged-coral-reef/ 13: “Dolphin Poo Could Be Key Ingredient in Coral Reef Survival”, Written by Ethan Freedman. Published on July 7, 2022, by The Independent https://www.the-independent.com/climate-change/news/dolphin-poo-coral-reef-b2118147.html 14: “Deep-Sea Coral Habitat”, Written by Unknown. Published on Unknown Date by Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History https://ocean.si.edu/ecosystems/coral-reefs/deep-sea-coral-habitat 15: “Deep-Sea Corals”, Written by Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. Published on an unknown date by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration https://farallones.noaa.gov/science/corals.html 16: “California's Rock Reefs”, Written by OC Habitats. Published on February 15, 2021, by OC Habitats https://www.ochabitats.org/post/california-s-rock-reefs 17: “Exploring the Cold-Water Corals of the California Coast”, Written by Robert Eagle. Published on Unknown Date 2025 by UCLA Institute of Environment and Sustainability https://www.ioes.ucla.edu/project/exploring-the-cold-water-corals-of-the-california-coast/ 18: “Exploring Corals of the Deep”, Written by Sheraz Sadiq. Published on March 9, 2016, by KQED National Public Radio News https://www.kqed.org/quest/37167/exploring-corals-of-the-deep 19: “Deep-Sea Coral and Sponge Community Observatory at Sur Ridge”, Written by Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Published on Unknown Date by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration https://montereybay.noaa.gov/science/research/observatory.html 20: “Using Fecal Transplants to Treat Dolphins with Gastrointestinal Disease”, Written by Sho Kodera. Published on April 4, 2024, by Scripps Institution of Oceanography https://scripps.ucsd.edu/news/using-fecal-transplants-treat-dolphins-gastrointestinal-disease 21: “Evaluation of the Safety and Efficacy of Fecal Microbiota Transplantations in Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) Using Metagenomic Sequencing”, Written by Barbara K Linnehan, Sho M Kodera, Sarah M Allard, Erin C Brodie, Celeste Allaband, Rob Knight, Holly L Lutz, Maureen C Carroll, Jennifer M Meegan, Eric D Jensen, Jack A Gilbert. Published on February 1, 2024, by National Library of Medicine, Oxford University Press https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10853691/ 22: “Researchers Carry Out First Peer-Reviewed Study of Fecal Microbiota Transplants in Dolphins”, Written by Linda Stewart. Published on Unknown Date March 2024, Updated May 2, 2024 by National Marine Mammal Foundation https://nmmf.org/researchers-carry-out-first-peer-reviewed-study-of-fecal-microbiota-transplants-in-dolphins/ 23: “Marine Mammal Program”, Written by Unknown. Published on Unknown Date by Naval Information Warfare Center https://www.niwcpacific.navy.mil/about/departments/intelligence-surveillance-and-reconnaissance/marine-mammal-program/ Strategic Partnerships Reel Guppy Outdoors SharkedSkooler Marine Enthusiasts Podcast Cash Daniels Tides of Tomorrow The Open Book, Topanga Olivenbaum Music Pitfire Artisan Pizza Three J’s Kitchen Presence News Our Loyal Patrons P. R. Ochoa

A photograph of a male Peacock Blenny taken in 2009. Credit to George Chernilevsky. Today’s article is going to dive into the fascinating lives of the Peacock Blenny of Trieste, Italy. Trieste is a port city located in Northern Italy along the Adriatic Sea. It has a fairly large population of 198,668 individuals. It is located near the Italian-Slovenian & Italian-Croatian borders. The city links these 3 countries, as well as the rest of the Mediterranean, making it a center of trade. Modernly, it is considered the Mediterranean endpoint of the 21st-century Maritime Silk Road, an international development initiative developed by the Chinese Government. Trieste is often colloquially referred to as the “City of Science”, given its heavy research presence. Across Europe, it has the highest number of researchers per capita, at an astounding 37.1 people per thousand individuals. In addition to its scientific prowess, it is also known for its contributions to the coffee industry, affectionately referred to by lovers of the drink as the “City of Coffee”. Annually, residents of Trieste consume twice the mean of the average Italian. The city is packed with historic cafes, coffee breweries, roasters, & important companies. Apart from its statuesque architecture, vibrant culinary scene, & domineering research industry, Trieste is known for its natural beauty. With wonders such as the Miramare Nature Reserve, Rosandra Valley Reserve, & Carsiana Botanical Garden, the city is home to thousands of fascinating creatures, both terrestrial & marine. One of the creatures that calls Trieste home is the Peacock Blenny. The Peacock Blenny is a species of fish known for its elongated appearance, & fleshy crest. They are native to the Mediterranean, as well as the North Atlantic, & occupy shallow waters between 0 & 10 meters. They may be seen along rocky shorelines, intertidal zones, harbours, & coastal man-made structures. Individuals are fiercely territorial, & protective over their homes as well as their young. In today’s article, we will discuss the discovery & life of the Peacock Blenny, the reproductive strategies of the Peacock Blenny, the distribution of the Peacock Blenny, & the scientific aspects of the Peacock Blenny. With that being said, let us delve into the fascinating world of this brilliant sea-creature! The Discovery & Life of the Peacock Blenny The Peacock Blenny was discovered in 1810 by Antoine Risso, a French naturalist & taxonomist from the city of Nice. Individuals measure 2.3 to 5.1 inches (6 to 13 centimeters) in length, & 7.12 to 27.63 grams in weight. Their lifespan is 2 to 5 years, with individuals living slightly longer in captivity. Unfortunately, very little information is available on the intelligence of the Peacock Blenny. Generally speaking, Blennies tend to be among the most intelligent fish, possessing some level of spatial memory, social awareness, recognition, & general smarts. Peacock Blennies are often mildly aggressive, & very territorial. Once they have found a crevice, rock, or other space they claim as home, they will fight with vitriolic aggression against any other creature who attempts to invade. In aquarium settings, they do not manage well with roommates of both their species & other animals, & prefer having their own space. Towards humans, they are usually skittish, with a tendency to retreat when humans approach. Individuals are poor swimmers who primarily inhabit the benthic zone, meaning the seafloor. It is important to understand that fish do not sleep in the same way humans or mammals do. Blennies will enter states of reduced activity as well as reduced metabolism during nights, but this is not comparable to the deep extended periods of rest that mammals will enter. While in their states of reduced activity, they will keep their brain partially active in order to be able to escape potential predators. Peacock Blennies will consume a variety of bottom-dwelling organisms such as algae, bivalves, sponges, crustaceans, sea snails, chitons, amphipods, isopods, insects, echinoderms, & fish eggs. Individuals are elongated, with a lighter brown base, larger brown stripes, bulky heads, & dotted white polka dots. Males tend to have bulkier heads, with brighter polka dots. During breeding season, males will grow fleshy protruding crests off the top of their heads to attract females. Thankfully, Peacock Blennies (Salaria pavo) are classified as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List. Their population is presently stable. A photograph of a male Peacock Blenny with a fleshy crest extending from its head. Credit to Roberto Pillon. The Reproductive Strategies of the Peacock Blenny Peacock Blennies reproduce via sexual reproduction, & are unable to reproduce asexually. Their mating system can be described as polygynous, as males will breed with multiple females every season. Their breeding season can broadly be defined as March through September, peaking from May to July. Individuals reach sexual maturity at approximately 1 year old. Upon reaching sexual maturity, males will begin searching for females to mate with, & grow fleshy crests off the top of their foreheads. Males will attract females through a series of nods & undulations. After attracting a suitable female, the female will lay her unfertilized eggs inside a nest, typically on a rock or in a crevice, & the males will release their sperm on top of the eggs. Males will then guard the eggs from other females, preventing harm from coming their way. They will use their fins to flush oxygenated water over their eggs, & release an antibacterial mucus in order to defend against microbial infections. Alternatively, smaller males, known as sneaker males, will mimic females to sneak past more dominant males in order to fertilize eggs. After 6 to 15 days, the baby peacock blennies will hatch, ready to face the sea. Upon hatching, the fry will have no further parental involvement. The Distribution of the Peacock Blenny Peacock Blennies are distributed throughout the Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea, Adriatic Sea, & Red Sea after colonizing it via the Suez Canal. Individuals are typically found in shallow sheltered waters that contain rocks or seaweed meadows, usually 0 to 6.56 feet (0 to 2 meters) in depth. They are known to inhabit both brackish, & saltwater, with the ability to tolerate extremes on both ends. Individuals are not known to be migratory. The Scientific Aspects of the Peacock Blenny In the wild, Peacock Blennies are known to carry the parasite Myxidium parvum, a myxosporean parasite. Myxosporea is a group of microscopic parasites belonging to the group Cnidaria, a group which includes jellyfish, sea anemones, & coral. Myxosporeans are known to affect both freshwater & saltwater species, typically attacking the internal organs. They require an intermediate host before they enter the Peacock Blenny. Myxidium parvum is primarily limited to the Black Sea population of the Peacock Blenny. It also affects other blenny species in the region, such as the Tentacled Blenny. It typically attacks the gall bladder of its hosts. Individuals have a single row of small razor-like teeth on their upper & lower jaws, along with larger curved canine-like teeth at the back of their mouths. These teeth are used for devouring small invertebrates, fish eggs, & algae. Their phylum is Chordata, meaning that they developed these 5 characteristics all species under the phylum of chordata develop 5 similar characteristics either in adulthood or as juveniles. The characteristics that they develop include a notochord, dorsal hollow nerve cord, endostyle or thyroid, pharyngeal slits, & a post-anal tail. Their class is Actinopterygii, this means that they are ray-finned fish. This also means that their actinopterygian fin rays attach directly to the proximal or basal skeletal elements. This class comprises over 50% of living vertebrate species. Their order is Blenniformes. A universal trait of this order is that the tail fin is rounded, & the dorsal fin is continuous. Their family is Blenniidae, commonly known as Combtooth Blennies. Combtooth Blennies typically have blunt heads, large eyes, elongated bodies, & live in the benthic zone of the sea. Their genus is Salaria, & their scientific name is Salaria pavo. A photograph of a Peacock Blenny in a rocky reef. Credit to Roberto Pillon. Directories / Credits Citation No. 1: “Peacock Blenny”, Written by Unknown, & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by ReefArchive. https://www.reefarchive.com/fish/blennies/peacock-blenny Citation No. 2: “Peacock Blenny”, Written by Unknown & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by Underwater Enterprises. https://divemalta.com/marine-life/bony-fish/peacock-blenny/ Citation No. 3: “Peacock Blenny”, Written by Unknown & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by the Paul Richard Oceanographic Institute. https://www.institut-paul-ricard.org/en/especes_aquarium/peacock-blenny/ Citation No. 4: “Peacock Blenny”, Written by Unknown & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by Animalia. https://animalia.bio/peacock-blenny Citation No. 5: “Euro-Mediterranean Silk Road Passes Through Trieste & Istanbul”, Written by Paolo Deganutti, & Published on November 21st, 2025. Published by Plǔralia. https://pluralia.com/en/a/euro-mediterranean-silk-road-passes-through-trieste-and-istanbul/ Citation No. 6: “The Research Centers in Trieste”, Written by Unknown, & Published on August 18th, 2017. Published by the Embassy of Italy. https://ambriga.esteri.it/en/news/dall_ambasciata/2017/08/informazioni-sulla-realta-scientifica-2/ Citation No. 7: “Salaria pavo”, Written by Unknown, & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by FishBase. https://fishbase.se/summary/Salaria-pavo.html Citation No. 8: “Salaria pavo”, Written by Kasper Hareskov Tygesen, & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by ReefApp. https://reefapp.net/en/encyclopedia/salaria-pavo Citation No. 9: “Peacock Blenny: Salaria pavo”, Written by Antonio Di Natale, Murat Bilecenoglu, Michel Bariche, Can Bizsel, Enric Massuti, Jeffrey Williams, & Matthew Craig, & Published in 2014. Published by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/185175/1776635 Citation No. 10: “Do Blenny Fish Sleep? Interesting Facts About Blenny Fish”, Written by Kai Brooks, & Published on November 28th, 2025. Published by Knolcrest Lodge. https://knolcrestlodge.com/do-blenny-fish-sleep-pk683/ Citation No. 11: “Ecological modulation of reproductive behaviour in the peacock blenny: a mini-review”, Written by J. L. Saraiva, D. Gonçalves, & R. F. Oliveira, & Published on May 15th, 2012. Published by Fish Physiology & Biochemistry. https://ise.usj.edu.mo/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Saraiva_et_al_2013.pdf Citation No. 12: “A male sexually dimorphic trait provides antimicrobials to eggs in blenny fish”, Written by Eva Giacomello, Daniela Marchini, & Maria B. Rasotto, & Published on May 26th, 2026. Published by Biology Letters. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1686180/ Citation No. 13: “Molecular and morphological description of Myxidium parvum (Cnidaria) from Salaria pavo (Blenniidae) in the Black Sea”, Written by C. T. Gürkanli, S. Okkay, Y. Çiftçi, & A. Özer, & Published on November 26th, 2021. Published by Parasitology International. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1383576921002385 Strategic Partnerships Reel Guppy Outdoors SharkedSkooler Marine Enthusiasts Podcast Cash Daniels Tides of Tomorrow The Open Book, Topanga Olivenbaum Music Pitfire Artisan Pizza Three J’s Kitchen Presence News Our Loyal Patrons P. R. Ochoa

A striking photograph of the beautiful blue Baltic Sea. Credit to Michael Held. Modern technology allows us to easily find information about the history of any region. We can visualize what it looked like thousands and even millions of years ago and how it changed over the decades to finally be what we know today. This knowledge is acquired by analyzing data from sediment samples taken from the ground. This was the method used to establish the history of the Baltic Sea. Even though this particular sea is young, being only about 8,000 years old, it still has its own history and unique characteristics, which will be discussed in this article. The Baltic Sea was first a region covered entirely by an ice sheet. 20,000 years ago the ice glaciers originating from Scandinavia started spreading east and south, deepening the region by dragging large rocks and smaller pieces of stone and clay. The ice slowly melted, filling the created basin with water and forming what is now known as the Baltic Ice Lake. With the ice melting, the basin continued to fill with water until it started to overflow, causing the excess freshwater to travel directly into Skagerrak (strait between Denmark, Norway, and Sweden). When the outflow finally stopped, seawater was able to reach the lake through the newly created mid-Swedish channel. That is when the salinity levels allowed the bivalve Yoldia to flourish, thus creating the name Yoldia Sea, lasting a short period of time. A photograph of Portlandia arctica, formerly known as Yoldia arctica. This mussel used to colonize the area which modernly occupies the Baltic Sea. Credit to Amgueddfa Cymru & the National Museum of Wales. The next step in its history was the Ancylus Lake period - a time when the freshwater basin covered an area larger than today’s Baltic Sea. This period was also relatively short, as about 8,000 years ago, seawater flowed into the lake, creating what we know today - the Baltic Sea. An illustration showcasing the extent of the Ancylus Lake, along with major cities in the region. Note that Stockholm, as well as Helsinki would be underwater. Credit to GEOMAR. So, what makes this particular sea unique? The basin itself is about 1600 km long, with an average depth of 55 metres, the deepest point reaching 459 metres. It is one of the largest brackish inland seas by area. This means that this sea’s water contains more salinity than that of freshwater, but less than that of seawater. This particular characteristic is one of the most important pillars of shaping its biodiversity. Unlike other seas, the Baltic Sea has an exceptionally low biodiversity. Low salinity is caused by many freshwater points of flow (rivers) and narrow connections to the salty ocean. This means that most marine species cannot survive because the water is too fresh, and most freshwater species cannot survive because it is too salty. Therefore, there are a limited number of adaptable species that can thrive in this basin. The relatively young age of this sea also means that species have not had enough time to fully adapt to these unique conditions. The Baltic Sea is shallow and holds a relatively small volume of water, causing it to be highly sensitive to temperature changes and pollution. Any pollutants and chemicals that enter the sea remain trapped inside for decades - the narrow connection to the open ocean means that water exchange is extremely slow, taking it roughly 40 years to flush out. When it comes to tides, they are usually less than 10 centimeters, which makes it difficult to wash away debris and mix nutrients, having to rely on wind-driven currents to move water. On top of that, the Baltic Sea contains some of the largest human-caused marine dead zones in the world. In these zones, benthic life suffocates and dies, leaving an underwater oxygen dead zone populated only by anaerobic bacteria. The Baltic Sea is one of the most unique seas. Its low biodiversity doesn’t make it interesting for many marine biologists, however, many who decide to appreciate its beauty find that it has much more to offer than it shows. From its history to the species living in it and to many historical wonders that hide beneath it, in this series we will slowly unravel its beauty, hoping to shed light on this undermined basin. Tales from the Baltic - a vow to the currents that carried my childhood. A photograph depicting the haunting beauty of the Baltic Sea. Credit to Public Domain. Directories / Credits Citation No. 1: “The Origin of the Baltic Sea”, Written by Robert Spielhagen, and Published at an Unknown Date. Credit to GEOMAR. https://www.geomar.de/en/discover/the-origin-of-the-baltic-sea Citation No. 2: “State and Evolution of the Baltic Sea (1952-2005)”, Written by Rainer Feistel, Günther Nausch, and Norbert Wasmund, and Published in 2008. Credit to John Wiley & Sons. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Rainer-Feistel/publication/275645919_Feistel_2008_frontmatter/ Citation No. 3: “Treatise of Marine Ecology and Paleoecology - Chapter 24: Baltic Sea”, Written by Sven G. Segerstråle, and Published on December 1st, 1957. Credit to The Geological Society of America. https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/books/edited-volume/73/chapter-abstract/3787153/Chapter-24-Baltic-Sea?redirectedFrom=fulltext Citation No. 4: “Water in motion”, Written by Unknown, and Published at an Unknown Date. Published by MarineFinland. https://itameri.fi/en/nature-and-how-it-changes/characteristics-of-water/hydrology/. 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Today’s chart is a primordial 169-year-old map of the South Atlantic Ocean, featuring both the coasts of South America & the coast of West Africa. The chart is fairly large, at 51 inches long by 38 inches wide. It is in beautiful condition for its age, apart from a small hole in one of its compass roses. Its blemishes & soiling are consistent with use at sea. In today’s article, we are going to examine this antique map, discuss it, & analyze it. With that being said, let’s delve into the visually magnificent, cool, & unforgiving waters of the South Atlantic Ocean! The Chart A 169-year-old antique nautical chart produced by James Imray & his son, James Frederick Imray. Credit to raremaps.com. This chart features most of South America, part of West Africa, the South Atlantic Ocean, & the Eastern Pacific Ocean, from the Equator to 65° South latitude. It is packed with information, & includes multiple archipelagos such as the Galapagos, South Shetland, South Orkney, Sandwich, & Falkland Islands. It is beautifully decorated, with intricate calligraphy all over. 10 compass roses are littered across the map, which would have been used by navigators to orient themselves as to what their position was. In the Atlantic, we can see “Reid's Shoal (1842)”, located near Lagoa dos Patos, Brazil, while in the Pacific we can see “Powsland Reef? (1853)”. Coral reefs, rocky reefs, & shoals pose many issues to passing ships, as they may cause hull damage to unsuspecting vessels which strike them. Hull damage can catastrophically alter the structural integrity of the ship, & may cause it to capsize & sink. As such, it is of critical importance to have these properly labelled. Weather conditions are featured prominently in the chart, with the infamous Drake Passage labelled with “Storms and almost constant rain prevail here”. Other areas, such as the South Sandwich Islands, are labelled with “High Land covered with snow”. South of 60° Latitude, reports of field ice from various years can be seen. Field ice is defined as an expanse of sea ice or lake ice on a body of water which is so large, that the other side may not be seen from the masthead of a ship. It is relatively flat, & according to the Manual of Ice, must be more than 6.3 miles (10 kilometers) across. This would have been extraordinarily useful to any sailor traversing icy Antarctic waters, as field ice could severely damage or even sink a vessel. Information about currents near Brazil & Cape Horn can be found on the left side of the map, while information about the Lagullas Current, South African Current, & Southern Connecting Current can be found on the right side. According to the chart, the Lagullas Current is set westward around the Cape of Good Hope, & varies in velocity. The South African Current is a strong broad extension of the Lagullas Current, running northwest. The Southern Connecting Current flows to the east between 30° & 40° South latitude. It is also broad, & quite strong. Illustrations of Tristan de Cunha, West Falkland, Gough Island, False Cape Horn & the Cape Horn can all be seen near the bottom. Each coastline is drawn with attention to detail. An Analysis of the Chart This chart was manufactured in 1857, by the Scottish pair of hydrographers James Imray & his son, James Frederick Imray. Imray Sr. began his business as a bookseller in 1818. He shared his office space with a nautical chart seller, Robert Blachford, & eventually went into business with his successor, Michael Blachford. He eventually bought Blachford out in 1846, & brought his son in as a partner in 1854. In 1899, the firm was sold to Norie & Wilson. Nowadays, the combined firms trade under the name Imray, Laurie, Norie, & Wilson, keeping the name alive over a century later. The map was created & published in London, as that is where the cartographic office of Imray was located. The chart is titled “General Chart of the South Atlantic or Ethiopic Ocean From The Equator to 65° South Latitude according to the latest Surveys & Observations”. Upon reviewing the concise details printed, publishing house, & era that it was manufactured in, this chart was likely manufactured using lithography. Lithography is a method of printing that arose in the 1820s, & remained the most popular method of printing in both color & grayscale until the early 1960s, when more efficient methods became available. Although it has existed since the mid-1790s, it took a long time to gain popularity in Europe due to technical difficulties. It only began gaining commercial popularity in the early 1820s. It is still used for certain kinds of printing today, such as fine art printing, however, digital printing is far more common. In the lithographic method, the artist will draw directly onto a printing surface, such as zinc, or copper, until they are satisfied with the drawing. After this, the surface will be covered with a chemical etch, which will bond it to the surface. With this process, the blank areas will attract moisture to the plate & repel the lithographic ink, while the areas that are drawn on will hold the ink. Water is then wiped onto the unpainted areas to help prevent the ink from deviating. After the image is inked, the paper is laid over it & covered with a tympan, & the tympan is pressed down. Finally, these materials pass through the scraper bar of the litho-press. Afterward, an exact copy of what was supposed to be printed is revealed. It is extremely useful for making high-resolution prints in high quantities. A sunlit photograph of Cape Horn, Tierra del Fuego, Chile. This area is prominently featured on today’s chart. Credit to Wikimedia Commons. Directories / Credits All credit for this map analyzed today goes to Rare Maps, a California rare & antique maps store. To purchase this chart, antique atlases, or other cartographic objects, please visit www.raremaps.com. To be clear, this is not an advertisement for Rare Maps, as we do not have a partnership with them. Strategic Partnerships Reel Guppy Outdoors SharkedSkooler Marine Enthusiasts Podcast Cash Daniels Tides of Tomorrow The Open Book, Topanga Olivenbaum Music Pitfire Artisan Pizza Presence News Our Loyal Patrons P. R. Ochoa

An idyllic photograph of a sea arch in Anguilla, a British Overseas Territory. Credit to bThere Magazine. Today’s chart is an ancient 375-year-old map of the Caribbean, from Puerto Rico to Trinidad. The chart is moderately sized, at 20 inches long by 16 inches wide. It features the Caribbean Sea, & numerous Caribbean islands. It is in brilliant condition for its age, with few spots or signs of wear along the edges. In today’s article, we are going to examine this antique map, discuss it, & perform an analysis of it. With that being said, let’s delve into the idyllic, tropical waters of the Caribbean Sea! The Map A 375-year-old chart of the Caribbean Sea. Credit to cartographer & hydrographer Jan Janssonius. This chart focuses on the Caribbean Sea, featuring Puerto Rico, Anguilla, Saint Martin, Saint-Barthélemy, Antigua, Guadalupe, Dominica, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, Grenada, Trinidad, & numerous other small islands. It is richly decorated, with numerous illustrations of ships, an elaborate cartouche, & an illustration of a person along with the map scale in the corner. Each ship is unique, with varying sails, flags, & colours of wooden hulls. The Paria peninsula of Venezuela has numerous mountains drawn, along with a plethora of labelled coastal settlements. An Analysis of the Map This chart was produced in 1650 by cartographer Johannes Janssonius. Jan Jansson was an esteemed hydrographer & cartographer of the 17th century, born in 1588 in Arnhem, Gelderland, The Netherlands. During this era, the Dutch ruled the cartographic market. Born to a father who owned a publishing house, he was exposed to the art of cartography & publishing at a young age. In 1612, at the age of 24, he wed the daughter of Jodocus Hondius, entering the cartographically important Hondius family in the process. Upon marrying, he moved to Amsterdam. Janssonius published his first map in 1616, influenced heavily by cartographer Willem Blaeu. In the 1630’s, Jansson partnered with their brother-in-law Henricus Hondius, to produce the 11-volume Atlas Major. Unfortunately, he passed away in 1664, upon which his business was overtaken by his son-in-law Johannes Waesberger, & his other his son-in-law Elizée Weyerstraet. The chart is titled “Insula S. iuan De Puerto Rico Caribes uvel Canibasum Insulae”. Considering the age of the map, it was most likely manufactured using the engraving method. In this technique, there are 4 roles, the mapmaker, the engraver, the printer, & the colourist. The first step in this process is that the mapmaker will go out & make a hand-drawn map of the area where the map will encompass. Effectively, the mapmaker is the informant who makes the first copy. After this, the engraver will create a design of the map in reverse on a metal, usually copper, surface. Usually, there would only be 1-2 plates used, however, it differs depending on the size of the map. After the copper plate is made, the printer will heat the copper panel, & then proceed to lather it with ink. They will then wipe the copper panel down to the point where the ink is only on the grooves of the panel. Thereafter, the printer will press damp paper onto the ink, & hang it up to dry. To conclude, the colourist will touch up the map & decorate it by adding in details, such as shorelines & shoals. The result should be a detailed chart with colour, & depth, useful to any sailor of the era traversing the high seas. A photograph of Mayaro Beach, Trinidad. Mayaro Beach is a popular beach located in Southeastern Trinidad known for its stunning natural beauty. Credit to Paul Oreggio/Getty Images. Directories / Credits All credit for this map analyzed today goes to Rare Maps, a California rare & antique maps store. To purchase this chart, antique atlases, or other cartographic objects, please visit www.raremaps.com. To be clear, this is not an advertisement for Rare Maps, as we do not have a partnership with them. Strategic Partnerships Reel Guppy Outdoors SharkedSkooler Marine Enthusiasts Podcast Cash Daniels Tides of Tomorrow The Open Book, Topanga Olivenbaum Music Pitfire Artisan Pizza Our Loyal Patrons P. R. Ochoa