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Marine Life & Conservation

Feeding Time at the Aquarium

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One of the most important, fun and talked about tasks here at Blue Planet Aquarium is feeding our animals. It’s potentially the task we spend the second most amount of time on after cleaning, this comes as no surprise due to the sheer amount of animals that we have to feed and the ways that they need to be fed. When you have a large diversity of animals to maintain, you also must have a diversity of ways to feed them and so we’ve basically divided our feeding methods into four main categories to help make it easier. These methods are in water hand feeding, in water target feeding, surface target feeding and Scatter Feeds.

In theory all our animals are target fed as we must go around the tank and target individual animals but the term target feed at Blue Planet basically translates to the fact we use a long pole or Target to feed them, this is done so that the animals in question learn to associate the target or pole with food rather than our hands.

So firstly lets talk about Target feeding with a pole or Target from the surface, this is how the large Sand Tiger Sharks are fed and we feed them with a 9ft pole from the surface, we have a much better field of vision when feeding them this way and it makes it easier to see who’s coming in for food, who may be hungry and to also monitor their behaviour during the breeding season as we have to monitor their changes in behaviour for our records. We feed our Sand Tiger Sharks on a fish-based diet and they get fed fish such as Trevally, Whiting, Mackerel and Saury.

We also feed our Blacktip Reef Sharks from the surface but with a slightly different method and reasons, Blacktip Reef Sharks are renowned for being a little skittish and although ours are more used to divers than those in the wild, they are still scared of the way we look, the noise we create and of course the bubbles so its always easier to feed them from the surface as there’s nothing to scare them off. For our Blacktips we use a Blue circle attached to the end of the pole with the food clip attached to the centre of the circle, we do this as its been shown that although Sharks are colour-blind they tend to respond to Red/Blue colours. This method has proven to be incredibly successful for our Blacktips and they tend to react within seconds of the target entering the water.

We also use shorter poles at around 3ft, underwater for our Goliath Grouper, Wobbegong Sharks and our Zebra Shark Pup Deborah. As mentioned earlier we do this to stop them from associating our hands with food.

The next method is in water Handfeeding and this is how we feed our Stingrays, Nurse Sharks, adult Zebra Sharks, Bamboo Sharks, Guitarfish, Moray Eels and Zebra Bullhead Shark. All food being fed either by a target or by hand, and is all kept in a yellow bucket until its time to be dished out, this makes it easier to control the food, so it doesn’t all just float away. Our Zebra Sharks and Nurse Sharks are fed underwater by hand and this means that we get very close to them which makes these feeds heavily sought after as we get some of our closest encounters, during these feeds we have to handle our animals in some way, whether that be to move them away to give us room in the case of the Zebra Sharks or to keep them calm and under control in the case of the Nurse Sharks.

Our Nurse Sharks tend to get a little over excited and try and get their head in the food bucket. Nurse Sharks have the suction power of seven Dyson hoovers so if they got their head in the food bucket they would inevitably suck all of the food out of the bucket so we have to push their heads down and even give them a little head scratch to keep them calm and controlled. It’s also an amazing chance to see these amazing animals up close and personal and really take in how amazing they are, we also use this opportunity to health-check them and to also show our guests how Sharks really are. Our Nurse and Zebra Sharks are fed on Mackerel, Whiting with Razor Clams.

We also use the method of handfeeding to further train our Stingrays which we feed against the main Aquatheatre or tunnel to show our guests how a stingray feeds, due to the fact that their mouths are underneath it would otherwise be difficult to demonstrate this, so by doing it against the viewing windows it gives the guests an amazing view of stingrays feeding. Using this method also makes it a lot easier to monitor who’s eating and how much each one’s eating.

The last method is possibly the most simple: it’s called a scatter feed and this is where we simply either throw a mixture of food into the water off one of the platforms that run over the main tank or we have a food mixture which we squeeze from a bottle for the many fish that live in the tank at the end of the shows. We can also use this method to throw large chunks of fish at our larger fish such as our Tarpon and Jackfish, and this helps mimic a hunting behaviour so also serves as a type of enrichment. The food mixtures for a scatter feed usually include Chunks of fish like Mackerel and Whiting along with Squid, Sprat, Sand Eel and Krill.

So as you can see there’s a lot of feeding that must be done to keep all of our animals fit and healthy but this is probably the most fun part of the job and whenever we get new members of staff it’s the part of the job that they can’t wait to get started on and it is definitely worth the wait.

For more information about Blue Planet Aquarium please visit their website by clicking here.

Donovan is a Divemaster who currently works as a Shark Diver at Blue Planet Aquarium based in Ellesmere Port. Donovan’s passion lies with Elasmobranch’s (Sharks & Rays) and this passion has led him to work in South Africa with White Sharks for a short period. He also believes that education through exposure is the best way to re-educate people about Sharks. Follow Donovan at www.instagram.com/donovans_reefs

Marine Life & Conservation

New report shows simple measures needed to cut beach plastic pollution

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The Marine Conservation Society has launched its annual State of our Beaches 2023 report, highlighting the need for less single-use plastic items and more refillable options.

The charity’s beach cleaning programme, now in its 30th year, asks volunteers to record all litter that they find within a 100-metre stretch of beach. By gathering vital data from across the UK and Channel Islands, the charity creates change for cleaner seas and a healthier planet through policy and industry change. Last year, over 148 kilometres of beach were surveyed by volunteers, who removed 17,208kgs of litter from our coast.

Using data collected by over 14,000 volunteers, the State of our Beaches 2023 report shows that half of all litter collected came from public sources – either dumped, blown or washed onto our beaches.

Drinks-related litter, such as plastic bottles, caps and cans were one of the most found items, with an average of 16 found per 100 metres of beach surveyed. This figure is up 14% compared to the charity’s 2022 report.

Plastics caps and lids were recorded on 89% of surveys, with over 30,000 found in total. Plastic bottles were also commonly collected, with 73% of surveys finding this single-use item – a 4% increase compared to 2022. The charity’s inland litter pick survey, Source to Sea, also reported finding plastic bottles on 92% of cleans.

However, the charity’s State of Our Beaches 2023 report also indicates that some types of litter are on a downward trend. Although still in the top 10 litter items, disposable plastic cutlery, trays and straws were found on 5% fewer beaches across the UK, showing that bans on these plastic items between 2022 – 2023 could be working. The presence of plastic cotton bud sticks also dropped by 14%.

Lizzie Price, Beachwatch Manager at the Marine Conservation Society, said, “Half of the litter found on our beaches originates from public sources, underscoring the pressing issue of single-use plastic. Evidence shows that refillable alternatives and litter return schemes effectively reduce rubbish, as demonstrated by the decline our data has shown in items like plastic bags and disposable cutlery.

“Urgent and decisive action from UK governments is needed to accelerate our shift towards a circular economy, where we reuse, repair and recycle. The public needs greater access to refillable products and systems need to be implemented in which manufacturers are responsible for their waste.”

Governments across the UK have committed to delivering deposit return schemes from October 2025. However, the proposed scheme in England does not include glass items, despite glass being found on 52% of beaches in 2023. The charity is calling for governments across the UK to introduce compatible all inclusive deposit return schemes as soon as possible. This would see aluminium cans, and plastic and glass bottles have a 20p deposit which would be returned when recycled which would reduce drinks-related pollution.

Businesses are, however, starting to take refillable and reusable options into their own hands. Supermarket chain, Aldi, the largest corporate funder of the charity’s 2024 Beachwatch programme, is already leading the charge in refillable items by trialling refillable options for cereals and porridge oats in their stores over the past 5 months.

Plastics and Packaging Director, Luke Emery, from Aldi, who are running 4 beach cleans for staff and volunteers in 2024, said, We are continually working to reduce single-use plastics and packaging, and making unpackaged product options more commonplace for our customers is a key part of this. We are really pleased with the uptake of our refillable range so far by customers. Not only are we making sustainable shopping more accessible, but we also offer refill products for a better price than the packaged alternative, helping our customers save money.”

Marine litter is one of the biggest threats to our seas, with plastic breaking down over time into microplastics and threatening marine life which can ingest or become entangled in them. The Marine Conservation Society is urging the UK Government to move faster on its policies to cut down plastic waste and prevent items from reaching our seas.

To find out more about the charity’s beach cleans and how to get involved, please visit mcsuk.org/beach-cleans

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Guarding Against Coral Invaders

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Protecting (Dutch) Caribbean Reefs from Unomia stolonifera

Recent reports highlight the concerning spread of the invasive soft coral, Unomia stolonifera, currently devastating Venezuela’s marine ecosystems and detected in Cuba. With the potential threat of its expansion to the (Dutch) Caribbean islands, urgent action and awareness are essential to safeguard marine biodiversity and local economies from possible catastrophic consequences.

Invasive species are animals or plants from another region of the world that don’t belong in their new environment. These species can have major ecological effects by decimating native flora or fauna. They can also cause large economic losses and impact human health. Invasive species also pose a significant threat to marine ecosystems worldwide, including the Dutch Caribbean. Among these invaders is the octocoral species Unomia stolonifera or “Pulsing Xenia”, originally from the Indo-Pacific. With its rapid growth and lack of natural predators, this species can outcompete native species and disrupt fragile marine habitats such as seagrass beds and coral reefs.

Background

The invasive soft coral U. stolonifera was first identified in 2014, off the coast of Venezuela. It is believed to have been introduced via the illegal aquarium trade.  Since this species can reproduce sexually and asexually (or fragment), even small pieces can regenerate to spread.  Once introduced it quickly took over shallow reefs and hard substrate at depths of 0-50 meters, outcompeting local corals and seagrass for space.  Follow on surveys found that this coral species exhibited average percentage cover as high as 80%, vastly outcompeting native corals. In highly colonized areas, fish are disappearing due to loss of habitats.

In 2022, during a survey conducted in Cuba by the University of Havana, an unknown octocoral was discovered which was later identified as the invasive Unomia stolonifera. It is suspected that the coral larvae arrived in ballast water from fossil fuel ships originating from Venezuela, as nearby sites adjacent to Venezuelan ports have been heavily affected by the invasion.

How to help

Prevention through continuous monitoring, particularly in high-risk areas such as marine harbors and oil facilities, is paramount. Early detection plays a pivotal role in mitigating the threat posed by Unomia stolonifera.

The public’s involvement and awareness are also vital. Local communities, recreational divers, tourists, and all stakeholders are urged to participate in early detection efforts by reporting sightings (photo, location and date) of this invasive coral to their respective Protected Area Management Organization (PMO’s)- the Fundacion Parke Nacional Aruba (FPNA)STINAPA BonaireCARMABI Curaçao Saba Conservation Foundation (SCF)Nature Foundation St. Maarten (NFSXM) and St. Eustatius National Parks (STENAPA). If an invaded area is confirmed, follow the recommendations by the local PMO’s.

Keys to Success

Despite the challenges, early detection is key to mitigating the threat posed by Unomia stolonifera. With continued vigilance, research, and community engagement, there is hope for containing this potential issue before it becomes a major threat.

About the DCNA

The Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) supports (science) communication and outreach in the Dutch Caribbean region by making nature related (scientific) information more widely available through amongst others the Dutch Caribbean Biodiversity Database, DCNA’s news platform BioNews and through the press. This article contains the results from several scientific studies but the studies themselves are not DCNA studies. No rights can be derived from the content. DCNA is not liable for the content and the in(direct) impacts resulting from publishing this article.

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