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Marine Life & Conservation

New Arrivals at Blue Planet Aquarium

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There’s been exciting times recently here at Blue Planet Aquarium, as we have had some new arrivals. When we get new arrivals its always an exciting time to be working in the Aquarium, however recently we’ve had some truly unique and unusual animals to join the rest of our collection of animals. So, this blog is going to be covering the newest members of the Blue Planet family, and why their uniqueness is so beneficial to our other animals.

The new animals in question are Sharks with one being from a species we already have at the aquarium and two being completely new to the aquarium. Here at Blue Planet Aquarium we’re constantly trying to educate our visitors and show them new ways to appreciate our underwater world and the animals that we have living on this planet we call home.

So, lets dive straight in (no pun intended).

We’re going to start today with an animal that we already have two of and have had at the aquarium for several years, we have one teenage male named Marty (Named after the zebra from the Madagascar film) and Stripes (Named after Racing Stripes) however this new one is still a very young Shark and is a female who we’ve named Deborah the Zebra.

This species is also a hugely popular species here at Blue Planet and I would probably say are a favourite of mine, I am of course talking about our Zebra Shark. Zebra Sharks are identified by their yellowish- brown colouration with a spotty pattern covering their body, people usually ask at this stage why they’re called Zebra Sharks if they have spots. They’re called Zebra Sharks because when they’re young they’ve got Black & White Stripes all the way down their body, similar to that of a zebra, this species also has the second longest tail in the Shark world after the Thresher Shark.

The long tail combined with their striped pattern makes them look similar to that of the White-banded Sea Snake which has also lead some scientists to believe that this species may mimic the snake to deter predators, if this is the case then this would be the first case of protective mimicry in Sharks. Zebra Sharks are also one of the few Sharks that we know exhibit parthenogenesis which means that this species can lay viable eggs without a male needed, however all the pups born through this process will all be females. Zebra Sharks have also been found to share a very close relation to that of the world’s largest fish, the Whale Shark, we know this as their DNA is very similar and the Zebra Shark shares very similar features.

Our Zebra Sharks are all hand fed and eat a wide variety of foods such as Mackerel, Whiting, Saury, Squid and hard-shelled food such as Razor Clam. They’re incredibly friendly and regularly come in to investigate what’s going on, they’ll often rest against us and seem to show interest in having physical contact with members of the dive team, however we try and limit this as they wouldn’t get it in the wild, although sometimes we have to in order to stop them from trying to steal all the food or keep them at a distance that we can work with.

The next new Shark member is our Zebra Bullhead Shark, this is one of the more unusual Shark species that we have. It’s a member of the of the Horn Shark Family which is the same family of sharks as the Port Jackson Shark, this shark is very striking as it has very obvious Black and White Stripes and even more unusually, a small spike on both the Dorsal fin and Second Dorsal Fin which is where the name “Horn Shark” comes from. In this species early stages of life, they have a very similar striped pattern as their adult stage however their black stripes are more of a reddish-brown.

This species in the wild feeds mainly on hard-shelled foods such as crabs and molluscs however they wouldn’t say no to fish, ours is fed on fish, squid, razor clam and Mussel. Here at Blue Planet Aquarium we have just one Zebra Bullhead and ours is a male, this shark along with the next species I’ll be talking about are not yet named as we are having our guests choose names for us. Zebra Bullheads lay eggs rather than live birth, like mammals, and this group of sharks is a very ancient group with a long fossil record, that date these sharks all the way back to the early Jurassic which was around 201 million years ago.

The last two species are some of my personal favourites, which are known as Wobbegong Sharks. The name Wobbegong comes from the aborigine word for “Shaggy Beard”, this has led to them being lovingly known as “Wobbies” in Australia and among Shark enthusiasts. We have two species of Wobbegong here at Blue Planet Aquarium we have one Western Wobbegong and one Spotted Wobbegong, they both look vastly different in their patterns and markings and are one of the most unique and unusual Shark species.

Wobbegongs are Ambush predators that lie motionless on, or in, the seabed, rocky overhangs, crevices and caves. They wait to allow their camouflage to help them blend in with their surroundings, they do this until fish and other small animals come within striking range for the best chance of a successful hunt. To add success to a hunt it has been observed with the Tasselled Wobbegong, that they take part in active luring behaviour which is something seen in animals such as the Frogfish or Alligator Snapping Turtle. This is done with the Shark wedging itself into a cave or crevice with its head at the entrance and the tail curled over the top of its head, they then wave their tail side to side to mimic another fish, this is done to create the illusion that the cave is safe and free from predators and its then that the Shark strikes, grabbing any fish that comes too close.

Here at Blue Planet we feed ours on Squid, Mackerel, Saury, Sprat, Sand Eel and Prawn and we feed them via long pole. We do this as the strike from a Wobbegong is so quick that the human eye cant register it straight away, this also allows us to mimic hunting behaviour by giving the food a “swimming motion” to it which allows the animals to pick their target and hunt for their food rather than just feeding them.

These sharks are really important to us here at the aquarium as not only are they amazing and beautiful but they’re unusual looks and nature make them a reference point to just how diverse and incredible the Shark family is, sure everyone knows what a Hammerhead and Whale Shark is and as amazing as they are its always humbling to be able to show our guests just how unusual the Shark family can be along with the amazing traits and behaviours that comes along with them.

So, there you have it, some wonderful new arrivals here at Blue Planet Aquarium with each one being as amazing as the last. When you’re next at Blue Planet keep an eye out for these amazing new arrivals and make sure to appreciate just how strange and unique they are. Keep an eye out for future new arrivals and I’ll see you in the next blog.

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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