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Marine Life & Conservation

Three women, a boat, the Atlantic and whole load of plastic

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Trio with no rowing experience take on the world’s toughest row to increase awareness of plastic pollution and raise funds for Marine Conservation Society

Three office workers, whose biggest daily challenge up until now has been crossing London at rush hour, are taking on the world’s toughest row, as they set off from La Gomera in the Canary Islands bound for Antigua. It’s a feat fewer people have completed than have climbed Everest and the all-female crew are tackling it with no previous rowing experience.

Susan Ronaldson (42), Caroline Wilson (31), and Jessica Rego (28) are one of 30 teams taking part in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge. The teams left the Canaries on December 12th and will arrive in Antigua in around 50 days’ time.

The trio, ‘Status Row’, are hoping to highlight the amount of plastic in the Atlantic as they row their boat, ‘Poppy’, 3,000 miles day and night for over seven weeks. The crew are also raising funds for the UK’s leading marine charity, the Marine Conservation Society (MCS), where Susan Ronaldson is a trustee.

Susan, from Essex, Caroline from Hackney and Jess, who’s originally from Bermuda but now living in East London, say preparing for the event has turned their urban lives upside down: “We all have full-time jobs, so in the evenings and weekends we’ve transformed into fundraisers, beach cleaners, public speakers, event organisers, social media fiends, logistic planners, first aiders, content writers and gym buffs. But we know it’s all going to be worth it.” said Susan.

Image: Team Status Row

Carrying all their food and supplies on board the 7m x 2m vessel, they’ll face 40ft waves, sleep deprivation, isolation, salt sores, and sharks. Before signing up to the challenge, the team said they’d not been on a rowing machine let alone a rowing boat, and all three have spent the last eight months building up strength and stamina with weights and improving endurance doing two hour-long sessions on an indoor rowing machine. Whilst at sea, the team will be burning between 6,000 – 8,000 calories a day!

Caroline Wilson says she feels an unbelievable sense of pride for everything they’ve achieved as a team to get this far: “We’re coming to the end of the first chapter in what’s going to be an almighty trilogy; I’m sad for this part to be over, but so excited to start the next. I’m most looking forward to experiencing something so unique, and really testing the limits of endurance. It’s such a privilege to be able to undertake this event and I’ll try not to forget that when that massive 40ft wave is fast approaching, which is the thing I’m least looking forward to! When people consider how difficult this challenge is going to be, it helps to put into perspective how seemingly hard is it to refuse a single-use plastic bottle.”

Susan Ronaldson says right now it almost doesn’t feel real: “Arriving at the start line I feel a mixture of excitement and anxiety. I’m most looking forward to being out with nature; sunrises, sunsets and hopefully, an array of wildlife. I’m least looking forward to the exhaustion, both mental and physical. There’s been lots of interest in our campaign to row an ocean, which has given us a platform to talk about how people can change their plastic habits and protect the environment, and it’s something that I plan to continue when I return home.

Jess Rego says she’s feeling constantly stressed: “We’ve come so far, but there’s still a lot to be done before we take on the Atlantic. It’s all getting real now. I’m most looking forward to the simplicity of life at sea, after all the planning and preparation is done. I’m least looking forward to the chicken tikka! I hope that we can prove that everyone had the ability to do their apart to tackle a large challenge. We often stay that tackling plastic pollution is like rowing an ocean in that it’s one small action at a time. If every person following our race adopted one new habit to cut down on their plastic pollution, I would see that as a major win.”

Sandy Luk, MCS Chief Executive Officer, says: “The challenge our trustee Susan, along with Jess and Caroline, is about to embark on is simply enormous. Everyone at MCS is in total awe of what they’re about to undertake. They are all so passionate about raising the profile of ocean litter. And what better way to do it than by rowing through the pollution. Sadly, we know they will see all too much plastic and other debris as they row from the Canaries to Antigua. However, their first-hand knowledge will be invaluable, and we look forward to working with the team to further raise the profile of the crisis our oceans are facing when they return to the UK.”    

Team Status Row left San Sebastián in La Gomera, off Tenerife, on December 12th, with up to 30 other teams from around the world.

You can support them by making a donation here – https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/Team/StatusRow 

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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