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Do you remember Harry Potter鈥檚 invisibility cloak? It turns out wizards aren鈥檛 the only ones who can vanish from sight with a special coat. Marine researchers have discovered shrimp-like crustaceans called that can hide in the open using internal nanotechnology to cloak themselves in invisibility. That鈥檚 just one among many fascinating discoveries we celebrated on World Oceans Day, June 8.听
Last summer, scientists confirmed the elusive听Greenland shark can live up to , beating out ancient bowhead whales and rougheye rockfish for the . Researchers are just starting to learn about the two-metre, scale-free ragfish with cartilage skeleton and flabby flesh found in Alaskan waters, and the found in Australian waters, whose eyes, gills and mouth are hidden.
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That we鈥檙e still discovering new wonders in the oceans is even more reason to protect them. We have a long way to go, though. In early 2016, about three per cent of oceans had formal protection from industrial activities, up from one per cent five years ago. Twenty countries, including Chile, Palau, the US and the UK, have committed to
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Last summer鈥檚 expansion of Hawaii鈥檚 created the world鈥檚 largest marine protected area. In October,听the 鈥� home to some of the most productive waters in the Antarctic 鈥� was finally听 after a decades-long push. When a coalition of 24 countries agreed to provide international protection for 1,548,812 square kilometres of the Southern Ocean, the Ross Sea surpassed Papah膩naumoku膩kea as the largest marine reserve. Most impressively, Palau, part of Micronesia in the western Pacific, turned 80 per cent of its waters 鈥� an area the size of California 鈥� into a marine reserve. Britain established the Pitcairn Islands reserve in the South Pacific, a contiguous underwater park nearly the size of Pakistan.
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In 2016, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and then-US president Barack Obama issued a joint statement to 鈥渟ubstantially surpass鈥� international commitments to reach 10 per cent marine protection, even though Canada has protected less than one per cent so far. Our government is getting started, though. It announced strong protection鈥痜or globally significant glass sponge reefs鈥痭ear BC鈥檚 Haida Gwaii earlier this year, ending years of inaction.
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Along with increased ocean protection, are opening up ocean exploration. Researchers are adapting to track coastal erosion, map coral reefs, survey penguin populations, assess whale health and even learn about mysterious sea turtle behaviour. Thanks to a , scientists are learning how coral polyps interact and about patterns algae use to take over coral ecosystems.
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Some jurisdictions are also getting serious about plastics that are choking seabirds, fish and marine mammals. California and Hawaii banned plastic grocery bags and some countries discourage use through taxation. In the US, Congress passed the Microbead-Free Waters Act to phase out 听in soaps, facial scrubs, toothpaste and other products by 2018. The United Nations Environment Programme is calling for a听 on products containing microplastics.
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Protection efforts appear to be paying off. This year, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada down-listed shortfin mako sharks from 鈥渢hreatened鈥� to 鈥渟pecial concern鈥�. Around the world, anti-finning campaigns have helped decrease . Endangered manatees in the US, with Florida seeing a 500 per cent increase in the population, prompting the US Fish and Wildlife Service to propose reclassifying them from 鈥渆ndangered鈥� to 鈥渢hreatened鈥�.
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Many whale populations are also rebounding after decades of commercial exploitation. Hunted to near extinction in the early 20th century, North Pacific humpback whales were from 鈥渆ndangered鈥� to 鈥渟pecial concern.鈥� Biologists estimate their population at 18,000.
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Likewise, blue whales in the eastern North Pacific off California are showing , currently numbering about 2,000. Nearly exterminated by commercial whaling fleets before receiving worldwide protection in 1967, blue whales remain one of the rarest marine mammals, numbering between 10,000 and 25,000 worldwide.
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Earth鈥檚 oceans still face many overwhelming challenges and political obstacles, yet the resilience of nature and ecosystems is powerful. If we can that protect rich ocean biodiversity, they can continue to provide an endless bounty of wonder and treasure.
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David Suzuki is a scientist, broadcaster, author and co-founder of the David Suzuki Foundation.听Written with contributions from David Suzuki Foundation Senior Communications Specialist Theresa Beer. David Suzuki鈥檚 latest book is (Greystone Books), co-written with Ian Hanington.听Learn more at davidsuzuki.org.
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