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Image Credit: BIM

Ireland’s Seafood Development Agency Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) has launched a groundbreaking initiative known as the Aquaculture Remote Classroom (ARC) to address the challenge of retaining young people in the aquaculture sector.

With funding from the European Union, this mobile classroom is addressing the struggle faced by small-town coastal communities, especially on Ireland’s west coast, to engage the younger generation in the culturally significant aquaculture industry.

The ARC, part of the European Commission’s “Inseparable” and “#FarmedintheEU” initiatives, is a truck-sized mobile classroom that travels to small towns, delivering aquaculture education to primary schools free of charge.

The project aims to enhance the “social license” of the aquaculture industry by improving public perceptions and garnering support for new aquaculture investments in local communities.

Máirtín Walsh from BIM emphasizes the project’s focus on educating young people about aquaculture, noting that public opposition to aquaculture is often due to a lack of knowledge rather than outright resistance.

Since its inception in 2019, the ARC has visited 71 primary schools, providing engaging lessons to 2,627 students. Despite pandemic-related challenges, the project adapted by hosting 28 webinars, reaching an additional 7,976 students through online workshops.

The classroom, equipped with high-tech tools, offers a hands-on introduction to aquaculture through lessons taught by a team of scientists from BIM and local partner H2 Learning, as well as in-person demonstrations by local aquaculture producers.

The ARC’s impact extends beyond schools, as it actively engages with the local aquaculture industry representatives. At seven public outreach events, the project interacted with 7,155 individuals and received 460 expressions of interest in its services.

The increasing number of engagements reflects a growing public interest in aquaculture education, indicating the success of the initiative in inspiring and informing communities about the significance of Ireland’s aquaculture industry.

The shores of Japan’s Hakodate area on Hokkaido’s main island witnessed an unsettling spectacle as thousands of deceased fish, including sardines and mackerel, washed ashore on Thursday. The lifeless fish formed a silver-hued carpet stretching over a kilometre along the beach, leaving local residents bewildered and authorities scrambling for answers.

Residents, despite official warnings, gathered the fish, possibly for consumption or sale, as the cause behind the mass stranding remained unconfirmed. Takashi Fujioka, a researcher at Hakodate Fisheries Research Institute, expressed surprise, noting that while he had heard of similar incidents, witnessing it firsthand was a first for him.

Fujioka suggested possible explanations, such as the fish being pursued by larger predators, experiencing exhaustion in densely packed schools, and subsequently being swept ashore by waves. Another theory involved the fish encountering sudden drops in water temperature during migration.

Highlighting potential environmental repercussions, Fujioka cautioned that the decomposing fish could deplete oxygen levels in the water, affecting marine life. Nobuyaki Tanaka, chief researcher at Abashiri Fisheries Research Institute, speculated, “It can be assumed that the fish died from exposure to water temperatures below their optimum temperature for survival due to the drop in water temperature.”

City officials, responding swiftly, inspected the site the following day, attempting to manage the aftermath and collect the fish. Despite official advisories against consumption, some residents persisted in gathering the fish, raising concerns about potential health risks.

Source: AP

Oceans, known for their rich soundscapes created by natural phenomena, are increasingly impacted by human-generated noise, posing serious threats to marine life. The ability of animals to produce and detect sound is vital for communication, feeding, predator avoidance, and navigation in underwater habitats. Human activities such as shipping, infrastructure development, and industrial operations contribute unintentional noise, while deliberate actions like naval sonar and seismic airguns add to the acoustic disturbance.

he consequences of this noise pollution are far-reaching, with evidence suggesting permanent hearing loss, tissue damage, and even death in marine animals exposed to the intense sounds produced by seismic airguns. Seismic surveys have been linked to mass mortalities of squid and zooplankton, highlighting the lethal impact of human-generated noise in the open ocean.

Chronic noise exposure has also been found to affect animal behaviour and physiology. Laboratory studies on sea hares, a marine slug, revealed a 21% reduction in successful embryo development and a 22% higher death rate when exposed to boat noise. The negative effects observed in controlled environments raise concerns about potential threats to entire populations in natural settings.

Marine mammals, relying on sound for communication, foraging, and navigation, are particularly vulnerable to noise pollution. Shipping noise, overlapping with the vocal frequencies of large mammals like blue whales, has led to altered vocalization patterns and increased physiological stress. Changes in vocal behaviour, feeding patterns, and increased stress have been observed in response to shipping noise.

Efforts to mitigate noise pollution include technological developments in ship design, such as reduced propeller cavitation, and adjustments in ship speed. Studies suggest that even a modest reduction in the average speed of commercial ships can significantly lower underwater noise pollution. While technological solutions exist, there is a need for global awareness and more rigorous policies to manage and reduce noise pollution in oceans, ensuring a quieter and healthier future for marine life.

Source: Graeme Shannon, Bangor University

Photo: James Kempton, Expedition Cyclops 2023

In a scientific expedition to the Cyclops Mountains in Papua, Indonesia, researchers stumbled upon a groundbreaking discovery—an entirely new genus of shrimp. The unexpected find occurred during the perilous 2023 expedition, which also brought to light the resurrection of a species believed extinct since the 1960s: Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna, Zaglossus attenboroughi.

The surprise revelation of the echidna, named after renowned wildlife broadcaster Sir David Attenborough, occurred through camera traps on the very last day of the expedition. Dr. James Kempton, the lead scientist from Oxford University, emphasized the extraordinary nature of this discovery.

While the echidna captured global attention, the expedition team concurrently unearthed a more inconspicuous yet equally intriguing revelation—a new genus of ground- and tree-dwelling shrimp. Contrary to the norm for these crustaceans, which typically inhabit water, this new genus was found thriving in the heart of the forest.

Dr. Leonidas-Romanos Davranoglou, the lead entomologist for the expedition, expressed astonishment at the shrimp’s unconventional habitat. The team believes that the Cyclops Mountains’ high rainfall levels create optimal humidity for these shrimps to exist entirely on land. This departure from their typical seaside habitat raises questions about the genus’s adaptation mechanisms, especially regarding breathing outside of water.

Standard shrimp extract oxygen from water using gills and are adapted to either marine or freshwater environments. The newfound genus’s ability to thrive inland suggests a unique adaptation for breathing, possibly influenced by rainfall and humidity in the Cyclops Mountains. This groundbreaking discovery adds a fascinating dimension to our understanding of crustacean habitats and adaptations.

Photo: Enorm Biofactory

Denmark is now home to the largest insect factory in Northern Europe, as Enorm Biofactory inaugurates its expansive facility in Eastern Jutland, spanning an impressive 22,000 square meters. The state-of-the-art factory is poised to contribute significantly to sustainable practices by producing over 10,000 tons of insect meal annually.

This pioneering initiative marks a significant leap in insect-based protein production, addressing the growing demand for alternative and eco-friendly protein sources. The facility’s strategic location in Eastern Jutland positions it as a key player in the region’s efforts to revolutionize protein production and promote environmental sustainability.

Enorm Biofactory’s commitment to insect farming aligns with the broader global shift toward more sustainable and resource-efficient food production methods.

As the demand for protein continues to rise, innovative solutions like insect farming offer a promising avenue for meeting nutritional needs while minimizing environmental impact.

The factory’s large-scale production capacity is set to make substantial contributions to the evolving landscape of sustainable agriculture and protein sourcing in Northern Europe.