# briefing
WORDS OF WISDOM
No water, no life. No blue, no green.
DR SYLVIA EARLE, MISSION BLUE
What is the use of a house if you don’ t have a decent planet to put it on?
HENRY DAVID THOREAU
FISH NEED FRIENDS Fish feed more when they are surrounded by other fish, says a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Researchers made a detailed and complex analysis of fishes’ behaviour on a number of sites in French Polynesia, and found that they not only grazed more when there were other fish present, but that some activities( such as movement between patches of reef) were influenced by the behaviour of other fish.
The study drew two important conclusions: One, fish appear to feel that they are safer from predators when there are larger numbers of other fish in the area; and two,“ copycat” behaviours are important drivers of piscine activity.
Herbivorous fish play a vital role on the reef, keeping turf algae in check. This new research sheds light on just how necessary complex and healthy fish populations are for a healthy reef.
DUMPING THE RUBBISH The United Nations Environment Programme has just launched the Clean Seas campaign, which aims to eradicate micro-plastics( commonly found in cosmetic products) and single-use plastic products – the two biggest sources of ocean trash.
A report by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation which came out last year revealed that if we continue producing and dumping plastics at the rate we are going, there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean by 2050.
Ocean plastics are a huge cause for concern, impacting hundreds of marine species( including seabirds) through ingestion and entanglement.
According to Mongabay, 10 countries have already joined the campaign, with Indonesia pledging to reduce ocean litter by 70 percent by
Look deep into Nature and you will understand everything better.
ALBERT EINSTEIN
The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, Nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be.
ANNE FRANK
6 SDAA