# 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