Science and Sustainability

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ocean.alanna

Science and Sustainability
• Marine Scientist 🌊
• @umiamirsmas BSc 🙌
• @umassdsmast PhD Student 🎓

5Ws OF MY RESEARCH CHALLENGE! • 🌊 WHAT is my

5Ws OF MY RESEARCH CHALLENGE!
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🌊 WHAT is my research about?
I am studying Atlantic bluefin tuna using stable isotope chemistry! By analyzing hard and soft tissues, like otoliths and muscles, for stable isotope signature, I can learn things like where fish were spawned, where they migrated to, and what they’ve been feeding on.

🌊 WHY is it needed?
Historically, the only recognized spawning location for the western stock of Atlantic bluefin tuna has been in and around the Gulf of Mexico. However, a few years ago, larvae were found in the Slope Sea, off the northeast US. This project will help determine the importance of that spawning site!

🌊 WHO is involved?
We have several collaborators internally in my grad program @umassdsmast , both fisheries scientists and biogeochemists, as well as scientists from several NOAA branches and private research labs.

🌊 WHEN will it be used?
Ideally this information will be utilized during stock assessments and when determining catch quotas and best fishing practices.

🌊 WHERE am I doing the research?
Luckily for me all the samples have already been collected! Because of this I don’t need to go to sea, although I may look for more samples in the Slope Sea. Otherwise I’m here at my home lab in New Bedford, MA!

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#marinescience #marinebiologists #marinescientist #plasticfreeforthesea #debrisfreeoceans #womeninstem #womentransformingscience #womeninoceanscience #girlsinoceanscience #marinescienceresearch #oceanography #oceanscience #gradlife #graduateschool #lifeinacademia #oceansciences #phd #phdlife #phdresearch #phdcandidate #steminist #womeninresearch #bluefintuna #fisheries #5wsofmyresearch #isotopechemistry #ocean #marinelife #nature

Make Earth GREEN again! This year’s Earth day th

Make Earth GREEN again! This year’s Earth day theme is “Restore” which I think is very poignant. Most of us can probably agree this past year has been tough, with significant lifestyle changes for a lot of people. Due to more localized living as a product of our situation, we actually have seen a lot of environmental progress in the past year, although primarily in the background. For many, the focus has been on adapting, and environmental issues took a backseat. Nothing wrong with that! It’s been a crazy time. But now, as we return to normalcy, we need to refocus ourselves on perhaps the greatest environmental catastrophe of our lifetimes, climate change. From individual action, to influencing businesses by voting with your dollar, and advocating for environmental legislation, we can make a difference. Our actionable timeframe is short, so we need to rally. While this is a problem that requires immediate attention, with dedication and perseverance we can enact change. What are your thoughts on this issue? .
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#zerowaste #earthfriendly #goingzerowaste #green2021 #greenliving #liveeverydaylikeitsearthday #livingconsciously #lowimpactlifestyle #passonplastic #plasticfreeearth #makeearthgreenagain #positiveimpactmovement #restoreourearth #reducewhatyouproduce #reduceyourfootprint #sustainableliving #sustainabilitytips #yayforearth #youthforclimate #climatechange #climatescience #climatesummit #earthday #earthweek #climateoptimist #climatepositive #climateawareness #sustainability #earthoptimism #oceanoptimism

Just wanted to share one of my really cute chicken

Just wanted to share one of my really cute chickens! They’re all grown up now, two boys and four girls. While not the most practical breed, silkies have always been my favorite. I can talk about chickens literally all day (ask anyone who knows me) so if you have any questions about chickens or just want to discuss how adorable they are, leave a comment 💙
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#backyardchickens #earthweek #earthmonth #chickensofinstagram #silkies #silkiechicken #happyhen #backyardhen #backyardpoultry #backyardflock #happychickens #freerangehens #chickensofig #petchicken #chooksofinstagram #bantamchicken #homesteadliving #minihomestead #gardenhelp #slowliving #sustainability #greenlifestyle #silkiehens #sustainablelivingcommunity #hobbyfarmlife

It’s Earth Month! New Years resolutions are popu

It’s Earth Month! New Years resolutions are popular, but why not make a resolution this month in honor of the Earth? Here are some easy things you can do to be the change:
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Tag someone you want to go green with!
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🌱 Plant a tree or two! Or if you don’t have space for that, plant anything you can! Even putting out a potted plant on a doorstep goes a long way in creating habitat for wildlife and pollinators. .
🌱 Try out some easy sustainable swaps. Bottled shampoo? Switch to a bar. Plastic toothbrush? Switch to bamboo. Still relying on single use utensils? Carry a reusable set with you. .
🌱 Make a donation to an environmental charity! Here are a few great options @wwf @oceana @theconservationfund @earthjustice @350org
🌱 Get into meatless Mondays, or avoid some of the animal proteins with the largest carbon footprints, like lamb and beef. .
🌱 Organize a cleanup! You don’t have to live near a beach, this can take place anywhere. Even you alone picking up a few pieces of litter helps wildlife! .
🌱 To reduce your trash footprint, do a trash audit and see what items in your garbage can are easy to avoid using in the future . .
🌱 Turn off the light when you leave a room, and turn off the water tap while you’re brushing your teeth or scrubbing dishes. .
🌱 Eat local! This is the time of year for farmers markets and CSA shares. .
🌱 Support environmental legislation, like the Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act in congress (link in bio) .
🌱 Raise awareness about an issue important to you or local to you, even if it’s just to a friend. And if you can’t think of anything, climate change is a global problem that should be important to all of us. .
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Add ideas in the comments! .
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#zerowaste #earthfriendly #goingzerowaste #earthmonth2021 #earthmonth #earthmonthresolution #livingconsciously #lowimpactlifestyle #passonplastic #plasticfreeearth #positiveimpactmovement #reducewhatyouproduce #sustainableliving #carbonfootprint #sustainablelivingtips #oceanawareness #earthoptimism #oceanoptimism #sustainability #breakfreefromplastic #earthmontheverymonth #bethechange #goinggreen2021

The other day I saw a post on here that said somet

The other day I saw a post on here that said something like “most fishing gear is discarded immediately after use.” Now I don’t recall this statement being made in Seaspiracy, but the post I saw was talking about things learned from the film. In case this is a widespread belief, I think it’s important people know that fishing gear is not single-use. Scientists use the terminology of “abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing gear” (ALDFG) to describe derelict unmanned gear in the ocean. In the vast majority of cases, the loss of fishing gear is unintentional, and is most frequently the result of bad weather (69% of cases) or gear conflict (22%). The same study from 2019 estimates that about 6% of all fishing nets, 9% of all traps, and 29% of all lines are lost globally each year. Of course we would love for all of these numbers to be zero, but it is not typical or even preferred to discard gear immediately after use. Just out of practicality, fishers wouldn’t want to pay for new gear constantly. This is really a problem that no one from any side wants to see happening. Unfortunately, it’s also a problem that most of us can’t take direct action to change. But what we can do is open a dialogue with fisheries and our local legislatures about possible solutions. It’s always important to be an informed consumer, so try writing in and asking fisheries what actions they have taken to reduce gear loss. If there isn’t a satisfying answer, I have some suggestions in my stories of ideas to bring up. If you choose to open a dialogue, please remember to be polite and respectful. We all need to be on the same team to find solutions! .
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#zerowaste #earthfriendly #goingzerowaste #green2021 #greenliving #livingconsciously #passonplastic #plasticfreeearth #positiveimpactmovement #reducewhatyouproduce #reduceyourfootprint #sustainableliving #sustainablelivingtips #womeninoceanscience #oceanawareness #oceanoptimism #oceanoptimist #sustainability #plasticpollution #aldfg #fishinggear #ghostgear #bethechange #makeadifference #sustainablefishing

Will the oceans be empty of fish by 2048? As a sci

Will the oceans be empty of fish by 2048? As a scientist, I’ve been taught to not to discount anything as impossible. But based on the best available science that we have now, no, that projection is not accurate. It comes from a 2006 paper by Worm et al., which was refuted by the authors in 2009 (a very big deal in academia) for mischaracterization of the results. In the original paper, the authors stipulate that the outcome would only be that dire without any corrections or improvement in fisheries management. Over a decade later, with a decade worth of research, a better understanding of fish stocks, and new management applications, we are in a much more sustainable place. I also want to direct people to my stories - it’s too much to get into in one post, but I want to explain some basic fisheries terms. Unfortunately, the public has been made to think that “fully exploited” means mismanaged, but is actually just the phrase fisheries managers use to convey efficiency. If you’re concerned about the oceans becoming empty, one of the best things you can do is lower your carbon footprint! While coral reefs occupy less than 1% of the ocean, they support about 25% of all sea life. Coral reefs are under threat of collapse by climate change. Here are some ways to reduce your carbon footprint: .
🌊 eat local and in season - the transportation of food has a large carbon footprint.
🌊 compost! This avoids anaerobic decomposition resulting in methane.
🌊 avoid fast fashion. Try to buy secondhand.
🌊 turn off the lights when you aren’t in a room. Super easy!
🌊 wash your clothes on cold, and line dry.
🌊 carpool, bike, use public transportation, or whatever options are available to you to reduce driving.
Share your tips in the comments!
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#zerowaste #earthfriendly #goingzerowaste #carbonfootprint #green2021 #greenliving #livingconsciously #lowimpactlifestyle #positiveimpactmovement #reducewhatyouproduce #reduceyourcarbonfootprint #sustainableliving #sustainablelivingtips #womeninoceanscience #oceanawareness #oceanoptimism #oceanoptimist #sustainability #coralreefs #emptyoceans #fisheriesmanagement #fisheries #earthmonth #climatechange #oceanacidification

Hey there, if you’ve seen my stories over the pa

Hey there, if you’ve seen my stories over the past few days (or my saved highlights) you know I have a lot of thoughts on Seaspiracy. While I think it created an important dialogue, it was filled with misrepresentation of facts, data taken out of context, and inaccuracies. It’s too much to get into in one post, so for now I’m just going to bring up one common misconception for the film: what items make up the majority of ocean plastic pollution? .
If you’ve watched the film, you might have taken from it the idea that fishing gear makes up the majority, or 46%, of ocean plastic. The study that was referenced however was limited to one area of the Pacific Garbage Patch. The ocean is very patchy in terms of both distribution of plastic and the types of plastic seen. We can’t extrapolate the finding from the Pacific Garbage Patch to the entire ocean. In many other studies, especially those done along coastlines of populated areas, the amount of land-based trash dwarfs that of fishing gear found. In fact, it is estimated that fishing gear makes up about 10% of all ocean plastic pollution worldwide. This is still certainly a non-negligible amount, but not quite the majority that Seaspiracy makes it out to be. If you came away from this film concerned about plastic pollution, I encourage you to support the Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act in congress right now by contacting your representatives. There is a simple way to do this through the link in my bio! Also check out my feed for lots more ways to reduce your plastic footprint. This is a problem that needs to be tackled from all sides!
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#zerowaste #earthfriendly #goingzerowaste #green2021 #greenliving #livingconsciously #lowimpactlifestyle #passonplastic #plasticfreeearth #positiveimpactmovement #reducewhatyouproduce #reduceyourfootprint #sustainableliving #sustainablelivingtips #womeninoceanscience #oceanawareness #oceanoptimism #oceanoptimist #sustainability #earthoptimism #seaspiracy #plasticpollution #breakfreefromplastic #plasticpollutionact #seaspiracynetflix

Thank you @pelacase for including me in your Women

Thank you @pelacase for including me in your Women’s Day campaign 💙 For those that aren’t familiar with Pela, they are the original compostable phone case company! Earlier this month they launched a collection of cases to celebrate Women’s Day, featuring artwork by @laurenrustart and @perlyblooms . So much talent went into these designs, and it’s so awesome to highlight these female artists. Here are some other great things Pela has done:
🌊 $394,000 donated to environmental groups through @1percentftp .
🌊 $20,000 donated to @medshareofficial to help Covid-19 efforts .
🌊 11,071 people in Kenya given access to clean water through @metowe .
🌊 21,358 ft of coastline preserved through @surfrider .
🌊 8.28 surf spots / ocean ecosystems protected through @savethewavescoalition .
🌊 $34,529 donated to @oceana to contribute to biodiversity conservation.
❌ no greenwashing! .

On a Friday afternoon, I hope a small reminder of all the good things sustainable companies like Pela are doing well set the tone for everyone to have a nice weekend! I’ll be spending a lot of time outside - what are you getting up to? .
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#sponsored #believeinbetter #bethechange #leadtheway #pelafam #pelacase #compostable #compost #womensday #feministart #oceanconservation #oceana #savethewaves #earthfriendly #goingzerowaste #green2021 #liveeverydaylikeitsearthday #livingconsciously #passonplastic #plasticfreeearth #gooddeeds #plasticfreeforthesea #debrisfreesea #ecofriendly #sustainableliving #zerowaste #compostablephonecase #nomoregreenwashing

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