Ocean Stories
Anthropocene brings some of the best minds to bear on tough questions about the future of the Earth’s largest ecosystems: Should nations farm their EEZs—and how can they do it ecologically? Are there economically viable ways to harvest plastic waste? Can we cultivate acid- and heat-resilient coral reefs?
Researchers calculate the value of bivalves’ appetite for pollution. It’s huge.
If coastal cities planted clam beds along the urban edge, they could save millions in nitrogen clean-up costs
Researchers connect the dots between aquatic biodiversity and human nutrition
That more diverse an aquatic area, the more nutrients make it to our plates
Lab-cultured seafood is coming. But can it actually relieve pressure on global fisheries?
Replacing wild-caught fish with lab-grown seafood is more complex than it may at first appear
Letting the big fish get away could be an unexpected climate solution
Big fish sinking to the bottom of the sea could sequester millions of tons of carbon
Taming the Blue Frontier
Should the U.S. cultivate giant offshore fish farms in its piece of the sea or keep taking most of the fish we eat from foreign waters?
Which countries are the wealthiest, when blue carbon is the currency?
Researchers calculated that mangroves, salt marshes and seagrass meadows store roughly the equivalent of the annual carbon emissions of France—with an estimated value of $190 billion per year.
Can marine reserves work if they still allow fishing? One UK bay suggests “Yes.”
On the southwest coast of the England, near the town of Lyme Regis, scientists found that fish populations boomed when reefs were protected, even though some kinds of fishing continued.
Buy High, Sell Low
Like it or not, retreat from the coasts has begun. The only question left is whether it will be managed or chaotic.
