Home - LegaSea Ecology - Marine Conservation & Education

Welcome to LegaSea Ecology

We believe one of the greatest tools to combat the climate crisis is knowledge. We are determined to create a platform with comprehensive, accessible, marine focused, educational resources that help inspire learners of all demographics to become passionate about conserving one of the worlds greatest ecosystems.

Deep Sea 6

Fish 1

Fisheries 1

Make an Impact 5

Marine Fungus 1

Marine Invertebrates

Marine Invertebrates 2

Marine Megafauna

Marine Megafauna 4

Microplastics 1

Reef Health 2

Sargasso Sea 1

Seabirds 2

_legasea_

Summer may not be here just yet but it’s fast ap

Summer may not be here just yet but it’s fast approaching! Let’s dust off the cobwebs and refresh our memories on sunscreen and the impacts they can have on the world around us! ☀

It has been estimated that 6,000-14,000 tons of sunscreen are released into coral reef ecosystems each year! Sunscreen chemicals, however, are not limited to these areas and have even been found in the surface waters of the Arctic.

The chemicals in these sunscreens cause the expulsion of zooxanthellae, bioaccumulate (build up in the body) in marine organisms, undergo photodegradation (decomposition by light) and create phototoxins, and increase viral infections in coral species.

Make sure to take a look at our article “Is Your Sunscreen Killing Coral? Probably.” (linked below!) to learn more about sunscreen and the environment, how not all zinc is created equal, and a list of sunscreen brands to avoid, as well as a couple that are fairly safe options.

Share this article to spread the word!

Article link: https://www.yourlegasea.com/posts/sunscreen/

#sunscreen #skincare #environmentalskincare #environmentalawareness #conservation #marinebiology #marineconservation #conservationbiology #ocean #coralbleaching #legaseaecology #reefhealth #reefawareness #environmentalagency #climateanxiety #smallstepsbigchanges

How much do you know about these freaky little mar

How much do you know about these freaky little marine fellas?

Polychaetes are marine annelid worms, often referred to as “bristle worms”. They are present in almost all aquatic environments, from shallow estuaries to abyssal zones and hydrothermal vent regions. Marine worms have developed remarkable physiological adaptations and strategies to survive within the ocean ecosystem! To learn more about them, check out the LegaSea Ecology article “A Guide to Marine Worms” written by our fantastic intern @_emilypadden_ 🌊 🪱 Link below! ⬇️

https://www.yourlegasea.com/posts/a-guide-to-marine-worms/

📷: Phyllodoce rosea photographed by © Hans Hillewaert

#annelida #polychaete #polychaetesofinstagram #polychaeteworms #marineworms #legaseaecology #marinebiology #marineconservation #education #conservationthrougheducation

Giving season is upon us and what better gift to g

Giving season is upon us and what better gift to give than one focused on preserving the planet and marine ecosystems!? Check out our most recent article, “10 Organizations to Gift to this Giving Season” to learn about, as the title suggests, 10 organizations doing their part to better the big blue. 🌊

Navigating the climate crisis can be difficult as an individual and sometimes it is hard to acknowledge that one person can really make a difference. We challenge you to remember that each of these organizations rely on donations from people JUST LIKE YOU to make their research happen, and look at all the good they’ve been able to achieve so far because of it! 🐬

Throughout the month of November and December LegaSea Ecology will match your donations to whatever organization (or organizations) you choose. Send us a DM with proof of donation and we will send one right back.

Link to article (and in our bio): https://www.yourlegasea.com/posts/make-an-impact/

Photo: Founder, Helena Milazzo, admires a Caribbean reef shark (Carcharhinus perezi) after finishing a fish survey on a reef in the Bahamas.

#legaseaecology #yourlegasea #underwater #marine #marinebiology #conservation #preservation #science #scienceforall #earthday #planet #organisms #ecology #biology #saltwater #ocean #planetearth #fish #photography #underwaterphotography #accessible #accessibleeducation #educationforall #learning #lesson #donate #donation #nonprofit

Fun shop update! LegaSea Ecology has stickers! B

Fun shop update!

LegaSea Ecology has stickers! Buy them as a bundle or add them to an existing shirt or hat order. A little advocacy can go a long way. Thank you for your support! 🤙 🌊

Picture 1: LegaSea Sticker Bundle

Picture 2: Ocean Advocate sticker

Picture 3: Classic Dolphin sticker

Picture 4: Little LegaSea sticker

Picture 5: LegaSea Mission sticker

#legasea #legaseaecology #oceanconservation #conservationthrougheducation #oceanart #oceanadvocacy #marineconservation #stickers

You may have heard of ghost nets, but have you hea

You may have heard of ghost nets, but have you heard of ghost gear? Ghost gear describes any lost, discarded, or abandoned fishing gear in marine environments. Unfortunately, this gear keeps fishing long after humans have touched it, entangling marine life, smothering habitats, and contributing to the plastic pollution crisis.

It is estimated that around 640,000 tons of ghost gear including nets, lines, and ropes, enter the ocean every year! Now that is seriously spooky! 👻

📸: @shutterstock

#legaseaecology #yourlegasea #underwater #marine #marinebiology #conservation #preservation #science #scienceforall #earthday #planet #organisms #ecology #biology #saltwater #ocean #planetearth #fish #photography #underwaterphotography #accessible #accessibleeducation #educationforall #ghostgear #ghostnets #overfishing #plasticpollution

Manta rays feed on zooplankton and microcrustacean

Manta rays feed on zooplankton and microcrustaceans by swimming with open mouths through the water column. They filter and ingest the plankton and then flush the remaining water out their gills.

Research conducted by Oregon State University found that the method these manta rays use to filter their food could improve our own commercial filtration systems! While commercial filtration systems often have issues with clogging, manta rays avoid this issue using an array of leaf-like lobes. As water passes over these lobes, a series of little whirlpools are created. Food particles then ricochet off and away from these whirlpools in a technique called “ricochet separation”. Because this technique repels particles rather than trapping them, it resists clogging and can operate at high flow rates.

Implementing mechanisms used in ricochet separation could allow filtration systems to be more effective and efficient, specifically in wastewater filtration and reducing microplastic pollution.

Swipe to see a quick visual as to how ricochet separation repels rather than traps food particles!
(Particles in red, water flow in blue) ➡️➡️➡️

Sources:
1. Divi, R. V., Strother, J. A. & Paig-Tran, E. W. M. Manta rays feed using ricochet separation, a novel nonclogging filtration mechanism. Science Advances 4, eaat9533 (2018).
2. Manta rays’ food-capturing mechanism may hold key to better filtration systems. GSTDTAP (2018).

#legaseaecology #yourlegasea #underwater #marine #marinebiology #conservation #preservation #science #scienceforall #earthday #planet #organisms #ecology #biology #saltwater #ocean #planetearth #fish #photography #underwaterphotography #accessible #accessibleeducation #educationforall #learning #lesson #mantaray #ricochetseperation

📸: @_legasea_
🎥: “Manta rays’ food-capturing mechanism may hold key to better filtration systems.”

What if we told you life on reefs was made possibl

What if we told you life on reefs was made possible by a fairly unassuming organism? 🪸

Coral reefs are typically found in oligotrophic (nutrient poor) waters, which can be characterized by that iconic crystal clear blue color. Oligotrophic waters, like those found in the Indo-Pacific and Caribbean, are often referred to as marine deserts. However, coral reefs persist nonetheless thanks to a phenomenon known as the sponge loop! 🧽

Put simply, the sponge loop describes a sponges ability to uptake high levels of dissolved organic matter (DOM), and keep it in and redistribute it throughout the coral reef ecosystem!

Want to get into more detail? Check out our blog post on sponges and the sponge loop on the LegaSea Ecology website!

https://www.yourlegasea.com/posts/spectacular-sponges/

📷 : Founder @helena.milazzo takes a picture with one of the oceans largest sponge species, the Giant Barrel Sponge (Xestospongia muta). This organism can reach up to 6ft and is adoringly referred to as the Redwood of the sea due to its size and lifespan

📸 : @mermaidkaties

#legaseaecology #yourlegasea #underwater #marine #marinebiology #conservation #preservation #science #scienceforall #earthday #planet #organisms #ecology #biology #saltwater #ocean #planetearth #fish #photography #underwaterphotography #accessible #accessibleeducation #educationforall #learning #lesson #sponge #spongeloop

Did you know that tiny fish fuel life on coral ree

Did you know that tiny fish fuel life on coral reefs?

Research has found that cryptobenthic (living near the seafloor, hiding in crevices or camoflauged) fish makeup 60% of all biomass consumed in reef ecosystems.

These little fish, most of which are smaller than 5 centimeters, spend their entire life on the reef. It is thought that these fish are able to maintain their population size, despite being a significant prey species, by staying close to home. Unlike some other migrating species, by sticking close to their parents’ reef, these tiny fish have a greater chance of survival by avoiding the threats of the open ocean. This, in turn, supplies adult cryptobenthic fish populations with a steady stream of juveniles that replace each adult that is eaten!

Pictured: Spinyhead Blenny (Acanthemblemaria spinosa)

📸: @_legasea_

#legaseaecology #yourlegasea #underwater #marine #marinebiology #conservation #preservation #science #scienceforall #earthday #planet #organisms #ecology #biology #saltwater #ocean #planetearth #fish #photography #underwaterphotography #accessible #accessibleeducation #educationforall #learning #lesson #tinyfish #cryptobenthic

🔔 Exciting announcement! 🔔 We have officia

🔔 Exciting announcement! 🔔

We have officially launched our store on the LegaSea Ecology website! 🎉

To celebrate we are offering a 50% off discount code for all LegaSea store items! Just use code LEGASEALOVER at checkout!

Coupon is available until September 30th.

Thank you for being on this journey with us! 🐬

Link in bio 🤙 ✨

#legaseaecology #yourlegasea #underwater #marine #marinebiology #conservation #preservation #science #scienceforall #earthday #planet #organisms #ecology #biology #saltwater #ocean #planetearth #fish #photography #underwaterphotography #accessible #accessibleeducation #educationforall #learning #lesson #shop #ethicalteecompany #carbonneutral #shopsustainably

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