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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

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Whether it’s a family vacation, summer holiday,

Whether it’s a family vacation, summer holiday, or tropical getaway, for many people “cruising” has always been marketed as a fun, family getaway. However, taking a closer look into this industry, behind the all-inclusive marketing strategies, impressive engineering, and price-gouging excursions, we uncover some extremely unsettling environmental impacts. The release of thousands of gallons of wastewater and millions of tons of CO2 emissions, along with organism and ecosystem impacts, are only the tip of the iceberg when addressing the issues that cruising creates in the world’s most intense vacation hotspots. 🛳️ 💨

Interested in learning more about this industry and how we can cruise our way to safety? Check out the full article at https://www.yourlegasea.com/posts/cruising-towards-environmental-crisis/

#legaseaecology #yourlegasea #underwater #marine #marinebiology #conservation #preservation #science #scienceforall #earthday #planet #organisms #ecology #biology #saltwater #ocean #planetearth #fish #photography #accessible #accessibleeducation #educationforall
#cruise #cruiseship

📝Citation:

1. Cruise ship blues: the underside of the cruise industry - ProQuest. https://www.proquest.com/openview/6cd86f2f432f435d9dd976fd874b2f9b/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=35934.

📸 Source:

1. Joe deSousa

Happy International Sawfish Day!🥳🎊 In their

Happy International Sawfish Day!🥳🎊

In their honor, let’s take a look at one of the five species of sawfish, the smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata)! The smalltooth sawfish is part of the subclass elasmobranch which includes sharks, skates, and rays! They get their name from their long and flat snout called a rostrum, which is lined with teeth that give them a saw-like appearance🪚. While they may look more like sharks, smalltooth sawfish are actually a ray, with their gills and mouths on the underside of their bodies. The smalltooth sawfish can grow up to 16 feet and weigh several hundred pounds!😟

Unfortunately, in 2003 the smalltooth sawfish was listed as an endangered species after a 95% decline in their population from coastal development and fishing gear entanglement. This species, once found along the coasts from Texas to New York, can now only be seen reliably off the coast of south Florida.

Wondering what you can do to help this species?🤔Here are a few tips:

🗑️ Find a coastal cleanup near you: https://oceanconservancy.org/trash-free-seas/international-coastal-cleanup/map/

🎣 Follow safe handling and release guidelines: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/resource/outreach-materials/smalltooth-sawfish-release-and-reporting-procedures-commercial

👀Report sawfish sightings: https://myfwc.com/research/saltwater/fish/sawfish/contact/

#legaseaecology #yourlegasea #underwater #marine #marinebiology #conservation #preservation #science #scienceforall #earthday #planet #organisms #ecology #biology #saltwater #ocean #planetearth #fish #accessible #accessibleeducation #educationforall #sawfish #internationalsawfishday #cool #coolocean

📝Citions:

1. Norton, S. L. et al. Designating Critical Habitat for Juvenile Endangered Smalltooth Sawfish in the United States. Marine and Coastal Fisheries 4, 473–480 (2012).

2. Fisheries, N. Smalltooth Sawfish | NOAA Fisheries. NOAA https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/smalltooth-sawfish (2023).

Despite being known as one of Antarctica's most fe

Despite being known as one of Antarctica's most ferocious predators, did you know krill make up the largest proportion of the leopard seals (Hydrurga leptonyx) diet? Not only are their front teeth perfect for biting down on some of their larger prey, like penguins and other seals (*gasp*), but their back teeth are used almost exclusively for filter feeding small organisms like krill out of the water column!
🦭 ❤️ 🦐

The leopard seal’s unique ability to switch between different feeding modes allows them to be both a top predator and a planktivore in one of earth’s most extreme environments. 🧊 ❄️

Happy #marinebiomonday! Have an awesome week! 🪼

#legaseaecology #yourlegasea #underwater #marine #marinebiology #conservation #preservation #science #scienceforall #earthday #planet #organisms #ecology #biology #saltwater #ocean #planetearth #fish #photography #underwaterphotography #accessible #accessibleeducation #educationforall #leopard #leopardseal #krill #plankton #planktivore

📝 Citations:

Rogers, T. L. Leopard Seal: Hydrurga leptonyx. in Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals (Second Edition) (eds. Perrin, W. F., Würsig, B. & Thewissen, J. G. M.) 673–674 (Academic Press, 2009). doi:[10.1016/B978-0-12-373553-9.00155-3](https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-373553-9.00155-3).

Hocking, D. P., Evans, A. R. & Fitzgerald, E. M. G. Leopard seals (Hydrurga leptonyx) use suction and filter feeding when hunting small prey underwater. Polar Biol 36, 211–222 (2013).

📸 Image sources:
1. Gerald Corsi
2. Hocking, D. P., Evans, A. R. & Fitzgerald, E. M. G. Leopard seals (Hydrurga leptonyx) use suction and filter feeding when hunting small prey underwater. Polar Biol 36, 211–222 (2013)

Did you know temperature determines whether a sea

Did you know temperature determines whether a sea turtle hatchling will be male or female? This phenomenon is known as temperature dependent sex determination (TSD)🌡️ and the way it works is pretty simple; cooler temperatures produce more males, warmer temperatures produce more females. The temperature that produces an even split of male and female turtles is called the pivotal temperature which can vary from species to species! A small temperature change on either end of the pivotal temperature can throw off how many male and female turtles are born.

In the face of climate change we are already seeing this happening to a population of green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) living on the warming northern beaches off the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. A study conducted on this population found that 99.1% of juveniles were female, and only 0.9% were male. If the beach continues to warm, this population of green sea turtles could face complete feminization (all girls) in the near future, having deleterious impacts on the population. While this is certainly a serious issue, not all hope is lost. Efforts such as using seawater to cool the nests during the day and shading the nests with palm fronds (➡️ to see!) have shown to help these turtles beat the heat and keep nests at more appropriate temperatures! 🌴

Happy #funfactfriday everyone! 🩵🐡

#legaseaecology #yourlegasea #underwater #marine #marinebiology #conservation #preservation #science #scienceforall #earthday #planet #organisms #ecology #biology #saltwater #ocean #accessible #accessibleeducation #educationforall #seaturtle #temperaturedependentsexdetermination #endangered #endangeredspecies #climatechange

📝Citations:

Jensen, M. P. et al. Environmental Warming and Feminization of One of the Largest Sea Turtle Populations in the World. Current Biology 28, 154-159.e4 (2018).

Esteban, N. et al. Optimism for mitigation of climate warming impacts for sea turtles through nest shading and relocation. Sci Rep 8, 17625 (2018).

📸Image sources:

1. MarcoMarchi

2. Esteban, N. et al. Optimism for mitigation of climate warming impacts for sea turtles through nest shading and relocation. Sci Rep 8, 17625 (2018).

🐠💰 Making a splash for coral reefs! 🌊🐚

🐠💰 Making a splash for coral reefs! 🌊🐚

Happy #oceanwinswednesday 🌊

As of October 3, 2023 45 countries pledged $12 billion to support coral restoration efforts. The decision, deemed the “Coral Reef Breakthrough” was announced by a international network of countries comprising 3/4 of our global reefs. Made public by the International Coral Reef Initiative, this pledge to secure funding by 2030 will mark an important step forward in creating and sustaining reliable aid to marine conservation efforts.

#legaseaecology #yourlegasea #underwater #marine #marinebiology #conservation #preservation #science #scienceforall #earthday #planet #organisms #ecology #biology #saltwater #ocean #planetearth #fish #photography #underwaterphotography #accessible #accessibleeducation #education #oceanwin #coral #coralreef #winnerwinner

📝Citation:

“Countries Pledge to Raise $12 Billion to Help Coral.” Phys.org, 3 Oct. 2023, phys.org/news/2023-10-countries-pledge-billion-coral.html.

📸Image sources:

Francesco Ungaro

Would you believe us if we told you that some of t

Would you believe us if we told you that some of the most important fish in our reef ecosystems were less than 5cm long🤔?What if we said that these tiny titans accounted for a majority of reef biomass and acted as crucial ecosystem indicators for reef health? Well, don’t let the truth be cryptic! Check out our article at https://www.yourlegasea.com/posts/cryptobenthics/ to learn the truth behind the Sherlock of the sea. 🐠

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

📝Citations:

Goatley, C. H. R. & Brandl, S. J. Cryptobenthic reef fishes. Current Biology 27, R452–R454 (2017).

📸Image sources:

1. Francesco Ungaro
2. @legaseaecology

Happy #marinebiomonday 🦑 Let’s learn somethin

Happy #marinebiomonday 🦑 Let’s learn something awesome!

Did you know whales play a crucial role in the transfer of nutrients throughout the water column? Certain whale species, like sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus), will dive to depths greater than 1,000 meters to feed in cold, nutrient dense water. Once they’ve feasted, they will make their way back up the water column and release those nutrients into surface waters through, you guessed it, poop! Fecal plumes contain important nutrients for surface dwelling phytoplankton species that are the basis of many marine food chains and important for carbon sequestration. This nutrient transfer is commonly known as the whale pump! 🐋 💩

#legaseaecology #yourlegasea #underwater #marine #marinebiology #conservation #preservation #science #scienceforall #earthday #planet #organisms #ecology #biology #saltwater #ocean #planetearth #fish #photography #underwaterphotography #accessible #accessibleeducation #educationforall #whale #whalepump #nutrienttransfer #marinebiomonday

📝Citations:

Roman, J., Nevins, J., Altabet, M., Koopman, H. & McCarthy, J. Endangered Right Whales Enhance Primary Productivity in the Bay of Fundy. PLOS ONE 11, (2016).

Gross, M. Megafauna moves nutrients uphill. Current Biology 26, R1–R5 (2016).

Roman, J. et al. Whales as marine ecosystem engineers. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 12, 377–385 (2014).

📸Image sources:

1: Gerald Corsi

2: Caters News Agency

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

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