In this episode Ethan and Ben discuss the latest Climate Change Report released by the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), with Professor Annette Broderick and Dr. Paul Butler. As well as covering key points of the report, Annette and Paul tell us about how climate change is a significant aspect of their current research.
About our guests:
Annette Broderick – Professor of Marine Conservation
Annette’s research investigates the exploitation of marine vertebrates, with a primary focus on marine turtles. The thermal environment is particularly important for turtles, so the potential effects of climate change could have a big impact on these populations. Listen to the episode to find out more.
If you’re interested in turtle conservation, Annette runs a long-term field study in northern Cyprus which takes on volunteers each year, you can find out more here
“The most biodiverse habitats in the world that we have are on the reefs, we’re going to lost those systems undoubtedly I think by 2040/2050 we’ll be talking about corals reefs and how beautiful they were.”
Paul’s research is in the field of sclerochronology, focusing in particular on the use of shells from long-lived bivalve molluscs to study the history of the marine environment. Essentially, these molluscs deposit annual increments in their shells (like rings on a tree stump). If a bivalve shell has a known date of death, a timeline of environmental variables can be investigated from that one shell, including seawater temperature and the origin of water masses. This can be of particular interest when studying climate change. Have a listen to the episode and take a look at Paul’s profile for more information.
Want to know more about sclerochronology and some intriguing clam facts? Sarah Holmes, PhD Researcher, wrote an excellent blog about this a few months ago, you can read it in full here.
Arctica islandica, one of Paul’s study species Photo – Hans Hillewaert
“Our longest chronology, which goes for 1300 years, is for waters of the north coast of Iceland… essentially we’ve got a temperature record… over the past 1000 years it shows a declining temperature up to about 150 years ago and then it shows a rapid increase“
What is the IPCC?
The IPCC was established 30 years ago by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) to provide a scientific view of climate change and its potential environmental and socio-economic impacts.
What is the IPCC Climate Change Report?
In December 2015 the Paris climate agreement was signed whereupon countries agreed that they would keep global temperatures “well below two degrees C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees C”. The UN asked the IPCC to produce a special report to assess the feasibility of keeping global temperature rises to a maximum of 1.5C.
Scientists are nominated by governments and international institutions. In this particular report there we 91 lead authors from 40 countries which reviewed 6,000 references. This work is unpaid.
Where do we stand right now?
Currently we are on track to reach 1.5C warming between 2030 and 2052, and 3C by 2100.
If we hit just 2C warming, this could have serious impacts, here are just a handful:
Almost all coral reefs will be destroyed.
The arctic will have summers with no ice at least once a decade.
Huge numbers of animals and plants will become extinct.
Low-lying coastal regions, such as Bangladesh, will suffer from sea level rise.
“One of the key messages that comes out very strongly from this report is that we are already seeing the consequences of 1°C of global warming through more extreme weather, rising sea levels and diminishing Arctic sea ice, among other changes,” said Panmao Zhai, Co-Chair of IPCC Working Group I. – IPCC Press Release
There has been extensive coral bleaching already due to sea temperature rise Photo – Acropora
Can we avoid this?
Yes, but we have just 12 years to turn it around and serious change is required. You can read more about that here.
The report finds that limiting global warming to 1.5°C would require “rapid and far-reaching” transitions in land, energy, industry, buildings, transport, and cities. Global net human-caused emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) would need to fall by about 45 percent from 2010 levels by 2030, reaching ‘net zero’ around 2050. This means that any remaining emissions would need to be balanced by removing CO2 from the air.
“Limiting warming to 1.5°C is possible within the laws of chemistry and physics but doing so would require unprecedented changes,” said Jim Skea, Co-Chair of IPCC Working Group III. – IPCC Press Release
You can read the IPCC Climate Change Press Release in full here.
#ExeterMarine is an interdisciplinary group of marine related researchers with capabilities across the scientific, medical, engineering, humanities and social science fields. If you are interested in working with our researchers or students, contact Michael Hanley or visit our website!
In this episode, we get to know our regular presenters a little better. Ethan and Molly talk to Ben, the producer, about the work they have been doing as Masters by Research students for the past two years. Under the supervision of Dr. Lucy Hawkes, Molly and Ethan have been working closely with Dr. Owen O’Shea at the Cape Eleuthera Insitute (CEI) in the Bahamas, to study the stingrays in the local waters.
Molly and Ethan worked with two data deficient species of stingray; the Southern Stingray, and the Caribbean Whiptail Ray The main focus of the research was to investigate the rays’ diets. This involved two methods; stable isotopes analysis and stomach content analysis (you can learn more about them in the podcast).
Ray team just after having caught a southern stingray along a sandbar. (Ethan first on left, Molly, second from right).
Why does this matter?
Well, as Molly and Ethan put it:
Molly holding the tail of a Caribbean whiptail ray presenting the large venomous barb.
“To understand about the diet is actually to understand general ecology… within an ecosystem, what a predator feeds upon… has a great impact on the population sizes of the prey, and there’s a huge amount of energy moving up in that food chain”
How might such research be applied? Well, in the Bahamas there is no legislation for the protection of mangroves.
“In the Bahamas, there’s lots of these mangrove creeks, and plenty of fish use them as nursery habitats because they offer a lot of shelter within the roots… stingrays occupy these systems as well… they feed on worms, crabs and things within the sea floor, so they use the mangroves a lot to find (their) food.”
You can find out more about why mangroves are so important here.
“Beaches are very popular in terms of tourist economy, so (mangroves) get destroyed quite a lot”
While the stingrays rely on the mangroves for food, it seems they also offer plenty to the mangroves themselves. To find out exactly what they offer, take a listen to the episode.
A free diver going face to face with a large Caribbean Whiptail Ray
You can also find out about some skills you might not know existed, like stingray herding!
Highschool/Island school student Jake holding a southern stingray during sampling procedures
Getting Started with Marine Science
Molly and Ethan initially honed their marine biology skills and interests as undergraduates here at the University of Exeter’s Penryn Campus, studying Zoology and Conservation Biology and Ecology respectively. In their final year they undertook a field course to Eleuthera Island in the Bahamas, this sewed the seeds of their Masters by Research. Click the links to find out more.
#ExeterMarine is an interdisciplinary group of marine related researchers with capabilities across the scientific, medical, engineering, humanities and social science fields. If you are interested in working with our researchers or students, contact Michael Hanley or visit our website!
Sail Against Plastic started as an idea to simply undertake a sailing expedition, over just a few months it developed into an Arctic mission to investigate unseen pollutants, namely microplastics and noise pollution.
“We are a collaborative expedition hoping to unveil and reveal the invisible pollutants of the arctic”
The Sail Against Plastic team. Photo credit – Ben Porter
Why the Arctic?
It is well documented that plastic debris has been circulating around our oceans via 5 ocean gyres. It is now thought there maybe a sixth gyre that carries plastic up into the Arctic circle. Recent discoveries supporting this theory have shown that plastic has been found in sea ice.
“As sea ice melts that could be opening up more microplastics that have been trapped in that sea ice… it shows that we’ve been influencing the world for a long time”
A selection of plastics found on mainland Svalbard. Photo credit – Ben Porter
A view from the Blue Clipper: Photo credit – Ben Porter
These pieces of plastic aren’t necessarily what you would expect, while there plastic bottles and bags found in these areas, there may be an even greater prevalence of microplastics, tiny pieces of plastic debris resulting from the breakdown of consumer products and industrial waste.
“It’s not these big large pieces of plastic, it’s not a floating island that we’re going to find’
At the time of recording, the team, a diverse group of scientists, artists, environmentalists, photographers and videographers, were just a few days away from setting sail on the Barents Sea from Svalbard aboard the Blue Clipper.
The team’s manta trawl, used to collect microplastics. Photo credit – Ben Porter
“I think the main thing is making issues that are so strongly linked to humans… making you feel emotive about them… through art and through film, people will feel emotive about it and will care, we hope”
“And make it relevant to people in the UK and Europe and connect communities that are halfway across the world that have similarities and can work together to find a solution to our crazy plastic addiction”
An example of some of the stunning artwork produced on board by Jess Grimsdale: Photo credit – Ben Porter
An example of some of the plastics found on the Svalbard mainland. Photo credit – Rob Arnold
Art work illustrating the views from the Blue Clipper, by Flavia.
The Blue Clipper, from above. Photo credit – Jamie Haigh
Jess Grimsdale in action: Photo credit – Ben Porter
Another example of the stunning landscapes of Svalbard. Photo credit – Ben Porter
#ExeterMarine is an interdisciplinary group of marine related researchers with capabilities across the scientific, medical, engineering, humanities and social science fields. If you are interested in working with our researchers or students, contact Michael Hanley or visit our website!
Prof Brendan Godley teaches a MSc module on Marine Biodiversity and Conservation at theCentre for Ecology and Conservation on the University’s Penryn Campus. The students learn about a wide diversity of topics and undertake independent study on two major topics within their specific interests. These are assessed by a dissertation and an oral presentation to their peers, respectively. This year, the tutor challenged his students to go a stage further and produce an infographic to communicate the message of their oral presentation to a wide audience that could then be shared on Twitter or other social media platforms. Brendan wrote;
“Communicating science, especially conservation science, to a wide audience is a key skill we all need to work on. This was my initial reasoning for setting the task. I think. however, that the exercise really challenged the students to distil and clarify their key take-home messages in advance of giving their talks. They achieved both of these aims with some aplomb and were widely complimented on their work.”
The module sees a range of invited marine conservation practitioners sharing their sectoral experience with the students. Katrina Ryan of Mindfully Wired a consultancy which specialises in science communication was one of the invited experts this year and gave the students feedback on their infographics as part of her session. Katrina added;
“It’s wonderful to see vital communication skills being fostered as part of these students’ wider conservation science learning. Condensing such complex subject matters into compelling graphics is a real challenge, but the students did a superb job and, as a result, many had significant impact on social media”
#ExeterMarine is a interdisciplinary group of marine related researchers with capabilities across the scientific, medical, engineering, humanities and social science fields. If you are interested in working with our researchers or students, contact Michael Hanley or visit our website!
One of the great strengths at the University of Exeter is in our marine research and education.
The #ExeterMarine Initiative has been launched to help enhance collaborations within the University and to help highlight our interdisciplinary strength to outside partners. We will share information broadly in this blog, through social media channels (Twitter and Facebook) and on our dedicated website.
Research: It will surprise many, including some at the University of Exeter, how large the body of researchers working on marine subjects has become. We now have over 200 academics and graduate students working directly on the major challenges facing human-kind that interface with the marine realm. We have significant groupings working on Climate Change and Renewable Energy, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Oceans and Human Health, Ecotoxicology and Pollution, and Marine Conservation. Our research in Exeter is ever more inter-disciplinary and our marine strength ranges from the humanities, through the life and social sciences to medicine and engineering.
This we undertake collaboratively with a wide range of influential partners including CEFAS, Met Office, Plymouth Marine Laboratory and Zoological Society of London.
Professor Brendan Godley #ExeterMarine Strategy Lead
Education: Our world-leading marine research underpins a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in Biosciences (including marine biology), Geography, Medicine, Psychology and Renewable Energy. We will seek to share our student voice and perspective through the #ExeterMarine Initiative. Watch this space!
Sharing: We are proud of our record of sharing our findings and achievements with the wider community and we hope to augment this further still. See here for a listing of some of our most recent stories in the media. We hope that the blog may be a good introduction to the wealth of marine activities at the University of Exeter for new students and collaborators. If you would like to discuss #ExeterMarine or, indeed, contribute to the blog, please get in touch.
#ExeterMarine is a interdisciplinary group of marine related researchers with capabilities across the scientific, medical, engineering, humanities and social science fields. If you are interested in working with our researchers or students, please visit our website!
From the moment I arrived at the University of Exeter to undertake my MSc in Conservation and Biodiversity, I quickly fell in love with the University, the Campus and Cornwall. Discovering all the cutting-edge research being carried out across the University of Exeter has been a definite highlight for me. The opportunity to participate in the Africa field course was one of the most amazing experiences of my life and one I will always cherish, having helped me build a practical understanding of large-scale conservation issues. My MSc research project centred on analysing 30 years of mark-and-recapture data from juvenile green turtles on an isolated tropical archipelago in Brazil, under the supervision of Prof Brendan Godley. This published work contributes important insights regarding demographic parameters and population trends for this species.
Meeting the Maasai in Kenya
Upon my return to Brazil, and whilst working as an environmental consultant there, I applied for a PhD at Exeter to work with TAMAR (the Brazilian Sea Turtle Conservation Programme). This on-going conservation project illustrates a powerful example of how marine turtles and coastal communities can co-exist in an ever-changing world. Despite a history of over-exploitation, the five different species of marine turtles that nest in Brazil are now fully protected by law. And as a result, recent years have shown very promising signs of population recovery. Perhaps most notably, a major part of this success can be attributed to the active involvement of the surrounding coastal communities in the conservation work. What once started in the direct employment of former egg poachers, now involves a wide range of activities to encourage environmental awareness in the area. This includes environmental campaigns, alongside the support of alternative, sustainable economic opportunities for the communities living near the nesting beaches.
Local kids talking turtle in Bahia, Brazil (Banco de imagens Projeto TAMAR)
My PhD research focuses on the highly migratory leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea). This species has its major nesting site deep in the southwestern Atlantic ocean in eastern Brazil, on the northern coast of Espirito Santo. Projeto TAMAR has been monitoring the area since 1983 and there are promising signs of population recovery for the species. However, with a small population size and restricted geographical distribution, alongside the emergence of new threats – coastal development, fisheries bycatch, climate change, marine and light pollution – the population continues to be of conservation concern.
Lili records leatherback sea turtle nesting (Henrique Filgueiras)
As part of the Marine Turtle Research Group (MTRG) at the University of Exeter, we are using a variety of techniques to investigate this population’s ecology, trends and the main impacts they are facing. This research is being done in collaboration with TAMAR in Brazil and Ciência Sem Fronteiras , a scholarship programme from the Brazilian Government. The knowledge obtained in this study will be used to design better and more effective conservation strategies for this species. I was delighted that my PhD project was chosen to feature in one of the films to celebrate TAMAR’s 35th anniversary:
#ExeterMarine is a interdisciplinary group of marine related researchers with capabilities across the scientific, medical, engineering, humanities and social science fields. If you are interested in working with our researchers or students, contact Michael Hanley or visit our website!
