Peace for the Soul2024-03-28T21:43:06ZRosmarie Heusserhttps://peaceformeandtheworld.ning.com/profile/RosmarieHeusserhttps://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/10464481065?profile=RESIZE_48X48&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1https://peaceformeandtheworld.ning.com/forum/topic/listForContributor?groupUrl=blue-planet-oceancare&user=1gr69r3gt2vca&feed=yes&xn_auth=noTHE BEST WHALE MOMENTStag:peaceformeandtheworld.ning.com,2021-01-31:5143044:Topic:3670892021-01-31T18:17:45.872ZRosmarie Heusserhttps://peaceformeandtheworld.ning.com/profile/RosmarieHeusser
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</p> Our Planet | Frozen Worldstag:peaceformeandtheworld.ning.com,2021-01-06:5143044:Topic:3514632021-01-06T17:45:07.196ZRosmarie Heusserhttps://peaceformeandtheworld.ning.com/profile/RosmarieHeusser
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<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cTQ3Ko9ZKg8?wmode=opaque" allowfullscreen="" width="853" height="480" frameborder="0"></iframe> BLUE PLANET FLAMINGOStag:peaceformeandtheworld.ning.com,2021-01-04:5143044:Topic:3501152021-01-04T17:46:29.938ZRosmarie Heusserhttps://peaceformeandtheworld.ning.com/profile/RosmarieHeusser
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<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WCQDhjPGbUE?wmode=opaque" allowfullscreen="" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0"></iframe> Marine Gardens: Plants That Live in the Oceantag:peaceformeandtheworld.ning.com,2020-01-13:5143044:Topic:2798872020-01-13T10:46:09.741ZRosmarie Heusserhttps://peaceformeandtheworld.ning.com/profile/RosmarieHeusser
<p>here are thousands of different types of plants found in the ocean, and all of them are affected by the amount of available sunlight, salinity levels, and the temperature of the water. Ocean plants are rarely talked about, but with 70 percent of the world covered in water, they play a vital role in oxygenating oceans around the world, protecting certain species of aquatic animals from predators and outside elements (including human activities), and helping animals thrive by being their…</p>
<p>here are thousands of different types of plants found in the ocean, and all of them are affected by the amount of available sunlight, salinity levels, and the temperature of the water. Ocean plants are rarely talked about, but with 70 percent of the world covered in water, they play a vital role in oxygenating oceans around the world, protecting certain species of aquatic animals from predators and outside elements (including human activities), and helping animals thrive by being their primary food source.</p>
<p>Common Types of Ocean Plants<br/> There are basically two categories of plants living in our ocean’s waters: those that float freely through the water, and those that are directly rooted into the ocean floor. Floating plants can be spotted near the surface of the water. Rooted plants, on the other hand, must acquire sunlight to survive, so they are often found in shallow waters near the shore.</p>
<p>Let’s discuss the four common types of floating and rooted plants that live in the ocean:<br/> <a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3816857680?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3816857680?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center"/></a><br/> Kelp<br/> Kelp marine plant</p>
<p>Kelp beds are commonly found throughout colder ocean waters. As a form of algae, kelp grows along rocky coastlines at depths of 20 to 90 feet, clinging to rocks with their root-like structure or staying afloat through the use of tiny flotation bulbs. This oceanic plant thrives on sunlight and it can often grow up to 250 feet in length, making it the largest marine plant in the world.<br/> <a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3816858127?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3816858127?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center"/></a><br/> Red Algae<br/> Red Algae marine plant</p>
<p>Red algae have populated the warm, tropical waters of the world for more than 500 million years. It gets its unique coloration from phycoerythrin, a pigment that absorbs blue light and reflects red light. Similar to kelp, red algae is rich in proteins and vitamins, making it a popular food source for countries throughout Asia.</p>
<p>You’ll also find a unique type of red algae, the coralline algae, which are made of very fine filaments and are hard as the rocks that they grow on to support the structure of coral reefs.<br/> <a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3816859646?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3816859646?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center"/></a><br/> Seagrass<br/> Seagrass marine plant</p>
<p>Seagrass is a rooted plant that requires a lot of light to thrive along the shallow waters of our world’s coastlines. There are many common types of sea grass, including manatee grass, turtle grass, and shoal grass—all of which are varieties of a land plant that has evolved over the years in order to survive in salt water.</p>
<p>It is also a popular food source for crabs and lobsters throughout the temperate marsh waters where it commonly grows. Not only does seagrass greatly contribute to the task of oxygenating the oceans, but it also releases pollen from its flowers to pollinate other ocean plants, provides a protective habitat for small marine life, and serves as food for some species of reef fish.</p>
<p>This makes seagrass one of the most important plants found in the ocean.</p>
<p>Sargassum<br/> Sargassum marine plant</p>
<p>Sargassum, also known as gulfweed or sea holly, is a floating ocean plant that plays an integral role in the early lives of many marine species. It is characterized by its brownish-green coloration, dense, bushy fronds, and berry-like gas-filled bladders that keep it afloat.</p>
<p>The bladders’ floating nature keeps the plant up at the surface of the water, better enabling photosynthesis where it can be closer to the sun and allowing juvenile sea turtles to turn to it for food and shelter as they mature and eventually make the long trip back home.</p>
<p>Sargassum is so abundant in a gyre of the North Atlantic that it has been dubbed the Sargasso Sea. Some marine species found within the Sargasso Sea are found nowhere else in the world!</p>
<p>Ocean plants are part of some of the most important ecosystems on the planet, so it is imperative that we all do our best to protect and take care of our marine gardens.</p>
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</p> Nat Geo Wild HD Ocean of Giants National Geographic Documentary 2016 HDtag:peaceformeandtheworld.ning.com,2019-08-04:5143044:Topic:2755462019-08-04T19:20:30.227ZRosmarie Heusserhttps://peaceformeandtheworld.ning.com/profile/RosmarieHeusser
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<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/s62KwCOYilM?wmode=opaque" allowfullscreen="" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0"></iframe> Eco-campaigners took these grisly photos of whale and dolphin hunts in the Faroe Islandstag:peaceformeandtheworld.ning.com,2019-06-29:5143044:Topic:2737682019-06-29T02:00:16.567ZRosmarie Heusserhttps://peaceformeandtheworld.ning.com/profile/RosmarieHeusser
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<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Locals on the Faroe Islands tend to newly-killed whales after a hunt.</strong> Sea Shepherd</p>
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<p>The Faroe Islands, an unusual cluster of islands in the North Atlantic, is a burgeoning tourists hotspot.…</p>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Locals on the Faroe Islands tend to newly-killed whales after a hunt.</strong> Sea Shepherd</p>
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<p>The Faroe Islands, an unusual cluster of islands in the North Atlantic, is a burgeoning tourists hotspot.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.insider.com/faroe-islands-closed-to-tourists-except-helping-maintenance-repairs-voluntourism-2019-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to Business Insider's Rachel Hosie</a>, the island is now so popular that it closed itself to tourists, except those who are willing to help repair and maintain the island.</p>
<p>However, there is a darker side the the ruggedly beautiful territory. Read this article, first published by Business Insider in 2017, to learn more.</p>
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<p>For reading the full article, follow the link below:</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/whale-and-dolphin-hunts-in-faroe-islands-photographed-by-campaigners-2017-11?r=US&IR=T&utm_content=buffer42bcd&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer-insider-main&fbclid=IwAR35sqavtBb4Trf2e59LAtGYPp72ju17SOgt599jK-zN3dLXbHhu769U67E" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Whale and Dolphin hunts in faroe islands.</a></strong></p>
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<p>We Need to Unleash on the Ferocious Isles.</p>
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<p>Commentary by Captain Paul Watson</p>
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<p>We need to invade and assault these vicious islands with the most powerfully effective weapon ever devised - the camera.</p>
<p>We need to send these photos and videos around the globe. We need to bombard Denmark and the Faroe Islands with letters, petitions and law suits.</p>
<p>We need to constantly deliver these photos and facts to the international media and to spread the truth across global social networks.</p>
<p>We need to have people boycott Faroese fish, especially farmed domestic salmon and to boycott tourism to these savage shores.</p>
<p>We need to discourage musicians from performing on these blood soiled group of North Atlantic rocks. We need to boycott Faroese groups like Tyr from traveling the globe as Ambassadors for the slaughter of whales and dolphins.</p>
<p>WE NEED TO END THE SADISTIC ABOMINATION CALLED THE GRINDADRAP (THE MURDER OF WHALES).</p>
<p></p> DAMAGED MINDStag:peaceformeandtheworld.ning.com,2019-06-01:5143044:Topic:2729192019-06-01T00:24:37.095ZRosmarie Heusserhttps://peaceformeandtheworld.ning.com/profile/RosmarieHeusser
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<p>Do Faeroese Dolphin Killers Lack the Cognitive Ability to Understand the Very Real Consequences of their Brutal Activities.<br></br> <br></br> Commentary by Captain Paul Watson<br></br> <br></br> Are the Whale killers of the Faroe Islands simply Barbarians or is there a reason for their annual bloody massacres of entire pods of pilot whales and dolphins?…<br></br></p>
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<p>Do Faeroese Dolphin Killers Lack the Cognitive Ability to Understand the Very Real Consequences of their Brutal Activities.<br/> <br/> Commentary by Captain Paul Watson<br/> <br/> Are the Whale killers of the Faroe Islands simply Barbarians or is there a reason for their annual bloody massacres of entire pods of pilot whales and dolphins?<br/> <br/> Their barbaric Viking heritage aside, there may be a valid medical reason for their vicious psychopathic behavior.<br/> <br/> Despite warnings from Faeroese and Danish doctors, many Faroese continue to eat cetacean meat containing extremely high levels of methyl-mercury and persistent organic pollutants (PCPs).<br/> <br/> The doctors have stated publicly that these contaminants can affect people’s intellectual and neurological development and weaken their immune Systems.<br/> <br/> This mercury-laced meat has been shown in a major study by Faroese doctor Dr Pal Weihi to impair cognitive function and to increase their risk of Parkinson’s disease.<br/> <br/> The Faeroese who have spent years consuming tainted meat containing heavy metals simply may not have the cognitive ability to comprehend the consequences.<br/> <br/> I’m not saying they are stupid. They may simply be incapable of associating the eating of cetacean meat with the health consequences.<br/> <br/> They may also suffer from the inability to experience empathy or to even understand why outsiders feel empathy for pilot whales and dolphins.<br/> <br/> Danish health officials have also been negligent. It is illegal to allow the consumption of beef, pork or chicken containing heavy metals yet for some reason dolphin meat is exempt.<br/> <br/> Additionally Denmark has ruled that kosher and halal meat is unlawful because of the inhumane treatment the animals are subject to well being slaughtered. Yet once again the killing of dolphins is exempted from humane considerations. The Danes are saying that inhumane killing by Muslims and Jews is not acceptable BUT inhumane killing by the Faeroese is traditional and thus acceptable. The decision by Denmark may have really been motivated by Islamophobia and anti-Semitism. As a person whose Grandfather was Danish and born in Copenhagen I would like to think that the ban on halel and kosher was sincerely motivated by compassion but the very fact that the inhumane slaughter in the Faroes continues, smacks of hypocrisy and a double standard.<br/> <br/> Shakespeare was right, there is definitely something rotten in Denmark.</p>
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<p><strong>Click link below to read the documentation :</strong></p>
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<p><strong><span class="font-size-3"><a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/9182403/whale-hunt-sea-red-blood-slaughtered-hooks-knives-faroe-islands/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Whale hunt sea red blood slaughtered hooks knives faroe islands</a></span></strong></p>
<p></p> Feeding Humphead Parrotfish | Blue Planet | BBC Earthtag:peaceformeandtheworld.ning.com,2018-10-03:5143044:Topic:2577972018-10-03T10:40:26.517ZRosmarie Heusserhttps://peaceformeandtheworld.ning.com/profile/RosmarieHeusser
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<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/o-blz2ghKOU?wmode=opaque" allowfullscreen="" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0"></iframe> Reef of Riches (Documentary)tag:peaceformeandtheworld.ning.com,2018-08-29:5143044:Topic:2564002018-08-29T21:34:42.221ZRosmarie Heusserhttps://peaceformeandtheworld.ning.com/profile/RosmarieHeusser
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<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dz6otrnbKJ8?wmode=opaque" allowfullscreen="" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0"></iframe> Ocean wilderness 'disappearing' globallytag:peaceformeandtheworld.ning.com,2018-07-27:5143044:Topic:2554322018-07-27T18:05:38.042ZRosmarie Heusserhttps://peaceformeandtheworld.ning.com/profile/RosmarieHeusser
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2311641702?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2311641702?profile=original" width="660"></img></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font-size-1">Bruce Rocherieux</span></p>
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<p><strong>Scientists have mapped marine "wilderness" areas around the world for the first time.</strong><br></br> <br></br> These are regions minimally impacted by human activities such as fishing, pollution and shipping.<br></br> <br></br> The team, led by researchers in Australia,…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2311641702?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="660" class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2311641702?profile=original"/></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font-size-1">Bruce Rocherieux</span></p>
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<p><strong>Scientists have mapped marine "wilderness" areas around the world for the first time.</strong><br/> <br/> These are regions minimally impacted by human activities such as fishing, pollution and shipping.<br/> <br/> The team, led by researchers in Australia, found that just 13.2% of the world's oceans could be classed as wilderness - most in international waters, away from human populations.<br/> <br/> Very few coastal areas met the criteria, including coral reefs.<br/> <br/> Reefs are some of the most biodiverse habitats in the ocean, as they are home to a great number of different plant and animal species. They are thought to be vital areas for marine life.</p>
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<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2311644187?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="624" class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2311644187?profile=original"/></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font-size-1">Belle Co</span></p>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font-size-1">Coral reefs are known to be under threat from climate change and warming oceans</span></p>
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<p><span class="font-size-3">What makes a wilderness?</span><br/> <br/> "It's a place where the environment and ecosystem is acting in basically an undisturbed way that's free from human activity," explained lead author Kendall Jones.<br/> <br/> "Studies have shown that places free from intense levels of human activity have really high levels of biodiversity and high genetic diversity [but] we didn't have an idea of where across the globe these intact places could still be found," the Wildlife Conservation Society researcher told BBC News.<br/> <br/> Jones and other scientists set out to analyse the impact of 15 different human activities or "stressors" on global ocean environments, in order to map these regions. Areas that experienced the least impact - the bottom 10% - were classed as wilderness.<br/> <br/> Data from satellites, ship tracking and pollution reports from individual countries were analysed.</p>
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<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2311644374?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="624" class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2311644374?profile=original"/></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font-size-1">Christopher Michel</span></p>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font-size-1">Wilderness areas may be home to a more diverse range of species than places impacted by human activity</span></p>
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<p>Dr Rachel Hale from the University of Southampton, observed that "marine wildernesses are largely overlooked in terms of conservation priorities when compared to terrestrial ones, and it is extremely interesting to see where in the world these lie and what habitats they cover.<br/> <br/> "They could be important corridors connecting habitats and species populations," added Dr Hale, who was not involved in the study.<br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-3">How much is left?</span><br/> <br/> The team found that most of the areas they defined as wilderness fell within the Arctic, Antarctic and around Pacific Island nations, or in the open ocean, where human activity is more limited.<br/> <br/> Despite their conservation status, marine protected areas (MPAs) appear to host just 4.9% of global marine wilderness.</p>
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<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2311644468?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="624" class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2311644468?profile=original"/></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font-size-1">Jones et al</span></p>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font-size-1">Marine wilderness areas (blue) are largely outside the economic zones of individual countries, and of marine protected areas (green)</span></p>
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<p>Mr Jones also noted that wilderness areas exposed by the decline of sea ice in the Arctic are now potentially vulnerable to anthropogenic impacts.<br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-3">What can be done?</span><br/> <br/> Although Mr Jones points out that fishing is one of the most significant direct impacts that humans can have on ocean ecosystems, many of the problems being caused originate on land.<br/> <br/> Runoff of nutrients from farming fertilisers, chemicals from poorly controlled industrial production, and the influx of plastic pollution from rivers are all disrupting ocean life.<br/> <br/> "Plastic pollution is one of the big things that we want to work out a way to get data on," he told the BBC.<br/> <br/> "It's so widespread and so hard to manage that we really want to get a good idea of where it is and where is most affected."</p>
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<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2311644541?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="624" class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2311644541?profile=original"/></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font-size-1">SciencePhoto Library</span></p>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font-size-1">Plastic pollution in the oceans impacts many different species</span></p>
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<p>The UN are currently considering a legally binding addition to the Convention on the Law of the Sea, which would mandate conservation and sustainable use of international waters - currently not protected.<br/> <br/> The first of four conferences to determine the details will take place in September 2018.<br/> <br/> Mr Jones welcomes this: "It's good that the international community is starting to recognise the need for improved management of international waters."</p>
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<ul class="story-body__unordered-list">
<li class="story-body__list-item"><a class="story-body__link" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-43801895">Heatwaves 'cook' Barrier Reef corals</a></li>
<li class="story-body__list-item"><a class="story-body__link" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-43477233">Ocean plastic could triple in decade</a></li>
<li class="story-body__list-item"><a class="story-body__link" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-44579420">'Medical test led me to ocean plastic patch'</a></li>
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<p>However Dr Hale points out that the issues could prove more complex, with many problems traversing legal and international boundaries.<br/> <br/> "Formal protection of these wilderness areas would not be able to protect them from some stressors such as climate change and invasive species," she told the BBC.<br/> <br/> "We should prioritise conservation actions in at-risk and/or biologically important areas, and identifying these areas within the identified marine wilderness areas would be a positive next step."<br/> <br/> The findings are published in <a class="story-body__link-external" href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(18)30772-3">Current Biology</a>.</p>
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<p><span style="font-size: 8pt;"><span class="byline__name">By Mary Halton</span> <span class="byline__title">Science reporter, BBC News</span></span></p>
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