Serving as the Toastmistress for the Census of Marine Life’s Celebration at the Royal Academy of Sciences in London, Dr. Sylvia Earle applied her considerable knowledge, wit and wisdom to both a tribute to participants and a celebration of accomplishment. Following is her poetic toast:

First . . . .

A salute to Fred Grassle, with vision ambitious,

A dream, an idea, to census the fishes!

Another, with courage– remember him well.

The one, the only – Jesse Ausubel.

But fishes alone were not enough.

The sea, after all, is alive with stuff.

What about urchins, sea stars and snails?

What of the microbes, the kelp, the whales?

It sounds, at first, slightly outrageous.

But the idea caught on – it was contagious!…

The historical review of data on the Sargasso Sea is vital.  Knowing how people have regarded this critical part of the ocean over time will seriously strengthen the case for protection now.  The “shifting baseline” of turtles, tunas, eels, and other creatures — including maybe the Sargassum itself — will come as news to many.

Dr. Sylvia Earle – Sargassum & Coral Spawn – Photo: Look Bermuda

I am in Bermuda now with some of the Sargasso Sea “constituency” looking forward to a second day of searching for Sargassum patches between hurricanes.  Thanks to arrangements made by Sheila McKenna, senor research scientist for Mission Blue,  we went aboard Explorer, the boat Teddy Tucker had for years (now owned and operated by Michael Hayward), and had a remarkable encounter with masses of floating coral spawn — zillions of golden eggs enmeshed in small patches of Sargassum.  …

From Florida Today
While researchers scoop up endangered sea turtles coated in oil in the Gulf, a scientist warns that this summer’s fragile turtle hatchings could choke on tiny tar balls as they feed off the Space Coast.
Blair Witherington of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission in Melbourne returned recently from working with a federal and multistate team to rescue turtles. They captured 64, mostly a species called Kemp’s Ridley, which is among the rarest in Florida.
Back on the Atlantic side, the worry is more about loggerheads that nest here in some of the highest numbers in the world.
As the eggs hatch in the coming weeks, the baby turtles must head immediately to sea, where they swim as many as 25 miles to feed on Sargassum seaweed along the Gulf Stream.…

From the TEDxOilSpill blog:We are honored to announce that undersea experts Philippe Cousteau and Sylvia Earle will be speaking at TEDxOilSpill on June 28 in Washington, DC.
As a member of the legendary Cousteau family, Philippe is continuing the work of his father through EarthEcho International, the non-profit organization he founded with his sister and mother and of which he serves as CEO. Philippe was the first person to dive into the Gulf oil spill, witnessing first hand the damage being done, and he has played a central role in bringing attention to the ongoing disaster.
For the full article…click here…