I really enjoy creating infographics and this is one of my favourites. It involved a lot of research beforehand to ensure it was scientifically accurate, easy to understand, and valuable to the target audience.
I worked with an awesome designer and this infographic was pitched to, and featured in, over 10 online media partners.
Check out this infographic here.
Walking in the Daintree Rainforest, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d stepped back in time to millions of years ago. It covers about 1200km2 of hilly terrain that makes up the northeast coast of Queensland.
Stretching down to the edge of the ocean in places and fringing remote white-sand beaches, this impressive rainforest is part of the UNESCO-listed Wet Tropics of Queensland and part of the largest continuous area of tropical rainforest in Australia.
Did you know you can visit this incredible rainforest whilst diving the Great Barrier Reef from Cairns? It's just a short bus ride away.
Find out more in my latest article for Forest and Bird magazine, Daintree Delights.
Mako sharks have fascinated divers and shark fans for many years. But having recently been listed as endangered, will we still be able to dive with them in years to come? And more importantly, what will happen if we lost these vital apex predators for good?
The Shark Specialist Group of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has recently announced that both the Shortfin and Longfin Mako shark are now classified as Endangered.
Previously listed as Vulnerable, they have been downgraded to Endangered and are now officially at risk of going extinct.
As an apex predator, mako sharks play a vital role in sustaining the health of ocean ecosystems.
They are one of the most efficient hunters of all shark species and eat mostly bony fish such as tuna, mackerel, swordfish, plus cephalopods, other sharks, porpoises, sea turtles and sea birds.
They control the populations of those species they feed on – ensuring ocean food webs remain in balance and no single population gets out of control.
Apex predators also feed on vulnerable prey, such as old, injured and sick animals; which leaves more food for the healthy prey animals to survive on.
Prey populations explode in numbers when you remove apex predators such as mako sharks. As those prey populations increase unchecked, the prey animals they feed upon then decrease and eventually collapse.
What happens then? The prey populations that boomed in the first place have nothing to feed on and also eventually collapse.
In short, oceanic food webs collapse and ocean biodiversity is lost.
Apex predators prevent that cycle from occurring by keeping prey numbers balanced and under control at all times. They improve the health of ocean ecosystems and ensure marine biodiversity is sustained for all.
shark diving
If we act now, it is not too late to save mako sharks. The latest news on mako shark conservation is cause for hope:
The EU is facing pressure to announce catch quotas for mako sharks in its waters.
Numerous sharks and rays, including makos, are being proposed for listing at the next meeting of the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in late May 2019.
Don’t purchase products made from sharks.
Use sustainable seafood guides online to ensure the fish you eat doesn’t have bycatch*
*Bycatch commonly includes sharks and marine mammals.
It's been an extremely busy few months for me, working with a variety of online dive travel clients and magazine publishers in the US and New Zealand.
The intricacies of print articles are always a favourite of mine and I'm looking forward to sharing the results with you.
With over 60 NEW online articles to share as well, it may take me a while to catch up!
Before I delve into that, let's get inspired by Wakatobi Dive Resort.
Indonesia reef
Wakatobi Dive Resort in Indonesia is tucked away in Southeastern Sulawesi and is a world-class Indonesian dive destination, offering pristine dive sites teeming with marine life.
It wasn't always that way though; as destructive fishing methods creeping across Asia threatened the survival of Wakatobi's reefs.
Indonesia mandarinfish
The founder of Wakatobi Dive Resort was quick to recognise the threats the reefs would likely face and worked tirelessly with local communities to create a sustainable reef tourism business model at Wakatobi.
The results were an outstanding success; creating not only a resort with pristine reefs, but also a resort that has community protection and reef conservation at the heart of all it does.
Wakatobi's conservation success story has truly inspired me and reminded me there is always hope.
Read the full article Wakatobi's Incredible 23 Years of Conservation Success to find out more.
Featured on DeeperBlue:Whilst some people have concerns that baited shark dives can impact natural shark behaviors, shark diving can be done responsibly with minimal impacts on the sharks. It is also a valuable yet underappreciated conservation tool that contributes to the protection of sharks and the ocean in a variety of ways.Find out more in my article The Role of Shark Diving in Conservation.
Featured on SportDiver:It was World Environment Day on June 5th and the focus this year was on how we can #BeatPlasticPollution.World Environment Day is the United Nations’ most important day of the year for promoting awareness and action to protect the environment. It began in 1974 and is a well-known global platform for positive change that is celebrated in over 100 countries. Divers can do their bit for the ocean environment and get involved in a variety of ways. We all want to enjoy pristine dive sites full of healthy marine life in the future, so here are my top ways to support this special day.https://www.sportdiver.com/how-to-celebrate-world-environment-day-on-june-5-2018
Featured on Fill My Passport:Did you know whale sharks can grow up to 12 metres (40 feet) long and weigh up to 20 tonnes (40,000 lbs)?!In this article for Fill My Passport, I talk about these incredible giants of the ocean, threats to their survival, and why diving with whale sharks can be a great conservation tool.https://www.fillmypassport.com/see-can-help-whale-sharks/?doing_wp_cron=1520805224.0645749568939208984375
Featured on Stuff.co.nz:Scientists at Florida Atlantic University have revealed the endurance of hatchling sea turtles, by testing their abilities on tiny treadmills.The study, published in the Journal of Experimental Biology, was conducted in an effort to conserve endangered sea turtles and had some surprising results.https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/themes/101229395/Helping-hatchling-sea-turtles
CALLING ALL WRITERS & OCEAN FANS!I'm looking for new/experienced writers to write about their scuba adventures, marine life profiles, kit reviews, diving tips and ocean conservation initiatives for The Scuba News. With our growing network of regional editions around the globe, this is a great time to get involved and gain some online exposure.If you're interested in sharing your stories* and/or being pitched ideas to help improve your writing skills and share your passion for the oceans, get in touch!
When it comes to scuba diving it is hard to beat exploring colourful tropical reefs, history-filled wrecks, sun-dappled kelp forests and foreboding caves. Every scuba diver has their favourite type of diving but what of mangroves? What diving opportunities are there within mangroves and why should we care about these dwindling and vital forests?Read more in my latest article for The Scuba News.http://www.thescubanews.com/2016/02/17/mangrove-matters/
