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By Raquel Gilliland; Sea of Change Intern

It’s time for a new “Creature Feature” where we introduce you to another sea creature and their conservation status. This week’s creature is a large, boney fish commonly known as the Atlantic Goliath grouper (Epinephelus itajara). Goliath groupers are not only legendary for their size but also their charisma; divers in Cayman often say they did not just see a goliath grouper but “met a Goliath grouper”.

Historically known as a highly prized game fish for their fight and size, they were unfortunately almost overfished to extinction by 1980’s with the largest Goliath Grouper weighting in at 800lbs! They have an interesting history, in that they are loved by divers as a tourist attraction while being viewed by many commercial, recreational, and spear fisherman as a pesky, fish-steeling monster. In an effort to reverse their population decline from over-fishing, the goliath grouper fishery has been closed in the southeast region of Florida since 1990, and the species is now listed as a species of concern by the IUNC Red List of Endangered and Threatened Species.

Goliath groupers are usually solitary animals and quite territorial, however they do congregate in numbers of 100 or more for spawning and feeding! Currently the population status is still considered to be “declining” worldwide, but some population assessments in south Florida have seen substantial increases in abundance. There is an on-going debate as to whether or not it is the appropriate time to re-open the harvesting of Goliath groupers in Florida.

During the major algal blooms of 2003 and 2005, scientists examined 100s of dead Goliath groupers to study and better understand their life history traits. Studying goliath groupers is extremely difficult due to their skeletal structure not being able to support their bodies once outside of the water. This event not only gave scientists much needed data, but also helped develop a new way to age a grouper by its spine instead of having to sacrifice the fish to be measured by its ear bones (otoliths).

Many questions remain unanswered about their populations and how to manage their habitats but through further research, we hope to learn how to keep these beautiful giants around for many generations to come.

By Raquel Gilliland; Sea of Change Intern

Our “Creature Feature” is back again for another week of education and conservation surrounding another mysterious sea creature! This week’s animal has the word “fish” in its’ name, but some people say it looks more like a shark; however, this week’s creature is actually a ray! Our confusing creature of the week is the famous sawfish, or carpenter sharks. There are five species of sawfish, the Queensland sawfish (Pristis clavata), the smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinate), the common/largetooth sawfish (Pristis pristis), the narrow sawfish (Anoxypristis cuspidate) and the narrowsnout/green sawfish (Pristis zijsron).

Easily identified by their long flattened nose, or rostrum, they were once abundant throughout the Atlantic Ocean the Indo-Pacific Ocean. Their current conservation status has taken a drastic turn in the past few decades due to habitat loss, bycatch, and overfishing; all five species are now listed as either endangered or critically endangered on the IUNC Red List of Threatened Species. Their long rostrums were prized not just in the recreational fishing community, but also in many ancient cultures and mythology. In what is currently Mexico, the ancient Aztecs depicted the rostrum being used as a weapon/sword and sawfish teeth have been found in Mayan graves. In Panama, sawfish were thought of as powerful spirits that could offer protection against supernatural enemies. They were even used as a modern symbol in WWII on navy ships and submarines.

Although they were once revered, these special rays are facing many challenges to their survival. Sawfish fins are among the most prized and expensive exports for shark fin soup, which is considered a delicacy in many Asian countries, yet adds no taste or health benefits. As with many other sharks and rays, sawfish parts are often advertised as traditional Chinese medicine, but no medical benefits have ever actually been proven. Their teeth are sold and used for cockfighting spurs in Peru and Ecuador. And sadly their rostrums are sold as a novelty item to tourists in many countries.

What’s happening to save these creatures? In 2007, all five species were listed on CITES Appendix I, which prohibited the harvest and trade of all sawfish and their parts. Unfortunately, people are still illegally catching and selling sawfish all over the world, it is easy to identify their rostrums, but difficult to identify their fins in the fish markets.

One of the largest sawfish conservation projects is currently happening in Florida at the Florida Museum of Natural History, which maintains the International Sawfish Encounter Database where people can submit information about a sawfish encounter or sighting, whether it’s alive or a rostrum hung on a wall. Next time you encounter a sawfish get online and let them know! Also get to know your favorite shark/ray conservation team and get involved in any way that you can with donating, becoming involved in local campaigns, and making sustainable lifestyle choices!

By Breilly Roy; Sea of Change intern

Welcome to our fifth “Creature Feature!” Each week we briefly introduce you to some fascinating facts about a sea creature, why it is special and unique, and its conservation status. This week’s creature is the star of a song written by the band Heart and has one of the most daunting smiles in the ocean. Any guesses? It’s the great barracuda!

The great barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda) is known for its long body shape. Having an elongated torso, it looks like an underwater missile. This streamlined body shape allows the fish to move quickly underwater. They have been documented to swim in bursts up to 35 miles per hour! Not only does their speed help them escape hungry predators, but it aids in their hunting. Of course, their ferocious looking mouth also plays a big role in catching prey, though their vicious reputation is unwarranted – as with most sea creatures, if we respect them, they’ll do the same for us.

Unlike most fish, the great barracuda has two sets of teeth. Along the outside of the top jaw sits a row of smaller teeth, and behind them are dagger-like teeth. The bottom jaw houses long, needle-like teeth. Having dentition like this not only prevents the escape of prey, but it allows this top predator to grasp, tear, and cut up its catch before consumption.

As an adult they exhibit a nonsocial lifestyle, often hovering solitarily above coral reefs or wrecks looking for prey and defending their territory. Although, the great barracuda has been known to attack divers, such instances are rare. Some believe it is due to the species being attracted to a shiny object on a diver – so divers are warned to not wear watches or jewelry as a reflection might resemble the silvery fish the barracuda prey on. This species may seem scary, if you keep your distance, you have nothing to fear. The global conservation status of the great barracuda is of least concern according to the IUCN Red List. This species may seem intimidating, but when admired from afar one realizes the barracuda is an amazing fish that plays a vital role in its ecosystem.

By Raquel Gilliland and Breilly Roy; Sea of Change Foundation interns

Welcome to our fourth “Creature Feature!” For those of you joining us for the first time, each week we briefly introduce you to some fascinating facts about a sea creature, why it is special and unique, and its conservation status. This week’s creature is a distant relative of the snail and a master of disguise. Have you figured it out yet? It’s the common cuttlefish!

Cuttlefish belong to the phylum Mollusca which consists of organisms such as snails, clams, scallops, oysters, octopuses, and squid. One common feature of this particular phylum is that all members have/had some form of exoskeleton or shell. As these creatures evolved, some lost their shells. Cuttlefish have the remnants of this body armor, but it is located inside their bodies and is called the “cuttlebone.”

These cephalopods, which means “head foot” in Greek, are unique in that they can camouflage themselves with their environment, much like a chameleon. Unlike the reptile though, the cuttlefish can change not only it’s skin color but it’s texture as well. This expert camouflage is carried out by two different types of specialized cells, papillae cells for texture and chromatophores for color.

Beyond their unique skin, cephalopods are also known for their high intelligence levels. Cuttlefish have brain cells that are similar to humans. Using this information, scientists have learned more about how the human brain operates and hope to apply that knowledge to find cures for diseases.

Thankfully, this species (Sepia officinalis) is considered an organism of least concern according to the IUCN Red List. If their habitat is protected, these creatures should inhabit the oceans for thousands of years to come.

By Raquel Gilliland and Breilly Roy; Sea of Change Foundation interns

Welcome to our third “Creature Feature!” Each week we briefly introduce you to some fascinating facts about a sea creature, why it is special and unique, and its conservation status. This week’s creature is the graceful hawksbill turtle. These underwater reptiles belong to the family Cheloniidae. Turtles in this family are the only known turtles that have front limbs stronger than their back.

Hawksbill turtles can be found throughout the tropical oceans of the world, usually occupying coral reefs. As these animals are predominantly spongivores (they eat sponges), their narrow, pointed beaks, resembling that of a hawk, are a useful tool in removing the invertebrates from clefts in the reef.

In 2015, a hawksbill was found near the Solomon Islands during a night dive, but this was no ordinary reptile as this turtle glowed in the dark! Scientists determined that this female was exhibiting signs of biofluorescence. Unlike bioluminescence, biofluorescence is not a chemical reaction within an organism but rather an organism absorbs light and projects it as a different color.

Sadly, hawksbill turtles are listed as critically endangered by the IUCN Red List and are decreasing in numbers. Due to their uniquely decorated shells, they are often harvested illegally and sold around the world despite their protection under CITES (Conservation on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora).

With proper conservation and preservation methods put into practice, such as reducing light pollution, plastic pollution, and nesting beach conservation, this ancient species has the potential to recover its declining populations.

By Raquel Gilliland and Breilly Roy, Sea of Change Foundation interns

Welcome to another “Creature Feature” where we briefly introduce you to some fascinating facts about a sea creature, why it is special and unique, and its conservation status. This week’s creature is the amazing thresher sharks. They belong to the class Chondrichthyes (sharks, rays, skates, and chimaeras) comprised of fishes that have skeletons made of cartilage rather than bone. The three species of threshers (Alopias spp.) stand out among sharks or elasmobranchs with their unique tail, or caudal fin, that can be as long as their body.

Their habitats are primarily pelagic, meaning open ocean, and they often travel into shallow coastal waters when hunting large schools of fish. They feed mainly on juvenile tuna, bluefish, and mackerel. They use their long tails to slap schools of fish thereby herding and stunning their prey. As with many species of sharks, they are vital apex predators helping to keep our oceans healthy.

According to the IUCN Red List, the common thresher shark is “vulnerable” to extinction with decreasing population trends. These negative trends are most likely due to their low reproductive rate and the effects of overfishing often driven by demand for shark fins for Asian markets and restaurants. In 2017, the common thresher shark was added to CITES Appendix II providing some protection from international trade in its parts including fins.

Given sharks’ vital role in marine ecosystem health and that many shark species are threatened by overfishing and habitat loss, the Sea of Change Foundation supports research that can help protect sharks. In 2017, with our partners Ocean First Institute, ConnectOcean, and the University of Costa Rica – CIMAR, we helped fund and launch the first-ever shark and ray assessments at Las Catalinas, Costa Rica, an area where sharks have likely been overfished. In 2018, the Foundation will continue to support research and conservation in the Guanacaste region of Costa Rica focused on sharks and rays.

Please consider supporting the Sea of Change Foundation as we focus our efforts on threatened species and habitats and work to create positive change for the oceans we all love to dive and explore. DONATE HERE. Thank you.