AD 2018 Q1

put coral sperm and eggs in deep freeze, creating a seed bank for the sea
to make sure that we do not lose genetic diversity.
Science and innovation can make a difference in areas other than
just coral preservation. Thanks to high-tech satellite technology, we are
getting better at tracking down the bad actors that can wreck a dive site
in a matter of hours. The ocean plastic problem is enormous, but labs
all over the world are working on solutions. Perhaps the most important
technology supports the green energy revolution in which the ocean will
likely play a growing role. A group of researchers at Massachusetts Institute
of Technology estimated in 2017 that wind energy collected from over the
ocean might have the potential to provide “civilization-scale power.”
WHY OPTIMISM MATTERS
People often ask how I can be optimistic when there is so much to
be worried about. Or they worry that promoting optimism could
make things worse by causing people to become complacent or giving
ammunition to people who are opposed to conservation in principle.
Truth be told, I have not always espoused optimism. I spent several
decades giving talks about the decline of coral reefs, so much so that my
husband (also a marine biologist) and I were called Drs. Doom and Gloom.
About 10 years ago, however, we realized that all the negative news was
leading to apathy rather than action, because people tend to give up when
“DON’ T LE T THE PERFECT BE
THE ENEM Y OF THE GOOD.”
faced with big problems without answers. Even more striking, the students
we were training clearly wanted to learn about solutions to the problems
they were inheriting. Slowly but surely we changed our approach, and in the
process we discovered that while the problems are real, so are the thousands
of important but less-known examples of success.
So on World Oceans Day in 2014, several of us joined forces to launch a
Twitter hashtag campaign, #OceanOptimism. Search for #OceanOptimism,
and you will learn about a success you knew nothing about. Since we
launched it, the hashtag has reached more than 90 million Twitter accounts
and has spawned new optimism movements, including Earth Optimism
(because, after all, we care about the land as well). On Earth Day weekend in
2017 (April 21-23), more than 25 Earth Optimism events occurred around
the world (visit earthoptimism.si.edu to hear the presentations from the
Earth Optimism Summit hosted by the Smithsonian Institution).
Yes, there are days when the news makes me sad or mad, but I focus
on the positive, keeping this quotation from Voltaire in mind: “Don’t let
the perfect be the enemy of the good.” Just because not every sea turtle
population is on the mend, do not negate the importance of those that
are and the efforts of the many people that underpin these successes.
They are living proof of the wisdom of this African proverb: “If you think
you are too small to make a difference, you haven’t spent a night with a
mosquito.” You, too, can get involved and work for a healthier ocean. AD
FURTHER READING
Daley J. Mexico establishes largest
marine protected area in North
America. Smithsonian Magazine. www.
smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/
mexico-declares-north-americas-largestmarine-reserve-180967309/.
Nov. 24,
2017. Accessed Jan. 9, 2018.
Goldberg R. Protecting 30 percent of
the ocean brings multiple benefits.
Pew Charitable Trusts. www.pewtrusts.
org/en/research-and-analysis/
analysis/2016/03/21/protecting-30-
percent-of-the-ocean-brings-multiplebenefits.
March 21, 2016. Accessed Jan.
9, 2018.
Kolbert E. Unnatural selection. The
New Yorker. www.newyorker.com/
magazine/2016/04/18/a-radicalattempt-to-save-the-reefs-and-forests.
April 18, 2016. Accessed Jan. 9, 2018.
Mazaris A, Schofield G, Gkazinou C,
Almpanidou V, Hays G. Global sea
turtle conservation successes. Science
Advances 2017; 3(9):e1600730.
Mooney C. There’s enough wind energy
over the oceans to power human
civilization, scientists say. Washington
Post. www.washingtonpost.com/news/
energy-environment/wp/2017/10/09/
theres-enough-wind-energy-over-theoceans-to-power-human-civilizationscientists-say/.
Oct. 9, 2017. Accessed
Jan. 9, 2018.
US Geological Survey. Annual southern
sea otter survey: despite small
population dip, species moves a step
closer to recovery. https://www.usgs.gov/
news/annual-southern-sea-otter-surveydespite-small-population-dip-speciesmoves-a-step-closer.
Sept. 29, 2017.
Accessed Jan. 9, 2018.
Waters H. Bringing back Tampa Bay’s
seagrass. Smithsonian Ocean Portal.
ocean.si.edu/ocean-news/bringing-backtampa-bay%E2%80%99s-seagrass.
Accessed Jan. 9, 2018.
Weisberger M. Manatees are making a
comeback. Live Science. www.livescience.
com/53381-west-indian-manateesrebound.html.
Jan. 14, 2016. Accessed
Jan. 9, 2018.
Worm B. How to heal an ocean. Nature
2017; 543(7647):630-631.
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