In September 2009, Professor Jeremy Jackson from the prestigious Scripps Institution of Oceanography in California delivered his Brave New Ocean lecture in Belfast, at an event hosted by the Ulster Wildlife Trust.
Jackson's talk has profound messages about what is happening in the worlds oceans and seas as a consequence of human impacts such as pollution, habitat loss, over-fishing and climate change.
He describes how once productive and complex marine ecosystems are being pushed beyond the brink, into simplistic ecosystems dominated by jellyfish and microbes - a transformation he has dubbed as the rise of slime. Jackson examines crucial questions about this Brave New Ocean, including what can be done to halt and reverse these current trends.
The main lecture is 50 minutes long plus a 30 minute Q&A session at the end.
"The situation is especially severe throughout Europe, and Northern Ireland is no exception, says Professor Jackson. “Rapid establishment of large marine protected areas and much stronger regulations on fishing and pollution are essential to avoid further losses and to re-establish fish stocks at sustainable levels. The alternative, as in the Gulf of Mexico and Benguela Current, is dead zones and jellyfish,” he warns.
Supported by talks from local speakers, the event focused on the urgency and importance of establishing a coherent network of Marine Protected Areas, as well as the need for delivery of effective marine legislation through the Northern Ireland Marine Bill without further delay.
The event was generously sponsored by the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government and the Institute of Biology and took place in the Medical Biology Centre, Queen’s University Belfast on Wednesday 2 September. The venue was kindly sponsored by Quercus.
While in Northern Ireland, Professor Jackson also visited Minister Michelle Gildernew MLA to portray the relevance of his messages to the fisheries in Northern Ireland's waters.
For further information, please contact Melanie Gomes by telephone on 028 4483 3974 or email melanie.gomes@ulsterwildlifetrust.org
To view Professor Jeremy Jackson’s Scripps home page for details of his achievements and his CV visit: http://cmbc.ucsd.edu/People/Faculty_and_Researchers/jackson/
To view his Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute page visit: www.stri.org/english/scientific_staff/staff_scientist/scientist.php?id=17
