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Jett Britnell Photographics

Category Conservation

Conservation

YEAR OF THE REEF 2018

Jett & Kathryn Britnell Posted onJuly 10, 2018April 10, 2019 Comments are off
IYORImageBank Horizontal Reef

With great pleasure I can confirm that I am among some of the world’s leading underwater photographers who have generously donated imagery to The Ocean Agency, an international non-profit organization dedicated to marine conservation. The Ocean Agency’s collection of media-quality imagery and resources, are made available FREE (for non-commercial purposes) to support the global mission to save coral reefs and to help generate investment for coral reef conservation. The International Year of the Reef is a global campaign designed by The Ocean Agency, for a multi government and NGO initiative led by the International Coral Reef Initiative in collaboration with UN Environment Program.

Year of the Reef Image Bank

International Year of the Reef Campaign

The prime objective of the International Year of the Reef campaign is to focus attention to the crisis facing coral reefs and to secure the support necessary from governments, NGOs, businesses and the public. It aims to build on a new level of support for coral reef conservation and science, prompted by the recent global die-off, and help ensure 2018 becomes a turning point for coral reef conservation. It is intended to be a catalyst for action at a scale that has never been achieved before bringing together all sectors to work as a global community to find solutions to a global problem.

Pivotal Time for Coral Reefs

On February 14, 2018, HRH The Prince of Wales announced a global call to action to save coral reefs from complete global collapse. At a gathering of some of the world’s leading coral reef experts and advocates in London, organized by The Prince’s International Sustainability Unit, His Royal Highness said:

“There can be no doubt that we are at a critical tipping point, where we will either ensure or fatally compromise our ability to safeguard the world’s coral reefs and the species that will support future generations of humans and countless other species.”

The Prince’s announcement came at a pivotal time for coral reefs as the last three years brought the longest and most extensive coral die-off ever recorded and this impact from global climate change is predicted to deteriorate for at least the next two to three decades, threatening further destruction to reefs that are already suffering damage from overfishing and pollution.

https://theocean.agency

Conservation

Caribbean Puffer Fish – Up To 1,200 Times More Poisonous Than Cyanide

Jett & Kathryn Britnell Posted onJanuary 1, 2018April 10, 2019 Comments are off
Puffer fish by Jett Britnell

Up To 1,200 Times More Poisonous Than Cyanide

Although they look cute, Caribbean puffer fish are generally believed to be the second – most poisonous vertebrates in the world, after the golden poison frog. Certain internal organs, such as liver, and sometimes the skin, are highly toxic to most animals when eaten.

Almost all puffer fish contain tetrodotoxin, a substance that makes them foul tasting and often lethal to fish. To humans, tetrodotoxin is deadly, up to 1,200 times more poisonous than cyanide. The toxin paralyzes the muscles, including the muscles in our diaphragm, which is essential for breathing. The victim eventually dies of asphyxiation. It is estimated there is enough toxin in one puffer fish to kill 30 adult humans, and there is no known antidote.

Conservation

One the “lowest reproduction rates of any mammal”

Jett & Kathryn Britnell Posted onAugust 25, 2017March 24, 2019 Comments are off

It’s a Polar Bear fact!

Polar Bears possess one of the “lowest reproduction rates of any mammal.”

“The young are born from November through January while the mothers are hibernating. Cubs will remain with their mothers for a little over 2 years. Female polar bears can produce five litters in their lifetime, which is one of the lowest reproductive rates of any mammal.” source: www.defenders.org/polar-bear/basic-facts

Polar bear mother & cub, photographed Churchill, Manitoba.

Conservation

Orcas Are An “Indicator Species”

Jett & Kathryn Britnell Posted onAugust 24, 2016March 24, 2019 Comments are off

Orca - Jett Britnell

“God speed mother nature. Never really wanted to say goodbye.” – The Guess Who

The largest member of the dolphin family, orcas (also known as “killer whales”) are highly intelligent and social marine mammals that, because of these traits, have come to be known as ambassadors for nature and marine ecosystems around the world. However, despite our ever-increasing understanding of orcas and their habitats, many of the world’s orca populations are still facing severe conservation threats.

“Due to their voracious appetites and their place at the top of the ocean food chain, orcas are very susceptible to pollution and chemicals and suffer from diseases and reproductive disorders accordingly. For this reason many scientists consider orcas an “indicator species” regarding the health of marine ecosystems in general. That is, if orcas are in decline, the rest of the ocean is likely in big trouble, too.” – source Scientific America. www.scientificamerican.com/article/earth-talks-killer-whales/

Orca populations in British Columbia, Canada, have been assessed at various levels of risk by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC).

Southern resident killer whale: Endangered (November 2008)

Northern resident killer whale: Threatened (November 2008)

Transient killer whale: Threatened (November 2008)

Offshore killer whale: Threatened (November 2008)

DivingConservation

A Dive in the Clouds

Jett & Kathryn Britnell Posted onJuly 12, 2016July 23, 2021 Comments are off
Cloud Sponge - Jett Britnell
Cloud Sponge, British Columbia

Cloud sponges (Aphrocallistes vastus) are a prehistoric sponge typically found only in deep cold seas. Their unique and fragile skeletal formation makes cloud sponges extremely sensitive to the slightest touch, sedimentation, and to physical disturbances from bottom trawling fishing activity. They are sometimes called “glass” sponges because their structure is made up of very sharp fused spicules of silica. Cloud sponge are found in the northern Pacific Ocean and their range includes Japan, Siberia, the Aleutian Islands and the west coast of North America from Alaska southwards to California and Mexico. It is a reef-building species found in deeper waters on the western Canadian shelf growing on sediment-free rocks. They grow in fiords off the coast of British Columbia, Canada, beginning at depths of 25 metres (82 feet), or more.

Conservation

Oceanic Whitetip Sharks Endangered

Jett & Kathryn Britnell Posted onFebruary 7, 2016April 10, 2019 Comments are off
Oceanic Whitetip Shark Cat Island Bahamas Jett Britnell e1554937695579

Ultimately, the long-term survival of Oceanic Whitetip sharks may depend upon organized recreational offshore sport diving or snorkeling offshore at places such as Cat Island, in the Bahamas. Seeing these truly magnificent sharks in their own domain changes perceptions. After having experienced an up close and personal open ocean encounter with these sharks, people come away with an entirely different point of view. They fall in love with these apex predators and their choirs of voices are demanding worldwide protection for these sharks. Above all, Oceanic whitetips belong in the ocean ecosystem circling the globe somewhere offshore with their long hands waving free, in that sharky realm where twilight turns from amethyst to deep and deeper blue.

If you would like to snorkel or scuba dive with Oceanic Whitetip Sharks, contact Epic Diving Phone: (813) 474-SHARKS (2757) Email: info@epicdiving.com Website: epicdiving.com

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