We keep making bad decisions about the beaches and oceans we love. We need to change how we think.
Last night Dr Vanessa Pirotta won the Eureka Prize for Promoting Understanding of Science and on 17 September she'll take her call for action to the National Press Club.
Today, she's calling for all Australians, from Play School to politics, to change how we think about and interact with the marine environment, from Sydney Harbour to Tonga.
Australians love the beach and the marine environment, but many of us do not understand marine ecosystems.
That means we tend to make bad decisions: about recreation (when and where to swim); about industry (how to manage agriculture and marine industries); and about conservation (how best to protect the environment), especially as the distribution and habits of marine species change rapidly with the climate.
Vanessa says,
- "Kids: keep your plastics out of the ocean. Don't let your balloons get away and harm whales and turtles."
- "Families: think about how you use the ocean: buy seafood wisely, respect all ocean life, and keep watch for whales when recreationally boating. And support community conservation initiatives like Wild Sydney Harbour and the Gamay Rangers."
- "Government and business: invest in the whale migration highways that link Australia to our South Pacific neighbours. Strengthen our ties with our Pacific Partners such as the Kingdom of Tonga where we are working towards a more sustainable whale swim tourism industry- via the newly established Tongan Whale Tourism Project.
Vanessa is an Adjunct Fellow in the School of Natural Sciences at Macquarie University.
The Celestino Eureka Prize for Promoting Understanding of Science was one of 19 Eureka Prizes presented last night. Read about all the winners at https://australian.museum/get-involved/eureka-prizes/
