Timeline by Jack Thibaut

SDG Goal #14 Life bellow watter

s1759270 — 2025-01-15 00:59:15 UTC

I love all aquatic life, and have aspirations to become a marine biologist.

Illegal fishing

s1759270 — 2025-01-15 01:02:06 UTC

A fact on the SDG website that grabbed my attention was that in 2023, 1 in 5 fish caught originated from unreported/unregulated fishing.

Pollution in the ocean

s1759270 — 2025-01-15 01:10:43 UTC

There are 6 great garbage patches located in various parts of the earth, with the largest being the great Pacific garbage patch, with a few billion pieces of floating plastic which is the fate of many marine animals each year.

Plastic pollution's affect on life

s1759270 — 2025-01-15 01:14:54 UTC

Marine animals and sea birds become entangled in or ingest plastic lingering in the ocean. For example, the black footed albatross is often observed mistaking plastic for food and feeding it to their young, causing them to live much shorter lives.

Where does our plastic go?

s1759270 — 2025-01-15 01:29:56 UTC

I found this super cool video of researchers trying to locate where most of our plastic ends up in the ocean. As it turns out, its all mostly on the shoreline.

How do we combat over-fishing

s1759270 — 2025-01-15 01:36:47 UTC

Over-fishing is a bigger problem than most would think. Under a management system called fishing rights, areas are reserved to specific states where they are allowed to fish. Under fishing rights, fishermen’s interests are tied to the long-term health of a fishery. Their income improves along with the fish population.

Off-shore drilling

s1759270 — 2025-01-15 01:41:22 UTC

While off-shore oil rigs have the potential to leak natural gas and hydraulic fluids, they also quickly become thriving reef-ecosystems with plentiful marine life.

Over-fishing in Africa

s1759270 — 2025-01-15 14:28:02 UTC

Fisheries in Africa which communities have been depending on for generations are starting to collapse, due to foreign fishing and illegal fishing in the region.

Over-fishing in Asia

s1759270 — 2025-01-15 14:30:22 UTC

Fishing is essential in Asia, as its where over half the worlds imported fish come from. However, The western central Pacific and eastern Indian Oceans, including Southeast Asia, are among the most severely affected areas worldwide.

Over-fishing in Europe

s1759270 — 2025-01-15 14:32:52 UTC

Out of all of Europe's waters, the Mediterranean is the most affected by over-fishing. Persistent over-fishing threatens Europe's marine ecosystems, food security and biodiversity. A organization called client earth is taking legal action against EU ministers for allowing hugely unsustainable fishing to take place.

Over-fishing in South/Central america

s1759270 — 2025-01-15 14:40:16 UTC

Latin America has marine species that are in crucial danger due to over-fishing. In Chile, 62 percent of fisheries are overexploited or depleted. In Colombia, shrimp, the country’s second most exported fish product, is severely over fished. In 2017, the Ecuadorian navy seized 300 tons of fish, including protected species of shark.

Halved shark population

s1759270 — 2025-01-15 14:51:40 UTC

According to science daily, Simon Fraser University developed the Red List Index (RLI) which shows that the risk of extinction for Chondrichthyan has increased by 19 per cent. Chondrichthyan are an ancient diverse group of over 1,199 fishes, which include species of sharks and rays.

Methylmercury

s1759270 — 2025-01-16 22:22:45 UTC

Methylmercury is an extremely toxic substance from powerplant's waste that enters into our waters. In China, that have had very strict water policy's since the 80's. From 1980–2022, these measures unexpectedly prevented 102,000 mercury-related deaths and counteracted nearly two thirds of potential deaths from those emissions.

Sustainable Aquaculture

s1759270 — 2025-01-16 22:30:58 UTC

Sustainable aquaculture is vital for meeting the growing global demand for seafood while protecting the environment. Currently, 42% of consumed seafood comes from aquaculture. The Ocean Foundation is exploring sustainable approaches like closed-system technologies (like recirculating tanks and inland ponds) to reduce environmental harm and enhance sustainability.

Climate change

s1759270 — 2025-01-17 14:16:41 UTC

Ocean warming caused by climate change has reduced global fish catch potential by 4% over the past 80 years, with severe losses of up to 35% in regions like the North Sea and East Asia. Fish are sensitive to temperature changes, often migrating to cooler waters or suffering reduced growth and reproduction.(science Daily)

Draft Proposal Topic

s1759270 — 2025-01-17 14:27:18 UTC

I think I want to research over-fishing which must be addressed to reach SDG goal #14. I will focus on the Mediterranean sea and sustainable aquaculture. I want to research this because I believe we have to preserve the rich and bountiful life below water, and as of now we are doing a poor job. There are many issues with our waters, but if we as a planet are able to practice sustainable aquaculture, we may be able to dig ourselves out of a steep hole.

Aquaculture in the Mediterranean

s1759270 — 2025-01-22 23:01:50 UTC

Of the 2 million tons of marine fish production in the Mediterranean region in 2019, 43% came from aquaculture. Despite the slight predominance of capture fisheries as the main production source, aquaculture is highly significant for several Mediterranean countries and plays an increasing role in fish supply.

Octopus Pots in the Mediterranean

s1759270 — 2025-01-22 23:09:40 UTC

This website I found discusses issues-over-fishing included-that the Mediterranean sea faces. What caught my attention is a fishing technique known as Octopus pots, where black plastic pots are disguised as safe shelter for an octopus for easy capture. There are laws that prohibit overuse of these pots, but they are often ignored and are a significant cause of over-fishing in the Mediterranean

Tunisia faces serious problems

s1759270 — 2025-01-22 23:19:48 UTC

Traditional fishing methods, like charfia used by Ahmed Taktak, who advocates sustainable practices, are threatened by illegal fishing trawlers that severely affect fish stocks and the surrounding seagrass meadows. Despite Tunisia having the largest fishing workforce in the Mediterranean, illegal fishing has surged since the Arab Spring, causing small-scale fishermen like Ahmed to struggle economically.

Research Question #1

s1759270 — 2025-01-26 22:52:36 UTC

What role can community-based aquaculture initiatives play in promoting sustainable fishing practices and preserving marine life in the Mediterranean region?

Research Question #2

s1759270 — 2025-01-26 22:53:35 UTC

How do current aquaculture operations in the Mediterranean affect the health and biodiversity of marine habitats, and what improvements can be made to enhance sustainability?

Focusing on Over-fishing

s1759270 — 2025-01-26 22:59:32 UTC

I decided to research more into over-fishing, as it is a prevailing issue all over the world.

The specifics

s1759270 — 2025-01-26 23:01:26 UTC

I've decided to look into more specific over-fishing effects, researching on websites like science daily to find related-articles.

The Mediterranean

s1759270 — 2025-01-26 23:07:37 UTC

After doing a deeper dive, I've realized that Over-fishing is most prevalent in the Mediterranean. I have decided to look more into specific problems the Mediterranean is suffering from.