March 2010 – Dr. Huw Griffiths and Dr. Ellen Prager

March 2010 – Census AAAS Panelists Dr. Huw Griffiths, British Antarctic Survey and Census project CAML (Census of Antarctic Marine Life) and Dr. Ellen Prager, Earth2Ocean, Inc. and Aquarius Reef Base

Melissa Brodeur: Have you ever been to an event like AAAS before? It is different than a typical scientific conference, correct?

Huw Griffiths: I have attended and given talks at several large scientific meetings in the past but there is definitely something different about AAAS. The scale and variety of topics covered is enormous and the media interest is unlike anything I’ve experienced at a scientific meeting before.

MB: What did you think about the AAAS press briefing in which you participated? What was that experience like for you?

HG: The press briefing was probably the bit I was dreading the most. I had visions of it being a very scary and intimidating experience. However, nothing could have been further from the truth. The media team and the staff from the Census looked after us really well and had us fully prepared for the briefing, making the whole experience quite relaxed and enjoyable. The briefing itself was organized with almost military precision and kept to a tight schedule. The journalists were very friendly and I was amazed at how much good publicity the whole thing generated around the world.

MB: For those who couldn’t attend, what do you think the key take-away messages are from the Census panel?

Ellen Prager: The decade-long Census of Marine Life program has provided incredible insight into many of the oceans’ least explored realms, such as seamounts and polar regions, and unveiled the amazing abundance and diversity of species living in these remarkable, but little known ecosystems.  Tracking studies have also provided new and important information about the movements of marine organisms that have traditionally been very difficult to document.  The number of new species and ecosystems discovered has been utterly surprising and provides just a glimpse of what remains undiscovered in the sea.  In addition, the information obtained is now being put to good use in terms of identifying areas of concern given the impacts of climate change and locations where special protection is needed to preserve fragile, unique or especially productive areas.  And that marine biodiversity is important to society not only as the underlying foundation of the ocean food web, but also because of the potential for drug discovery in the sea and as the basis of the marine resources we depend on.

MB: You mentioned that marine biodiversity is important to society. What do you think is the greatest societal benefit? Based on your experiences with writing books and dealing with the media, how should we inform the public of such benefits? 

EP: I don’t believe we should single out a “greatest” societal benefit, because all of the benefits provided by the ocean are of great value to society. As the underpinning of the ocean food web, marine biodiversity allows billions of people to obtain a significant portion of the protein in their diet from the sea and many more eat fish as part of a healthy lifestyle. From fishing (recreational and commercial), tourism and support services, hundreds of millions of jobs and billions of dollars in economic revenue are supported by the ocean and marine biodiversity. And today, we are looking to the sea to find compounds to fight widespread human diseases and ailments and organisms to use as models in biomedical research and biotechnology. 

To inform the public about these benefits we need to make the science relevant to the average person, easily understandable and engaging, and find effective and entertaining ways to get our messages out.  That is exactly what I hope to do in my upcoming book, “Slime, Sex, and Drugs in the Sea: And why you should care”, which takes a brief and hopefully entertaining look at some of the oceans’ most fascinating creatures, their unusual tactics for survival and their invaluable links to humankind. The end goal is to showcase the importance of the great diversity of life in the sea, why it is at risk and why we all should care.

MB: On the panel you were joined by two sophomores from Johns Hopkins University.  What do you think scientists could learn from those college students in terms of reaching out to the public?

EP: These two young women were inspirational and presented such a great story.  Their high school science project analyzed the DNA of fish samples from stores and restaurants and compared the actual fish with what they were labeled, leading to so-called ‘Sushi-gate”. They illustrated that anyone can do science and that it can be fun, productive and incredibly rewarding.  They also exemplified how good science can be made media-friendly, explained in a way that anyone can understand, and made an excellent point during the panel, suggesting to scientists that we take better advantage of social networking sites (i.e. Facebook and Twitter) to get the word out. They are terrific ambassadors for the scientific community and role models for all students who are interested in, or may be intimidated by, science.

MB: What key messages would you like to see come out in October 2010 during the Census ‘Decade of Discovery’ events?

HG: Being someone who works in the Antarctic, I would like to see a message about how interconnected the global oceans are and that even the hard to reach and inhospitable parts of the ocean have an important role to play. I would also be pleased if the Census can provide policy makers and the public with some real targets for conserving and protecting the oceans.

MB: If someone asks you about the Census of Marine Life next year, what would you tell them? What do you see as Census’s greatest legacy?

EP: Early on, I was a serious skeptic about the usefulness of the Census program¾I was wrong.  Hearing and seeing the results from the Census and how the data are being used has changed my opinion. I now believe that Census projects are going to provide essential information as society strives to better protect the oceans and marine resources, and understand how human activities are impacting marine organisms and the ocean ecosystem.  The Census has illustrated just how little we know about the biodiversity within the sea and highlights the need for more research and that we desperately need to use the information we already have in more effective conservation efforts, spatial planning, policy making and implementation and education.

HG: If someone asked me about the Census next year I would probably tell them that it was a great opportunity for me as an early career scientist to really contribute to a globally important project. The work of the Census has raised public awareness of so many issues about marine biology and conservation as well as bringing scientists together from around the world to look at the bigger picture. The data collected and made available will be a huge legacy for Census, but even greater will be the networks of scientists brought together to produce this data.