Matthias Schmidt Thomsen, PhD’s Post

Sharks are among the ocean's most misunderstood creatures, often feared rather than revered. Yet, these ancient predators are crucial to maintaining healthy marine ecosystems. Unfortunately, many shark species are now under threat, with over 100 million sharks killed every year due to bycatch, overfishing, and the demand for shark fins. As apex predators, sharks play a key role in regulating marine life populations, preventing imbalances that can affect entire ecosystems. When sharks disappear, the impact ripples down the food chain, leading to a collapse of fish stocks, degrading coral reefs, and affecting the livelihoods of millions who depend on the sea. Protecting sharks isn't just about conserving one species—it's about preserving the intricate balance of our oceans. Sustainable fishing practices, stronger enforcement of protections, and shifting public perception away from fear towards understanding can make a difference. By safeguarding sharks, we are also protecting the future of our oceans and the biodiversity within them. Now more than ever, it's time to take action to protect sharks and their habitats. Let’s work together to ensure these magnificent creatures thrive for generations to come. #SaveSharks #MarineConservation #ProtectOurOceans

Today is the International Day for Biological Diversity 🌱 Ecosystem diversity is vital - from forests, wetlands, grasslands, deserts, and marine environments, each habitat plays a unique role in maintaining the planet's health and biodiversity. In his photo and caption, Ray Maichin highlights the importance of wetlands: "Did you know that 14% of Canada's landmass is designated as wetlands? They are biologically productive and highly diverse, as well as they provide an incredible amount of benefits to wildlife and humans! Wetlands provide homes to an amazing amount of aquatic and terrestrial creatures, can improve overall water quality, reduce coastal storm damage, and maintain stream flow. They are home to one third of the world's endangered species and help fight climate change by storing 81 to 216 metric tonnes of carbon per acre! This means they are crucial to protect for a variety of reasons, so let's do our best to keep them around!" Image and Caption by Ray Maichin #canadian #conservation #wildlifephotography #wildlifeawareness #conservationphotographers #wetlands #ecosystems #ecosystemdiversity

26 July is #MangroveDay! Let's remember today that the protection of #mangroves is essential to the planet's future, as they act as a natural coastal defense against storms, tsunamis, rising sea levels & erosion. Find out more about UNESCO’s efforts on protecting mangrove forests and our biodiversity: https://lnkd.in/e5nw-R6E #Biodiversity #ForNature

Sea fans, also known as gorgonians, are captivating marine creatures that thrive in tropical and subtropical waters around the globe. These colonial organisms boast a stunning appearance with their branching, fan-like structures that gracefully sway with the ocean currents. Belonging to the order #Alcyonacea, sea fans are filter feeders, using specialised tentacles to capture plankton and other tiny organisms from the water. Many sea fans also harbour symbiotic algae called zooxanthellae, which contribute to their striking colours and provide them with nutrients through photosynthesis. Sea fans serve as vital habitats in coral reef ecosystems, offering shelter to a diverse array of marine life including fish, crustaceans, and other invertebrates. Despite their beauty, sea fans face threats from #climatechange, pollution, and habitat destruction. #imagovtt #seafans #gorgonians #pollution #algae

Spotted in Icelandic soil for centuries, A POLAR BEAR WAS SHOT DEAD by the police as it seemed to be a threat to the locals. The Westfjords police chief, Helgi Jensson, stated that they initiated the killing at the north-west tip of the country after having words with the national environment agency, which refused to relocate the bear. Polar bears are not indigenous to Iceland, although they come ashore on ice floes from Greenland occasionally. It hasn't been this close to a polar bear since 2016. The bear is expected to weigh between 150 and 200 kg, and it will be sent for additional analysis to the Icelandic Institute of Natural History. Despite being protected, authorities in Iceland have the right to kill polar bears if they represent a threat to people or animals. Although polar bear attacks on people are relatively rare, a 2017 study published in the Wildlife Society Bulletin claimed that more bears are coming ashore as a result of global warming-related sea ice melting. Conflicts with people are now more likely to occur, and this has raised the risk for both parties. This incident reminded mankind that they are not the only ones getting affected by climate change. Other species living on this planet are also suffering from the impacts of climate change. It is high time we identified the negative impacts of climate change from every possible aspect and took necessary steps effectively to prevent the harm. #polarbears #wildlifeprotection #humanwildlifeconflict #bearsighting #wildlifethreat #protectwildlife #SpeciesAtRisk #saveourplanet #earthsantsorg

It is truly heartbreaking to know that the Slender-billed Curlew (Numenius tenuirostris) is now considered extinct. Once a symbol of the vast wetlands and migratory routes spanning Europe, Asia, and Africa, this enigmatic bird has disappeared due to habitat destruction, hunting, and climate change. Despite decades of searching, no confirmed sightings have been reported since the late 1990s. The loss of the Slender-billed Curlew is a stark reminder of the fragility of our ecosystems and the urgent need to protect habitats for other threatened species before they meet the same fate. Every extinction is a silent tragedy, not only for the species but for the biodiversity and balance of our planet. #savebirds #biodiversityloss #wildlifeprotection BirdLife International

🌊🌿 Happy World Seagrass Day! 🌱🌍   🗓 In May 2022, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming March 1 as World Seagrass Day to highlight the urgent need to raise awareness at all levels and promote and facilitate actions for the conservation of seagrasses to contribute to their health and development. 🎯🧠💡🌱🌊💚   Have you considered the crucial global role seagrasses play in supporting food security, mitigating climate change, enriching biodiversity, purifying water, protecting coastlines, and controlling diseases? 🤔   In this post, we want to provide you with some reasons why seagrass matters! 🌿🌊💚   ❓To begin with, what are seagrasses and where can they be found? 🌿🌊🗺 👉 Seagrasses are flowering marine plants found in shallow waters in many parts of the world, from the tropics to the Arctic Circle, and form extensive underwater meadows, creating complex, highly productive, and biologically rich habitats. 🌿🌊🌍   👉 Unfortunately, 30% of the world's seagrass area has been lost since the late 19th century and at least 22 of the world's 72 seagrass species are in decline. 😰   ❓Why are these seagrass beds essential to combat climate change? 😍💪🙌🌿🌊🌡🌍   👉 These cover only 0.1% of the ocean floor, providing food and shelter to thousands of species of fish, seahorses, turtles, etc., and support some of the largest fisheries in the world. 😍🐠🐢 👉 Seagrasses, efficient carbon sinks, can store up to 18% of the world's oceanic carbon, making them powerful nature-based solutions against climate change and can store twice as much C02 as forests. 😍🙌👏🌿🌊🌳🌍 📲 Swipe through the slides to explore and learn more about it! 🧐 . . . Sources: https://lnkd.in/d8qvVszt https://lnkd.in/dSqrhpMV https://lnkd.in/gxi_32Cb #WorldSeagrassDay #Seagrass #SavingSeagrass #BlueTransformation #OceanHealth #BiodiversityProtection #CoastlineProtection #WaterPurification #DiseaseControl #NatureBasedSolutions #MarineConservation #oikos #graz #oikosgraz #oikosworld #raisingawareness #climatechange #climatechangesolutions #inspiringothers #alltogether #sustainablefuture #beinformed #getinvolved #makeadifference #ChangersNotManagers

🌊🌿 Happy World Seagrass Day! 🌱🌍   🗓 In May 2022, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming March 1 as World Seagrass Day to highlight the urgent need to raise awareness at all levels and promote and facilitate actions for the conservation of seagrasses to contribute to their health and development. 🎯🧠💡🌱🌊💚   Have you considered the crucial global role seagrasses play in supporting food security, mitigating climate change, enriching biodiversity, purifying water, protecting coastlines, and controlling diseases? 🤔   In this post, we want to provide you with some reasons why seagrass matters! 🌿🌊💚   ❓To begin with, what are seagrasses and where can they be found? 🌿🌊🗺 👉 Seagrasses are flowering marine plants found in shallow waters in many parts of the world, from the tropics to the Arctic Circle, and form extensive underwater meadows, creating complex, highly productive, and biologically rich habitats. 🌿🌊🌍   👉 Unfortunately, 30% of the world's seagrass area has been lost since the late 19th century and at least 22 of the world's 72 seagrass species are in decline. 😰   ❓Why are these seagrass beds essential to combat climate change? 😍💪🙌🌿🌊🌡🌍   👉 These cover only 0.1% of the ocean floor, providing food and shelter to thousands of species of fish, seahorses, turtles, etc., and support some of the largest fisheries in the world. 😍🐠🐢 👉 Seagrasses, efficient carbon sinks, can store up to 18% of the world's oceanic carbon, making them powerful nature-based solutions against climate change and can store twice as much C02 as forests. 😍🙌👏🌿🌊🌳🌍 📲 Swipe through the slides to explore and learn more about it! 🧐 . . . Sources: https://lnkd.in/d8qvVszt https://lnkd.in/dSqrhpMV https://lnkd.in/gxi_32Cb #WorldSeagrassDay #Seagrass #SavingSeagrass #BlueTransformation #OceanHealth #BiodiversityProtection #CoastlineProtection #WaterPurification #DiseaseControl #NatureBasedSolutions #MarineConservation #oikos #graz #oikosgraz #oikosworld #raisingawareness #climatechange #climatechangesolutions #inspiringothers #alltogether #sustainablefuture #beinformed #getinvolved #makeadifference #ChangersNotManagers