Thread by @OceanaCAN

What better way to start off the new year than with some #oceanoptimism! Here are 10 of our favourite good ocean news stories from 2022: oceana.ca/en/blog/good-n…

1) Ten countries in the Indian Ocean are banding together to create a network of marine conservation areas called the "Great Blue Wall." This effort will focus on protecting coral reefs, mangroves & seagrass meadows, supporting a global goal to protect 30% of the oceans by 2030.

2) A new fish species, called the rose-veiled fairy wrasse, was discovered in the Maldives. It is the first-ever fish to be described by a Maldivian scientist and one of the first to have its scientific name derived from the local Dhivehi language, 'finifenmaa' meaning "rose."

3) Scientists developed a new device that could reduce shark bycatch by 90%. The device, known as SharkGuard, emits a short electrical pulse, which temporarily overstimulates the electrical sensors around a shark's snout, causing the shark to swim away.

4) Two-thirds of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia are showing the highest coral cover in 36 years. This finding demonstrates that the Reef can still recover in periods free of intense disturbances, like coral bleaching events.

5) Scientists record never-before heard humpback whale calls in the Atlantic Ocean hundreds of kilometres west of South Africa. Some of the recorded sounds suggest this region of the Atlantic could be an important stop on the whale's migration to feeding grounds.

6) Canada bans six categories of single-use plastics commonly found polluting the oceans. This ban will gradually eliminate the production and export of plastic bags, stir sticks, six-pack rings, straws and difficult-to-recycle takeout containers.

7) A giant sea reptile fossil, called an icthyosaur, was unearthed in England at a whopping 9m long. Icthyosaurs were a fascinating group of gigantic marine reptiles that resembled dolphins in general body shape and went extinct some 90 million years ago.

8) The U.S. state of Georgia set a record with the most loggerhead sea turtle nests found on beach in August, 2022. A total of 3,966 nests were recorded, the largest count in 33 years since surveys began in the state in 1989, reflecting Georgia's ongoing conservation successes.

9) Scientists found a pristine, undiscovered coral reef near Tahiti. The sheer size of the reef, the pristine condition of the rose-shaped corals and the unexpected depth, some 30-65m below the ocean's surface, make this a rare discovery.

10) During an expedition off the coast of California, researchers at @MBARI_News captured stunning footage of a brand new Atolla, or crown jellyfish, species - Atolla reynoldsi These are a common genus of deep-sea crown jellyfish, abundant in deep water.