TIP: FURBALL CREW BOOTIES
FURBALL CREW BOOTIES
SV MAISON DE SANTE has four legged crew that need to stretch their land legs on the daily. They have just sailed to Cartegena, Columbia wherer there are very limitted green spaces. This means that walks are often on concrete or other hard manmade HOT surfaces.
Nicole says, "For traveling with pets to Colombia: we brought shoes/protection for our pet."
SY MAISON DE SANTÉ 🇺🇸 Nicole & Keenan - Cal 46'
LAYERS OF LIFE IN THE OCEAN
LAYERS OF LIFE IN THE DEEP SEA
From the Mediterranean to the Caribbean to the Galapagos to the Sea of Cortez to the expansive South Pacific Ocean Posse members have the opportunity to see, and in some cases, swim with a wide range of marine animals. Most marine life is seen at or near the surface in the upper reaches of what is termed the Sunlights Zone or the Epipelagic Zone. Interestingly, though what we see is in the merely upper reaches of the ocean's truly astounding depth. The ocean is unfathomably deep. The ocean is divided into various depth zones, each with its own unique environment, ecosystem, and community of creatures.
For those of us that want to enjoy some rather Zen armchair deep diving check out this video to see just how deep various creatures live and travel.
For those of us that are interested in a more technical deep dive below is a a breakdown of the major depth zones and the creatures that live there:
1. Epipelagic Zone (0 - 200 meters / 0 - 656 feet)
- Also known as: The sunlight zone, because this is where sunlight can penetrate.
- Key features: The warmest of all ocean depth zones, most biodiverse zone, supporting a wide variety of marine life.
- Creatures:
- Fish: Tuna, sharks, sardines, and anchovies.
- Mammals: Dolphins, whales, and seals.
- Invertebrates: Jellyfish, squid, and shrimp.
- Plankton: Phytoplankton (plant-like) and zooplankton (animal-like).
- Coral reefs thrive here, supporting thousands of species of fish, crustaceans, and other organisms.
At the bottom of the Epipelagic Zone starts the thermocline. In this transitional region, the water temperature decreases rapidly with increasing depth. The depth and temperature of the thermocline vary between seasons and years.
2. Mesopelagic Zone (200 - 1000 meters / 656 - 3280 feet)
- Also known as Mid-water zone and The twilight zone, where light begins to fade, but some faint light from the surface still exists.
- Key features: Light is scarce, and pressure increases as depth increases. Due to lack of light, it is from this zone that bioluminescence begins to appear from living creatures.
- Creatures:
- Fish: Lanternfish (known for their bioluminescence), bristle mouth, and hatchetfish.
- Invertebrates: Squid, some types of jellyfish, and deep-sea shrimp.
- Adaptations: Many creatures have bioluminescence to attract prey or mates. They also have large eyes to detect faint light.
Despite bursting with aquatic life, this layer has remained relatively untouched from commercial fishing. Plants do not grow in this zone, so creatures either feed by filtering the water or hunting other creatures. Humans can dive to this layer but need to wear protective suits due to high pressure and lack of heat.
3. Bathypelagic Zone (1000 - 4000 meters / 3280 - 13,123 feet)
- Also known as: The midnight zone, where no natural light penetrates.
- Key features: Total darkness, high pressure, and near-freezing temperatures. This zone makes up 90% of the ocean
- Creatures:
- Fish: Deep-sea fish like the anglerfish, gulper eel, and viperfish.
- Invertebrates: Giant squid, deep-sea jellyfish, and sea cucumbers.
- Mammals: Sperm whales are found to dive down this level in search of food.
- Adaptations: Many animals here are bioluminescent, and have specialized feeding mechanisms to catch scarce prey. Some creatures also have large mouths and extendable stomachs to capture food efficiently.
The pressure in this zone is extreme. For example 4,000 meters (13,100 feet) down, there is over 5850 pounds per square inch.
4. Abyssopelagic Zone (4000 - 6000 meters / 13,123 - 19,685 feet)
- Also known as: The abyss, this zone is one of the deepest, darkest, most remote areas of the ocean.
- Key features: Constant darkness, near-freezing temperatures, immense pressure, and very little food.
- Creatures:
- Fish: Abyssal fish like the abyssal grenadiers.
- Invertebrates: Sea cucumbers, brittle stars, and various types of shrimp.
- Adaptations: Animals here have adapted to survive with minimal energy, some feed on detritus that falls from the upper layers. Many creatures are slow-moving and have a specialized metabolism. Most are transparent and blind.
Both the Bathypelagic Zone and the Abyssopelagic Zone are home to Hydrothermal Vents (2000 - 5000 meters / 6562 - 16,404 feet). These are unique ecosystems powered by the heat from underwater volcanic activity. Many Creatures are uniquely adapted to thrive in, around, and near hydrothermal vents. These creatures include: Tube worms, giant clams, and vent crabs, all rely on chemosynthesis (instead of photosynthesis) to produce energy from the chemicals in the vent water, rather than sunlight.
5. Hadalpelagic Zone (6000 meters to the deepest parts of the ocean, about 11,000 meters / 19,685 - 36,089 feet) is the Mariana Trench off Japan in the Pacific Ocean
The regions that exceed roughly 3.5 miles, or 20,000 feet, are known as the hadal zone. This zone includes the Mariana Trench which is so deep that even Mount Everest would be wholly submerged if placed at its bottom.
- Also known as: The hadal zone, named after the Greek god of the underworld, Hades. named after Hades, Greek god of the underworld. Fitting right, given their abyss-like nature and mystery?
- Key features: Found in deep ocean trenches and the deepest parts of the ocean. Extreme pressure, cold temperatures, and complete darkness.
- Creatures:
- Fish: Few species, such as hadal amphipods, and fish found in the deepest trenches (like the snailfish).
- Invertebrates: Hadel benthic organisms like deep-sea polychaete worms and giant tube worms.
- Adaptations: Creatures here have evolved to withstand extreme pressures and cold. They often have specialized features, like high resistance to pressure, to survive at these depths.
The Mariana Trench was formed by a process known as subduction, where the Pacific Plate is being subducted under the smaller Mariana Plate. The Mariana Trench is about 2,550 kilometers (1,580 miles) long and averages 69 kilometers (43 miles) in width. The trench forms a crescent-shaped scar in the Earth's crust. The deepest diving submarine ever built, the DSV Limiting Factor, can reach a depth of 10,928 meters (36,037 feet). Few humans have in fact touched the bottom of the ocean. In 1960, the Trieste, a bathyscaphe, descended to a depth of 35,800 feet in the Mariana Trench.
Each of these zones has highly specialized creatures that have adapted to the extreme conditions, from the lack of light to the crushing pressures. The deeper you go, the less food and energy are available, so organisms often evolve ways to survive on little, or have unique features to cope with darkness and cold.
TURNING WASTE INTO OPPORTUNITY AT FINCA HAMBURGO CHIAPAS, MEXICO
TURNING WASTE INTO OPPORTUNITY
FINCA HAMBURGO, CHIAPAS, MEXICO
Re-Creativa Sustentable Finca Hamburgo
At Re-Creativa, we are more than just a recycling project—we are a community of six women from Finca Hamburgo, deeply committed to turning waste into opportunity. What started as a simple idea has grown into a powerful initiative where we transform plastic waste into beautiful, functional products. Not only are we making a positive impact on the environment, but we are also creating economic opportunities for ourselves and other women in rural communities, right here in the heart of Chiapas, Mexico.
Our Journey to Sustainability
Living in the lush mountains of Chiapas, surrounded by breathtaking natural beauty, we’ve seen firsthand the challenges posed by plastic waste. There is little infrastructure here for waste management, and much of the plastic ends up in rivers or lands in open dumps, damaging our environment. We knew something had to change.
That’s when we teamed up with In Mocean and Finca Hamburgo, our home. Finca Hamburgo is a historic coffee farm in the heart of Chiapas, and it became the perfect foundation for us to build something meaningful. Together, we began the journey to create a space where we could recycle plastic waste and turn it into useful, sell'able products—helping the planet and creating opportunities for our community.
Transforming Plastic into Creativity
It all started with a workshop. Nike, a passionate sailor and founder of In Mocean, reached out to us and offered to lead an introductory workshop at Finca Hamburgo. We invited women and children from the community to join, and together we learned how to make simple drafts from shredded plastic. Over two days, the idea of Re-Creativa started to take shape. We realized we could turn plastic waste into something more—something creative, useful, and impactful.
From that moment on, we knew we had to build something lasting: a community-led recycling workspace where we could create, learn, and contribute to a cleaner, greener future.
Setting Up Our Workspace
With support from In Mocean, the REESE Gruppe, and generous donors, we received the equipment we needed—machines like a shredder and an extruder. Just two weeks after our first workshop, Nike and Maria (co-founder of In Mocean) returned to Finca Hamburgo, and we got to work. We learned how to operate the machines, sort plastics, and use our creativity to make products that would not only help the environment but also generate income.
Our first creations were colorful earrings made from shredded plastic. We quickly began to experiment, crafting bowls and beams using the extruder. But it wasn’t just about making things—it was about learning how to run our new workspace as a small business. We discussed how to generate income, market our products, and sustain this new venture for the long term.
Early Successes and Growing Together
As we took ownership of Re-Creativa, we named our workspace and even designed our logo. We set up an Instagram account to showcase our creations, and soon, the sales started rolling in. The money we earned helped support our families and fueled our passion for the project. With each new product, we saw our skills grow, and we began working on a new goal: our first prototype for a chair made from recycled beams.
What makes Re-Creativa so special is the sense of community we’ve built together. We are no longer just recycling plastic—we are creating something bigger than ourselves. The bond we share as we work, learn, and grow together is the heart of this project. We’ve even begun hosting workshops in schools and cultural centers in Tapachula, sharing our journey and encouraging others to join the movement.
A Beacon of Sustainable Change
For us, Re-Creativa is more than just a workspace—it’s a beacon of hope. It shows that even small, simple actions can lead to big changes. By turning waste into valuable products, we’re not only helping the environment, but we’re also creating opportunities, building a sense of community, and inspiring others to act.
As we continue to grow, we are more determined than ever to transform waste into creativity, opportunity, and empowerment. We know that this is just the beginning, and we’re excited to see where this journey takes us.
Join Us for a Recycling Workshop and Visit Finca Hamburgo
We’d love for you to come and visit us at Finca Hamburgo. Experience the beauty of our home and see firsthand the work we’re doing at Re-Creativa. Join us for a hands-on recycling workshop, where you’ll learn how we turn plastic waste into creative, functional products. It’s a chance to connect with our community, see the impact of our work, and be part of the positive change we’re building together.
Minamitorishima Island, Japan
Minamitorishima Island, Japan
roughly translates to "Southern Bird Island"
By Maurisa Descheemaeker on SV WHIRLWIND
Sources: https://www.nature.com/articles/d42473-020-00525-x
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/06/22/japan/science-health/tokyo-island-rare-metals-find/
https://www.t-borderislands.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/en/minamitorishima/
MANTA RAYS MAJESTIC & MYSTERIOUS
MANTA RAYS : Majestic and Mysterious
Manta Rays are among the most majestic gentle giants in tropical and sub tropical oceans of the world. Seeing them swim under water is a magical sight to behold; with their mouths wide open, manta rays silently move through the water in a slow, effortless, gliding motion, feeding on the smallest of living creatures, plankton, that drift in the ocean currents. Like many species of sharks, mantas are in constant motion to keep water flowing over their gills to breathe. Additionally, mantas are cartilaginous fish meaning their skeleton is made of cartilage like our ears and noses.
There are two species of Manta Rays: the Reef Manta (Mobula alfredi) and the Oceanic Manta (Mobula birostris). No matter the species of manta, With their wings outstretched they dwarf all but large sharks or whales. The reef mantas wings span up to 5 meters while the oceanic mantas wings span up to 7 meters and can weigh up to 2 tons. Manta Rays have the largest brain to body ratio of all living fish and are known to display high levels of intelligence, have long-term memory, and are able to map their environment using sights and smells. The markings on their underside are their unique 'fingerprint'. Much like the marking on the underside of a humpbacks tail, the star-like pattern of whale sharks, and the whisker spots of lions, there are no two exactly alike and these creatures can be identified by their markings that make them unique.
As seen in this photo above there is a mutualism, or mutually beneficial relationship, between mantas and various small hitchhiker fish like remoras. The Remora clings onto the Manta Ray for protection, transportation and scraps from the Manta Rays meals. The Remora benefits the Manta Ray by cleaning it’s skin of bacteria and parasites keeping Mantas healthy. Manta Rays can also be found at 'Cleaning Stations' (or healthy coral patches) sometimes circling close by for up to an hour before moving in for a cleaning and then staying on for hours getting cleaned. In this case the mantas have a symbiotic relationship with cleaner fish (like the cleaner wrasse fish and the scarlet cleaner shrimp). These small fish and crustaceans swim around the larger animals and inside their mouths to eat the parasites, bacteria, and dead skin cells from their bodies. One animal is getting fed while the other is getting cleaned. It's a win-win! Manta Rays will often return to cleaning stations they 'know'.
Manta rays live up to 50 years. The female manta becomes sexually mature a bit later than the male: round 8-10 years of age. Manta rays are ovoviviparous meaning that after fertilization the offspring grows inside an egg (like a bird...but WAIT...there's more)...which the female manta carries inside of her during the pregnancy and give birth to a live fully independent manta ray (live birth like a mammal?!). Mantas give birth to 1-2 manta every 2-5 years. Many details are still a mystery as no one has ever documented seeing a live birth in the wild.
Perhaps because of their size, their grace, their omnipresence in the oceans Manta Rays, and many other characteristics, manta rays have found their way into the art and mythology of many cultures around the world. In Polynesian mythology, for instance, the manta ray is believed to be the guardian of the ocean and a symbol of knowledge and wisdom. In ancient Greek mythology, they were believed to be messengers of the sea god, Poseidon. In ancient Hindu mythology, manta rays are believed to be the manifestation of Lord Vishnu, the creator of the universe. In Japan, manta rays are often associated with the god of the sea, believed to protect sailors and fishermen from danger and provide them good fortune. Interestingly, they are universally seen as protectors and not aggressors, creators not destroyers.
Sadly, as much as manta rays are widely admired to revered their existence is threatened in various ways. Being pelagic, they cross 'borders' constantly and live in a warming ocean that is thereby struggling with habitat loss and teaming with industrialized fishing techniques that do not take care to avoid them (mantas are often 'bycatch' and can die due to suffocation as a result of entanglement.). In some places mantas are specifically sought out for food and bait (for instance in the Sea of Cortez, Mexico) and in the western south Pacific mantas are harvested for their gill plates that are used in Asian Medicine. It is worth noting that in Indonesia, Peru, and the Philippines there now national laws in place to protect manta rays.
Still, in order to protect animals, we need to understand them. Efforts are being made to understand manta distribution, mating, and ecology better to help them. However, Scientific efforts to understand Mantas formally began rather recently around 2008.
According to Mantatrust.org :
Manta rays often undertake seasonal migrations, travelling tens, hundreds, and sometimes thousands of kilometers. This means that their habitat can encompass large areas, sometimes crossing national boundaries, where conservation management is often more challenging. Therefore, to effectively protect these animals, we must first understand what habitats they are using, when they are there, and what they are doing within it.
....It is often a sad fact of human nature that the more endangered a wild animal becomes, the greater our desire to possess or consume it. Diminishing stocks drive a lucrative trade (often illegal) to hunt down, trade in, and consume the dwindling populations of these endangered species.
Interestingly, again there is still so much mystery around mantas that citizen scientists are helping with these efforts. People can communicate directly with the scientists at Manta Trust to help supply information (pictures) to create a 'mantabase' about specific manta individuals to share where they are and begin to help map their health, habitats, and seasonal routes.
If you are a mariner, look out for this incredible species of fish. Maybe you can appreciate their majesty while unlocking some of their mystery.
AMAZING ANIMALS: HERMIT CRABS
AMAZING ANIMALS: HERMIT CRABS
By Josea Descheemaeker age 11
You probably see these creatures on every beach you go to and every time you go snorkeling. Hermit crabs can live in the water and on land due to the fact that they breath through gills.
Hermit crabs names are very deceiving for several reasons:
- As opposed to being hermits that prefer to always be alone, hermit crabs are vary social with other hermit crabs. Hermit crabs live and walk easily among their kind, over and under their kind, eating shell to shell in groups sometimes.
- They are more shy than hermit like. They are quick to hide in their shell when as little as a shadow passes over them.
- Hermit crabs are more closely related to spiders and scorpions than crabs,
The reason people put Hermit in their name is because they carry their homes
everywhere they go . Hermit crabs are vary picky about what shells they live in and they switch shells when they grow too big for the one they are living in. Sadly, now some Hermit crabs use plastic bottle caps and other Plastic things as homes.
Many Hermit crabs love to decorate their shells. Hermit crabs can lift things 10 times their weight . Despite a hermit crab's size they Typically live up to 30 years in the wild and some live up to 60 years. There are about 500 Species of hermit crabs all over the world And with a lot of colors blues reds whites And oranges And sometimes all of those colors on one hermit crab. Some colors can be very bright.
Hermit crabs have many predators too such as big crabs, birds, and fish that keep the hermit crab population down. Hermit cards eat pretty much anything they can fined and from my experience they love coconut.
Believe it or not hermit crabs and coconut crabs are closely related. While hermit crabs live in shells their entire life, coconut crabs only live in shells when they are young.
My Experience
Hermit crabs are very shy animals. When you get to close to them they retreat into their shells. When I put a hermit crab on my hand most will be very eager to run off and get away from me. It is a rare hermit crabs, typically the bigger ones, that will try to pinch me. Do not be deceived by their small size, they have very large claws and it hurts a lot when they pinch you. If you are hiking off the beach and when you’re still close to the beach, you can sometimes find hermit crabs clinging to the tree. If you’re taking a shell from the beach look very closely and make sure there’s not a hermit crab in it. At 1st glance some shells look like they don’t have any hermit crabs in them but the small hermit crab sometimes get in shells way too big for them and it’s very hard to see them so look very closely. This has happened to me sometimes and I have accidentally brought a hermit crab in their shells back to the boat. If there's a shy hermit crab that you want out of the shell you can cup it in your hands and breathe onto them. This typically coaxes them out because of the warmth of your breath but there are some that are just too scared and they won't come out.
SY WHIRLWIND 🇺🇸 Maurisa, Mike, Russell & Josea – Alajuela 48’
BOCAS DEL TORO BEACH CLEAN UP
BOCAS DEL TORO BEACH CLEAN UP
Report from Maison de Sante:
We had a nice group of Posse boats and local residents here in Bocas Del Toro, Panama who came out this morning for clean up on Red Frog beach. Many pounds of plastic garbage was collected 😊. The strangest items collected included a bicycle mud flap, a scuba purge valve, and a diaper🤢. Some people had to leave early so not everyone is pictured. Stay tuned for a future date where we can ALL participate in beach clean up wherever you are located!
SY BISOU 🇦🇺 Robin and Tad - Fountaine Pajot 44′ & SY MAISON DE SANTÉ 🇺🇸 Nicole & Keenan - Cal 46'
THANK YOU FOR BEING STEWARDS OF OUR ENVIRONMENT!
Recent Article from Pulitzer Center Ocean Reporting Network Reveals Harsh Realities Plastic
Traveling the world by the ocean, plastic waste cannot be overlooked as a global problem. It is in the end of it's 'use' when the global problem plastic pollution becomes most obvious. As ocean voyagers we see Plastic bottles, wrappers, lines, containers, and shoes filling current lines, passing through an anchorage or an estuary with the tide, littering the high tide line from the beach into the trees, and burning in thick black smoke from trash fires all over the world. It is most contemptible and disastrously true that many stunning beaches are spoiled by plastic waste that comes from near and far. Ideally, all plastic is or could be recycled and neither the air quality or the environment are harmed in the process. However, in reality less than 10% of plastic produced is recycled worldwide and plastic waste is becoming a greater and greater threat to human health and the environment. We all need to know more in order to do better by ourselves, the environment and future generations.
"Humans have produced more than 11 billion metric tons of virgin plastic since 1950, when plastic first came into widespread use, according to Roland Geyer, lead author of one of the first scientific studies quantifying the global plastic habit. According to his research, only 2 billion metric tons are still in use today, meaning the rest—some 8.7 billion tons—is waste. According to the U.N. Environment Programme, the world produces 430 million metric tons of plastic annually, two-thirds of which are short-lived products destined for disposal."
Quote from: Inside Fiji’s Fiery Battle Against Plastics By Aryn Baker/Lautoka, Fiji
Thankfully, there are initiatives all over the world working to understand and address this global problem. A recent article quoted above from the Pulitzer Center Ocean Reporting Network tracks the complicated and convoluted plastic problem that the island nation of Fiji is facing. Fiji produces plastic (Fiji Water is their biggest tax payer and employer), distributes plastic worldwide, uses plastic, receives plastic by way of ocean currents in excess of national use by 72%, dumps, buries, and burns plastic. Plastic at the end of it's use is Fiji's most problematic pollutant.
Fiji is a small island nation of 332 islands; they maintain one sanitary landfill and two municipal dumps. While these waste facilities make an effort to manage their own national waste they are unable to manage the added plastic pollution in the ocean landing on their shores. While interviewing a local woman that sorts and cleans plastic bottles for cash returns, the reports follows her as she process all 'other' plastic.
So, where does excess plastic waste go when it cannot be properly recycled or disposed of?
- In Fiji, there is a limited amount of plastic bottles that are bought back by Coca Cola and Fiji Water and many Fijians are a part of this 'economy'. This 'economy' involves, collecting, sorting, washing, bagging, weighing and delivering select Coca-Cola and/or Fiji bottles.
- 'Other' plastic waste is either burned,
- buried, or
- dumped into the environment.
While the report focuses on Fiji, the story of people, burdened by heaps of plastic, burning, burying, or dumping excess plastic is replicated dozens of times daily in communities around the world, and across the Fijian archipelago, creating a toxic burden on human and environmental health that is only starting to be quantified. The article goes on to tease apart the impact of these different methods on the environment and human health while highlighting local efforts in Fiji to address plastic pollution on a local and global level.
It is a wake up call. Plastic pollution is a detriment to our environment and human health. The toxic effects are being found in human blood to breastmilk and scientists are beginning to study the linkage to rising cancers and developmental delays and diseases.
To read more about the problem and possible global solutions, click this link:
https://time.com/6991350/plastic-microplastics-fiji-water-recycling/
Further reading that may be of interest to boat owners comes from a British study revealing "Disturbing levels" of Fiberglass in Oysters and Mussels. The ocean knows no borders, these are global issues:
https://boattest.com/article/british-study-reveals-disturbing-level-fiberglass-oysters-and-mussels