Translucent orbs of moonlight
Sail along our chalky coasts.
Encased in an envelope
Of teals and sapphires,
Their chemical composition
Reveals the secret tracks
And hidden pathways
Of a thousand
Thousand
Squares of liquid land.
By mapping their nutrients
Across soggy habitats
We use these charts
To navigate the channels
Of our uncertainty.
We pluck a feather from a
European Shag,
Deconstruct its chemistry
And lay it down beside
Our jellied atlas
To trace an unseen heritage.
Exposing spatial models of
Carbon and sulphur
We draw lines through space
And time,
Preserving our future selves
From fraudulent seafood;
Our lucid beacons of aspic
Guiding us
Through troubled waters.
This science poem is inspired by recent research, which has found that maps of chemicals found in jellyfish provide a new tool for conservation in UK waters and fisheries.
This new research involved catching jellyfish in UK seas, across an area of approximately one million km2, measuring their chemical composition, and then plotting this distribution as a detailed map. These chemical signals vary according to differences in the marine environments where jellyfish feed. As these variations are also present throughout the food chain, for example in seabirds, seals, and fishes, these jellyfish maps can therefore be used to trace the movement patterns for a range of marine life. For example, by measuring the chemical signals in feathers from seabirds and then comparing these signals to the jellyfish map, researchers can now determine in which regions the seabirds have been feeding.
This research is based on a well-established process for analysing the provenance of other produce such as meat, honey, and wine, but until now it had not been applied to seafood. As well as helping researchers and policymakers to learn more about the movement of local marine animals and support conservation efforts, this approach could also provide a novel way of tracing the origins of shop-bought seafood, highlighting food fraud for products sourced from, or claiming to be sourced from, UK waters.
An audio version of this poem can be heard here:
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This is fascinating Sam and so easily explained to laymen like myself.
Thank you for constantly sharing with us this knowledge so we can not only have a greater understanding, but also adapt our lifestyles accordingly to assist, albeit in a small way, to protect our planet.
Together we can do more, but without the awareness, we remain ignorant
Thank you
Thank you Liz, you are very welcome and I am so glad that it is enjoyed and appreciated. 😊