In the meantime, a celebration is well-deserved.

Good riddance to the Miami Seaquarium.

May we seize this opportunity to turn a corner toward the end of this horrific industry and put its shameful legacy behind us.

There is a committee of scientists pushing the developer in this direction, but we also need the public to make this mandate clear to Miami’s Mayor Cava and the county government.

I urge you to join me in writing them a letter. I’ll follow up with more details in the coming days.

The plan publicized by the developer who won the bankruptcy bid is not set in stone.

There is still a window to demand the city build a sanctuary and rehabilitation facility for injured turtles and manatees, a restoration center for corals, instead of yet another aquarium in FL.

These animals were born free, just like Toki the orca, and could still be released to their home in the bay, just over the concrete wall, with proper quarantine and veterinary oversight.

FWC records I have obtained show that MSQ captured over 1,500 wild animals from Biscayne Bay in 2023.

Most of them are probably dead now, but many, including sharks and rays who could be decades old, are still trapped inside.

This cannot be allowed to continue.

The commitment by the new developer not to keep captive marine mammals is a huge step forward, but he has made concerning comments about expanding the aquarium.

If they don’t hold marine mammals, that likely means capturing other marine wildlife.

www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/d...

A lot of people deserve credit for shutting down MSQ, including local activists who protested regularly for years, NGOs who organized boycotts against its business model, & veterinary professionals on the inside who put their careers on the line & blew the whistle.

theintercept.com/2024/03/02/m...

Minutes ago, the Miami Seaquarium closed its doors forever.

This hellish facility pioneered the modern industry of marine life captivity for 70 years.

For the past 2.5, I’ve worked next-door. I can’t yet tell the full story of how it came down, but here’s what I will say. 🧵

pretending only vegans and vegetarians eat tofu and tempeh as if you’ve never heard of Asia

I agree consciousness is fascinating. But it is a question science cannot answer. As a natural scientist, I am interested in sentience, a different concept.

Sentience is, yes, by definition, a biological phenomenon. If a reflex to a *stimulus is emulated by a machine, it is artificial sentience.

Thanks, but this does not address the core of the argument, which is that sentience has been conflated with consciousness for motivated reasons. Consciousness is ambiguous and sentience is not. It does not deal with subjective experience. It deals with nociception and the broader tactile sense.

Excellent thinking, that is the dominant theory for the evolution of nociception and pain. We also know that congenital pain insensitivity is highly maladaptive and shortens life expectancy. Therefore there is no reason to believe sentience would evolve without pain.

I wrote about why slugs are better than clankers. 🦑🧪

scenes from Neon Reef

Our local movement is fighting to make this soft coral forest off Miami Beach a no-take MPA. There’s only one other on the entire Atlantic coast of FL.

The city has officially passed the funding. Now we fight for recognition from the state.

sorry for the crop
#MarineLife

Swedish activist Greta Thunberg raised her fist as she and about 160 other Global Sumud Flotilla participants arrived in Greece to roaring cheers. Crowds welcomed them after their release from illegal Israeli detention.

Greta later addressed supporters — her remarks are below.

Important reporting from @kennytorrella.bsky.social on how the meat lobby has infiltrated NYC climate week, including sponsoring Regen House and Food Tank events. Full story here: www.vox.com/future-perfe...

ABUNDANCE AGENDA

This could be your yard — your patio, even. All you need is a single giant milkweed plant.

Bring back the monarchy!

a life lived in defiance of patriarchy and human supremacy

There will never be another Jane.

RIP Queen

the charter fishing and commercial fishing lobbies, more specifically

The US is now seeking to open the door to shark culling to protect the fragile egos of sport fishermen from the competition of local wildlife. This is disgraceful, especially the fact that Democratic Senator @schatz.bsky.social has co-sponsored this repulsive, ecologically illiterate bill.

2. Help us pressure Senator Brian Schatz, the Democratic cosponsor, to withdraw his support from this deceptive bill & remove its bipartisan status.

3. Pitch in to our film fundraiser on gram @/fish_defender.

3. Share the video!

Long l̶i̶n̶e̶ live the sharks. 🦈

How you can help:

1. If you live in the US, write a letter urging your senators to vote no. Use this link to send the template in seconds or personalize it for more impact.

t.co/K0l3lk4ZU4

There’s a bill in the senate right now designed to revive the US shark longlining industry.

Today we’re launching a campaign to stop it and this film trailer to expose this American shark cull conspiracy.

Details and action items below:
🦈🧵

yes