This week I published a paper that changed my life. I never meant to study the sea surface, but now I believe this forgotten world is one of the MOST IMPORTANT places on Earth. Let me tell you why [a thread]
Paper: https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.3001046
https://bit.ly/35VSzn2 
#DailyJelly

Let's start here: Several years ago, boaters off Washington State USA, discovered AN ACTUAL LIVING ISLAND just floating out in the open ocean! This island isn't made of rock or floating debris, it's made ENTIRELY OF LIFE...

These mystery islands in the Pacific have been reported for HUNDREDS of years, formed by animals like these by-the-wind sailors, but this picture above is one of the first pictures ever taken. Why? Because NO ONE KNOWNS where to find them…

Not all surface life creates living islands. Even closer to shore LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF BABY FISH SPECIES, including billfish & salmon, live at/depend on the surface. From coral reef fish to deep sea fish, THIS IS WHERE BABIES GO. But that’s not all…

Animals like this blue sea dragon wash up on coasts around the world! And they’re eaten by everything from salmon to turtles to BIRDS. EVEN BATS sometimes eat floating life! It get’s bigger: Over 30% of this albatrosses’ diet is floating life. And there’s more…

I was shocked to learn that 80% of open ocean North Pacific loggerhead turtle diet, EIGHTY PERCENT, is made up of floating life! If birds and turtles are eating THAT MUCH surface life, NO WONDER THEY’RE EATNG PLASTIC…

Plastic is dangerous, and our ignorance could be deadly. “Clean up” efforts like these target the VERY PLACES WHERE SURFACE LIFE IS MOST ABUNDANT. The same currents that concentrate floating life also concentrate plastic. Don’t believe me?...

Nearly 100% of juvenile surface fish (like this baby eel) are found in the same TINY AREA (~8% of the surface) that also has 95.7% of ALL FLOATING PLASTIC. Currents concentrate life and plastic the same way. But it’s not just plastic…
( Fan Zhang: http://bit.ly/2sfG7gH )

The surface is on the frontlines of major human impacts, from pollution to oil spills to climate change. It is the boundary between our world and the ocean on which we depend, full of magic creatures (like this blue button). AND WE NEED YOUR HELP…
http://bit.ly/35VSzn2 

We can only solve the mysteries of the ocean’s surface together. Tomorrow, we’re launching new NASA-funded project to MAKE THIS HAPPEN. We want YOU to go to the beach, go surfing, go sailing, for SCIENCE! More to come, but sign up to join here... https://mailchi.mp/e403dc0b2f83/goseascience

Unlocking the mystery of the ocean’s surface is a global challenge. It will take ALL OF US to learn its secrets. Together, we can begin to tackle some of the ocean's biggest challenges. Check out the study, and join us in the exploration! [end of thread] https://twitter.com/PLOSBiology/status/1387829165420912644

(PS: all this literally happened because I got into an argument with a misguided ocean cleanup organization on twitter, and one of their followers asked me why we should care about ocean surface life. Never underestimate the power of a good Twitter debate!)