Gender Equality in Ocean Science
It was an honor for us to contribute to this piece on Gender Equality in Ocean Science for the United Nations Ocean Decade for Sustainable Development. We got to meet Ren Weinstock, a Field Technician at Sea Turtle Inc. Ren, a non-binary biologist, advocates for more representation of LGBTQ folx in ocean science communities. We followed Ren while they were patrolling the beach for sea turtles nesting on South Padre Island. It was inspiring to see them manage a big crowd of onlookers, efficiently tag a nesting Kemp’s ridley, and quickly relocate the eggs to a safe corral. To read more about Ren click HERE, or follow their stories on conservation and marine life on Instagram.
“I’m sharing my story not because I think it’s unique, but because I know it’s not. I know there are other trans, non-binary, and gender non-conforming individuals out there who have had similar experiences in this field, and who, like me, are looking for and failing to find the representation they deserve. I’m sharing because the more of us who share our stories, the more we can make known our needs in this field. Being queer does not hinder my ability to succeed in this field; being oppressed does. ”
There is so much to learn about the gender fluidity of many marine animals. If someone suggests that science proves only the binary of male and female genders exists, show them the video below because it most definitely is not. A friend recommended Sex in the Sea if you want expand your knowledge about the world of gender fluidity and “Other Salty Erotica” of marine animals. For you film geeks, here’s a blog post from a BBC producer on filming sex change in fish.
“Having studied marine biology it was no surprise to me that kobudai change their sex. After all it is a member of the wrasse family who are well known to exhibit sequential hermaphroditism, meaning that for them sex change at some point in their life is a normal biological process generally to aid reproductive success. In fact, sex change is a very common reproductive strategy in many fish. Some, like the wrasse tend to change from female to male whereas others, such as clownfish tend to change from male to female and some fish species, it’s thought, can potentially switch sex multiple times.”
What happened to the eggs? While we were there, Ren relocated 4 nests totaling hundreds of eggs, which will be monitored by staff and interns until they hatch and swim back into the ocean. We’re told that the interns actually sleep inside the corral to keep watch of the hatchlings once the first eggs are expected to crack open! We’re so excited to witness this event and share this segment of the story.