0:00:00.958,0:00:02.393
Right now,

0:00:02.417,0:00:05.268
beneath a shimmering blue sea,

0:00:05.292,0:00:09.101
millions of fish are having sex.

0:00:09.125,0:00:12.476
(Cheers)

0:00:12.500,0:00:15.934
And the way they're doing it[br]and strategies they're using

0:00:15.958,0:00:18.708
looks nothing like what we see on land.

0:00:19.917,0:00:21.559
Take parrotfish.

0:00:21.583,0:00:25.434
In this species, all fish are born female,

0:00:25.458,0:00:27.393
and they look like this.

0:00:27.417,0:00:28.726
Then later in life,

0:00:28.750,0:00:32.208
she can transition into a male[br]and she'll look like this.

0:00:33.167,0:00:37.601
But it's not just[br]a spectacular wardrobe change.

0:00:37.625,0:00:42.684
Her body can reabsorb her ovaries[br]and grow testes in their place.

0:00:42.708,0:00:44.518
In just a few weeks,

0:00:44.542,0:00:48.476
she'll go from making eggs[br]to producing sperm.

0:00:48.500,0:00:50.268
It's pretty impressive,

0:00:50.292,0:00:52.809
and in the ocean it's also pretty common.

0:00:52.833,0:00:57.268
In fact, I bet nearly all of you[br]have at some point had a seafood dish

0:00:57.292,0:01:00.393
made up of an individual[br]that started life as one sex

0:01:00.417,0:01:02.434
and transitioned to another.

0:01:02.458,0:01:04.059
Oysters?

0:01:04.083,0:01:05.518
Grouper?

0:01:05.542,0:01:07.268
Shrimp?

0:01:07.292,0:01:09.768
Seeing some heads nodding, yeah.

0:01:09.792,0:01:13.792
But not all fish that change sex[br]start as females.

0:01:14.667,0:01:17.476
Those clown fish we know[br]from "Finding Nemo"?

0:01:17.500,0:01:19.417
They're all born male.

0:01:20.042,0:01:23.434
So in the real world,

0:01:23.458,0:01:26.143
when Nemo's mother died,

0:01:26.167,0:01:30.476
Nemo's dad Marlin[br]would have transitioned into Marlene --

0:01:30.500,0:01:31.768
(Laughter)

0:01:31.792,0:01:34.851
and Nemo would have likely mated[br]with his father turned mother.

0:01:34.875,0:01:36.059
(Laughter)

0:01:36.083,0:01:37.351
You can see --

0:01:37.375,0:01:39.559
(Laughter)

0:01:39.583,0:01:40.833
Yeah.

0:01:43.125,0:01:44.559
You can see why Pixar

0:01:44.583,0:01:47.226
took a little creative license[br]with the plotline, right?

0:01:47.250,0:01:48.601
(Laughter)

0:01:48.625,0:01:51.934
So sex change in the ocean[br]can happen in either direction

0:01:51.958,0:01:54.226
and sometimes even back and forth,

0:01:54.250,0:01:58.476
and that's just one of the many[br]amazing strategies animals use

0:01:58.500,0:02:00.268
to reproduce in the ocean.

0:02:00.292,0:02:01.893
And trust me when I say

0:02:01.917,0:02:04.476
it's one of the least surprising.

0:02:04.500,0:02:07.601
Sex in the sea is fascinating,

0:02:07.625,0:02:10.184
and it's also really important,

0:02:10.208,0:02:12.601
and not just to nerdy[br]marine biologists like me

0:02:12.625,0:02:15.917
who are obsessed with understanding[br]these salty affairs.

0:02:16.708,0:02:18.792
It matters for all of us.

0:02:19.792,0:02:22.809
Today, we depend on wild caught fish

0:02:22.833,0:02:25.559
to help feed over two billion people

0:02:25.583,0:02:27.226
on the planet.

0:02:27.250,0:02:31.393
We need millions of oysters and corals[br]to build the giant reefs

0:02:31.417,0:02:35.351
that protect our shorelines[br]from rising seas and storms.

0:02:35.375,0:02:39.518
We depend on medicines that are found[br]in marine animals to fight cancer

0:02:39.542,0:02:41.268
and other diseases.

0:02:41.292,0:02:42.684
And for many of us,

0:02:42.708,0:02:47.018
the diversity and beauty of the oceans[br]is where we turn for recreation

0:02:47.042,0:02:49.833
and relaxation and our cultural heritage.

0:02:50.750,0:02:53.559
In order for us to continue[br]to benefit from the abundance

0:02:53.583,0:02:55.559
that ocean life provides,

0:02:55.583,0:02:57.809
the fish and coral and shrimp of today

0:02:57.833,0:03:01.601
have to be able to make fish[br]and shrimp and coral for tomorrow.

0:03:01.625,0:03:05.708
To do that, they have to have[br]lots and lots of sex.

0:03:07.083,0:03:08.434
And until recently,

0:03:08.458,0:03:11.393
we really didn't know[br]how sex happened in the sea.

0:03:11.417,0:03:13.351
It's pretty hard to study.

0:03:13.375,0:03:16.268
But thanks to new science and technology,

0:03:16.292,0:03:19.893
we now know so much more[br]than even just a few years ago,

0:03:19.917,0:03:23.268
and these new discoveries[br]are showing two things.

0:03:23.292,0:03:26.792
First, sex in the sea is really funky.

0:03:27.958,0:03:32.601
Second, our actions are wreaking havoc[br]on the sex lives of everything

0:03:32.625,0:03:34.500
from shrimp to salmon.

0:03:35.167,0:03:37.268
I know. It can be hard to believe.

0:03:37.292,0:03:42.684
So today, I'm going to share a few details[br]about how animals do it in the deep,

0:03:42.708,0:03:46.309
how we may be interrupting[br]these intimate affairs

0:03:46.333,0:03:48.684
and what we can do to change that.

0:03:48.708,0:03:52.143
So, remember those sex-changing fish?

0:03:52.167,0:03:54.059
In many places in the world,

0:03:54.083,0:03:57.476
we have fishing rules[br]that set a minimum catch size.

0:03:57.500,0:04:00.184
Fishers are not allowed[br]to target tiny fish.

0:04:00.208,0:04:04.226
This allows baby fish to grow[br]and reproduce before they're caught.

0:04:04.250,0:04:05.893
That's a good thing.

0:04:05.917,0:04:08.184
So fishers go after the biggest fish.

0:04:08.208,0:04:12.059
But in parrotfish, for example,[br]or any sex changer,

0:04:12.083,0:04:17.167
targeting the biggest fish means[br]that they're taking out all the males.

0:04:17.833,0:04:19.893
That makes it hard for a female fish

0:04:19.917,0:04:21.518
to find a mate

0:04:21.542,0:04:24.726
or it forces her to change sex sooner

0:04:24.750,0:04:26.250
at a smaller size.

0:04:27.000,0:04:31.601
Both of these things can result[br]in fewer fish babies in the future.

0:04:31.625,0:04:34.101
In order for us to properly care[br]for these species,

0:04:34.125,0:04:36.351
we have to know if they change sex,

0:04:36.375,0:04:37.625
how and when.

0:04:38.375,0:04:42.143
Only then can we create rules[br]that can support these sexual strategies,

0:04:42.167,0:04:45.917
such as setting a maximum size limit[br]in addition to a minimum one.

0:04:46.542,0:04:50.351
The challenge isn't that we can't think[br]of these sex-friendly solutions.

0:04:50.375,0:04:54.184
The challenge is knowing[br]which solutions to apply to which species,

0:04:54.208,0:04:57.351
because even animals we know really well

0:04:57.375,0:04:59.750
surprise us when it comes[br]to their sex lives.

0:05:00.333,0:05:01.875
Take Maine lobster.

0:05:03.250,0:05:05.643
They don't look that romantic,

0:05:05.667,0:05:07.226
or that kinky.

0:05:07.250,0:05:08.809
They are both.

0:05:08.833,0:05:11.309
(Laughter)

0:05:11.333,0:05:12.684
During mating season,

0:05:12.708,0:05:16.476
female lobsters want to mate[br]with the biggest, baddest males,

0:05:16.500,0:05:18.309
but these guys are really aggressive,

0:05:18.333,0:05:21.792
and they'll attack any lobster[br]that approaches, male or female.

0:05:22.542,0:05:26.184
Meanwhile, the best time[br]for her to mate with the male

0:05:26.208,0:05:28.101
is right after she's molted,

0:05:28.125,0:05:30.643
when she's lost her hard shell.

0:05:30.667,0:05:35.518
So she has to approach this aggressive guy[br]in her most vulnerable state.

0:05:35.542,0:05:36.833
What's a girl to do?

0:05:38.208,0:05:40.018
Her answer?

0:05:40.042,0:05:44.684
Spray him in the face[br]repeatedly with her urine.

0:05:44.708,0:05:47.559
(Laughter)

0:05:47.583,0:05:51.125
Under the sea, pee[br]is a very powerful love potion.

0:05:52.958,0:05:57.893
Conveniently, lobsters' bladders[br]sit just above their brains,

0:05:57.917,0:06:00.476
and they have two nozzles[br]under their eye stalks

0:06:00.500,0:06:03.559
with which they can shoot[br]their urine forward.

0:06:03.583,0:06:06.893
So the female approaches the male's den

0:06:06.917,0:06:09.851
and as he charges out[br]she lets loose a stream of urine

0:06:09.875,0:06:11.667
and then gets the hell out of there.

0:06:12.708,0:06:15.643
Only a few days of this daily dosing

0:06:15.667,0:06:20.934
is all it takes for her scent[br]to have a transformative effect.

0:06:20.958,0:06:24.500
The male turns from an aggressive[br]to a gentle lover.

0:06:25.542,0:06:29.792
By the week's end,[br]he invites her into his den.

0:06:30.833,0:06:32.500
After that, the sex is easy.

0:06:33.750,0:06:38.976
So how are we interrupting[br]this kind of kinky courtship?

0:06:39.000,0:06:43.684
Well, the female's urine[br]carries a critical chemical signal

0:06:43.708,0:06:46.643
that works because[br]it can pass through seawater

0:06:46.667,0:06:48.434
and lobsters have a smell receptor

0:06:48.458,0:06:50.542
that can detect and receive the message.

0:06:51.375,0:06:54.851
Climate change is making[br]our oceans more acidic.

0:06:54.875,0:06:58.893
It's the result of too much[br]carbon dioxide entering seawater.

0:06:58.917,0:07:02.226
This changing chemistry[br]could scramble that message,

0:07:02.250,0:07:05.851
or it could damage[br]the lobsters' smell receptors.

0:07:05.875,0:07:08.851
Pollution from land[br]can have similar impacts.

0:07:08.875,0:07:11.226
Just imagine the consequence[br]for that female

0:07:11.250,0:07:13.167
if her love potion should fail.

0:07:14.083,0:07:18.101
These are the kinds of subtle[br]but significant impacts we're having

0:07:18.125,0:07:20.684
on the love lives of these marine life.

0:07:20.708,0:07:22.434
And this is a species we know well:

0:07:22.458,0:07:25.184
lobsters live near shore in the shallows.

0:07:25.208,0:07:28.542
Dive deeper, and sex gets even stranger.

0:07:30.500,0:07:35.143
Fanfin anglerfish live at about[br]3,000 feet below the surface

0:07:35.167,0:07:37.059
in the pitch-black waters,

0:07:37.083,0:07:41.518
and the males are born[br]without the ability to feed themselves.

0:07:41.542,0:07:45.708
To survive, he has to find a female fast.

0:07:47.000,0:07:48.976
Meanwhile, the female,

0:07:49.000,0:07:52.018
who is 10 times bigger than the male,

0:07:52.042,0:07:53.434
10 times,

0:07:53.458,0:07:58.351
she lets out a very strong pheromone[br]with which to attract mates to her.

0:07:58.375,0:08:01.101
So this tiny male is swimming[br]through the black waters

0:08:01.125,0:08:03.393
smelling his way to a female,

0:08:03.417,0:08:04.726
and when he finds her,

0:08:04.750,0:08:06.643
he gives her a love bite.

0:08:06.667,0:08:08.958
And this is when things get really weird.

0:08:10.250,0:08:13.143
That love bite triggers[br]a chemical reaction

0:08:13.167,0:08:16.601
whereby his jawbone[br]starts to disintegrate.

0:08:16.625,0:08:20.018
His face melts into her flesh,

0:08:20.042,0:08:22.893
and their two bodies start to fuse.

0:08:22.917,0:08:26.809
Their circulatory systems intwine,

0:08:26.833,0:08:31.101
and all his internal organs[br]start to dissolve

0:08:31.125,0:08:35.434
except for his testes.

0:08:35.458,0:08:37.059
(Laughter)

0:08:37.083,0:08:42.226
His testes mature just fine[br]and start producing sperm.

0:08:42.250,0:08:45.268
In the end, he's basically[br]a permanently attached

0:08:45.292,0:08:47.809
on-demand sperm factory for the female.

0:08:47.833,0:08:50.059
(Laughter)

0:08:50.083,0:08:52.125
It's a very efficient system,

0:08:53.708,0:08:56.018
but this is not the kind[br]of mating strategy

0:08:56.042,0:08:57.809
that we see on a farm, right?

0:08:57.833,0:08:59.143
I mean, this is weird.

0:08:59.167,0:09:00.809
It's really strange.

0:09:00.833,0:09:03.601
But if we don't know[br]that these kinds of strategies exist

0:09:03.625,0:09:05.184
or how they work,

0:09:05.208,0:09:10.184
we can't know what kind of impacts[br]we may be having, even in the deep sea.

0:09:10.208,0:09:11.643
Just three years ago,

0:09:11.667,0:09:14.643
we discovered a new species[br]of deep sea octopus

0:09:14.667,0:09:18.643
where the females lay their eggs[br]on sponges attached to rocks

0:09:18.667,0:09:20.750
that are over two and a half miles deep.

0:09:21.750,0:09:24.143
These rocks contain rare earth minerals,

0:09:24.167,0:09:27.393
and right now there are companies[br]that are building bulldozers

0:09:27.417,0:09:31.934
that would be capable of mining[br]the deep sea floor for those rocks.

0:09:31.958,0:09:35.184
But the bulldozers[br]would scrape up all the sponges

0:09:35.208,0:09:36.792
and all the eggs with them.

0:09:38.583,0:09:42.018
Knowingly, and in many cases unknowingly,

0:09:42.042,0:09:46.559
we are preventing successful sex[br]and reproduction in the deep.

0:09:46.583,0:09:47.934
And let's be honest,

0:09:47.958,0:09:50.809
dating and mating is hard enough[br]without somebody coming in

0:09:50.833,0:09:52.684
and interrupting all the time, right?

0:09:52.708,0:09:54.018
I mean, we know this.

0:09:54.042,0:09:57.309
So today, while I hope you will leave here

0:09:57.333,0:10:00.768
with some excellent bar trivia[br]on fish sex --

0:10:00.792,0:10:03.059
(Laughter)

0:10:03.083,0:10:06.851
I also ask that you remember this:

0:10:06.875,0:10:12.268
we are all far more intimately connected[br]with the oceans than we realize,

0:10:12.292,0:10:14.458
no matter where we live.

0:10:15.333,0:10:17.226
And this level of intimacy

0:10:17.250,0:10:21.268
requires a new kind[br]of relationship with the ocean,

0:10:21.292,0:10:26.518
one that recognizes and respects[br]the enormous diversity of life

0:10:26.542,0:10:28.375
and its limitations.

0:10:29.417,0:10:31.226
We can no longer think of the oceans

0:10:31.250,0:10:33.309
as just something out there,

0:10:33.333,0:10:37.309
because every day we depend on them[br]for our food security,

0:10:37.333,0:10:39.101
our own health and wellness,

0:10:39.125,0:10:41.667
and every other breath we take.

0:10:43.042,0:10:45.559
But it is a two-way relationship,

0:10:45.583,0:10:48.351
and the oceans can only continue[br]to provide for us

0:10:48.375,0:10:53.143
if we in turn safeguard[br]that fundamental force of life in the sea:

0:10:53.167,0:10:55.042
sex and reproduction.

0:10:56.292,0:10:59.768
So, like any relationship,[br]we have to embrace some change

0:10:59.792,0:11:01.250
for the partnership to work.

0:11:02.542,0:11:05.226
The next time you're thinking[br]about having seafood,

0:11:05.250,0:11:08.601
look for sustainably caught[br]or farmed species

0:11:08.625,0:11:11.518
that are local and low on the food chain.

0:11:11.542,0:11:14.643
These are animals[br]like oysters, clams, mussels,

0:11:14.667,0:11:17.101
small fish like mackerel.

0:11:17.125,0:11:19.018
These all reproduce like crazy,

0:11:19.042,0:11:22.333
and with good management,[br]they can handle a bit of fishing pressure.

0:11:23.125,0:11:25.934
We can also rethink[br]what we use to wash our bodies,

0:11:25.958,0:11:27.268
clean our homes

0:11:27.292,0:11:28.976
and care for our lawns.

0:11:29.000,0:11:32.309
All of those chemicals[br]eventually wash out to sea

0:11:32.333,0:11:34.309
and disrupt the natural chemistry

0:11:34.333,0:11:36.101
of the ocean.

0:11:36.125,0:11:38.226
Industry also has to play its part

0:11:38.250,0:11:40.434
and take a precautionary approach,

0:11:40.458,0:11:43.851
protecting sexual activity[br]where we know it exists

0:11:43.875,0:11:47.434
and preventing harm in the cases[br]where we just don't yet know enough,

0:11:47.458,0:11:48.792
like the deep sea.

0:11:50.000,0:11:52.601
And in the communities where we live,

0:11:52.625,0:11:54.309
the places we work

0:11:54.333,0:11:56.559
and the country in which we vote,

0:11:56.583,0:12:02.105
we must take bold action[br]on climate change now.

0:12:02.125,0:12:03.365
(Audience: Yeah!)

0:12:03.395,0:12:06.434
(Applause)

0:12:06.458,0:12:07.726
Thank you.

0:12:07.750,0:12:09.250
(Applause)