Good morning cool kids,

I'm very into octopuses. When you run a feminist newsletter, there aren't a tremendous number of opportunities to write about octopuses; when such a story comes along you tend to grasp it with all eight arms. Then scuttle away and guard it greedily in your rocky little ocean lair.

ANYWAY imagine my delight on finding this story about the Kenyan women who are returning their coast's reefs to health, creating a haven for octopuses and lobsters:

Nazo Yaro, who is also part of the marine conservation effort, says educating fishermen to stop indiscriminate fishing, especially in vulnerable areas of the reef, has also helped. “Lobsters and octopuses are back as a result,” she says triumphantly.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/nov/26/lobsters-and-octopuses-are-back-kenyan-women-leading-coral-reef-revival-wasini-island

🐙🐙🐙

Here's some cutting edge octopus research from Chelsea Bennice. For a long time scientists have thought of the octopus as a solitary critter, but recently – I mean really recently, the last few years – researchers have discovered an octopus city off the coast of Australia where they collaborate in building walls and such with things they find in their environment. So Dr Bennice is working on octopus coexistence:

Octopus coexistence is understudied. My research further identifies methods of coexistence which can provide insight to conservation strategies to maintain octopus diversity, an important group in many marine food webs and not to mention in the top ten list of animals people want to see on a dive.

https://blog.padi.com/2018/07/16/octogirl-using-scuba-diving-to-conduct-octopus-phd-research/

Have you ever seen an octopus on a dive. I would love to see your photographs and hear your stories if yes.

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Finally, you better believe that the female octopus gets the respect she deserves in her relationships:

Male octopuses have a big problem: female octopuses. Each male wants to mate and pass on his genes to a new generation. The trouble is, the female is often larger and hungrier than he is, so there is a constant risk that, instead of mating, the female will strangle him and eat him.

http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20150223-mysteries-of-cannibal-octopus-sex

Big cephalopod love,

Alex.