Caring for ocean creatures

This introduction frames a special issue exploring human-ocean creature relationships through the lens of care. The authors examine how care practices for marine species manifest across different contexts—from commercial fishing and aquaculture to conservation efforts – while highlighting these relationships’ complex, often contradictory nature. Drawing on anthropology of the ocean, political ecology, and multispecies studies, the collection investigates who cares for ocean creatures, how care is practiced, and the politics that shape these interactions. The authors acknowledge the tension between exploitation and protection, profit motives and environmental concerns, noting that care for particular species often occurs at the expense of others. By centring ocean creatures as ethnographic subjects, the collection contributes to growing anthropological interest in environmental justice and multispecies relations while advocating for more holistic approaches to marine environments in the Anthropocene.