This Thanksgiving, We Give Thanks for You

Thanksgiving is always a time for reflection and gratitude, and this year is no exception. This Thanksgiving, we would like to express our appreciation and celebrate some ocean victories—many of which were possible because of the support of ocean advocates like you.

I could not be prouder of our Ocean Conservancy team, our partners and our dedicated supporters. We couldn’t have done it without you.

During the last 11 months, we’ve seen triumphs, setbacks and reminders of how much work we still have left to do in the fight towards a healthy ocean.

Please join us in giving thanks to some of the biggest ocean wins of 2019!

We’re closer to protecting Florida’s coast from dangerous oil drilling

Nine years after the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster, Congress is taking further action to ensure our coastlines are protected from oil spills. In September, Representative Francis Rooney (R-FL) and Representative Kathy Castor (D-FL) introduced a bill that would permanently ban offshore oil and gas development in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico. Although this bill still has a long way to go, we are hopeful that we can help turn this bill into law in 2020.

We saw record cleanups from the Arctic to the Equator

Ocean cleanup efforts around the world continue to grow—and we couldn’t be more excited. Last year, for the first time in its 34-year history, more than one million people joined #TeamOcean at the International Coastal Cleanup, collecting more than 23 million pounds of trash across 22,300 miles of beaches, coastlines and waterways. Our 2019 cleanup is on track to surpass that record, thanks to the volunteers from around the world who showed up to clean up our ocean.

Maine legislature took big steps to reduce fossil fuel emissions

2019 saw landmark conversations about the role our ocean plays in a changing climate. Earlier this year, Maine State legislature and Governor Mills enacted a sweeping bipartisan climate change bill which targets a 45% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (when compared to 1990 levels) in Maine by 2030. By 2050, all of Maine’s energy should come from renewable sources.

Sign up for our emails!

Sorry, but we failed to add you to the list. Please try again or contact 1.888.780.6763

Email Address

...loading

Thanks for signing up for Ocean Conservancy emails.

Save Our Seas 2.0 was the next step in the fight against plastic pollution

This year, Senators Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Bob Menendez (D-NJ) introduced Save Our Seas Act 2.0, which aims to improve our waste management system, support scientific research to better understand the causes of plastic pollution and encourage international cooperation in the fight for trash free seas. We are thrilled to see this bill through the halls of Congress, and are appreciative of ocean advocates like YOU who asked your Senators to support marine debris legislation.

Ocean Conservancy is the official Ocean Partner of Super Bowl LIV

This February, we embarked on an exciting partnership with the Super Bowl Host Committee in advance of 2020’s Super Bowl LIV in Miami, Florida. You can’t talk about the ecological, economic or cultural history of South Florida without talking about our ocean—and that’s why we’re thrilled to serve as the Super Bowl’s official Ocean Partner. Together with the Host Committee and the Everglades Foundation, we launched the Ocean to Everglades (O2E) initiative, which aims to enhance the connectivity of South Florida communities and their natural environment.

Congress took a stand on ocean acidification

June was a big month for ocean acidification action. The House of Representatives passed four bipartisan bills (three of those bills passed unanimously) that will expand ocean acidification research in the open ocean, broaden our knowledge of acidification’s effects and support innovation to help us better understand and respond to ocean acidification. We are proud to have supported these bills, and thankful for the leaders in Congress who advocated for them.

Together, these accomplishments represent the dedication of a community of ocean advocates like you. Every piece of trash you pick up, every letter you send to your Senator, every dollar you pledge—it all counts. We could not do it without you, and we are incredibly grateful for your support.

This Thanksgiving, we give thanks to you and each ocean advocate around the world for your unwavering support of our ocean. As we enter a new decade in 2020, our ocean and its coastal communities will need us more than ever—together, let’s keep up the good work.

 

The post This Thanksgiving, We Give Thanks for You appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.

from Ocean Conservancy https://ift.tt/2KXmLmu https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

In Honor of Native American Defenders of Our Ocean

It was my first time in America. As my foot touched the ground in California, I recall thinking something like, “This is the landmass of the earth called the United States of America that I vaguely know from Hollywood movies.” Yet, what is now known as the United States is really the home of America’s first peoples—the Alaska Native and American Indian tribes who were here long before white colonizers called this place “discovered”.

As a Pohnpeian, I grew up on the island of Pohnpei where we have a very old saying, “Pohnpei Sahpw Sarawi,” which literally translates to “Pohnpei is a holy land.” This respected saying is obtained from the oral histories describing the mystical creation of the island. For Pohnpeians, similar to the beliefs of many indigenous groups, our environment not only sustains the lives of our people, but we form a deep cultural and spiritual connection with nature that is central to our identity and sense of self. In the early period, each clan in Pohnpei worshiped ancestral spirits and these ancestral spirits were manifested in a living creature. I was born into my mother’s clan, the Sounpwok of Madolenihmw, and our  “eni” or “ancestral spirit” is represented by a kind of fish. Being a Pohnpeian from “Pohnpei Sarawi” widens my humble understanding of the valuable perspective, history and experiences of the American Indians and Alaska Natives.

Five years later, I find myself working at the Washington, D.C., headquarters of Ocean Conservancy. Our nation’s capital sits on the ancestral homeland of the Nacotchtank (Anacostan) people of the Piscataway Nation. I offer my gratitude and respect to the community, the elders and ancestors—past, present and future—for their continuing resilience and significant role in shaping the region.

November is Native American Heritage Month, a time to celebrate the cultures, traditions and contributions of American Indian and Alaska Native people. This week is also Thanksgiving, so we must also acknowledge the myths and true histories of this holiday.

NMAI 2005 Powwow. MCI Center. © Smithsonian Institute/Flickr

As American Indian and Alaska Native peoples work tirelessly to protect their ancestral lands and waters, and cultures, here are a few examples of exceptional ocean action.

Along the coast of Washington state, the Suquamish Tribe, whose name also means “People of the Clear Salt Water,” relies on different species of shellfish and fish as an important part of their traditional diet and subsistence. Recently, this form of support has been dramatically disrupted by ocean acidification. In the face of human-caused, climate-driven threats, the Suquamish tribe is pursuing different methods to address the problem. The tribe has adopted various innovative strategies ranging from increasing awareness through educational programs to developing computerized zooplankton imaging and identification tools to track changes in the water and the species. The Suquamish Tribe, alongside Ocean Conservancy and other NGOs; nations, states and local governments; and other tribes and First Nations, is also an engaged member of the  International Alliance to Combat Ocean Acidification, an alliance that works not only to increase attention to the problem but also to share solutions and secure much-needed action to tackle ocean acidification.

Further north in Alaska, the Aleut Community of St. Paul Island is engaged in a wide variety of activities to protect and conserve the marine environment on which they depend, including removing marine debris. Earlier this year, ACSPI, Ocean Conservancy, the Central Bering Sea Fisherman’s Association and Trident conducted a marine debris cleanup on St. Paul Island. Together, we removed 20,000 pounds of trash in four days! The project will be expanded to include St. George and Otter islands next spring.

© Patricia Chambers

Back on the east coast, the Narragansett Indian Tribe played an active role in Rhode Island’s adoption of the Ocean Special Area Management Plan (Ocean SAMP). The Ocean SAMP is a comprehensive regulatory plan for the Rhode Island coastal waters that reflects policy, science and community engagement. The Ocean SAMP highlights the coordination and consultation of all relevant community users of the ocean. The plan includes a meaningful role for the Narragansett Indian Tribe to communicate their views and influence decisions on areas of cultural and historical significance. To demonstrate this inclusive ocean planning, the Ocean SAMP incorporates the following Traditional Narragansett Indian Prayer:

Kawtantawwit taubotneanawayean wutche wameteanteaquassinish. Mishquatch maugoke.

(Thank you Great Spirit for all the things that Mother Earth gives.)

These are just a few of many experiences, and as I share a few stories of American Indian and Alaska Natives work to protect our ocean, I want to express the utmost gratitude and respect in honor of the Native American defenders of our ocean.

 “The water is still here. The earth is still here. We are still here.”  -Chief Billy Redwing Tayac (Piscataway), 1999

Love our content?

Sign up to receive our emails!

Sorry, but we failed to add you to the list. Please try again or contact 1.888.780.6763

Email Address

...loading

Thanks for signing up for Ocean Conservancy emails.

The post In Honor of Native American Defenders of Our Ocean appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.

from Ocean Conservancy https://ift.tt/2rwQuvA https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Life under the ice during the polar night

How microorganisms perform under the Arctic sea ice?How does the marine ecosystem function under extreme conditions? How will it change due to global warming? As part of the MOSAiC campaign organised by the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, in which the German research vessel POLARSTERN drifts through the Arctic Ocean for over a year, studies will be carried out on microorganisms living below the Arctic sea ice. The study, which will be carried out with the participation of scientists from GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, will take place during the polar night from December to February.

from "Future Ocean" – News https://ift.tt/2XS8Ovs https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Dolphins Fans, Rejoice: Hard Rock Stadium Cutting 2.8 Million Single-Use Plastic Items in Time for Super Bowl LIV

Ardent Dolphins fans may already have heard the big news: Hard Rock Stadium—home of the Miami Dolphins and Super Bowl LIV–is ditching single-use plastics in favor of more easily recyclable alternatives. That means some 2.8 million fewer pieces of single-use plastic, including plastic beverage bottles, cups and cutlery, will be circulating in and around the stadium, which is located just steps from South Florida’s sparkling beaches.

Kudos go to Tom Garfinkel, the vice chairman, president and CEO of the Miami Dolphins and Hard Rock Stadium, as well as Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, for recognizing the important role they and the NFL can play in protecting our ocean. By putting the environment and the ocean front and center, they are demonstrating that hosting large scale events like the Super Bowl can be ocean-friendly.

Earlier this summer, the Dolphins joined Ocean Conservancy and Friends of Oleta State Park on a Dune Restoration project and cleanup, which was followed up by an October tri-county cleanup in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach. Building on those efforts, the team will be donating a portion of ticket sales for their home finale against the Cincinnati Bengals to Ocean Conservancy on December 22. We applaud the steps the Dolphins are taking to protect the ocean that surrounds them and sincerely appreciate their commitment to working together, starting with our initial dialogue about these important issues last winter.

© Isaac Mead-Long/Ocean Conservancy

Considering how ubiquitous single-use plastics are (volunteers with Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup collected nearly two million plastic bottles from beaches and waterways worldwide in 2018 alone), the Dolphins’ commitment is a touchdown for ocean health. It comes not a minute too soon; nearly eight million metric tons of plastic flow from land into the ocean every year. That’s enough to fill Hard Rock Stadium to the brim every other day of the year, year-round. While there are many causes, it is clear that an important part of the solution is to reduce our reliance on single-use plastic. Given the amount of single-use plastics involved in the Super Bowl and other large-scale events held at Hard Rock Stadium, making this switch is a key step towards a healthy and plastic-free ocean.

This move is also a touchdown for the city of Miami and the state of Florida. The Sunshine State is renowned, after all, for its beautiful beaches and important commercial and recreational fisheries. Those characteristics make Florida a prime location for Super Bowls, with Miami hosting more than any other city and the next Super Bowl heading up the road to Tampa. Fueled by tourism and the seafood and boating industries, the ocean provides nearly $30 billion to the state’s economy. The ocean is so important to the state of Florida–and vice versa–that Ocean Conservancy has recently launched a program solely focused on working with Floridians to ensure a healthy ocean for generations to come.

That’s why we are the official Ocean Partner for the Miami Super Bowl Host Committee. Working with the Host Committee, along with the NFL, the NFL Environmental Team and the Miami Dolphins to advance the Ocean to Everglades (O2E) environmental platform for Super Bowl LIV, we launched the #SuperCleanupChallenge with a goal to remove or divert 54 (this year is Super Bowl 54) tons of plastic and other trash from Florida’s coast and waterways, starting with our annual International Coastal Cleanup this past September. In addition to the Dolphins joining us last month, we just removed 4,000 pounds of ocean plastic and other trash from the Florida Keys with the Lower Keys Guides Association and Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing. We’ll be capping off our Super Bowl cleanups with a final Super Bowl week cleanup with the NFL as part of the league’s Huddle for 100 campaign on January 28, at Historic Virginia Key Beach Park.

Whether you play your games nine miles from the beach like the Dolphins or out in the desert of Arizona, the actions taken in stadiums and team facilities can have an impact on the health of our ocean. Ocean Conservancy champions science-based solutions to tackle the largest ocean conservation challenges we face–and the world of sports has an important role to play in this fight. Thanks to the Dolphins and Hard Rock Stadium for being #TeamOcean all the way.

Love our content?

Sign up to receive our emails!

Sorry, but we failed to add you to the list. Please try again or contact 1.888.780.6763

Email Address

...loading

Thanks for signing up for Ocean Conservancy emails.

The post Dolphins Fans, Rejoice: Hard Rock Stadium Cutting 2.8 Million Single-Use Plastic Items in Time for Super Bowl LIV appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.

from Ocean Conservancy https://ift.tt/2qDhaLq https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

MOSES hunts Ocean Eddies

Marine and coastal scientists investigate mobile oxygen minimum zonesThe nets are in place. As part of the Helmholtz Earth system observation programme MOSES, researchers from the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel and the Helmholtz-ZentrumGeesthacht, Centre for Materials and Coastal Research, are planning to investigate extremely low-oxygen eddies in the tropical Atlantic until Christmas. Autonomous devices are already scouting the ocean around the Cape Verde Islands for eddies suitable for study. On 23 November, the research vessel METEOR will leave the port of Mindelo for the detected eddies. A research aircraft will support the search from the air.

from "Future Ocean" – News https://ift.tt/2OLHfzL https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

OC Overview for the week of 25 November 2019

Trump plan to push seafloor mapping wins warm reception

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/11/trump-plan-push-seafloor-mapping...

from OpenChannels News https://ift.tt/2QNqve9 https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

11 Animals That’ll Thank You for Your Giving Tuesday Donation

The season of giving has finally come! As we enter into a time of the year filled with friends, family and countless festivities, don’t forget that one of the biggest days of the year for nonprofit organizations is coming up on December 3rd: Giving Tuesday.

This is an incredibly special day for all of us at Ocean Conservancy. Giving Tuesday is an international day of giving celebrated annually on the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving. It’s a day when people from all over the world can stop to remember the causes that matter most to them. It’s widely considered the beginning of the “giving season,” and in honor of this special day, we’re doing something extra special. 

This Giving Tuesday, our board and generous donors have agreed to triple match all day-of donations on December 3rd up to $100,000! Don’t miss this chance to triple your impact for our ocean. Still need convincing? Check out these 11 sea critters who would be unequivocally grateful for your Giving Tuesday donation this year.

This dumbo octopus, who we’re 110% sure is waving at you right now.

“Hi friend, will you donate to save my home on Giving Tuesday?”

Source: GIPHY

This pinniped cutie patootie, who heard you were considering donating for Giving Tuesday.

Source: GIPHY

This fabulous feather star, a species of sea star renowned for doing this little ocean dance party. We think this particular dance is just for you, though … especially on Giving Tuesday!

Source: GIPHY

This humpback whale, who couldn’t help but jump for joy when he found out an ocean advocate like you was getting ready to donate to help save him and his buddies this year.

Source: GIPHY

This spinner dolphin, who’s very occupied doing a very similar sea spin-aroo. 

Can you blame her? You’re helping us save our ocean!

Source: GIPHY

This little snow bunny (an adorably wintery-looking type of sea slug), who picked its head right up at the thought of you becoming an ocean hero on Giving Tuesday this year!

Also … is this Olaf from Disney’s Frozen? 

We’re pretty sure it’s Olaf from Frozen.

Because it doesn’t have a skull. Or bones.

Source: GIPHY

These festive anemones, who scheduled a disco session with their friends to properly celebrate your Giving Tuesday donation. Helping save their homes in reef ecosystems?

Now that’s a reason to sea-lebrate!

Source: GIPHY

This cuddly sea otter specimen, who doubted you at first but now wants to know…

Will you really give to Ocean Conservancy this Giving Tuesday?

She’d be so otter-ly grateful.

Source: GIPHY

These teeny tiny turtle babies, who are even more stoked to reach the sea now that they know you’ll be helping save the precious places they call home!

Source: GIPHY

This super grateful cuttlefish, who looks like he’s trying to cuddle you, but he actually just gets really excited about Giving Tuesday and … acts like he’s a cast member in Star Wars.

Don’t tell him he’s not … we’re just letting him live his dream over there.

Regardless, we’re sure he’s beyond thrilled about your donation!

Source: GIPHY

This very enthused little crustacean.

He brought out his special ocean tippy-tap dance just for you this Giving Tuesday!

Source: GIPHY

---

Well, ocean friends, you’ve seen the evidence. There are so many marvelous marine wildlife species who you can help make a difference for this Giving Tuesday. Will you send the love back to them with a donation this year? 

Let’s do this, #TeamOcean!

Shark costume not required for donation-giving.

But also definitely not discouraged. 

Sign up for our emails!

Sorry, but we failed to add you to the list. Please try again or contact 1.888.780.6763

Email Address

...loading

Thanks for signing up for Ocean Conservancy emails.

 

The post 11 Animals That’ll Thank You for Your Giving Tuesday Donation appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.

from Ocean Conservancy https://ift.tt/2KSatM5 https://ift.tt/2DLnMfU

Fish Tales from Alaska

Alaskans love sharing a good fish story—we are famous for it—and often with each retelling the size of the fish and direness of the circumstances increase. Fish tales are fun to share. The impacts of climate change on our region are not and the stories of what we are seeing in Alaska need no embellishment.

A group of Alaska women involved in commercial and subsistence fisheries traveled to Washington D.C. this month to share the magnitude of change we are seeing firsthand. As fishermen living in remote areas, interacting with the natural world harvesting fish, we see things that others don’t. Our relationship with our respective regions run deep, often spanning decades and generations. The change we are seeing is happening now, and we feel a responsibility to bring awareness to the degree of change we are experiencing in the Northern United States.

Alaska fishermen are innovative, resourceful and willing to act to maintain resilient fishing communities. Storytelling and first-hand experiences help to bring awareness to our policy makers, influencing actions to address climate change. We will keep talking, we must. Our future is at risk. Fishing communities nationwide need policies that help fishing livelihoods weather rapid change, and work together to mitigate carbon emissions contributing to climate change. We all need to act, and perhaps those of us coming from the North, where the conditions are shifting the fastest, can help others understand what’s coming.

© Ocean Conservancy

“In Alaska, we have left behind the days of discussing climate change in hypothetical terms. As coastal communities, as small business owners and people intimately connected with the landscape, we are witnessing what can only be described as systemic and unprecedented change—in terms of its speed and scale. Dry stream beds and die offs, erosion and mass fish migrations. These are the stories we brought to Washington, D.C., along with requests for practical steps to help our coastal communities and fisheries stay resilient in the face of sweeping change.

It is more important than ever that our federal leaders support fishery and oceanographic research, community infrastructure that bolsters resiliency efforts, and policy processes that integrate considerations for climate change impacts. We need management processes nimble enough to adapt and thrive with those impacts, and rigorous enough in its standards to conserve at-risk stocks, habitats and food webs. It is an honor to be a storyteller for our northern ecosystems, helping to connect what we’re seeing on the grounds to these long-term policy needs for our regions and nation.”

Hannah Heimbuch

Second-generation fisherman from Homer and Senior Consultant with Oceans Strategies

“Our family business is unique in that we set net using pickup trucks to work our gear from shore. Historically, sea ice protected our gravel and bluff from the Bering Sea winter storms. That’s no longer the case. We’re seeing decades of our former rate of erosion disappear in mere years. And while the current temperatures are positively impacting our salmon runs, we’re headed for a tipping point when our fish can no longer adapt to changing conditions. I am grateful for the opportunity to bring these stories back to DC where we can help inform policy-makers as they tackle these complex issues, and look forward to working with them to make our fishing communities adaptable and climate ready.”

Jamie O’Connor

Fifth-generation set-netter from Bristol Bay and Working Waterfronts program manager and policy analyst with the Alaska Marine Conservation Council

“Just in this year, we had multiple, unusual wildfires in my region. Our creeks were the most dry that many residents had seen. Incidentally, these last few years have also had the largest recorded sockeye runs.  I’m told that the heat has actually motivated these runs.  But what of the other creatures that we are seeing suffer in our regions?  I haven’t seen the caribou migration for over 15 years; and while commercial fishing this summer, we caught dozens of dead shearwaters in our nets.  Some of the change could be natural, and some could be unnatural, but I believe it’s safe to say that civilization has been at fault in the past, so why not again this time? We must continue to adapt for the wellbeing of our fisheries and local biology.”

Mili Lundgren

Second-generation Bristol Bay drift-netter and subsistence fisherman

“This summer on Kodiak Island felt apocalyptic. As I flew the length of the island in August, streambeds normally bubbling with salmon were bone dry, reminding me of a desert wash. After 40 days of no rain and unprecedented heat, the northern rainforest was shriveling up and our salmon dependent livelihoods felt extremely vulnerable. Processors were running out of water, down to days of water needed to continue to process fish. Smolt released from salmon hatcheries died, unable to live in the warm waters. Remote fish sites were out of water, hauling drinking and washing water in by hand. The fish were stressed and unable to enter the streams they were bound for due to lack of water and high-water temperatures which influences salmon movement. The salmon were exhibiting behavior no one had seen before; sunburned pink salmon repeatedly jumping out of the water in the mouth of the rivers and along beaches, red salmon were traveling deep, seemingly seeking cooler temperatures as they traveled under nets while sunburnt fishermen on deck watched. Those who live in the last frontier are now living on the front lines in a changing climate, changes that are happening now. Harvesters and managers must be ready to change course under these conditions and we all need to work together to influence policies which reduce carbon emissions and support measures that help coastal residents’ weather abrupt changes to our livelihoods and traditions. The monitoring, fish surveys, stock assessments and research conducted by the National Marine Fisheries Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration provide the best science possible to guide sustainable management practices and it is critical to Alaska’s fishing future to continue these efforts. We need to continue to come to policy makers in D.C. from Alaska homes and paint a picture with our words. We did just that last week and it was clear our stories resonated in each of the offices we met with. Keep talking Alaskans, our voices matter.”

Theresa Peterson

Commercial fisherman from Kodiak, Alaska and Fisheries Policy Director with the Alaska Marine Conservation Council

“The Alutiiq people have inhabited the Kodiak region for at least 7,000 years. Recent years have brought a series of events that, once considered unprecedented, have become the new normal. These events include draught, flooding, forest fires, multiple record heat waves, seabird and marine mammal die offs, irregular fish returns, warm climate, invasive species and extreme fish mortality. The Alaska Federation of Natives declared climate change a state of emergency in Alaska at the 2019 Convention and reinstated its Climate Action Leadership Task Force to advocate for strong climate policies. I came to Washington D.C. to help others with less interaction with the natural world we call home in Alaska to share my experience and offer myself as a resource.”

Natasha Hayden, P.E.

Kodiak Island Native Alaskan, subsistence and commercial fisherman, Registered Professional Engineer, and the Director of Lands & Natural Resources for the Afognak Native Corporation

Every fisherman has their own account of how our warming environment is impacting their fishery, business and community. Thank you to the offices that met with these fishermen to hear theirs.

Like our content?

Sign up for our emails!

Sorry, but we failed to add you to the list. Please try again or contact 1.888.780.6763

Email Address

...loading

Thanks for signing up for Ocean Conservancy emails.

The post Fish Tales from Alaska appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.

from Ocean Conservancy https://ift.tt/2QJnCeu https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

A warm welcome back to the beach

After three years (where I did my undergraduate degree) I am back into the Marine Educator role at Petite Anse, Four Seasons Resorts Seychelles and I feel like I’ve never been away! I was very happy to have been offered this position. Having enjoyed my degree at The University of Seychelles I now love the fact that I’ll be spending more time in the water.

October has been a fruitful month since I’ve joined the team, it has been easy blending in with the members of the team, we all share similar interests and there has been a flow of knowledge from each one of us, making a great working environment! The staff at the resort has also been helpful, reminding me about certain things at the resort – helping me find my way around!

Every day is an opportunity to learn something new –  assisting projects and interacting with guests, either chatting about diving and snorkelling spots, or just the weather in general. The guided snorkel sessions are my favourite, contributing to the guests’ experience and sharing knowledge about the wonders of our oceans. I’m always pleased when I meet the guests’ expectations and they are amazed at the end of their experience about the things they’ve learnt, this really makes me feel content in what I’m doing.

I’m very happy that I get to work on the Reef Restoration Project and I’m pleased to have done my first coral transplants and contribute to the well- being of the coral nursery. I also did my first interview with The Ocean Project a few weeks after started – That was a great start! (Look out for this interview soon!)

There is more to come in the coming months – I’m excited – I’ll get to do more surveys and help establish a new database. I believe WiseOceans has a lot to offer and so do I, and this will mould my career as a Marine Biologist.

 

from WiseOceans blog – WiseOceans https://ift.tt/2ObLGVF https://ift.tt/2KKnPdA

Life under extreme conditions at hot springs in the ocean

Marine researchers at Kiel University decipher adaptation mechanismsThe volcanic island of Kueishantao in northeastern Taiwan is an extreme habitat for marine organisms. With an active volcano, the coastal area has a unique hydrothermal field with a multitude of hot springs and volcanic gases. The acidity of the study area was among the highest in the world. The easily accessible shallow water around the volcanic island therefore represents an ideal research environment for investigating the adaptability of marine organisms, some of which are highly specialised, such as crabs, to highly acidified and toxic seawater.

from "Future Ocean" – News https://ift.tt/2XB4zEm https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Meet the researcher: Samantha Siedlecki, Marine Sciences

When Samantha Siedlecki was a young girl in land-locked Chicago, she would go on family vacations to the beach, excursions that gave her a chance to play in the waves, build sandcastles, watch crabs, and fall in love with the ocean. In high school, Siedlecki worked as a volunteer at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. […]

from Web sites and blogs – Ocean acidification https://ift.tt/37tHF6j https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Cross Currents, A New Blog by the Lenfest Ocean Program

The Lenfest Ocean Program has a new blog, Cross Currents

Click here to read the full article from its source (note: external link)

from OpenChannels News https://ift.tt/37oRgLW https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Aquaculture and marine ecosystems: Friend or foe?

Aquaculture production is an increasingly important component of global seafood production. Seafood production from aquaculture has expanded nearly six-fold since 1990, while capture fisheries production has remained relatively stagnant. According to the UN Food and Agricultural Organization’s most recent analysis of global fisheries and aquaculture, seafood production from aquaculture (excluding seaweeds) exceeded production from marine capture fisheries for the first time in 2016.^[i]

Aquaculture’s reputation is mixed, however. It obviously has the potential to feed many people, but it has is associated with a number of observed and potential negative environmental impacts, including:

• Altering and destroying habitat, such as mangrove forests, for aquaculture facilities
• Escapes of farmed species into the wild, enabling species invasions and altering the genetics of wild populations
• Spreading diseases and parasites to wild populations
• Releasing fecal waste, uneaten food, and pesticides into the local environment, decreasing water quality
• Contributing to the overfishing of wild fish populations because of the use of wild fish to feed farmed fish.

This negative view obscures the incredible diversity of aquaculture types and their diverse interactions with marine environments. Aquaculture enterprises vary in:

• What species are cultivated (e.g., seaweeds, mollusks, crustaceans, finfish) and what they feed on (e.g., whether they are photosynthesizers, filter feeders, deposit feeders, herbivores, carnivores)
• How intense production is (e.g., total biomass per cage, the degree to which fertilizer and supplementary feeds are used)
• The type of environment production takes place in (e.g., freshwater streams or lakes, fully enclosed tanks, ponds, intertidal, sheltered bays, open ocean, sea pens, ponds, tanks).

from OpenChannels News https://ift.tt/2QFbLhh https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Latest News and Resources for Ocean Planners and Managers

• UN publishes evaluation of global progress towards 2030 Sustainable Development Goals
• Over US$63 billion pledged at Our Ocean conference to improve ocean health and productivity (view pledges in map form)
• New elevation data triples estimate of global population vulnerable to sea-level rise and coastal flooding (explore data with Coastal Risk Screening Tool)
• Meta-analysis of MPA coverage highlights gaps in Caribbean, Madagascar, southern Africa, Mediterranean, and Coral Triangle
• Global subsidies to fishing industry more than US$35 billion in 2018 [Read Skimmer coverage of why this matters for marine ecosystems]
• Study finds MPA benefits and drawbacks roughly equal for local communities
• Analysis predicts continued ocean warming will trigger more extreme El Niños
• Sea levels will continue to rise even after global temperatures stabilize
• Offshore wind report offers comprehensive global look at latest technology, market developments, and geospatial analysis
• New report illuminates activities of distant water fishing fleets including IUU fishing and illicit activity
• New guide details how to insure a natural asset [Read Skimmer coverage about insurance coverage for Mesoamerican Reef]
• Tool helps design accurate, statistically meaningful ocean research experiments
• Communications tool to help scientists engage public and decisionmakers now available in Spanish
• Workbook for strategic communication for conservation available
• Nike joins coalition pledged to not ship through Arctic; Exxon partner plans to ship liquid natural gas through Arctic
• Final approval given for first commercial offshore wind installation in US federal waters
• China's ocean waste up 27% in 2018
• Marine planning and management trainings added to Skimmer database

from OpenChannels News https://ift.tt/345Tgqh https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Ecosystem-based aquaculture: We need to stop thinking about an aquaculture farm as something within the limits of a few buoys or GPS coordinates on a map

Editor’s note: Thierry Chopin is a professor of marine biology and director of the Seaweed and Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture Research Laboratory at the University of New Brunswick in Canada. He is also president of Chopin Coastal Health Solutions Inc. His research focuses on the ecophysiology/biochemistry/cultivation of seaweeds and the development of Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) for environmental sustainability, economic stability, and societal acceptability.

The Skimmer: Can you tell us a little bit about what IMTA is?

Chopin: With IMTA, farmers cultivate species from different trophic levels and with complementary ecosystem functions in proximity. They combine fed species (e.g., finfish that need to be provided with feed) with extractive species (e.g., seaweeds, aquatic plants, shellfish, and other invertebrates that extract their food from the environment) to take advantage of synergistic interactions among them. In these systems, biomitigation operates as part of a circular economy (i.e., nutrients are no longer considered wastes or by-products of one species, but instead are co-products for the other species).

from OpenChannels News https://ift.tt/34hEdcU https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Lessons learned from 40 years of Great Barrier Reef zoning

By Tundi Agardy, Contributing Editor, The Skimmer. Email: tundiagardy [at] earthlink.net

A recent publication “Marine zoning revisiting: How decades of zoning the Great Barrier Reef has evolved an effective spatial planning approach for marine ecosystem-based management” published in Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems distills important lessons from Australia’s evolving commitment to manage the world’s most iconic multiple use marine protected area. It casts a critical eye on what has worked and what has not, and it pushes us beyond our marine comfort zone to face the challenge of true ecosystem-based management (EBM), which neither ocean zoning nor marine spatial planning (MSP) in their current applications can adequately provide. With this publication, Jon Day and his coauthors have given the world a valuable gift that will keep on giving – if we can acknowledge this gift and heed it.

Day and his colleagues (including Richard Kenchington, who like Day has been intimately involved in the design and management of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park [GBRMP] through its various iterations over the years) recount how zoning both set the stage for multiple use management and evolved to provide the legal framework for regulations to protect the world’s largest barrier reef. The use of zoning had to be adapted over decades because the GBRMP Authority was a pioneer in spatial management and the allocation of space to uses of the marine environment. Zoning on land may have provided a glimpse of the possible, but adapting zoning approaches to the fluid and obscured ocean realm required experimentation and a fair amount of risk taking.

from OpenChannels News https://ift.tt/2XwVcp5 https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

My Favorite Time of the Year: Reflections on the GGGI Annual Meeting

Ingrid Giskes is the Director of the Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI), where she works to tackle the most harmful form of marine debris in our ocean: lost and abandoned fishing gear. She has a background in international policy and has been working in this field for the last seven years. When she’s not traveling, Ingrid lives across from the ocean where the waves and ocean life inspire her every day to do more. Follow Ingrid and her team on Twitter at @Igiskes and @GGGInitiative and learn more about this Ocean Conservancy program on www.ghostgear.org.

As other people start getting ready for the holiday season, I’ve been focused on another one of the most wonderful times of the year: the Global Ghost Gear Initiative’s (GGGI) sixth Annual Meeting!

This past weekend, GGGI members from across the world came together in Panama City, Panama for two days of meetings, panels and collaboration. The GGGI is comprised of more than 100 member organizations that are all working together to prevent abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG, or “ghost gear”) from harming our ocean and the people and communities that depend on it.

© Joel Baziuk/Global Ghost Gear Initiative

In addition to being the most harmful form of marine debris, ghost gear is also prolific in our ocean: research suggests that up to 70% of floating macroplastics in our ocean water column may be fishing-related when measured by weight. The GGGI annual meeting brings together passionate leaders from industry, government and NGOs to review and celebrate the past year of activities and successes as well as develop new partnerships and solutions to the ghost gear problem. It’s these individuals and this unique collaborative platform that make the organization so special.

© Joel Baziuk/Global Ghost Gear Initiative

Seeing our members in one room—some old friends, some new—collaborating to develop new ideas in the fight against ghost gear is consistently one of the highlights of my year, and this weekend’s meeting was no exception. We missed a few important members of the GGGI family, but were able to commemorate our dear friend and co-creator Joanna (Jo) Toole and I am confident we did her proud. From fast-paced presentations and videos featuring the fascinating work of new members like the Manta Caribbean Project to panels that took deep dives into the latest ghost gear research, I was blown away by everyone’s energy and continued commitment to the Initiative. Here are three of my biggest takeaways from the 2019 GGGI Annual Meeting that we’ll be taking into 2020:

1. We have come a long way in just six years.

Hearing from our three working groups on all that they’ve done in the past year to build evidence, implement best practices and scale up solutions was a reminder of how far we’ve come. Since last year’s annual meeting, these three groups identified key research, translated our gear reporting app into multiple languages, developed new sustainability strategies for fisheries, implemented seven new solution projects around the world, supported the roll out of Best Practice capacity building workshops and so much more. Additionally, seeing many of our key leaders in one room reminded me of the reach and collective impact the GGGI harnesses in its ranks: in the past year alone, the GGGI has added 19 member organizations, including the Government of Norway and SeaBOS, which represents ten of the largest seafood companies in the world. The GGGI has moved from concept to reality and is seeing more and more of its tools and guidance documents (including the Best Practice Framework for the Management of Fishing Gear) being implemented around the world.

© Joel Baziuk/Global Ghost Gear Initiative

2. Scaling up our commitments will require focus and continued commitment.   

The theme of this year’s annual meeting was “scaling up” on our accomplishments and maximizing our ability to draw upon the rich and diverse expertise within the GGGI membership. The tremendous growth of the GGGI is wonderful to see, and we need to continue to focus our energy on the specific levers which will have maximum impact to achieve our goal of helping achieve a net reduction in ghost gear entering the ocean by 2030. Prevention strategies and capacity building activities remain at the core of our work. This weekend, it was clear that all of the GGGI members in the room were brimming with ideas of how to help us achieve that goal, and I was incredibly inspired to see our working groups synthesize their ideas into feasible, tangible work plans on the most effective ways to tackle this global challenge.

© Joel Baziuk/Global Ghost Gear Initiative

3. One of our strengths will always rest in the diversity of our members.

Over the course of fifteen lightning talks and videos, four panels, two keynote addresses and a few shared meals, I was almost overwhelmed by the variety of perspectives in the room from all around the world, yet our members are always able to find common ground. From representatives from the Panamanian and Canadian governments to leaders at global nonprofits to folks from the fishing industry, people who otherwise might not have ever met were all in one place, and our ocean is better for it. It was incredible to see people forge connections, come up with ideas in real time and genuinely enjoy each other’s company, and it was a reminder of how special the GGGI is. It is truly built on the idea of collaboration, not competition. The GGGI is so much more than the sum of its parts and we are fortunate to be able to count on the expertise and passion of our members, including the newly formed Expert Advisory Council.

© Joel Baziuk/Global Ghost Gear Initiative

The fight against ocean plastic pollution and ghost gear can sometimes feel exhausting and never-ending, but today of all days, I’m feeling energized and ready to get to work, and I’m already counting down the days until #GGGIMeeting2020!

Learn more about the GGGI and how we work to prevent abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear at ghostgear.org.

Love our content?

Sign up for our emails!

Sorry, but we failed to add you to the list. Please try again or contact 1.888.780.6763

Email Address

...loading

Thanks for signing up for Ocean Conservancy emails.

The post My Favorite Time of the Year: Reflections on the GGGI Annual Meeting appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.

from Ocean Conservancy https://ift.tt/2r5UEul https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Busting Ocean Myths

This blog was written by Dr. David Shiffman, a marine conservation biologist and public science educator based in Washington, D.C. Renowned for his witty social media presence, his written for the widely-read ocean science blog Southern Fried Science, and his science writing has appeared in publications including the Washington Post, Scientific American, Gizmodo and Scuba Diving Magazine. Follow along with him on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and stay tuned his future contributions to the Ocean Conservancy blog.

---

Hello, ocean lovers! My name is Dr. David Shiffman and I’m a marine conservation biologist who specializes in the conservation and management of sharks and their relatives. While I grew up far from the coast in the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, I’ve loved the ocean (and specifically sharks) as long as my family can remember. Most kids grow out of their shark phase eventually, but not me! I dug in and became a shark researcher. I got SCUBA certified as soon as I was old enough, and I spent five summers at a diving and marine biology summer camp in the Florida Keys, eventually working as a counselor and shark biology instructor. I went on to study biology at Duke University, eventually obtaining a Masters in Marine Biology from the College of Charleston. I then received my Ph.D. in Ecosystem Science and Policy at the University of Miami, and most recently finished a two-year Liber Ero Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Conservation Biology at Simon Fraser University. I currently live in Washington, D.C., where I work as a scientific and environmental consultant. The primary focus of my current work is to help environmental organizations use science more effectively in their advocacy for important conservation protections.

But that’s enough about me. You’re probably wondering why I’ve begun writing for Ocean Conservancy’s blog. Before I answer that, let me share with you an important conclusion from my Postdoctoral research project, where I studied information flow related to ocean conservation. During this research, I examined multiple modern information pathways such as social media and the popular press, and came to a startling conclusion:

There is a ton of misleading (or, to be honest, blatantly incorrect) information out there about ocean conservation. The worst part? It’s unbelievably widely shared.

© Dr. David Shiffman

When misleading or false information like this is so widely dispersed, especially on platforms like social media, its reach can be magnified to an alarming level. Some, if not much of it, has undoubtedly reached us all at some point. With that in mind, it’s more important than ever for marine science and conservation experts to share the truth about the ocean with folks like you. At the end of the day, you are our biggest ally: you can help us spread the truth about the incredible wonder that our ocean is, and help slow the spread of incorrect information that’s out there.

As an award-winning science communicator and scholar of best practices in public science engagement, I’ve developed robust expertise as a marine biologist and environmentalist. As a true ocean lover at heart, I’m here to help you make sense of the complex world of ocean science and conservation. In my upcoming contributions to Ocean Conservancy’s blog, I’ll share marine science news that you haven’t heard anywhere else, and will likely take you behind the scenes of conservation stories that you’ve only heard a little bit about. I’ll introduce you to incredible ecosystems and fantastic species, as well as the scientists who study them and the conservationists who work to protect them. I’ll provide tips and tricks for those of you interested in pursuing a career in marine biology, and I’ll teach you how to learn about an ocean science or conservation topic like the professionals … and how to avoid falling for (and unwittingly sharing) misinformation.

I couldn’t be more excited to share these important conversations with you over the next few months. Thanks for reading, and be sure to follow along with myself and Ocean Conservancy on social media, where I’m always happy to answer any questions you may have about sharks, the ocean, marine biology and conservation science!

Sign up for our emails!

Sorry, but we failed to add you to the list. Please try again or contact 1.888.780.6763

Email Address

...loading

Thanks for signing up for Ocean Conservancy emails.

The post Busting Ocean Myths appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.

from Ocean Conservancy https://ift.tt/342uaZ7 https://ift.tt/eA8V8J