Posts by Lance Morgan
Inside the Fight to Save Underwater Volcanoes
Featured image: An orange basket star covers a Picasso sponge at Davidson Seamount, California. Image courtesy of NOAA and MBARI. The deep sea harbors the greatest number of species and ecosystems on Earth. Within this vast realm, the dazzling submerged volcanoes called seamounts are among the most diverse places of all. Scientists have long recognized that…
Read MoreDeep-Sea Coral Expedition to California’s Channel Islands
Location, location, location! This axiom of the real estate world is perhaps even more true in the natural world. Finding the right environmental conditions for deep-sea corals and sponges to survive and thrive is a rare occurrence in the deep ocean. Marine biologists have discovered deep-sea coral ecosystems throughout the oceans from the tropics to…
Read MoreScaling Up the Blue Economy and Breaking Down Barriers to Ocean Conservation
I had the great pleasure of participating in The Economist’s World Ocean Summit earlier this month with nearly 400 other ocean stakeholders and conservation leaders. The meeting, billed as an opportunity to learn more about commitments made by businesses and governments to advance the “Blue Economy”, was a chance to check in on progress made…
Read MoreTrump Dumps the Clean Power Plan and Ocean Life
President Trump’s Executive Order to dismantle the Clean Power Plan is a move that blatantly ignores overwhelming scientific consensus about the immense threats that carbon pollution poses to human and environmental health. The Clean Power Plan, a set of rules to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address human-caused climate change, is an enormous step in…
Read MoreCalifornia’s Ancient Islands May Receive Additional Protections
CALIFORNIA — Congressman Sam Farr (D-Calif.) and Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) have introduced landmark legislation to safeguard a series of underwater mountains and the marine wildlife they support in the deep sea off California. Known as “seamounts,” these extraordinary places are highly productive ‘oases’ in the deep sea. Off California, seamounts support rare deep‐water corals and…
Read MoreHow Much is Enough?
One of the questions I am asked most frequently is how much of the ocean do we need to protect? I often reflect philosophically on the response from Dr. Sylvia Earle (Marine Conservation Institute Board Member, National Geographic Society Explorer-in-Residence, and Mission Blue founder), “More than half the world is ocean, the blue heart of…
Read MoreAn Ocean Hero
Dr. Elliott Norse is retiring after an unparalleled career in marine conservation. As a result of his pioneering efforts to establish the field of marine conservation biology, we now have a vibrant and growing community of marine conservation biologists and advocates. His work directly led to the recent explosion in marine protected area coverage around…
Read MoreIs the “Marine Protected Area” label creating the illusion of marine biodiversity conservation?
Marine biologists Mark Costello and Bill Ballantine from Leigh Marine Laboratory in New Zealand recently published a new study stressing the critical importance of no-take marine reserves for marine biodiversity conservation. While a growing body of scientific literature has documented the undeniable value of no-take reserves for protecting marine biodiversity, most marine protected area (MPA) research now…
Read MoreThe Global Ocean Refuge System; a strategic way to protect vulnerable corals from climate change
New research dramatically underscores the need to accelerate establishment of marine reserves to help safeguard marine life from global climate change. Our staff biogeographer, Dr. John Guinotte, co-authored an important paper published in this month’s issue of Nature Climate Change titled “Options for Managing Impacts of Climate Change on a Deep-Sea Community.” The paper presents…
Read More2014 Annual Report Released
I am excited to announce the release of Marine Conservation Institute’s 2014 Annual Report! From playing a key role in convincing President Barack Obama to expand the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument, to driving strong forward momentum with our Global Ocean Refuge System initiative to a multitude of other conservation successes, 2014 will be a…
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