Posts by Madeleine Serkissian
Don’t believe the hype: a reality check on COVID-19 and marine protected areas
By: Christina Hoenow, Marine Protected Area Researcher In the months since the world came to a screeching halt due to COVID-19, you have likely seen articles announcing that “nature is healing” and photos of wildlife returning to areas typically crowded with tourists like the canals of Venice. While COVID-19 has shown us that a plummeting…
Read MoreNature is on the ballot this November
Most citizens could not be blamed for thinking that the big environmental events over the last 3 years have been the Trump administration gutting one Obama policy and regulation after another. We’re pulling out of the historic Paris Climate Accords; we’re planning to sell drilling rights to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge; we’ve undone rules…
Read MoreDive In: A Virtual Congress to discuss Global Marine Conservation Issues
The sixth annual International Marine Conservation Congress (IMCC) is underway, and Marine Conservation Institute has a seat at the table—virtually, that is. Will you join us? The IMCC brings together conservationists from around the globe to develop new tools to bridge marine science and policy. Every year, over 200 marine conservation professionals and students attend…
Read MoreTravel to the Deep Sea: Two Multimedia Journeys
At the beginning of July, Marine Conservation Institute invited our supporters to voyage to the deep sea…from the comfort of the living room. Our first-ever webinar was a huge success, and we’re pleased to share footage of it with those of you who didn’t get a chance to register for the live event! Travel with…
Read MoreA Fun Quiz to Beat the Doldrums
Have you been looking for new ways to learn more about yourself this summer? Marine Conservation Institute is excited to release our Kind Quiz: a fun chance to learn what your unique “Kindness” is, out of 98,304 possible combinations. Our President, Lance Morgan, has a Kindness profile of Generous, just like Billie Jean King, Prince…
Read MoreSafeguarding California Seamounts for Generations and Generations to Come
In episode 2 of our California Seamounts Series, viewers experience the rough topography of the seamounts and the incredible marine life that lives there. Like the Sierra Mountains, the seamounts have steep cliffs, valleys, deep gorges, and broad plateaus. These seamounts are havens for life from their base to summit. Scientists believe that seamount…
Read MoreA Glimmer of Hope for Ailing Seas; Scientists publish a timeline for turning the tide on marine ecosystem degradation
By Sebastian Nicholls, Blue Parks Ambassador. “What we do in the next ten years will profoundly impact the next few thousand.” – Sir David Attenborough Since 1956, scientists have provided evidence of mounting anthropogenic climate change.[1] The mounting evidence tells a clear and scientifically certain story: human actions are degrading the planet’s living…
Read MoreThe California Seamount Series!
Featured Picture: A Dumbo octopus (Grimpoteuthis sp.) swimming in the Gulf of Mexico. Photo credit: NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research. Today, we release the first in a series of short videos and multi-media stories about a unique place in U.S. oceans — huge underwater mountains, called seamounts. Rising from the deep, dark seafloor…
Read MoreStatement of Lance Morgan, President of Marine Conservation Institute on President Trump’s Attempt to Incapacitate the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine Monument
For Immediate Release Friday, June 5, 2020 Contact: Lance Morgan Lance.Morgan@marine-conservation.org, 707-217-8242 (cell) Mike Gravitz Michael.Gravitz@marine-conservation.org, 301-351-5052 (cell) [Glen Ellen, CA] Last Friday President Trump proclaimed June as National Ocean Month, saying that, “… we reaffirm our commitment to responsible stewardship of our ocean resources…..and ensuring that the natural beauty and wonder of the oceans…
Read MoreCalling on Marine Scientists to Support Protecting at least 30% of the Ocean by 2030 (30×30)
By Lance Morgan, President at Marine Conservation Institute There is growing scientific evidence and support for protecting at least 30% of the planet. The 2019 report from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) highlights the dire future of biodiversity on our planet if we do not act decisively now. Seagrass beds,…
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