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Did Millenia of Fish Poop Help Shape a New Seamount off the Coast of California?
“The oceans deserve our respect and care, but you have to know something before you can care about it.” – Sylvia Earle Move over boring geological processes – there’s a new seamount in town that scientists say could have been shaped by a surprising source: fish poop. Seamounts are colossal underwater mountains that usually form…
Read MoreAnother Earth Day Comes and Goes
I’ve been celebrating Earth Day since 1970 when I was in high school; and now I am a 70-year old man. I’ve seen a lot of Earth Days come and go, some with a fanfare of government announcements and others with an insipid nod to Mother Earth. I get that there are a lot of…
Read MoreFor Us and Future Generations
“The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.” – Jacques Yves Cousteau My son was born four months ago, and I will never think about ocean conservation the same way again. A biologist by training, I have been studying and working to protect our ocean for almost 15…
Read MoreBlue Parks earns UN Ocean Decade endorsement
Last week, Marine Conservation Institute’s Blue Parks initiative was endorsed by the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2021-2030 (“UN Ocean Decade”). Blue Parks joins the UN Ocean Decade network of endorsed actions engaged in the common vision of the science we need for the ocean we want. “The UN Ocean Decade…
Read MoreProtection in the Pacific Remote Islands: Fifteen Years in the Making and Still Counting…
On March 21st, President Biden hosted the White House Conservation in Action Summit, where among other conservation actions, he directed the Secretary of Commerce to consider expanding the marine national monument around the Pacific Remote Islands by initiating a National Marine Sanctuary designation. This is the third President to recognize the conservation importance of these…
Read MoreMarine Conservation Institute Applauds Biden-Harris Administration Proposed Expansion of Marine Sanctuary Around Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument
To truly safeguard marine life and restore our ocean, Biden’s proposed sanctuary around the entirety of the Pacific Remote Islands must provide a high level of protection and eliminate commercial fishing in line with the existing marine national monument.
Read MoreHistoric High Seas Treaty to Conserve Biodiversity
Featured Photo: Photo courtesy of NOAA Late Saturday evening, after a sleepless Friday night in the United Nations, two decades of negotiations came to an end. With a simple statement, “the ship has reached the shore,” Singapore’s Rena Lee (president of the negotiations) announced a once-in-a-lifetime agreement. This historic treaty will enable international efforts to…
Read More2023 Blue Park Award Winners Announced at 5th International Marine Protected Area Congress
New Marine Protected Areas Recognized for Outstanding Conservation Sunday 5 February 2023 Press Kit (map, images, logos, background): https://marine-conservation.box.com/s/su5vpl6lasscfsko51stll2z15s2cqc6 Contacts listed below [Vancouver, Canada, 5 Feb 2023]—Three marine protected areas (MPAs) won prestigious Blue Park Awards for exceptional marine wildlife conservation at the 5th International Marine Protected Area Congress (IMPAC5) today. Pitcairn Islands Marine Protected…
Read MoreGitdisdzu Lugyks (Kitasu Bay) MPA Named a Blue Spark in Growing Network of Highest Quality Marine Protected Areas
Press Kit (map, images, logos, background): https://marine-conservation.box.com/s/su5vpl6lasscfsko51stll2z15s2cqc6 Contacts listed below [Vancouver, Canada, 5 Feb 2023] Today, at the 5th International Marine Protected Area Congress (IMPAC5), Marine Conservation Institute announced that Gitdisdzu Lugyeks (Kitasu Bay) MPA is now a Blue Spark marine protected area collaboration. The Blue Spark designation for this Indigenous-led protected area reflects the…
Read MoreThe Perspective – Ocean Takeaways from COP27
Photo by Alex Mustard // Misool Marine Reserve corals. 2018 Blue Park Award winner. By Marine Conservation Institute Intern Alexandra Azevedo. This is the last blog in a series surrounding the outcomes of the COP15 summit held in Montreal, Cananda this past year. Click here for the second blog in the series. Last year, the…
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