Blog
A half-hearted win for Indigenous rights at Convention for Biological Diversity – COP15
Photo by Mark Sullivan // NOAA Fisheries Monk Seal Research Program. Papahānaumokuākea is a Blue Park that encompasses 1.5 million square kilometers. By Marine Conservation Institute Intern Jericha Major. This is a continued blog in a series surrounding the outcomes of the COP15 summit held in Montreal, Cananda this past year. Click here to read…
Read MoreWorld Resoundingly Agrees to Protect 30% of the Planet By 2030, Now Comes the Hard Part: Building a Vast, Highly Protected Network of Effectively Managed MPAs By the End of This Decade
© Picture Tobias Zimmer With contributions from Menelas Kosadinos, Beth Pike, Lance Morgan, Russell Moffitt & Jessica MacCarthy Across the globe, governments, NGOs, scientists, conservationists and many others are hailing the conclusion of the Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP15) where countries successfully adopted the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework late…
Read MoreTales from Tewa Tewa: How Sea Women of Melanesia is empowering women, sustainable local communities and marine conservation
Hailing from Papua New Guinea, I am currently working with Marine Conservation Institute through a Community Engagement Exchange (CEE) Program sponsored by the US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. This program brings together young civic society change-makers from over 100 countries for a three-month fellowship with US-based host organizations to facilitate…
Read MoreMeet the 2023 Blue Park Award nominees, and help us evaluate them!
Review the Nominees & Submit a Comment Blue Park Awards recognize outstanding marine protected areas (MPAs) that are safeguarding life in the sea. Nominees for the award go through a rigorous assessment using Blue Parks science-based criteria. They are the MPAs that are in the right places, with the right rules, and the right management…
Read MoreBiggest Climate Bill Ever Signed into Law; It’s a Game Changer With some Compromises Wrapped Inside the Inflation Reduction Act
On August 16th President Biden signed the landmark Inflation Reduction Act into law after passage by a vote of 51-50 in the Senate where all Democrats voted for the bill and all Republicans against. Only the presence and tie-breaking vote of Vice President Harris allowed the bill to pass. The new law is a combination…
Read MoreNational Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration Rejects Proposal to Expand Area for Rock Shrimp Bottom Trawl Fishery off Florida Coast
Decision saves remnants of fragile Oculina coral habitat found nowhere else on Earth from destruction Contacts: Dr. Lance Morgan, PresidentMarine Conservation Institute, USALance.Morgan@marine-conservation.org+1 707 217 8242 mobile Shari Anker, PresidentConservation Alliance of St. Lucie Countysranker@icloud.com+1 772 335 3484 NOAA Announcement https://bit.ly/3vozSV4 and Background Below [Washington, DC] National Oceanographic and Atmospheric (NOAA) officials rejected amendment 10 from…
Read MoreUPDATE: Florida Keys and Oculina Coral Reefs
Florida’s abundant and diverse marine life – snappers, groupers, sharks, marlin, sea turtles, manatees – and special habitats like the Florida Keys coral reefs have made it an important destination for millions of visitors and new residents for decades. But these rich marine and coastal ecosystems are fraying at the edges or in sharp decline…
Read MoreThe 2022 Blue Park Awards at the UN Ocean Conference
Global leaders along with over 2,000 individuals from civil society met together in Lisbon, Portugal last week to create a path forward to revitalize our ocean. The UN Ocean Conference addressed a long list of priorities, including increasing the coverage of marine protected areas. And while the plenary sessions were busy with leaders talking about…
Read MoreThree Blue Park Award Winners Announced at UN Ocean Conference
New Marine Protected Areas Recognized for Outstanding Conservation Friday 1 July 2022 [Lisbon, Portugal, 1 July 2022]—Three marine protected areas (MPAs) won prestigious Blue Park Awards for exceptional marine wildlife conservation at the United Nations Ocean Conference today. Apo Reef Natural Park (The Philippines), Raja Ampat Islands Marine Conservation Area (Indonesia), and Old Providence McBean…
Read MoreA Visit to French Polynesia for the Blue Climate Summit
Recently I had the opportunity to join other ocean conservation leaders for the Blue Climate Summit in French Polynesia. The meeting brought us together for a week of focused meetings and community gatherings to advance conservation at the ocean / climate nexus. I was pleased to represent Marine Conservation Institute and share the important work…
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