Skip to content

Status Watch: How Well Are Coral Reefs Protected Around the World?

Tropical coral reefs are some of the most diverse and productive ecosystems on our planet. Often called the ‘rainforests’ of our oceans, coral reefs host incredible levels of biodiversity and provide important ecosystem services that many organisms – including humans – rely on. Globally, coral reefs cover less than 0.1% of our seafloor, but provide…

Read More

Global Ocean Refuge Partner Spotlight: Dr. Laurence McCook

This week, we are excited to shine the Global Ocean Refuge System Partner Spotlight on Dr. Laurence McCook, a member of our esteemed Science Council! Dr. Laurence McCook works in science-based management and conservation of marine ecosystems, especially coral reefs. He holds a “President’s International Visiting Professorial Fellowship” from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, working at the South…

Read More

5 Reasons Seamounts Matter

Seamounts are underwater mountains that rise from the seabed. Because most of the world’s seafloor is a muddy plain, seamounts are special deep-sea features that support unique creatures. Seamounts can arise along mid-ocean ridges, as isolated landmarks, or as volcanoes in chains and clusters. Off California, several seamounts were ancient islands that only went under…

Read More

GLORES Partner Spotlight: Dr. Jennifer O’Leary

This week, we are excited to shine the Global Ocean Refuge System (GLORES) Partner Spotlight on Dr. Jennifer O’Leary, a member of our esteemed GLORES Science Council! Dr. Jennifer O’Leary is a marine ecologist with California Sea Grant at California Polytechnic State University who works at the interface between science and management. Her research focuses…

Read More

Seamounts: oases of biodiversity in California’s deep waters

Beneath the deep waters off the coast of California exist submarine mountains that rise thousands of feet off the seafloor and harbor an incredible diversity of marine life. These underwater mountains are known as seamounts, classically defined as seafloor features that are taller than 1,000 m (3,300 feet), have steep sides and are roughly circular…

Read More