Published by Ocean Conservancy Over the past few years, Floridians have become unpleasantly familiar with repeated noxious harmful blue-green algal blooms that have plagued rivers and estuaries, killing fish and shellfish, fouling boats and undermining the tourism economy. We’ve become so familiar, that we’ve nicknamed the thick, fluffy green plumes of blooming cyanobacteria something a little […]
Published by Ocean Conservancy This blog was written by Chelsea Rochman, Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto, co-founder of the University of Toronto Trash Team and Scientific Advisor to the Ocean Conservancy; and Susan Debreceni, the Outreach Manager and co-founder of the University of Toronto Trash Team. As you wander around the neighborhoods of downtown […]
Published by Ocean Conservancy People all over the world, from the Arctic to the Caribbean and from the Midwest to coastal cities, eat seafood. In fact, three billion people rely on seafood as their primary source of protein—that’s 40% of the world’s population! But seafood is much more than just food. Seafood, and the fishers who […]
Published by Ocean Conservancy This week, I am thrilled to be traveling to Oslo, Norway, where several of my Ocean Conservancy colleagues and I will convene with hundreds of other ocean experts and advocates for the sixth edition of the Our Ocean Conference. Started in 2014 by then-United States Secretary of State John Kerry, the annual […]
Published by Ocean Conservancy Our ocean gives us so much. Whether you live near a coast or have never seen the ocean, you are touched by it every day—from the air we breathe, the water we drink or the food we eat. And that’s not to mention the majesty, inspiration and wonder our ocean provides at […]
Published by Ocean Conservancy In the dark stretches of the deep sea, food can be hard to come by. So when hundreds of thousands of pounds of food falls from above all at once, it’s a party. We got to see the feeding bonanza first-hand this week when research vessel E/V Nautilus live-streamed the discovery of […]
Published by Ocean Conservancy Plastic pollution is one of the most visible threats facing our ocean today. Every year, 8 million metric tons of plastic enter our ocean on top of the 150 million metric tons that are already there, posing significant threats to those who call the ocean home. Cleanup efforts like the International Coastal […]
Published by Ocean Conservancy I looked out of the plane window as it began to make its final descent and all I saw was a sea of grass lapping against a looming mountain range. This was not the type of sea I’m accustomed to. Fort Collins, Colorado makes for an odd destination for a trio of […]
Published by Ocean Conservancy Last year I was lucky enough to be on board the E/V Nautilus when it made a remarkable discovery in the previously unexplored deepwater of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary—thousands of brooding octopuses. The octopus garden was discovered at the cold, dark depth of 12,000 feet in a rocky area at […]
Published by Ocean Conservancy “Viva la causa!” This was the cry heard in the scorching California heat as hundreds of Latinx farmers were led by Cesar Chavez in the 1960s. They chanted as they fought for basic human rights, like protection from polluted air—something this community is still fighting for today. Latinx communities have played a […]
Published by Ocean Conservancy The ocean is full of critters with, shall we say, unusual names. Just take the flamboyant cuttlefish, the blobfish and the frogfish (to name a few). But there is one, lesser-known marine species that might take the prize for the strangest moniker. Folks, meet the sarcastic fringehead. Where did this colorful title […]
Published by Ocean Conservancy For the longest time, I was afraid of the ocean. My fear didn’t take root because of Hollywood’s portrayal of unfriendly underwater terrors in movies, such as 47 Meters Down. Although, my heart pounding claustrophobia may have been triggered when Mandy Moore reached the edge of an underwater cliff dropping into a […]
Published by Ocean Conservancy Opportunity. Partnership. Coordination. We repeatedly heard these inspiring, forward-looking ideas last week in Chile. Along with United States shellfish growers, ocean acidification experts and members of Washington State Governor’s office, we participated in a series of visits and meetings with our Chilean counterparts to share knowledge and explore adaptive solutions to acidification. […]
Published by Ocean Conservancy As the Arctic goes, so goes the world. That line echoes in my mind as I grapple with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change “Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate” (SROCC) released this week. It came just after the United Nations Climate Action Summit 2019 in New […]
Published by Ocean Conservancy Let’s cut to the chase: Seagrass does not get the respect it deserves. Yes, at first glance its greenish-brown leaves may resemble those of your run-of-the-mill land grass, but don’t let looks fool you! Beneath its humble exterior, seagrass is a vital part of the coastal ecosystem. From supplying food to iconic […]
Published by Ocean Conservancy The ocean is a place to be a family, To share the waters with one another And with all who live there To explore and learn and grow. The ocean provides food We can catch for ourselves Or others can catch for us, Healthful and tasty and fresh. © Henry Huntington But the […]
Published by Ocean Conservancy Most everyone is already “aware” of sea otters and the extreme levels of cuteness they bring to our estuaries and, let’s be honest, the internet. It seems not a day goes by that someone somewhere doesn’t share an adorable gif and a “you otter know”-type pun—especially on the Ocean Conservancy team. Our […]
Published by Ocean Conservancy You may have been hearing a lot about climate change this week. More than 170 news outlets from around the globe are engaged in a massive #CoveringClimateNow effort, next Monday is the United Nations Climate Action Summit and next Wednesday the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will release its latest in […]
Published by Ocean Conservancy If there’s one thing all superheroes have in common, it’s that they wear some kind of costume to signal that they’re ready for the fight ahead—a cape or armor, a mask or special amulets. The same can be said of real life heroes, too. Doctors suit up to go into surgery, firefighters […]
Published by Ocean Conservancy Our 34th annual International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) is just a few days away, which means that right now, all over the world, hundreds of ICC coordinators are checking final boxes—running errands, packing cleanup supplies and sending reminder e-mails—in preparation for the big day. Local coordinators are critical to the success of the […]