ocean

NOAA Proposes Opening Marine Monuments to Fishing Within 90 Days

NOAA Proposes Opening Marine Monuments to Fishing Within 90 Days

When reports surfaced in June that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) might shift the language of its mission statement away from climate and conservation and towards security and the economy, acting head Rear Admiral Timothy Gallaudet rushed to reassure reporters that the agency’s mission would remain unchanged. But a copy of the presentation […]

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    Disastrous BP Oil Spill ‘Flattened’ Microbe Biodiversity in Gulf

    Disastrous BP Oil Spill ‘Flattened’ Microbe Biodiversity in Gulf

    Last week, President Donald Trump signed an executive order striking a conservation-minded oceans policy that former President Barack Obama signed in the wake of the devastating Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010. A week later, a new study of microorganisms in shipwreck sediment found the BP spill could still have a profound impact on marine […]

    12-Year-Old Girl Invents Plastic-Detecting Robot to Save Our Oceans

    12-Year-Old Girl Invents Plastic-Detecting Robot to Save Our Oceans

    For 12-year-old Anna Du a love of the ocean and marine animals inspired her to build a device that hunts for microplastics. These tiny plastic particles are barely visible to the naked eye, but they pollute aquatic ecosystems around the world, posing a serious threat to marine life. “One day when I was at Boston […]

    A Turning Point in NYC’s Fight for Ocean Health

    A Turning Point in NYC’s Fight for Ocean Health

    By Emy Kane The introduction of bill No. 936 by New York City Councilman Rafael Espinal, Jr. marks a veritable tipping point in the spread of single-use plastic straw bans across the globe. From Taiwan to Portland, the city-wide takeover our team began with our Strawless in Seattle campaign has certainly taken off and created […]

    Gillnet Fishing Blamed for Killing Up to 100 Baby Hammerhead Sharks in Honolulu

    Gillnet Fishing Blamed for Killing Up to 100 Baby Hammerhead Sharks in Honolulu

    Up to 100 hammerhead shark pups were found dead Tuesday morning near Keehi Lagoon in Honolulu. Experts suggested that gillnet fishing could be the culprit. Authorities at the state’s Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement have opened an investigation after the baby sharks were discovered by the La Mariana Sailing Club, according to local media. […]

    10 Most Common Types of Beach Litter Are All Plastic

    10 Most Common Types of Beach Litter Are All Plastic

    The Ocean Conservancy released on Wednesday its International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) report, a compilation of litter collected from a one-day cleanup of beaches and waterways worldwide. For the first time since the report’s inception more than 30 years ago, the 10 most common items picked up by volunteers around the world were made of plastic. […]

    Belize’s Incredible Barrier Reef Recovers From ‘In Danger’ Status

    Belize’s Incredible Barrier Reef Recovers From ‘In Danger’ Status

    Thanks to a series of conservation measures enacted by Belize’s government, the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System—one the world’s most incredible, diverse ecosystems—has been removed from the UNESCO List of World Heritage in Danger sites. The historic decision came this week during a World Heritage Committee meeting in Bahrain, just five months after the Belizean […]