News

A little over a year after David Attenborough warned in Blue Planet II that marine habitats are being destroyed, the UK government's "blue belt" initiative shows progress in protecting endangered waters. Click on the link below to read the full article. 

Despite the many steps they are taking to mitigate the risks of climate change and adapt to a new world of rising temperatures and rising oceans, climate change unfortunately continues to pose an existential threat to many low-lying Pacific countries and territories.

After decades of steady growth, international tourist numbers surpassed 1 billion for the first time in 2012. The report shows that destinations across the world are not prepared for the unprecedented demands this has placed on them, leading to alarming reports of overtourism.

The Nature Conservancy in collaboration with Conservation Science Partners recently produced the Global Human Modification map (HM) based on modeling how much (spatial extent) and at what magnitude (intensity) 13 different human activities impact terrestrial lands, ecoregions, and biomes.

Bluefin tuna made the news this week when a 612-pound specimen of the fascinating but vulnerable fish sold for a record $3.1 million at a New Year's auction at Tokyo's Toyosu fish market Saturday. Click on the link below to read the full article. 

Plastic packaging is one of the worst environmental crises our planet faces today. Many forms of plastic packaging are single-use and difficult to recycle or are not eligible for recycling in many places. Click on the link below to read the full article

The Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument celebrated its 10-year anniversary on Jan. 6, 2019. The protected area safeguards vibrant coral reefs and deep-sea ecosystems teeming with life, and provides a safe haven for threatened species of sharks, seabirds, turtles, and marine mammals.

Society needs to remember that while having something rare is intriguing, extinction is forever, writes James Schaefer. Click on the link below to read the full article. 

Marine and climate scientists from Columbia’s Earth Institute and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) are exploring ways to protect this valuable Caribbean ecosystem, the second largest barrier reef in the world, from the potentially disastrous effects of climate change.

Our results show that more than half of the respondents indicated that there are still significant challenges to be addressed in achieving equitably managed PAs, particularly in ensuring effective participation in decision-making, transparent procedures, access to justice in conflicting situation