UN member states ended two weeks of negotiations Friday without a treaty to protect biodiversity in the high seas, an agreement that would have addressed growing environmental and economic challenges.
Subject to overfishing, marine megafauna – such as sharks, rays, and turtles – are among the world’s most threatened species groups. Somewhat paradoxically, these species also have widespread appeal.
A new study led by ProtectedSeas – an organization aiming to provide open data and monitoring solutions to enhance awareness of and compliance with ocean protection efforts – has found that boaters often cluster along the edges of marine protected areas (MPAs) off the coast of
The island of Rarotonga in the Cook Islands is experiencing an outbreak of crown-of-thorns-starfish (taramea, Acanthaster planci), which could jeopardize the survival of its surrounding coral reef.
Staff of local non-profit organisation Artificial Reefs kicked started their training on Wednesday as they look at expanding their activities into eco-tourism kayaking and tours. As part of the package, the eco-tourism and kayaking tours will include coral restoration. Ferron
Billions of people around the world rely on the ocean for food, income and cultural identity. But climate change, overfishing and habitat destruction are unraveling ocean ecosystems.
Climate benefits from establishing marine protected areas targeted at blue carbon solutions
Marine protected areas (MPAs) are recognized as highly effective tools for marine conservation. They may also play an important role in mitigating climate change. A variety of climate change solutions are rooted in the ocean, centered primarily around “blue carbon” and the capacity of marine life to sequester carbon dioxide (CO2) with some potential to reduce emissions. However, the global potential of these solutions remains misunderstood and untapped.
Fijians living in coastal and maritime islands are being reminded not to overlook the importance of seagrass and its role in the marine ecosystems. This comes as Conservation International builds its research around seagrass and conservation of this resource in the Lau Group.
High-profile international commitments for ocean protection: Empty promises or meaningful progress?
As 2020 approaches, countries are accelerating their commitments to protect 10% of the ocean by establishing and expanding marine protected areas (MPAs) and other area-based protections. Since it began in 2014, the Our Ocean Conference (OOC) has become a high-profile platform to announce ocean commitments. To evaluate the impact of these promises, this analysis asked: (1) What are the MPA commitments? (2) Who is making them? (3)Have these announcements been followed by action? and (4) Have they contributed significantly to ocean protection?
New research has pinpointed four high-traffic areas in the Pacific Ocean that should be considered of high priority if conservation efforts focused on large pelagic fishes such as tuna, blue marlin and swordfish are to be successful...researchers at UBC's Sea Around Us initiati