Image: Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute By: Kristin Kleisner and Sarah Swain The mesopelagic zone, one of the most important parts of the ocean’s most important climate-regulating system, is under threat just as we’re beginning to understand its true value. With IUCN members preparing to vote on Motion 035 this October, we have a narrow …
By Tommy Clay and Gemma Carroll Some of the ocean’s most charismatic species are among its most vulnerable. From sharks and whales to sea turtles and albatrosses, many species of ‘marine megafauna’ traverse vast distances, crossing ocean basins between feeding and breeding grounds. As they undertake these epic migrations, they play vital roles in ocean …
By: Kristin Kleisner, Marie Hubatova, and Karly Kelso Recent geopolitical shifts and trade tensions have rocked the international community, and our vast oceans, far from being immune, are often on the front lines. Shifts in U.S. foreign policy, such as a retreat from robust international engagement under the Trump administration, risk undermining decades of hard-won …
The 10th annual Our Ocean Conference (OOC) in Busan, South Korea is happening this week, and we are glad to join the conversation on several topics relevant to our work. This year, the conference is set to discuss “digital oceans,” taking a look at the use of technology in ocean spaces as a tool for …
By: Ben Fasciano The Philippines’ Cabalian Bay is beautiful on a calm evening in October, its still waters fringed with mountains and mangroves. The wealth of natural resources in this region contributes significantly to local livelihoods, food security, and economic development. Yet, these natural resources are under threat. Natural disasters, including mudslides, typhoons, and floods, …
Women group in Muara Gading Mas making cookies from powder made from blue swimming crab shells. (Photo Credit: Meutia Isty/EDF) By: Onesya Damayanti, M. Khazali, and Meutia Isty “Fishing with trawl must be stopped because it has increasingly reduced my husbands’ blue swimming crab catches,” Sunamah stated confidently during the Lampung Blue Swimming Crab Co-Management …
Credit: Mark Schrope By: Aubrey Taylor Tropical Storm Oscar crept up from the North Atlantic Ocean at a leisurely 40 miles per hour on the morning of Oct. 19, 2024 and ambled toward the Turks and Caicos Islands. Based on the data available, meteorologists believed the tiny storm was unlikely to cause major damage. Yet …
Fishers setting the blue swimming crab net in the sustainable fishing zone of Way Kambas MPA. Credit: Wahyu Mulyono/ EDF By: M. Khazali, Andi Yasser Fauzan, and Meutia Isty Wulandari The Government of Indonesia has committed to protect its marine ecosystems, pledging to establish 32.5 million hectares of marine protected areas (MPAs) by 2030. This …
Photo credit: Harrison Hughes By Ann M. Albury, Sepp Haukebo, and Carlito Turner The cerulean blue waters of The Bahamas are world renowned for their expansive saltwater fishing flats. These flats—shallow, sand or seagrass covered nearshore areas—are the ideal habitat for stalking prized fly fishing species, including bonefish, tarpon, permit, cobia, and snook. The Bahamas …
The Head of Pokmaswas Jaya Bahari Abadi (right) receives the award from the Indonesian Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (center, light blue shirt), alongside the Head of the Lampung Marine and Fisheries Agency (left). By: Meutia Isty Wulandari The “Jaya Bahari Abadi” Community Surveillance Group (Kelompok Masyarakat Pengawas/Pokmaswas) has won third place in the 2024 Adibakti …