Conservation

More than ever, the fate of the ocean is in our hands. Learn about different threats to the ocean and its organisms, successful conservation stories, and what you can do to help.

EDUCATOR RESOURCES

LATEST TODAY'S CATCH


					The Great Pacific Garbage Patch May 6, 2013 - 8:10AMThe “garbage patches,” as referred to in the media, are areas of marine debris concentration in the North Pacific Ocean, circulated by the North Pacific gyre. The gyre spreads across the Pacific Ocean from Japan to the western US...

Ocean Acidification with Dr. Francisco Chavez

Apr 30, 2013 - 9:29AM

Dr. Francisco Chavez of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute...

Investigating Nutrient Pollution's Impact on Mangroves

Apr 26, 2013 - 9:47AM

At Carrie Bow Cay in Belize, Dr. Candy Feller explains her research on the...

Backbone of Biodiversity at Risk Oct 28 2010 - 7:01pm The International Union for the Conservation of Nature, IUCN, maintains the Red List of Threatened Species, an inventory of the global conservation status of plants and animals. In a 2010 study, researchers concluded that one-fifth of the world's vertebrates (animals with backbones) are...	Mangrove Island Clear-Cut for Tourism Jan 26 2010 - 11:46am This mangrove island in the Pelican Cays, Belize, was clear-cut and filled with dredged sand and coral from the adjacent reef flat. Developers are clearing and dredging mangroves in an attempt to create sand-based islands for tourists. Unfortunately, mangroves help prevent erosion and submergence...
Coral Reefs Need You Oct 13 2010 - 10:51am For those of you who have had the opportunity to visit a coral reef, you know that it’s an experience you are unlikely to forget. Coral reefs are among the world’s most magnificent ecosystems. Their beauty alone makes them incalculably valuable, but beyond aesthetics, their importance to both...	Oil spill cleanup workers Jun 4 2010 - 12:03pm Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) workers contracted by BP clean up oil on the beach in Port Fourchon, La. May 23, 2010. Hundreds of HSE contract workers cleaned up oil from the Deepwater Horizon/BP oil spill, which began washing up on beaches one month after the drilling unit exploded. More...
Ocean Trash Plaguing Our Sea Sep 20 2011 - 11:52am In the Pacific Ocean, four ocean currents merge to form the North Pacific gyre, also known as the North Pacific Subtropical High, which spans the western US to Japan, and Hawaii to California.	Brazilian Atlantic Islands: Fernando de Noronha and Atol das Rocas Reserves Nov 4 2010 - 11:52am The Brazilian Atlantic Islands site was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2001. The rich waters of the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago and Rocas Atoll are extremely important for the breeding and feeding of tuna, shark, turtle, and marine mammals. The site is home to the largest concentration...
Sundarbans, Bangladesh Nov 4 2010 - 11:46am The Sundarbans site in Bangladesh was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1997.	Coral at the Great Barrier Reef Oct 2 2012 - 3:04pm This colorful coral lives in Australia's Great Barrier Reef. On the whole, this coral reef is the largest single structure built by living organisms and can be seen from space! Although more than one-third of the reef is protected from fishing and other human impacts, it is still 50% smaller than...
Love Salmon? Listen Up. Dec 20 2010 - 6:25pm Salmon are one of the most widely loved varieties of seafood in the world. A ubiquitous alternative to meat and poultry, salmon wear a halo of healthfulness, as they are rich in protein and omega-3 fatty acids. But many wild salmon stocks are dwindling, which means that unless otherwise specified,...	Whale Sanctuary of El Vizcaino, Mexico Nov 8 2010 - 2:03pm The Whale Sanctuary of El Vizcaino site in Mexico was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1993.
Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument Jan 26 2010 - 11:45am This Marine National Monument protects a chain of atolls and reefs 1,931-kilometers (1,200-miles) long. The Hawaiian name for this chain is “Papahanaumokuakea,” which joins the Hawaiian words for earth and sky.	Commercial Aquaculture Jan 26 2010 - 11:44am This offshore cage is stocked with 70,000 Pacific threadfin (Polydactylus sexfilis), or moi. Aquaculture can provide a sustainable way to satisfy the demand for this Hawaiian delicacy, once reserved for royalty. More about sustainable seafood can be found in our Sustainable Seafood featured story.
Rapa Whelk Jul 27 2011 - 11:20am Rapa whelks, native to Asia, have invaded the Chesapeake Bay and are raising concerns about economic and ecological impacts to the Bay region due to their shellfish diet. Scientists believe that this non-native species reached the Chesapeake by hitching a ride across the Atlantic, probably as...	Searching for the Ocean Acidification Signal Dec 12 2012 - 1:00pm It’s not an easy question to answer. In the lab, scientists can set up a series of seawater tanks with a variety of pH levels to figure out how different species react to more acidic water, observing the structure of their shells, their metabolism, or their behavior. Or researchers can go to areas...
Climate Change Education in Coastal Carolina Mar 30 2011 - 1:33pm What is climate change, and how is it affecting coastal Carolina? That is the question that a group teens from Isaac Bear Early College High School set out to answer for their Third National Student Summit on the Ocean & Coasts project.	Field Notes from the East African Coast Apr 17 2013 - 2:09pm We began this journey three months ago, a team of scientists and filmmakers traveling the East African coastline by boat to document and research the status of coral reefs from South Africa to Kenya. We have observed a lot of changes in the coral reef communities as we travel north. Some of these...