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IMAGE GALLERY Two Views of Coral Reefs: Thriving and Threatened Coral reefs are beautiful, vibrant ecosystems that house roughly one quarter of all marine species and provide billions of dollars in products and services to humans each year. But they are...MORE GALLERIES


	BLOG POST MORE STORIES Seafood for Thought Sunday, November 21 marks World Fisheries Day, an annual occasion observed in ma...
	BLOG POST MORE STORIES Saving Sharks and Dolphins, Near and Far Sophi Bromenshenkel is an unlikely shark-lover. She's eight years old and hails...
	VIDEO MORE VIDEOS Recycled Fishing Gear Converted into Energy Instead of adding castaway fishing nets to already crowded landfills, Hawaii’s m...

EDUCATOR RESOURCES

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					Blue Carbon Apr 19, 2013 - 10:05AMWhat is blue carbon? It's a term used to describe the carbon that is captured from the atmosphere by ocean ecosystems, mainly coastal mangroves, seagrasses and salt marshes. These coastal areas can hold up to five times more...

Protected Pigfish and Mao-Mao School

Mar 13, 2013 - 7:21AM

Red Pigfish (Bodianus unimaculatus) and Blue Mao-Mao (Scorpis violacea)...

Hawaii’s Maro Coral Reef

Sep 28, 2012 - 10:35AM

This bluefin trevally is lucky to call Hawaii’s Maro Coral Reef, part...

SPOTLIGHT


40 Years of National Marine Sanctuaries In 1872, the United States did something remarkable. We set aside one of our greatest natural treasures, Yellowstone...

Seafood for Thought Nov 18 2010 - 4:49pm Sunday, November 21 marks World Fisheries Day, an annual occasion observed in many fishing communities around the world. It’s a great opportunity—even for those of us who do not fish for a living—to pause and reflect on the importance of maintaining healthy fisheries.	Cocos Island National Park, Costa Rica Nov 4 2010 - 1:37pm The Cocos Island National Park site in Costa Rica was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1997. Cocos Island’s position as the first point of contact with the northern equatorial counter-current and the myriad interactions between the island and the surrounding marine ecosystem make the area an...
World Heritage Goes Marine Aug 13 2010 - 3:10pm Last week, the United Nations’ World Heritage Convention went blue. Two of the largest and healthiest marine protected areas on our planet—the Phoenix Islands Protected Area in Kiribati and Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in Hawaii—have now gained World Heritage status. Together, they...	Banc d'Arguin National Park, Mauritania Nov 4 2010 - 3:32pm The Banc d'Arguin National Park site in Mauritania was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1989. Fringing the Atlantic coast, the park comprises sand dunes, coastal swamps, small islands, and shallow coastal waters. A wide variety of migrating birds spend the winter, while several species of...
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.	Papahanaumokuakea, United States Nov 4 2010 - 12:07pm The Papahānaumokuākea site in the United States was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2010. The site is a vast isolated cluster of small low-lying islands and atolls with its surrounding ocean.
Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, Philippines Nov 8 2010 - 2:15pm The Tubbataha Reefs National Park site in the Philippines was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1993. The site is an example of a pristine coral reef with a spectacular 100 m (330 ft) perpendicular wall, extensive lagoons, and two coral islands – all of which supports a diverse marine...	Ujung Kulon National Park, Indonesia Nov 4 2010 - 1:20pm The Ujung Kulon National Park in Indonesia was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1991. The park, located in the extreme western tip of Java on the Sunda shelf, includes the Ujung Kulon Peninsula and several offshore islands and encompasses the natural reserve of Krakatoa. In addition to its...
Socotra Archipelago, Yemen Nov 5 2010 - 1:11pm The Socotra Archipelago site in Yemen was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2008. The marine life is diverse and includes 283 species of coral, 730 species of coastal fish, and 300 species of crab, lobster, and shrimp.	A Pleasant Surprise: The Recovery of Bleached Panamanian Corals Apr 18 2011 - 1:36pm Last September, the Citizens of the Sea blog series brought you a story of doom and gloom from the reefs of Bocas del Toro, Panama. That is the time of year we typically study -- and celebrate -- the annual birth of baby corals in the area. We arrived to find very hot water (2010 turned out to...
A Unique World Heritage Site: Surtsey, Iceland Nov 4 2010 - 3:26pm The Surtsey site in Iceland was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2008. Surtsey is a new island, formed by volcanic eruptions that took place from 1963 to 1967. The site is unique, because it’s been protected since its formation, providing the world with a pristine natural laboratory. Free...	Recycled Fishing Gear Converted into Energy Jan 14 2011 - 2:37pm Instead of adding castaway fishing nets to already crowded landfills, Hawaii’s multi-partner marine debris group has developed a method of converting marine debris into usable electricity. The Nets-to-Energy Program is reducing the effects of marine debris on the ocean and keeping shorelines...
West Norwegian Fjords – Geirangerfjord and Nærøyfjord, Norway Nov 8 2010 - 2:10pm The West Norwegian Fjords - Geirangerfjord and Nærøyfjord site was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2005. The site's two fjords, among the world's longest and deepest, are considered archetypical fjord landscapes and among the most scenically outstanding anywhere. Their...	Kingman’s Reef, Line Islands Jan 26 2010 - 11:46am This photo of Kingman’s Reef in the Line Islands shows what a healthy coral reef should look like. The water is crystal clear. A variety of richly colored corals carpet the seabed. And a native predator, a red snapper, prowls for prey.
Shark Bay, Australia Nov 4 2010 - 11:40am The Shark Bay site in Australia was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1991. The site is home to the world's richest and largest sea-grass beds; five species of endangered marine mammals, including dugongs (Dugong dugon), which feed on the grass; and stromatolites, dome-shaped structures...	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...