Glass sponge reefs: New marine protected areas, 1 of 12

British Columbia’s prehistoric glass sponge reefs are an international treasure. Found in Hecate Strait and the Southern Strait of Georgia, these fragile reefs provide vital habitat to a wide range of marine animals including endangered rockfish, but are very sensitive to disturbances. Learn more about this area and discover eleven other proposed marine protected areas at [...]

Heat Stress to Caribbean Corals in 2005 Worst on Record

Coral reefs suffered record losses as a consequence of high ocean temperatures in the tropical Atlantic and Caribbean in 2005 according to the most comprehensive documentation of basin-scale bleaching to date. Collaborators from 22 countries report that more than 80 percent of surveyed corals bleached and over 40 percent of the total surveyed died, making [...]

NOAA: Coral Bleaching Likely in Caribbean This Year

According to the NOAA Coral Reef Watch monitoring system, coral bleaching is likely in the Caribbean in 2010. With temperatures above-average all year, NOAA’s models show a strong potential for bleaching in the southern and southeastern Caribbean through October that could be as severe as in 2005 when over 80 percent of corals bleached and [...]

New videos from CORAL

The Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL) has released new videos that show the positive impact their work is having on coral reefs and coral reef communities at project sites around the world. “It is our hope that these videos will foster greater awareness about marine conservation issues and will inspire individuals to get involved in order [...]

How we wrecked the ocean

In this bracing TED talk, coral reef ecologist Jeremy Jackson lays out the state of the oceans today: overfished, overheated and polluted, with indicators pointing to the situation getting worse. Source: TED.com

Parties Do Little For Threatened Ocean Species At COP15

The reality of the highly politicized international bureaucratic labyrinth that underscored the CITES Conference Of the Parties in Doha, Qatar has – not surprisingly – resulted in the defeat of several proposals to protect ocean species and habitat.

Mesoamerican Caribbean Reef is a Project Hotbed

The Mesoamerican Caribbean Reef (MACR) is the largest reef system in the Americas, snaking nearly 700 kilometers along the coastline from the northern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, past Belize and Guatemala and terminating off the north coast of Honduras.

Threatened coral on the eve of protection?

OAs (Obtuse Acronyms) are an unfortunate consequence of international bodies meeting to discuss agreements that have the potential to positively impact the planet. That said, CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is convening COP15 (Conference Of the Parties) March 13-25 in Doha, Qatar.

(Possibly) Great Dive Spots You’ve Never Heard Of

Bonaire, Truk Lagoon, Cozumel, the Red Sea, Great Barrier Reef – all top-tier dive destinations that enjoy frequent exposure in dive publications and online scuba sites. Lesser known but still on most avid divers’ “go before I die” lists are places such as the Cayman Islands, Roatan (Honduras), Fiji, Thailand, the Seychelles and perhaps a [...]