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Yearly Archives: 2013
Bremerhaven Didn’t Go Our Way, But Hope is Alive

What a shame that proposals at the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) meeting in Bremerhaven for the two largest ocean sanctuaries in the world in the Antarctic Ocean were blocked by the Russian delegation. Instead of losing hope, let’s redouble our efforts and fortify the belief that we can protect these pristine waters for future generations. Our next big opportunity to apply positive pressure to the fate of the Antarctic will be in Hobart this October. Let’s pounce on the opportunity.
We at Mission Blue were blown away by the energy and dedication of the Antarctic Ocean Alliance (AOA) in their campaign to influence CCAMLR to create this important Marine Protected Area — Hope Spot — to build a healthy Antarctic Ocean for the future.…

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Photo of the Day ~ Flamboyant Cuttlefish

The Flamboyant Cuttlefish, Metasepia pfefferi, also known as Pfeffer’s flamboyant cuttlefish, is a species of cuttlefish occurring in tropical Indo-Pacific waters.  This particular fellow lives in Mission Blue’s Coral Sea Hope Spot, at Tubbataha Reef,  a coral reef atoll and a Natural Marine Park in the Sulu Sea, Philippines. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1993, the huge atoll has been under protective management for twenty years.
Recently it has been discovered that the Flamboyant Cuttlefish’s muscles contain a highly toxic compound that is yet to be identified. Research by Mark Norman with the Museum Victoria in Queensland, Australia, has shown the toxin to be as lethal as that of a fellow cephalopod, the Blue-ringed octopus. Another interesting thing about this animal is that it walks as often or even more than it swims. …

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Exploring the Gulf of Mexico Deep Reefs with Megan Cook

By Megan Cook, Mission Blue Young Explorer
Megan will rejoin the E/V Nautilus in the Gulf of Mexico in late July further exploring hydrocarbon influx sites.  Participate as the team explores the Gulf of Mexico Deep Reefs Hope Spot by sending in questions to www.NautilusLive.org or by following on Twitter or Facebook. ~ Ed.
Where is your favorite coral reef? I’m willing to bet you answered somewhere tropical and warm, where the sunshine glitters into clear, shallow water bathing polyps and divers alike.  Nearby there might be a beach scene where drink umbrellas wouldn’t be out of place. That would have been my answer too, until last month… 
Descending to the seafloor took the ROV Hercules over an hour. From the control van of the E/V Nautilus, I sat with my watch team from the Corps of Exploration as HD video poured in from the ROV Hercules.…

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Photo of the Day ~ Nudibranch Feast

A nudibranch, Flabellina nobilis: Coryphella nobilis feeding on a hydroid Tubularia indivisa in the chilly waters off Norway this spring. The nudibranchs chow down on these hydroids by climbing up the stalks and munching down on the business end of the cnidarian!
Location: Gulen, Norway
Photo (c) Alexander Mustard…

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BRINK: It’s About Love

By Wallace J. Nichols, LivBlue.org
Feature Photo: Troy Mayne, OceanicImagery
The producer of the new Weather Channel series called BRINK asked about our team’s work over the past three decades to save Pacific sea turtles. 
I told him that it’s about love. Love for animals, special places, and people. That’s what makes the difference.
 
He listened, and nodded. In that New Yorker sort of way (as a native New Yorker, I can say that). But I could tell he knew exactly what I meant.
 
I guess it’s no surprise that they named their sea turtle episode “It’s About Love”.
 
Have a look, and check out the other 3 minute films about fellow scientists and advocates who love big cats, rhinos, bears, dolphins and seals.
 

Warning: Some of the footage in this short film dates back to nearly two decades ago when Lisa Landers joined us in Baja for a documentary she was making.…

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Will Antarctica Soon Become the Largest Marine Protected Area on Earth?

This month, CCAMLR, the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, will meet in Bremerhaven, Germany to again debate whether or not to establish a large marine protected area in one of Mission Blue’s Hope Spots, the Ross Sea. The 25 participating nations will ultimately decide the fate of what has been called the most pristine ocean wilderness on earth. And it’s by no means a done-deal.
It’s critical that our voices continue to be heard loud and clear – all the way to Bremerhaven. One of the things you can do is to sign the petition from the Antarctic Ocean Alliance on this page, and also ask to receive their newsletter for updates so that you can continue to support each stage of the campaign.…

Posted in Multimedia, Partner Stories |

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Tweeting our way to #AntarcticOcean Protection!

The next few weeks represent a turning point for key marine ecosystems around Antarctica, including Mission Blue’s Ross Sea Hope Spot. You can play a part in this historic moment by simply tweeting! And today is the day to begin playing your part in the twitterstorm! 
Mission Blue partners at Greenpeace will project your #AntarcticOcean tweets on a wall outside the meeting, so that the world leaders from 24 countries plus the EU who are making these critical decisions will see your messages of support. What a great way for you to be heard!
Greenpeace has made it easy for us with a page of pre-written tweets to chose from here!  Use as they are, or customize your own!
So remember, tweet #antarcticocean for the next week!…

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Plastic Soup Nursery for Hawaiian Monk Seals

By Daniel Fox, Wild Image Project
I am here, not far from the Kamilo Beach located on the South Point of the Big Island of Hawaii with Justin from NOAA & the Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Program to monitor a female Monk seal and her pup. Compared to other seals and sea lions, Monk Seals greatly differ in the way they raise their young. Instead of gathering in great numbers and benefiting from the protection of the group, female Monks give birth alone, nurturing the pup for about 5 or 6 weeks before weaning it for good, leaving behind a fat young seal and hoping for the best. The duo here has been together for close to 6 weeks now. The female is starting to look skinny while the little one is adding pounds.…

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Carl Safina Reports from the Gyre

No Refuge: Tons of Trash Covers The Remote Shores of Alaska
A marine biologist traveled to southwestern Alaska in search of ocean trash that had washed up along a magnificent coast rich in fish, birds, and other wildlife. He and his colleagues found plenty of trash – as much as a ton of garbage per mile on some beaches.
by Carl Safina
I am back ashore after an unusual expedition that brought scientists and artists to witness and respond to beach trash on the shores of southern Alaska. I have good and bad news.
The expedition was called GYRE, partly because much of the trash spins out of the North Pacific Ocean gyre, and partly because of the trip’s message: what goes around comes around.…

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Featured Video ~ Sylvia Earle on the Ross Sea

On July 11th, CCAMLR, the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources will meet in Bremerhaven, Germany to again debate the fate of the Ross Sea. Let the world know you are watching, and send a message to the countries who may stand in the way against Antarctic protections by following this link. Click on one of the countries that is still on the fence, and send an email (which the Antarctic Ocean Alliance has done for you!) It’s easy & quick and so important!
In this video, Mission Blue teams up with Biotherm and the Antarctic Ocean Alliance to speak out in support of our Ross Sea Hope Spot. You can make your voice heard too! We’ll be posting more in the next weeks about how you can help.…

Posted in Multimedia, Photo of the Day |

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