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China Sends Strong Message – Crushes Ivory Stockpiles

In a surprising step this week, China joined the increasing ranks of countries to publicly destroy stockpiles of ivory to make their stand against the illegal global trade – an industry that claims the lives of tens of thousands of endangered African elephants yearly.
Just a few months ago, U.S. authorities in Denver crushed 6 tons of ivory seized at airports, demonstrating their resolve to stamp out the $10 billion illegal trade that has clear links to international crime, including human trafficking and terrorism.
“Illegal trade in wildlife, whether ivory, rhinoceros horns, tiger parts, shark fins or other fish, provides slick corridors for drugs, arms, and human trafficking.  Putting the spotlight on this issue is important,” says Dr. Sylvia Earle.
Positive actions such as this weeks ‘Ivory Crush’ are a good step, and we’re hopeful that soon the necessary policy changes will be put into place to make a real difference.…

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Diving Beneath the Antarctic Ice with Dale Andersen

Mission Blue ally and long-time friend, Dr. Dale Andersen, is currently camped out with his team on the shores of Lake Obersee, a perennially ice-covered lake not too far from Lake Untersee in the mountains of Queen Maud Land, Antarctica. They made the traverse out here via snowmobile and trucks last month and are soon heading home armed with fascinating scientific data and media from under the antarctic ice.
Dale wrote Sylvia, “the skidoo ride was a bit challenging since we had white-out, near white-out and marginal conditions the whole way (125 km or so over 7 hours) but we made it out by midnight and had a tent up with some heat by 3am. Having been here a few more days we now have the camp established but our  winds are still pretty high (35-40 kts) so our work is a bit limited right now.  …

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Mission Blue Partner Kai Marine Reports on Loggerheads in the Med

We’re honored today to deliver you the results of Mission Blue Partner KAI Marine Service‘s Project OASIS, which studied loggerhead turtles in the Mediterranean. Enjoy!
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Over 4 months of survey in the Mediterranean open sea, tracking and observing loggerhead sea turtles in their oceanic stage has enabled research to gain new insight of how this ecosystem functions. A total of 118 turtles have been part of the OASIS project in its first edition. Equipped with National Geographic Crittercam, satellite tags and acoustic tags, turtles have become “living oceanographic gliders” recording data that should hopefully allow scientists to reveal the mystery of the “Mediterranean Serengeti Paradox”.

Each loggerhead turtle basking on the surface during its oceanic phase becomes an oasis that aggregates algae and invertebrates, ultimately aggregating a bait ball for top predators in the open ocean realm to feed on.…

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Whale Tagger Nan Hauser Makes a Big “My Hero” Splash

Nan Hauser, the intrepid whale tagger who works in the Cook Islands, recently had her work documented by Peter Stonier the Conservation International filmmaker for the My Hero International Film Festival. The video — available for viewing here — was selected as for first place in the “Series” category, underscoring public interest and support of whale protection efforts.

Nan Hauser, President and Director of the Center for Cetacean Research and Conservation, is based in Rarotonga, Cook Islands, where she is the Principal Investigator for the Cook Islands Whale Research Project and Director of the Cook Islands Whale & Wildlife Centre. Nan’s research includes population identity, Photo ID, acoustics, genetics, surface & underwater behaviour, navigation and migration of cetaceans. Her satellite tag work includes results on how whales migrate over long distances using linear constant course segments.…

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From the Desk of Sylvia Earle

Dear Friend of the Ocean,
Recently, while diving in the warm waters of the Western Caribbean, I was reminded of the critical importance of our work.  When I made my first dives there some 50 years ago, the reefs were vibrant and decorated with schools of brightly colored fish.  As I kicked my way down to 60 feet below the surface, it didn’t take long to realize that so much has changed…and not for the better.
Jacques Cousteau once mused on our complex relationship with Nature,
“For most of history, man has had to fight nature to survive. In this century he is beginning to realize that, in order to survive, he must protect it.”
Cousteau said these words last century.…

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California Fracking

Contaminated water. Greenhouse gas pollution. Dead wildlife. And grave threats to public health.
Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing — and the industrial development that comes with it — have left a grim trail of damage across America. This damaging oil and gas–drilling technique involves injecting millions of gallons of highly pressurized water, sand and toxic chemicals deep into the earth.
Now fracking has become a major issue in the Golden State. But Californians still have time to safeguard their water, air, wildlife and health from this dangerous and poorly regulated form of oil and gas production.
And the Center for Biological Diversity’s helping that happen.
California officials must move quickly to address this dangerous practice. To protect our health and future, fracking should be banned in California. …

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The Lowdown on IMPAC 3

Fifteen hundred representatives from 87 nations came together last week to discuss our absolutely favorite subject:  Marine Protected Areas (MPA’s), or as we call them, Hope Spots. It went down in France with a delicately balanced soup of the relevant stakeholders: Marine Protected Area managers, scientists, politicians, local representatives, concerned civilians, business executives and more.
Getting together and talking is all well and good — but what happened? What were the visions put forward to save our ocean?
On the Mission Blue front, we were ecstatic to announce a new Hope Spot Map with 50 marine areas targeted for increased conservation. Ideally even larger swaths of the ocean would be completely protected starting tomorrow, yet these 50 Hope Spots offer a road map — a game plan — to concentrate conservation efforts in places that are critical to ocean health…critical to the future health of our entire planet, whose chemistry and biology is driven by our Blue Heart.…

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Bold Plan for 50 Ocean Hope Spots Announced at IMPAC 3

Exciting news has come out of the 3rd International Marine Protected Areas Congress (IMPAC 3): Her Deepness Sylvia Earle, Mission Blue and IUCN have launched 31 new Mission Blue Hope Spots — Marine Protected Areas — across the globe to massively scale up the level of marine protection that experts consider necessary for a sustainable future.
A Hope Spot is an area of ocean that merits special protection because of its wildlife and significant underwater habitats. Each Hope Spot can give the ocean a breathing space from human activities so that it may recover and flourish. Dr. Earle named these areas Hope Spots because they represent a real hope to restore the health of our imperiled ocean.
The 31 new announcements come in addition to the 19 Hope Spots that Mission Blue has worked to protect over the last four years.…

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New Hope Spots to be Announced at IMPAC 3!

Next week, the Third International Marine Protected Area Congress (IMPAC 3) will convene in Marseille and Corsica. The Congress brings together major maritime stakeholders from around the globe to work together for the conservation and sustainable development of the oceans, and is the largest gathering of its kind ever held.
On Tuesday, October 22, Dr. Earle will host a celebration, “Hope for the Oceans with Dr. Sylvia Earle.” Mission Blue’s new global Hope Spot map will be unveiled, and Her Deepness has exciting Hope Spot news to share. Also appearing will be Dan Laffoley of IUCN and Mission Blue Board Director, Dr. Lance Morgan of Marine Conservation Institute, Jenifer Austin Foulkes, Manager, Explore the Ocean layer in Google Earth and Mission Blue Board Director,  Charlotte Vick of Mission Blue and Google Earth’s Explore the Ocean Layer and Kristina Gjerde of The Sargasso Sea Alliance and the High Seas Alliance.…

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