Ocean Stories

Dr. Earle weighs in from the ‘Friends of Dr. Sylvia Earle’ Facebook page,

“The Midway Island trip gives me reason to hope for the future of Planet Blue. I highlight more good news in my interview on ABC Hawaii.”

Click here for ABC Interview!

                                                             Permit # PMNM-2012-011.…

Galveston, Texas

From the shores of Hawaii to the coast of Texas, America’s beaches constantly serve as the recreational hubs of our vacations. Sunbathing, surfing, sand volleyball, and swimming are only a few of the activities that inch their way into our vacationing day dreams and serve as relief from the drone of the nine-to-five job. But what happens when we begin to take advantage of the beauty of the shore and let carelessness creep in? 
A recent article by the Texas General Land Office in Galveston’s The Daily News explains that today the composition of the trash being found on Texas beaches is no longer trash from ocean-going vessels but is instead the trash left behind by beach-goers. The good news for beach lovers is that it is not too late to do something to protect our beaches.…

California, USA

Photo: Gilliane Shayman

“California has taken the lead in understanding that the ocean really matters,” says Dr. Earle. “We know how to take from the ocean. California is giving back by establishing a network of protected areas.”
California’s four National Marine Sanctuaries (Channel Islands, Cordell Bank, Gulf of the Farallones, and Monterey Bay) cover almost 9,500 square miles of Pacific Ocean. In addition to these, more State Marine Protected Areas are added under the regulation of the California Department of Fish and Game. The Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) of 1999 directed the state to redesign it’s system of marine protected areas to function as a network in order to increase effectiveness in protecting coastal marine life, habitats and marine ecosystems.…

Durham, NC

Photo: Bryce Groark

Dr. Earle will present a free public seminar, “Sustainable Seas, the Vision, the Reality,” at 12:30 p.m. EST, Tuesday, Jan. 17, at the Duke University Marine Lab in Beaufort, N.C. The event is the 2012 John Sutherland Memorial Seminar.

The free seminar will take place in the Marine Lab Auditorium. 

Good news for those who can’t be there – the seminar will be available remotely at  http://nsoe.capture.duke.edu.

Duke’s Chapter of the Coastal Society will host a Blue Drinks Social with Dr. Earle from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Maritime Museum in Beaufort.  The social is also free and open to the public.

We bet that Dr. Earle might even share a story or two from her recent inspiring visit to
Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument at Midway Atoll.…

Join Dr. Sylvia Earle and wildlife artist & ocean conservationist Wyland as they explore Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument at Midway Atoll. 

These are some of the first pictures to come from the expedition to the remote island chain. Dr. Earle was instrumental in the designation of these islands as a World Heritage Site, but this is her first actual visit, as it is for Wyland. 

We can see that the group was fortunate enough to encounter sharks, the critically endangered Hawaiian Monk Seal, as well as nesting Laysan Albatrosses.  Even given the great distance to major population centers from Midway, it is plagued by plastic pollution, most of it originating from sources on land. One study showed that 97.5% of Laysan Albatross chicks had plastic in their stomachs, and it is documented that forty percent die from it.…

What reef animal comes in a rainbow of crazy colors, can throw out its stomach to immobilize predators, then creep away and regrow a brand-new stomach? Its the sea cucumber, prized as a gastronomic delight by some cultures and beginning to yield some of its secrets to scientists.
Google Earth Tour videos offer us the opportunity to explore our ocean planet’s biodiversity – featuring Sea Grapes, Arctic Tern, Sea Cucumber and the magnificent Bluefin Tuna in the video below.
To learn more about the project and see all the tours, click here! Google Earth – Encyclopedia of Life…

Dr. Earle lets us in on what motivated her to follow her unique career path and more in this, just one part of a fascinating sixteen part series from the Discovery Channel’s Curiosity.com website.

Click here to view video!…

25th International Conference on Conservation Biology
Auckland, NZ
RETHINKING THE HUMBLE ANCHOVY, PERUVIAN STYLE
Dr. Patricia Majluf has been recognized with one of three 2011 Distinguished Service Awards by the Society for Conservation Biology for outstanding contributions to the field of conservation biology.  She is the founder and current director of the Center for Environmental Sustainability (CSA) at the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (UPCH) in Lima, Peru.

 Dr. Majluf on the important impacts of the Peruvian Anchovy, or ‘Anchoveta’
Since 1982, she has been in charge of the longest-running research program in coastal Peru, studying the impacts of El Niño and fisheries on marine wildlife populations.  Since 1996 she has led marine conservation efforts in Peru, promoting the establishment of marine protected areas and developing public awareness of the large-scale ecological and socioeconomic impacts of industrial fisheries and other extractive industries to the Humboldt Upwelling System. …

SAN FRANCISCO, CA
It’s being called the largest media campaign that’s ever focused on protecting the oceans. It includes IMAX movies, a television series and a thousand online videos. And the America’s Cup is very much a part of it, as is Mission Blue. ABC’s Mark Matthews shares with us the environmental message of the worlds’ highest profile yacht race.…

Houston, TexasDecember 4-8, 2011
The Harte Research Institute’s “State of the Gulf of Mexico Summit” is committed to ecological and economic interests in the Gulf of Mexico. Focusing on action, SGM 2011 brought together leaders from government, industry, science, and non-governmental organizations both to assess current conditions and to build sound strategies for the future of this fragile and increasingly stressed ecosystem.…