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Everything Sharks! A Virtual Event with Eastern Tropical Pacific Shark Experts

August 25th, 2023 at 11:00am PDT (GMT – 7:00)
Everything Sharks! A Virtual Event with Eastern Tropical Pacific Shark Experts, Hosted by Mission Blue and MigraMar
 

 
Our Speakers:
Moderator – Max Bello, International ocean policy expert, Member, MigraMar
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Alex Hearn – President, MigraMar, and Professor Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Hope Spot Champion, Galápagos Islands Hope Spot, Cocos-Galápagos Swimway Hope Spot
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Sandra Bessudo – Marine biologist, Founder and Director of Malpelo Foundation, Hope Spot Champion, Malpelo Island Hope Spot, Member, MigraMar
 

 
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Ilena Zanella – Founder, Misión Tiburón, Hope Spot Champion, Golfo Dulce Hope Spot, Member, MigraMar
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James Ketchum – Director of Marine Conservation and Co-Founder of Pelagios Kakunja, Hope Spot Champion, Gulf of California, Member, MigraMar
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Hope Spot Case Study – Gulf of California

By Paula Swiatkowski

Dr. James Ketchum is a shark expert and one of the Hope Spot Champions for the Gulf of California Hope Spot. He co-founded the nonprofit Pelagios Kakunjá, who’s extensive research has contributed to expanding government-designated marine protected areas and other related initiatives. 
When Dr. Earle founded Mission Blue in 2009, the Gulf of California was one of the first locations she designated as a Hope Spot. The selection was based on her recognition of its importance to the global ocean due to its ecosystem diversity and extraordinary productivity.
MB: What has partnering with Mission Blue on these efforts meant, in terms of achieving goals in the Hope Spot?
JK: Partnering with Mission Blue has been critical for the advancement of the marine protected areas (MPAs) here.…

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A Conversation with a Shark Fisherman

Kip Evans: Tell me about yourself and what you do for a living.
Juan Lucas: My name is Juan Pablo Lucas and I’m a fisherman based out of Puerto San Carlos. I also live here, in La Paz, Baja California. I’ve been a fisherman my whole life. We were raised here when my mom and my dad took us over. During our childhood, we built small wooden or cork barges. We made small nets. We worked with basically what we saw around, you know? We did it because our parents did that…they made nets and fished. That was my life and I’ve been fishing ever since. We used to go for anything we could get, but now we have rules. We’re constantly trying to learn everything that’s going on in the protected areas.…

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2nd Annual Shark Conference Grows Support for MPAs in Gulf of California

Mission Blue Expeditions Team, led by Kip Evans, travelled to the Gulf of California Hope Spot last month and continued its multi-year work of supporting shark conservation in the region through documentary video and community engagement in partnership with Pelagios Kakunja. This La Paz-based non-profit is led by Dr. James Ketchum and is at the vanguard of shark telemetry and a strong advocate for enhanced protection of sharks in the region. The Expeditions Team was joined by Andrea Asunsola, a marine biologist based out of Baja California Sur and Pelagios Kakunja alumna, who helped create local connections, interview shark fishermen and generally support the conservation goals of the expedition.
Over the course of the expedition — part of a shark conservation project generously funded by the Marisla Foundation Paul M.…

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Mission Blue Works to Highlight Shark Conservation

Over the last few years, Mission Blue has been active in different parts of the world, specifically in the Gulf of California Hope Spot and the Eastern Pacific Seascape Hope Spot working with local partners to document and address two of the most damaging human impacts on shark population: finning and overfishing. We have highlighted the work of local science teams, such as Pelagios Kakunja, that are using radio telemetry to track shark populations to better understand their migratory corridors. At Cocos Island, in the Eastern Pacific Seascape Hope Spot, we met with a local shark conservationist to learn and share information about shark finning in Costa Rica. We also highlighted the ocean conservation efforts to change policy in Costa Rica and on the international stage to better protect these highly migratory animals. …

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Ideas Abound at Mission Blue’s First Annual Shark Conference in La Paz, 2017

by Madison Adams, Mission Blue

In partnership with PEW and Palagios Kakunja, Mission Blue has just concluded its first annual Shark Conference in Baja California Sur. The conference included speakers such as Dr. James Ketchum of Pelagios Kakunjá who works with the shark populations in the Gulf of California to Juan Cuevas who represented shark fisherman in the area. The intention was to begin an open, respectful discussion between scientists, conservationists, tourism operators, fisherman and other stakeholders over the concerns regarding sharks and rays in the Gulf of California. After each day of inspiring speakers, the speakers and guests of the conference were randomly put into focus groups with questions such as, How do we protect sharks in no-take zones, MPA’s, and swim-ways? …

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Ocean Health—Sea Lions Sound the Alarm

By: Shilpi Chhotray, Mission Blue Communications Strategist 

We’ve all seen the photos—record numbers of starving young sea lions, little more than skin and bones, that have washed ashore along the Northern California coast. These figures and images, reported by The Marine Mammal Center, weigh heavily on our marine mammal-loving hearts. Sea lions are known for their curiosity and playful banter with human passersby– but what’s happening to their population?
Sea Lions In Trouble
Earlier this year, The Marine Mammal Center was rescuing dozens of sea lion pups at a time for immediate medical attention at their hospital in Sausalito, California. The animals were so dehydrated and emaciated that Center staff described them as ‘fur-covered skeletons’. Before the one year mark, a healthy sea lion pup should weigh between 50-70 lbs.…

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The Ocean Is For Everyone!

During the recent Hope Spot expedition to the Gulf of California, Dr. Sylvia Earle and the Mission Blue team were deeply honored to accompany three disabled divers into the vibrant waters of Cabo Pulmo Marine Reserve. The experience was made possible thanks to Eduardo Martinez, director of Fundacion Teleton BCS, and David Castro, a special friend of Mission Blue and a disabled diver instructor who runs Cabo Pulmo Divers. The disabled divers — Fausto, Roberto and Salma — were a delight to dive with and received Dr. Sylvia Earle’s words of deep admiration for their courage. Check out this Mission Blue exclusive video to see Fausto, Roberto and Salma in action — proof that the ocean is for everyone!…

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Dr. James Ketchum Talks Sharks in Gulf of California Hope Spot

Our latest expedition to the Gulf of California Hope Spot just concluded, and Dr. Sylvia Earle and her Mission Blue team brought back lots of wonderful stories! To kick things off, watch the video below of shark expert Dr. James Ketchum of Pelagios Kakunjá presenting his shark research to the group. Last year, Dr. Ketchum and others from Pelagios Kakunjá participated in an expedition from Cabo San Lucas to La Paz with Alucia Productions to assess the importance of marine protected areas (MPAs) for shark conservation around Cabo Pulmo and create a model for designing future MPAs. Protected as a no-take zone for the past 25 years, the Cabo Pulmo Marine Reserve is a prime example of a successful MPA that has seen a remarkable bounce-back in biodiversity and productivity since its establishment.…

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A Big Blue Happy Birthday to Dr. Sylvia Earle!

From the bottom of our blue hearts, we here at Mission Blue want to wish Dr. Sylvia Earle, our founder, the happiest birthday. Her unparalleled dedication to pushing forward the ocean conservation agenda on the world stage is only matched by her indefatigable passion for being beneath the waves with the creatures of the blue every chance she gets. Happy Birthday, Dr. Earle!

In celebration of Dr. Earle’s birthday, we bring you, dear reader, two special gifts.
The first, from famed creator of Sherman’s Lagoon and Mission Blue board member, Jim Toomey, you can see above. Indeed, the creatures of the sea are big Dr. Earle fans and also are also wishing her well in their own underwater way. Feel free to download this image and share around social media!…

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