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The Coral Triangle Hope Spot: Valuable and Vulnerable

The Coral Triangle is a Mission Blue Hope Spot, an area of particular importance to the oceans that we must strive to protect. These Hope Spots are the seeds of tomorrow’s healthy ocean. With this feature by Brett Garling, we are launching our series on Mission Blue’s growing network of Hope Spots. 
The global heart of coral reefs, the Coral Triangle, is located in the Pacific and touches the marine waters of Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste. Called “the Amazon of the seas”, this global treasure covers 5.7 million square kilometers of ocean, contains 75 percent of all known coral species and sustains the lives of approximately 130 million humans. There are over 3000 kinds of fish in this area — more than twice the number found anywhere else in the world.…

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Mesoamerican Reef – Swan Islands Expedition

July 16 – 24, 2011
“The goal of the July 2011 Mission Blue expedition to the Swan Islands was to explore and document the nature of marinelife in the surrounding waters and to support designation of the islands, known as the ‘Galapagos of the Caribbean,’ as a marine protected area.”   – Dr. Sylvia Earle
The Mesoamerican Reef was formed over the last 225 million years and extends from Isla Contoy on the north of the Yucatan Peninsula to the Bay Islands of Honduras. It is the second longest barrier reef in the world and unique in the Western hemisphere due to its length, composition of reef types, and diverse assemblage of corals and related species. It hosts more than 65 species of stony coral, 350 species of mollusk and more than 500 species of fish, including the mammoth whale shark—the largest fish in the world.…

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Bahamas

Consisting of over 3,000 islands, islets and cays, and covering an area of over 14,000 square kilometers, the nation of the Bahamas contains several priceless marine habitats, and thus has been designated by Dr. Earle as one of Mission Blue’s global Hope Spots. In cooperation with The Nature Conservancy, the expedition was concentrated in the Exuma Cays, a Marine Protected Area that has been managed as a no-take marine fishery reserve since 1986, allowing populations of commercially important species such as queen conch, Nassau grouper and spiny lobster to thrive. Sea turtles and sharks swim throughout coral reefs teeming with marine life.…

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Gulf of California – Pangas Cruise

The Gulf of California is a large body of water that separates the peninsula of Baja California from the Mexican mainland. It is bordered by the states of Baja California, Sur, Sonora, Baja California and Sinaloa with a coastline of approximately 2,500 miles (4,000 km). The Gulf of California is also called the Sea of Cortés, which is preferred by most local residents. Jacques Cousteau dubbed the Gulf of California, “the world’s aquarium,” because it boasts approximately one-third of the world’s total number of marine mammal species, nearly 900 fish species (about 90 of which are endemic to the area) and more than 170 seabird species.
In 2010, Expeditions Director Kip Evans joined the Panagas program for a week long cruise through the Gulf of California.…

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Belize – Mesoamerican Reef

In the winter of 2010, the Sealliance team made a 10-day trip to Belize to highlight research being conducted by scientists studying coral reefs, mangrove forest, and sea turtles.  We traveled to Belize City, Ambergris Caye, Lighthouse Reef Atoll, and Turneffe Atoll.  We were on a mission to show the difference between areas under protection and areas outside of protection.  The difference was staggering in some locations.
We interviewed scientists, filmed sea turtle research, tagging programs, and documented several coral reefs areas, both in and out of reserves.
Home to earth’s second longest barrier reef—the Mesoamerican Reef system—this country of only 300,000 already plays an important role in protecting the blue heart of the planet. While there we aimed to film and research the natural habitats of this unique Central American nation, as well as to meet a number of Belizeans who are working hard to preserve its vital, fragile environment.…

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Gulf of California Expedition

Jacques Cousteau dubbed the Gulf of California, “the world’s aquarium.” The Gulf of California boasts about one-third of the world’s total number of marine mammal species, nearly 900 fish species, of which about 90 are endemic to the area, as well as more than 170 seabird species. While it is known to be one of the most diverse seas on the planet, much of the Gulf of California as we know it today is under threat from a variety of activities ranging from overfishing to coastal development.  In 2009, Dr. Earle named the Gulf of California one of her top “Hope Spot” locations and vowed to help bring attention and support to the region.

The Gulf of California is a large body of water that separates the peninsula of Baja California from the Mexican mainland.…

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Ocean Science in the Spotlight at AAAS Annual Meeting

Can better aquaculture technology sustainably feed our growing world population? Is the future of conservation at a crossroads? How can we increase appreciation for ecosystem services like wave-breaking sand dunes and protective mangroves before a disaster?
Those were some of the questions asked by leading marine researchers and conservation policy advocates at the annual meeting held by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Boston, MA this past President’s Day Weekend.
The ocean played a key role in the program at this year’s AAAS Meeting, the theme of which was “The Beauty and Benefits of Science.” With approximately 6,000 researchers and science enthusiasts from around the world, attendees ranged from astrophysicists and chemists to science communicators, reporters and even artists.…

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Cartoonist Jim Toomey supports Bermuda’s Blue Halo Initiative

In a new video, cartoonist, Jim Toomey, creator of Sherman’s Lagoon, adds his voice in support of the Bermuda Blue Halo initiative, which proposes the designation of a large marine reserve that would protect Bermuda’s unique marine environment. For more on the initiative click here.

Be a believer. Support Bermuda’s Blue Halo. Visit BermudaBlueHalo.org…

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