Coastal & Marine Conservation

Coral reefs are one of the most threatened ecosystems world wide. This project collects critical data for the Kenya Wildlife Service to promote effective coral reef conservation and management of marine protected areas.

“Our climate is changing and so it is more important than ever that cities work together around this common cause,” said Dr. Nancy Steele, executive director of Council for Watershed Health (CWH), an agency that works closely with water conservation, ecology and watershed protection programs covering over 1500 square miles in Southern California (U.S.) . “By coming together, conference participants will share resources and knowledge across regional and national boundaries to build effective solutions.

"For their corporate people to take this step is very encouraging," said hook fisherman Eric Hesse of West Barnstable. Hesse, who was among a group of five Cape Cod fishermen who sold their catch of cod to Whole Foods in the first quarter of last year, said fishermen and representatives of the chain will meet next week to look into a new agreement to buy locally landed fish. "We were able to establish a relationship with them," he said. "Now, we're in the planning stages again."

Mariners along the U.S. east coast can now download a new iPad and iPhone application that warns them when they enter areas of high risk of collision with critically endangered North Atlantic right whales. The free Whale Alert app provides one source for information about right whale management measures and the latest data about right whale detections, all overlaid on NOAA digital charts.

It's been a busy week for Wareham's Dave Wiley, who flew to California for a movie premiere. Attending premieres is not something that Wiley, the research coordinator at Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary is accustomed to doing — but he made an exception for 'Ocean Frontiers: The Dawn of a New Era in Ocean Stewardship' because his work features so prominently in it.

Contract signed! I am now Director of Science and Solutions at the Waitt Foundation. I could not be more thrilled about the potential this position holds for contributing to meaningful progress in ocean conservation. Read Ayana's blog post

Nutrient pollution isn't only a Gulf problem, said Glynnis Collins, the executive director of the Illinois-based Prairie Rivers Network, another group involved in the suits. She said nutrient-rich waters have led to toxic algae blooms in many places. "They can sicken people, pets and livestock," Collins said. "It's a worldwide story. We have to get a handle on it. It's crazy not to." Read the full story

"Some coralline algae produce a chemical that induces coral settlement, in which the larval stage in the water settles on the ocean floor to grow into an adult. This settlement must happen for reefs to recover after disturbance," said lead author Jennifer O'Leary, a research associate with the Institute of Marine Sciences at UC Santa Cruz.