Category: Environment
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Lionfish – the new normal
Here at Seamonster we recently heard from marine conservation professor (and author of a great new book on the state of the oceans) Callum Roberts. He got in touch to send us a link from a website he recently found that gave a list of the “Top 10 most beautiful reefs in the world“. Nothing…
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Finding fish in the wrong place
This gorgeous woodcut print is the work of Jenny Pope, one of my favourite printmakers. Lots of her art is available to buy on her website and she’s promised me she will soon be blogging about lionfish. But first, here are my thoughts on seeing my first lionfish in the wrong place. Before I arrived…
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Demise of reefs in Belize? Coda
[I was happy to receive a lot of comments on our most recent blog post from the field in the New York Times. Since the space available to respond to those comments on the NYT site is limited, I’ve elected to do so here.] Thanks to all for your comments. I have always considered myself…
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Reef Reminiscences: The way coral reefs were
What was the world like back in the day? Are the fantastic stories all just legends? With the notable exception of Jacques Cousteau, few people were taking pictures of the undersea world a few decades ago, not only because the technology was more difficult and expensive and less available, but also because we tend to…
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Belize field log 2012: Witness to a murder
[The fourth installment, and I’ll confess my favorite, in our New York Times “Scientist at Work” field log.] Sunday, July 8 As the sun breaks the horizon, I sit in a wooden chair at the edge of the backreef, an eye on the weather horizon, gratefully sipping the first strong coffee and gauging what the…
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Oceans of Garbage
Great infographic from the folks over at mastersdegree.net. Created by: MastersDegree.net
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French supermarkets told deep sea fish are NOT sustainable
One of France’s biggest supermarket chains has been claiming the deep sea fish species it sells are sustainable even though they’re caught by enormously destructive bottom trawlers. A landmark ruling today bans the chain from making any further claims along these lines. It’s hoped that the decision will help put an end to practice of…
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Breaking News: No High Seas commitment at Rio+20
According to an Oceansinc release, negotiators at the Rio+20 have already dropped any immediate promise to protect the high seas – those distant parts of the ocean beyond national boundaries. US, Canada, Japan, Venezuela and Russia have blocked relatively strong language in the conference text to protect the high seas and left Rio+20 with a decision…
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Good news for the Coral Sea
It’s been announced that Australian waters will soon be home to the world’s second largest no-take marine reserve. Half a million square kms of the Coral Sea will be out of bounds to the oil & gas industry as well as fisheries – it will include around one third of the coral reefs in the…
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Oceans at Rio +20
Next week sees the start of Rio +20. It’s the follow up to the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro and hopes are high among some conservationists and scientists that this time positive change will be made for the oceans. You can keep up to date with the blue issues as they unfold at the…