Photo: Shari Sant Plummer The Sargasso Sea has no shores. The 2 million-sq.-mi. body of water in the middle of the Atlantic is defined by two features: the ocean currents forming the North Atlantic subtropical gyre, which cycles around the sea, and sargassum, the free-floating golden-brown seaweed. The sargassum can be found scattered throughout the sea, sometimes entwined in vast waterborne mats. When Christopher Columbus encountered the sargassum while crossing the Atlantic, he ordered his men to fathom the depths, believing he had struck land. The oceanographer Sylvia Earle, though she prefers not to think in land-based Click here to read the full article by Bryan Walsh Click here to read more about “Saving Our Oceans” in Time Magazine online…

Monterey, California – August 30th, 2010 – Dr. Sylvia Earle’s SEAlliance is delighted to announce that “Isla Holbox – Whale Shark Island,” has been selected as the 2010 winner for non-broadcast documentary at the BLUE Ocean Film Festival. Over 350 entries were submitted in 19 categories from around the world. The BLUE Ocean Film Festival was held in Monterey, California August 25-29th. “Isla Holbox” was produced by Monterey based filmmaker Kip Evans in 2009. Dr. Sylvia Earle and our foundation’s filmmaker Kip Evans receiving the award Photo by: Kate Miller Isla Holbox (pronounced “hole-bosh”), an island off Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, was a well-kept secret until six years ago when large populations of migratory whale sharks were discovered right off its coast.…

The historical review of data on the Sargasso Sea is vital.  Knowing how people have regarded this critical part of the ocean over time will seriously strengthen the case for protection now.  The “shifting baseline” of turtles, tunas, eels, and other creatures — including maybe the Sargassum itself — will come as news to many. Dr. Sylvia Earle – Sargassum & Coral Spawn – Photo: Look Bermuda I am in Bermuda now with some of the Sargasso Sea “constituency” looking forward to a second day of searching for Sargassum patches between hurricanes.  Thanks to arrangements made by Sheila McKenna, senor research scientist for Mission Blue,  we went aboard Explorer, the boat Teddy Tucker had for years (now owned and operated by Michael Hayward), and had a remarkable encounter with masses of floating coral spawn — zillions of golden eggs enmeshed in small patches of Sargassum.  …