August 2019 - Mission Blue

Monthly Archives: August 2019

Stop the Tribugá Gulf Sea Port: Latest Hope Spot in Colombia Celebrates Wondrous Biodiversity and Need for Official Protection

Tribugá Gulf, COLOMBIA (August 29th, 2019) –  The Tribugá Gulf, or Golfo de Tribugá, is located on the Pacific coast of Colombia in the western side of the “Chocó” province touching the municipality of Nuquí. This region is perhaps the most biodiverse in the world, and chosen by magnificent animals like hammerhead sharks (Sphyrnidae) and humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) to breed and raise their young. The “Ensenada de Utría” National Park is found inside the gulf, with its lush rainforests providing enriching ecotourism opportunities for those who visit. However, this beautiful pocket of the world is facing a threat to its natural wonders: the Colombian government is looking to build a Seaport in the Tribugá Gulf, right next to the existing National Park within it, threatening to end the local sustainable ecotourism that supports many people of the Chocó Province- not mentioning the countless marine and land species.…

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Newly Declared Florida Gulf Coast Hope Spot Shines Spotlight on Community-Wide Conservation– and Dr. Earle’s Beloved Hometown

FLORIDA GULF COAST, UNITED STATES (August 23rd, 2019) –  The Florida Gulf Coast Hope Spot hugs the state’s west side, spanning from Apalachicola Bay in the north to Ten Thousand Island in the south. The coast is famous for its immense beauty, rich biodiversity and booming local industries that sustain hundreds of thousands of people, and has become a cornerstone for sustainability. Conservationists, local business owners and members of the general public alike have built a culture upon preserving the integrity of the coast’s natural state– and a determination to protect the area’s marine life from threats created by human interference.  The home city of this Hope Spot, Dunedin, is especially near and dear to Mission Blue’s heart– this town is where Dr.…

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Western Australia’s Exmouth Gulf and Ningaloo Coast World Heritage Area Named a Hope Spot in Support of Greater Protection

EXMOUTH, AUSTRALIA (August 15th, 2019) – – Western Australia’s Exmouth Gulf and Ningaloo Coast World Heritage Area is a spectacular wilderness supporting nearly 2,000 species of fauna. Tourists trek there from all corners of the globe to snorkel the fringing coral reef, to witness one of the world’s most important humpback whale refuges, swim with the world’s largest fish the Whale shark, get a glimpse of dugong that are part of the last stable populations on Earth and many other creatures including manta rays, turtles and rare dolphins. It is also an internationally recognized wilderness ecotourism destination with the uninterrupted natural vistas free of industrial activities. Lesser known is that Exmouth Gulf supports an extensive intact arid-zone estuary containing vast tracts of mangroves and an incredible diversity of marine wildlife revealed in a new
science review led by Dr.…

Posted in .Homepage, Dr. Sylvia Earle, Featured, mission blue, Partner Stories, Uncategorized |

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Hope Spot Update: Outer Seychelles

By: Kara Norton

Angelique Pouponneau held her head high as she prepared to take the global stage at the United Nations. On World Oceans Day 2019, Angelique was representing the blue economy of the Seychelles. At just 29 years old, Angelique believes she is an example of what happens when you give Seychellois women, particularly young women opportunities: you create the possibility of driving significant change. 

 
In 2014, less than 0.02 percent of the Seychelles’ coastal natural resources were protected. The island nation comprises 115 islands and boasts the largest shallow tropical marine ecosystem in the region. The country’s Outer Islands have been heralded as landmarks of biodiversity, containing seemingly untouched habitats where mega fauna thrives. In the “Galapagos of the Indian Ocean”, sharks hold court over coral atolls, while tropical parrotfish, humphead wrasses, rockfish, groupers, and triggerfish glide between the nutrient rich open sea and safety of coral lagoons.…

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