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First Ever Eco-Audit Finds More Effort Needed to Protect Mesoamerican Reef

Belize/Guatamala/Honduras/Mexico

In the first Eco-Audit of the Mesoamerican Reef, it has been determined that although progress is being made, more must be done to protect this fragile ecosystem, which is also one of Dr. Earle’s Hope Spots.  In the summer of 2011, Dr. Earle and her team mounted an expedition to the Swan Islands of Honduras, bringing increased focus to the region. The Mesoamerican reef runs over 600 miles from Mexico south to Honduras, and is a vital support system for this beautiful corner of our ocean planet.

Dr. Sylvia Earle Explores a coral reef at Swan Island, (c) Kip Evans Photography

The evaluation was carried out by The Healthy Reefs Initiative (HRI), in collaboration with the World Resources Institute (WRI), and nearly 40 local organizations, government agencies and companies. …

Posted in Dr. Sylvia Earle, Healthy Reefs Initiative, hope spots, marine protected areas, Mesoamerican Reef, World Resources Institute |

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Artist Courtney Mattison Brings Hope Spots into View

Photo: Deb Castellana

San Francisco, California
Inspired by Dr. Sylvia Earle and Mission Blue, artist, marine conservation biologist and ocean lover Courtney Mattison has created her own ecosystem of 18 Hope Spots, now on exhibit at the San Francisco University High School / Jackson Street Gallery in San Francisco, California. In doing so she hopes to bring the coral reef above the ocean waves where people can experience them, as well as educate and inspire others to take action to save our planet’s coral reef systems while there is still time.
Dr. Earle’s TED Prize wish in 2009 was, “I wish you would use all means at your disposal to ignite public support for a global network of marine protected areas, Hope Spots large enough to save and restore the ocean, the blue heart of the planet.”…

Posted in Courtney Mattison, Dr. Sylvia Earle, hope spots, mission blue |

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Implications of Environmental Change to Antarctic Marine Ecosystems

By Dr. Phil McGillivary and Gavin Morris reporting from the 25th International Conference on Conservation Biology in Auckland, NZEdited by Deb Castellana

The University of Auckland, New Zealand hosted a series of Marine Think Tanks, in the days before the 25th International Congress of Conservation Biology. One of them, Implications of Environmental Change to Antarctic Marine Ecosystems, dealt mainly with the Ross Sea, Antarctica, which is one of Sylvia Earle’s Hope Spots.
We were lucky enough to catch up with Ed Butler as he rushed off to the airport. Ed is the Manager for Antarctic Science with Antarctica New Zealand (ANZ). He, along with Vonda Cummings of NIWA, facilitated the 3-day think tank on the possible impacts of global climate change on Antarctic marine ecosystems.…

Posted in 25th International Conference on Conservation Biology, Antarctica, Dr. Phil McGillivary, Dr. Sylvia Earle, Gavin Morris, hope spots, Ross Sea |

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25th International Congress for Conservation Biology

For the next two weeks, Dr. Phil McGillivary and Gavin Morris will be reporting from Auckland, New Zealand on marine conservation activities.  They will address some of Dr. Sylvia Earle’s Hope Spots during and after the International Congress for Conservation Biology.  The Congress is comprised of a series of workshops, symposia, presentations and field trips beginning with the Marine Conservation Think Tank sessions. These will be held the weekend before the main sessions of the Congress at the University of Auckland. 
November 30, 2011: The Day That Didn’t Exist. Welcome to Auckland for the 25th International Congress for Conservation Biology (ICCB) 
Anyone who has ever flown to the West Pacific from the United States was probably left feeling the way we did. …

Posted in Dr. Phil McGillivary, Dr. Sylvia Earle, Gavin Morris, hope spots, International Congress for Conservation Biology, Ross Sea |

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The Sargasso Sea Hope Spot

The Sargasso Sea in the North Atlantic Ocean

One of Sylvia Earle’s Hope Spots is the Sargasso Sea. This area in the central North Atlantic Ocean is a clockwise circulating gyre which accumulates material from both sides of the North Atlantic. Maps and charts from the 1730s to 1840s show extensive areas of Sargassum, the free-floating brown macroalgae (Phaeophyte) Sylvia Earle refers to as “the golden rain forest of the sea.” The “floating reefs” of Sargassum give the Sargasso Sea its’ name. For many years Scientists and ocean advocates have been meeting to establish a marine protected area within the Sargasso Sea because of its unique biodiversity.

The endangered Bermuda Petrel

An update on progress toward protecting the Sargasso Sea was provided in an IMCC talk by Sheila McKenna of the SEAlliance (McKenna and Hemphill, 2011).…

Posted in Bermuda Petrel, Garbage patch, high seas MPAs, hope spots, MPA criteria, Sargasso Sea, Shelia McKenna |

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Mission Blue Voyage A Success!

Orca by TED/James Duncan Davidson

After an amazing four days of dreaming, learning, envisioning and committing to a better future for the ocean, the Mission Blue Voyagers are home–and a sea change is already underway. Eight definitive initiatives were launched, and $15+ million was pledged by many of the individuals on board the National Geographic Endeavor.

Here’s a summary:

$1 million to help improve the protection of the waters around the Galapagos Islands
$500,000 to establish a network of marine protected areas in the Arctic, including a high seas science reserve 
$3.25 million to initiate a public affairs campaign to end fishing subsidies 
$350,000 to create educational programs to teach students about the ocean issues 
$1.1 million to launch a plan to support efforts underway by the government of Bermuda to protect the Sargasso Sea and commitments to raise a further $2.5 million to support the long-term efforts 
Initiative to bring together a pan-Pacific alliance to link seascapes across the Pacific 
$8 million to create a new partnership to fund longer-term oceans projects 
Campaign to promote the development and use of new technologies for ocean exploration and research 

Guests out on the water
TED/James Duncan Davidson

The Mission Blue Voyage comprised 100 leaders, thinkers, visionaries, conservationists, and no small number of celebrities—all of whom demonstrated their care for our planet’s Blue Heart.…

Posted in Galapagos, hope spots, jean-michel cousteau, marine protected areas, mission blue, sylvia earle, TED |

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