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Mission Blue and One Ocean Foundation Call for Enhanced Protection for Marine Mammals off Italy’s Coast with Hope Spot Declared at Canyon of Caprera

Featured image: Long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas) off the coast of Sardinia © Luca Bittau
(SARDINIAN COAST, ITALY, MEDITERRANEAN SEA) –
Just about 15-30 nautical miles off the coast and under the waves of northeast Sardinia is the Canyon of Caprera, where the waters reach more than 1,000 meters deep and are teeming with marine life. The area is known as a brilliant habitat for marine mammals, including Cuvier’s beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris), Risso’s dolphin (Grampus griseus) and the critically endangered Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus). The Canyon of Caprera is currently recognized as an Area of Interest (AoI), however, One Ocean Foundation is committed to seeing an elevation in its protection status backed by a wealth of data from their research, including visual surveys, acoustic monitoring and environmental eDNA sampling that demonstrates the biologically important life within these waters.…

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Mission Blue Recognizes Proposed Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary as a Hope Spot

Featured image: Northern Elephant Seal © Robert Schwemmer
(CALIFORNIA CENTRAL COAST) – The chilly Pacific waters, rocky shorelines and rolling golden dunes that mark California’s iconic Central Coast have been home to the Chumash Peoples, among others, since time immemorial. Submerged villages of over 15,000 years past are now where sea otters float with their young and snowy plovers scuttle across the sand. Fast forward to 10 years ago, the late Chief Fred Collins proposed the first Tribally nominated National Marine Sanctuary in the United States to permanently protect over 7,000 square miles of irreplaceable ocean ecosystems and to preserve Chumash cultural heritage. Today, his daughter, Violet Sage Walker, Chair, Northern Chumash Tribal Council, is determined to carry on the Chumash Legacy of stewardship and to see her father’s dream through.…

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False Bay Hope Spot Welcomes New Co-Champions, Two Oceans Aquarium

Image: © Dr. Sylvia Earle
FALSE BAY, SOUTH AFRICA –
Mission Blue welcomes Two Oceans Aquarium as the new Co-Champion of the False Bay Hope Spot in False Bay, South Africa. The Aquarium brings more than 20 years of experience and strong relationships with the local community, with their popular Marine Protected Areas Day (MPA Day), beach cleanups, Dalebrook Rocky Shore exploration days and more. 
Helen Lockhart, Conservation and Sustainability Manager, says, “The Two Oceans Aquarium and its Foundation are excited to be a Co-Champion for the False Bay Hope Spot.” She continues, “Mission Blue’s Hope Spots are perfectly aligned with the mission of the Aquarium and the Foundation – to inspire people to act for the ocean, so that all may share in an abundant and healthy ocean for life.”…

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Mozambique and South Africa Unite: Maputaland Hope Spot Showcases Powerful Binational Collaboration for Ocean Protection

Straddling the border between Mozambique’s tropical coast and the subtropical east coast of South Africa are waters vibrant with biodiversity and buzzing with collaboration. Below the surface are more than 1,300 species of fish, including the “living fossil” coelacanth, four different sea turtle species, 50 species of sharks and rays, a large diversity of whales and dolphins, and much more. Up on land, Grant Brokensha, owner of The Bigger Picture Films and South African and Marcos Pereira, Co-Founder and director of Fundação Likhulu and Mozambican are two passionate individuals who have reached across their country’s borders to work together to safeguard their shared blue backyard. 
 
 
International marine conservation non-profit Mission Blue has named Maputaland a Hope Spot with Brokensha and Pereira as its Champions in celebration of their deep commitment to their communities and dedication to fostering a healthy future for both the wildlife and human inhabitants.…

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Prince William Sound is Alaska’s First Hope Spot!

Prince William Sound lies in the heart of the southcentral Alaska coastline, encompassing 3,500 miles of intricate coastline. With a dramatic landscape of fjords, islands, and over 150 glaciers, Prince William Sound is home to a vibrant diversity of wildlife. Over 220 species of birds share the Sound with brown and black bears (Ursus arctos, U. americanus) and an array of marine mammals including orca (Orcinus orca), minke (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) and humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae).
 

 
Prince William Sound is a resilient ecosystem and holds significant historical, cultural and spiritual value. Past impacts include logging and mining activities, whaling and sea otter trades, the 1964 earthquake, and notably, the 1989 Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, from which recreation and wilderness values as well as some seabird and marine mammal populations are still recovering.…

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Sink or Swim: Protecting and Restoring Key Mangrove Habitats for Juvenile Shark Species in the Golfo Dulce Hope Spot, Costa Rica

Golfo Dulce is one of only four tropical fjords in the world and is located on the Pacific coast of southern Costa Rica. Its warm, clear waters are home to an impressive array of marine life and play an important role in sustaining a number of critically important ecosystems.
 
 
Mission Blue designated the area a Hope Spot in 2019, in support of establishing official protection from the Costa Rican government to prevent the illegal fishing of scalloped hammerheads (Sphyrna lewini) in the gulf. Research conducted by local conservation organization Misión Tiburón’, suggests that the area is an important nursery ground for the Eastern Tropical Pacific population of the Critically Endangered scalloped hammerhead shark.
 
Ilena Zanella, Hope Spot Champion and Co-founder, Misión Tiburón, says, “To protect migratory species, it is necessary to integrate conservation efforts into every phase of their life cycle.”  …

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Humboldt Archipelago in Chile Approved as a Multi-Use Marine Coastal Protected Area

Featured image: Playa Las Tijeras, Isla Damas, Humboldt Archipelago, Chile © Cesar Villarroel

On August 14th, 2023, Chile’s Council of Ministers for Sustainability approved the Humboldt Archipelago Multi-Use Marine Coastal Protected Area (AMCP-MU). Located between the Atacama and Coquimbo regions, this new area will cover more than 5,700 square kilometers.
Susannah J. Buchan, PhD, Champion of the Humboldt Archipelago Hope Spot and Principal Investigator, CEAZA and COPAS Coastal Research Centers, and Visiting Professor, University of Concepción says, “The creation of the Humboldt Archipelago Multiple Use Marine Protected area is an important step forward in the protection of this unique habitat, particularly from the building of new mega-ports in this area.” She adds, “We thank the hard work of the Chilean Ministry of the Environment.…

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Dr. Sylvia Earle: A Hero to Rio de Janeiro’s Ocean

Featured image: © Luciano Candisani
By Aline Aguiar, Champion, Cagarras Islands and Surrounding Waters Hope Spot

In July 2023, Dr. Sylvia Earle visited the Cagarras Islands and Surrounding Waters Hope Spot in Rio de Janeiro for her first dive in Brazilian waters.
Hosted by Ilhas do Rio Project, Dr. Earle’s visit was a quick trip, albeit intense and highly productive. While gaining a closer look at the Cagarras Islands and Surrounding Waters Hope Spot, Dr. Earle attended the Ocean and Climate Conference and went on her first SCUBA dive in Brazil. Dr. Earle’s visit to Rio de Janeiro inspires multiple generations of researchers, environmentalists, and decision-makers to advocate for the ocean.
 
 
After a long flight from the United States’ west coast, “Her Deepness” arrived in Brazil on Sunday, July 23rd, 2023.…

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Mission Blue Welcomes Rob “Waldo” Martin as New COO

Mission Blue is thrilled to welcome Rob “Waldo” Martin to the team as its new Chief Operating Officer. 

 

Waldo shares, “I am truly honored to join the Mission Blue team. Sylvia’s vision and Mission Blue’s work are deeply inspiring, and I am excited to embark on this journey.”
 

Waldo joined the foundation in August 2023 following a 31-year career in the Royal Canadian Air Force and almost ten years in the private/non-profit sector.
While in uniform, Waldo gained global leadership experience in operations, team development, policy advising, and strategy formulation. His last assignment was at NORAD and USNORTHCOM, where he served as a strategic advisor to the Commander and as Chief of Staff, Operations Division. A former fighter pilot, he is a veteran of Operations Allied Force (Kosovo) and Iraqi Freedom.…

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Everything Sharks! A Virtual Event with Eastern Tropical Pacific Shark Experts

August 25th, 2023 at 11:00am PDT (GMT – 7:00)
Everything Sharks! A Virtual Event with Eastern Tropical Pacific Shark Experts, Hosted by Mission Blue and MigraMar
 

 
Our Speakers:
Moderator – Max Bello, International ocean policy expert, Member, MigraMar
LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter
Alex Hearn – President, MigraMar, and Professor Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Hope Spot Champion, Galápagos Islands Hope Spot, Cocos-Galápagos Swimway Hope Spot
LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram
Sandra Bessudo – Marine biologist, Founder and Director of Malpelo Foundation, Hope Spot Champion, Malpelo Island Hope Spot, Member, MigraMar
 

 
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter
Ilena Zanella – Founder, Misión Tiburón, Hope Spot Champion, Golfo Dulce Hope Spot, Member, MigraMar
Email: , LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
James Ketchum – Director of Marine Conservation and Co-Founder of Pelagios Kakunja, Hope Spot Champion, Gulf of California, Member, MigraMar
Email:

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