Feature Destination

The Unseen Costs of Tasmanian Salmon Industry Growth

Tasmania’s salmon industry, a booming enterprise expanding along the island state’s pristine coastline, has become the subject of heated debate and controversy. The industry, now a $1 billion operation, has sparked concerns about environmental degradation and ethical practices. Read more…

Exploring the Best Islands of Tasmania, a Nature Lover’s Paradise

Tasmania’s islands are renowned for their breathtaking beaches, spectacular coastlines, and abundant wildlife. This guide takes you through some of Tasmania’s finest isles, each offering unique landscapes, rich biodiversity, and serene escapes. Read more…

In the Shadow of Gondwana Tasmania’s Ecological Marvels

Tasmania, an isolated island state of Australia, is a bastion of rare and unique biodiversity, a living showcase of ancient ecological history. This verdant, mountainous island, separated from mainland Australia by the tempestuous Bass Strait, has evolved over millions of years into a distinct ecological niche. Read more…

NEWSROOM

SSI Launches ‘Underwater Explorers Worldwide’ Facebook Group to Unite Divers Worldwide

Scuba Schools International (SSI) has launched a new Facebook group, ‘Underwater Explorers Worldwide’. This exciting new community is designed to bring together divers from around the world to share their knowledge and passion for underwater adventures. Read more…

Mississippi Sound Coalition Files Legal Action vs. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Harrison County, Mississippi, and other members of the Mississippi Sound Coalition (MSSC) filed a Complaint vs. the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi under the Marine Mammal Protection Act to protect the Mississippi Sound and its dolphin population from further harm from polluted. Read more…

CCMI RESEMBID Project Reveals The Crucial Role of Diversity in Coral Restoration & Climate Change Resilience

Little Cayman, Cayman Islands – The Central Caribbean Marine Institute (CCMI) and project partner, Dr John Bruno, University of North Carolina, have completed a two-year coral restoration research project investigating how Acropora corals with different genetic makeup (genotypes) respond to climate change-related stress. Read more…

11th Hour Racing to Power Italian Professional Sailor Francesca Clapcich

On the heels of The Ocean Race win by its sponsored team, 11th Hour Racing is expanding its work beyond sustainability and ocean health to champion diversity, opportunity, and access in sailing. Read more…

Single-Use Plastic Items Makes Up The Majority of Waste Found Across U.S. National Parks for The Second Year

The 5 Gyres Institute published findings from Plastic-Free Parks TrashBlitz, an annual community science project that tracks waste trends in U.S. national parks. Read more…

A Fragile Existence – Under The Wave with Erica Allen, February 2024

In the past three years (2021-2023), over 2,500 West Indian manatees (Trichechus manatus) have tragically perished in Florida, a stark consequence of ongoing man-made threats that are contaminating our waterways. Read more…

Embracing Nature’s Symphony at El Lugar Resort

In the heart of Sarapiqui, Costa Rica, where the rhythm of nature beats in harmony with timeless beauty, a new eco-retreat is setting the stage for a ground-breaking approach to sustainable luxury. El Lugar, a resort and working horse ranch, seamlessly marries modern comforts with an unwavering commitment to preserving the lush landscapes that define this breathtaking region. Read more…

Scientists Discover Four New Species of Deep-Sea Octopus

Puntarenas, Costa Rica – Scientists aboard Schmidt Ocean Institute’s R/V Falkor (too) have discovered at least four new deep-sea octopus species in a 100-square-mile-sized area off Costa Rica. The international science team discovered the new species during two 2023 expeditions examining seamounts off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. Read more…

Fallen Forests and Rising Ocean Fury

Reports coming in from around the world left no doubt. Last year was the hottest in recorded history. The Earth’s average temperature rose from the preindustrial average by 1.48 degrees Celsius (2.66 degrees Fahrenheit), perilously close to the 1.5 degrees Celsius mark drawn in the sand by scientists as the threshold not to cross. Read more…

CCMI Begins Research Into Blue Carbon: Restoration & The Fight Against Climate Change, Supported by Butterfield

Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands; 9^th January 2024 – The Central Caribbean Marine Institute (CCMI) is excited to announce a new programme in collaboration with Butterfield investigating how blue carbon offsets and ecosystem-based restoration can be put into practice in the Cayman Islands to mitigate climate change. Read more…

A Commitment As Deep As the Caribbean Sea: Sandals Resorts & Beaches Resorts Reach New Milestone in Sustainable Scuba Diving Practices

As long-standing partners immersing travellers under the colourful depths of the Caribbean Sea with a sustainable-first approach, today – together with PADI – Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts celebrate their newly obtained Green Fins digital membership. Read more…

11th Hour Racing Provides Support to Nonprofit Organizations in Coastal Communities

11th Hour Racing announced its support of nine new U.S. grant recipients as part of its ongoing philanthropic efforts funded by the Schmidt Family Foundation. These nonprofit organizations are leading initiatives at the crossroads of education and the environment in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Puerto Rico. Read more…

CCMI Scientific Publication Reveals The Negative Impact of Sound on Fish in Grand Cayman

The Central Caribbean Marine Institute (CCMI), funded by Walkers and the UK Government’s Darwin Plus Programme, recently published a paper in the scientific journal Nature Scientific Reports following a study into the response of fish in Grand Cayman harbour to the reduction of water-based activities, including shipping, during the Covid-19 lockdown. Read more… 

SEVENSEAS Beach Cleanup & Coral Restoration Events in Marine Protected Areas

Beach Cleanup Event

Coral Nursery & Restoration Activity

In July 2023, SEVENSEAS Media conducted two impactful events in Krabi, Thailand. The Monthly Beach Cleanup Event at Ao Sew Beach saw enthusiastic volunteers remove a staggering 150.6 kilograms of trash, underscoring the pressing issue of marine pollution and the significance of sustainable practices like reducing, reusing, and recycling waste. The organization stressed the importance of proper waste management to protect coastal ecosystems.

Meanwhile, in the face of an unexpected storm, SEVENSEAS Media’s Coral Nursery & Restoration team demonstrated unwavering dedication, rescuing and relocating 75 corals to safer locations, bolstering their chances of survival and growth. The team outlined a comprehensive plan for continued coral recovery missions and data collection efforts throughout the year. The recent storm served as a stark reminder of the urgency to safeguard coral reefs from climate change impacts. We would like to express our gratitude for the support received from individuals and communities in this conservation community. We would not be able to do it without your support. You can make a tax-deductible donation here to keep our publications and Thailand Cleanup Project afloat.

You can either make a direct financial contribution to SEVENSEAS Media through The Ocean Foundation website or connect us with potential donors by sending an email to  Giacomo Abrusci, our Editor-in-Chief.

The FREE Weekly Conservation Post and Jobs List

Signing up for the free Global Marine Community Weekly Post will get you a round-up of upcoming events, webinars, meetings, reports, funding opportunities, photos of the week, and recent postings to the jobs list.

To sign up for our free subscription, please Click Here,  or email us Here. 

Since 2004, the Global Marine Community (Formerly DCMC) has fostered an informal and non-partisan platform to promote understanding of key issues and challenges while building partnerships across an increasingly diverse group of marine conservation professionals and students.

Our mission is to promote communication and build partnerships across the Global Marine Community and to identify and address gaps in the community’s work. The Global Marine Community achieves this through multimedia promotion and partnerships. The community consists of a diverse and growing group of participants, including non-governmental organizations, government agencies, foundations, bilateral and multilateral agencies, fellowship programs, and independent consultants and academia/students.

If you are interested in contributing or getting involved, email Here. 

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Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands – The Central Caribbean Marine Institute (CCMI), funded by Walkers and the UK Government’s Darwin Plus Programme, recently published a paper in the scientific journal Nature Scientific Reports following a study into the response of fish in Grand Cayman harbour to the reduction of water-based activities, including shipping, during the Covid-19 lockdown. 

The project examined the response of fish communities to this period of altered activity, measuring number of individual fish and species, and the biomass of fish at Eden Rock, Don Fosters, Fish Point, and Wharf from 2020-2022. This study provides unprecedented insights to the impacts of human activity and the resilience of reef fish populations.

CCMI’s research team found that the abundance and biomass of fish populations near the main harbour of Grand Cayman were lowest when the study began near the start of lockdown, in July 2020, and continued to increase through 2021 to early 2022 in the absence of cruise ships.

It is likely that these increases are due to shifts in fish behaviour, where they re-enter areas of previously high activity, and improved fish fitness, leading to more reproduction. Research has found that reductions in stress from water-based activities, such as noise and boat waste, improve fish feeding, sociality, reproduction, and overall healthy functioning. 

When compared to data from 2018, CCMI’s results showed a three-fold significant increase in reef-fish biomass during the lockdown. These benefits were also seen in individual fish species, such as parrotfish, which are crucial for maintaining healthy coral reef systems.

CCMI’s Postdoctoral Researcher, Dr Jack Johnson, explains what these results mean: 

“CCMI’s findings are exciting because they prove that both immediate and long-term changes in fish communities can occur when human water-based activities are limited. Given the role of fish for coral reef health, these findings should be considered in future coral reef management strategies.”

Similar studies have documented the short-term effects on Covid-19 lockdowns on biodiversity. However, CCMI’s study is unique that these effects were examined over a two-year period and showed substantial benefits to fish populations in Grand Cayman over a longer duration with the reduction of stress from water-based activities. 

These findings could have implications for future planning decisions in the marine environment of the Cayman Islands. Society relies on healthy fish populations for many services, food provision, fisheries and tourism are well known supporting functions of reef fish. However, additional benefits such as grazing algae and maintaining ecosystem balance are also crucial to the healthy functioning of coral reefs and the wider marine environment. 

In addition to the economic and dietary benefits, a healthy marine environment can also support climate change mitigation, provide coastal protection from storm surge, and regulate climate and weather. 

Coral reefs are an essential ecosystem that underpin societal well-being, supporting health, the economy and coastal security. 

These ecosystems are under threat, and the more scientists understand what impacts their health, the better we can protect them through planning and management. CCMI’s research shows how reef fish populations can bounce back when stresses such as noise and pollution from shipping activity is reduced.  

CCMI presented the findings from this research to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations to ensure that the results are disseminated to managers and decision makers for consideration during planning decisions around development and marine activities. 

As the world has re-opened after Covid-19, this study demonstrates that key lessons can be learnt from this time about the impacts of human activity on nature and how this can inform management for a sustainable and resilient future.

Read the full paper here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-49221-y

ABOUT CCMI

CCMI is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1998 to protect the future of coral reefs, envisioning a world with vibrant oceans and healthy coral reef ecosystems. We seek to be the Caribbean’s premier marine research institute by delivering cutting edge research, transforming conservation strategy and developing education programmes of excellence – discovering and promoting real solutions to declining ocean health. Our plan is to invigorate key species and understand key ocean processes that drive reef resilience. We support early career scientists who are INNOVATING ways to improve coral reef health. We are TRANSFORMING conservation strategy and work to inspire the CHANGE that is needed to achieve our mission. CCMI are PIONEERS in the region working to reverse the declines of coral reefs. 

CCMI is a US 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (ID# 22-3609293). CCMI is also a UK charity (#1104009) and Cayman Islands nonprofit (NP-03) with satellite offices in both the United Kingdom and on Grand Cayman. To deliver our mission, we also have a range of outstanding international partnerships and collaborators, all with a clear, simplistic goal to protect oceans for the future.

CCMI has a 2023 Candid. (formerly Guidestar) Platinum Seal of Transparency.

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Results from Plastic-Free Parks TrashBlitz Underscore Urgent Need to Address Single-Use Plastic in National Parks

SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA (January 31, 2024) — The 5 Gyres Institute published findings from Plastic-Free Parks TrashBlitz, an annual community science project that tracks waste trends in U.S. national parks. According to data submitted by volunteers, plastic is the most prevalent material polluting national parks and federal lands for the second year in a row.

Single-use plastic items made up the bulk of waste found, with food wrappers, cigarette butts, wipes, bottles and bottle caps, film, and bags included in the top 10 identifiable items. Notably, plastic fragments made up 25% of the entire study, exhibiting plastics’ tendency to break up into smaller and smaller pieces once in the environment. 

The top brands identified primarily represent tobacco and food & beverage companies, including Marlboro, Camel, Gatorade, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Starbucks, and Budweiser. For the first time, this year’s report also tracked brands to their respective parent corporations, finding Philip Morris International as the top corporate polluter in the study.

Project partners mobilized volunteers across the country to participate at national parks and federal lands like urban parks, forests, and monuments managed by the National Park Service. From April through November, hundreds of volunteers participated in 199 data collection and clean-up hauls across the country, inputting more than 8,000 pieces of trash into the TrashBlitz research platform. TrashBlitz volunteers also sampled data at Yosemite Facelift, an annual cleanup event in Yosemite National Park during which 1,476 volunteers collected 10,432 pounds of trash.

The data from Plastic-Free Parks TrashBlitz underscores an urgent need to address single-use plastic in national parks. In addition to passing legislation like the Reducing Waste in National Parks Act, which would ban several of the top items found, parks can take steps like increasing access to refill stations and implementing reusable foodware for on-site dining.

The report also recommends expanding TrashBlitz audits across the National Parks Service next year to better track trends. This year’s audit had plastic making up 66% of material recorded, compared to last year’s 81%, but with limited data, it’s unclear if this represents a trend across all parks. Notably, many park units have taken steps to reduce single-use plastic in the past year, like Yosemite Hospitality’s removal of single-use plastic bottles.

The full report from Plastic-Free Parks TrashBlitz can be found at 5gyres.org/PlasticFreeParks.

Nonprofit and brand partners supporting Plastic-Free Parks TrashBlitz include 5 Gyres, Accenture, Active San Gabriel Valley, Adventure Scientists, Azulita Project, Bee’s Wrap, Break Free From Plastic, BYOBottle, Center for Environmental Health, ChicoBag & To-Go Ware, Culture of Cleanliness, Epson America, Inc., Grove Collaborative, Habits of Waste, Heal the Bay, Heirs To Our Ocean, Inland Ocean Coalition, Klean Kanteen, Last Plastic Straw, LIDSOFF.org, Liquid Death, Mission:Clean Beaches, Moore Institute, No Trace Trails, Oceana, Parks Project, Pepperdine University, Plaine Products, Plastic Free Future, Plastic Pollution Coalition, Preserve, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, Ray Brown’s Talkin’ Birds radio show, Save Our Shores, Sea Save Foundation, Shark Stewards, Student PIRGs, Sway, The Bay Foundation, The Last Beach Cleanup, Toad&Co, Upstream, and Yosemite Climbing Association.

About The 5 Gyres Institute

The 5 Gyres Institute (5 Gyres) is a leader in the global movement against plastic pollution with more than 10 years of expertise in scientific research, engagement, and education. With the original goal of answering a few key scientific questions about ocean plastics, co-founders Marcus Eriksen and Anna Cummins led 19 research expeditions in all five subtropical gyres, as well as many of the world’s lakes and rivers. 5 Gyres continues to lead with scientific research to drive upstream solutions through education, advocacy, and community building. Learn more at 5gyres.org and @5gyres.

About TrashBlitz

TrashBlitz is a data collection platform and community-focused research project created by The 5 Gyres Institute. The community-based project is designed to engage local stakeholders in measuring plastic pollution and other trash across various cities – from shorelines to riverbeds to urban neighborhoods – and utilizing data to generate relevant action plans. TrashBlitz provides robust research protocols, a web-based platform that identifies problem products and brands, and a network to bring diverse stakeholders together to co-create solutions to stop plastic pollution at the source.

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