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Issue 69 - February 2021

NOAA expands Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary in the Gulf of Mexico

Expansion provides additional protection for critical habitat and important fish species

a school of fish over a coral reef in the ocean

NOAA is expanding Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary from approximately 56 square miles to approximately 160 square miles to protect additional important Gulf of Mexico habitat. The move builds upon the sanctuary’s rich 30-year history of scientific studies and public review of the preservation of this special place.

The expansion adds 14 additional reefs and banks that provide important habitat for recreationally and commercially important fish, such as red snapper, mackerel, grouper and wahoo, as well as threatened or endangered species of sea turtles, corals and giant manta rays. The expansion extends existing sanctuary protections to these new areas to limit impact of activities such as fishing with bottom-tending gear, ship anchoring, oil and gas exploration and production, and salvage activities on sensitive biological resources.

The expansion is expected to go into effect this spring, once Congress has been in session for 45 days.

“Adding these ecologically significant reefs and banks will protect habitats that contribute to America’s blue economy and drive ecological resilience for much of the Gulf of Mexico region’s thriving recreation, tourism, and commercial fishing,” said retired Navy rear admiral Tim Gallaudet, Ph.D., assistant secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and deputy NOAA administrator. “Expanding Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary also advances NOAA’s mission to conserve and manage coastal and marine ecosystems and resources for future generations.”

Located 115 miles off the coasts of Texas and Louisiana, NOAA designated East and West Flower Garden Banks as Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary in 1992. In 1996, Stetson Bank, located 80 miles off the Texas coast, was added to the sanctuary through Congressional action. The three banks, encompassing approximately 56 square miles, include the northernmost coral reefs in the continental United States, deep-water reef communities and other essential habitats for a variety of marine species. NOAA and our partners recently gave the reefs in this sanctuary the highest score in an assessment of U.S. coral reef health.

Expansion of the sanctuary emerged as one of the top priority issues during a review of the sanctuary’s management plan in 2012. The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion, which resulted in the largest offshore marine oil spill in U.S. history, also accelerated interest in expansion, with government scientists and non-governmental organizations urging additional protections for marine life and essential Gulf habitat.

A description of the expansion areas, including boundaries and resources, can be found HERE…

a sting ray swimming in the reel of Mexico

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Issue 69 - February 2021

SEVENSEAS Travel Magazine – February 2021 – Issue 69

Cover Issue 69 Feb 2021
Cover Art: CEM-Europe

Winter Solstice Present to the Earth: Ivory Coast creates its first Marine Protected Area at Grand Béréby

a coast in south Africa with high wave

The Government of Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) announced its first Marine Protected Area (MPA) in Grand-Béréby. Under Professor Joseph Séka SEKA’s chairmanship, Minister of the Environment and Sustainable Development a major ceremony took place on-site, with strong involvement of the local communities and high-level participation of different national ministries, UN representatives, and international guests, including the ambassador of Sweden. Read more…

Sea Anemones Find Sweet Arrangement with Under-Skin Algae for Emergency Food Source

Every species needs a backup strategy when food is difficult to find. For sea anemones, Plan B is their symbiotic relationship with tiny algae living under their skin. University of California, Irvine biologists have published findings describing how anemones control this remarkable interaction. Read more…

ANGARI Foundation to Premiere ‘Generation Ocean: Sharks’ 360 Film

shark banner

ANGARI Foundation is excited to announce the release of its 360 film “Generation Ocean: Sharks,” premiering on January 27, 2021. The second of the “Generation Ocean” series, this short film follows Florida Atlantic University (FAU) shark scientist Stephen Kajiura and his research team from the FAU Elasmobranch Lab as they study the well-known blacktip shark migration, a natural phenomenon that brings blacktip populations down the eastern coast of the United States to South Florida every winter. Read more…

Frontline Workers Honored with Free Dive Vacations in Yap

micronesia banner

The remote island of Yap in the Federated States of Micronesia is among the few places in the world that remains free of Covid-19 thanks to its ocean border and a strict travel ban that has kept its residents safe. Read more…

Methane-Busting Seaweed Farms on Track for 2021 Production

seaweed abstract banner

Construction of the first farm and processing plant to turn red seaweed into a feed supplement for cows to reduce their methane production by 90 per cent is expected to begin mid-next year in South Australia. Sustainable agriculture company CH4 plans to build its first two facilities in South Australia with further ‘eco-parks’ planned in the state and in New Zealand. Read more…

What Do Homeowners Think About Climate Change?

a house in the valley

Since the late 1800s, the global temperature of Earth has increased by 1 degree Celsius(or 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit). Studies suggest that if we stay on the same emissions path we are on today, the global temperature will increase 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2040 and 2 degrees Celsius by 2100. Read more…

Feature Destination: Grand Béréby: Ivory Coast’s first Marine Protected Area

ivory coast

Home to 1625 species of fish, not to mention sea turtles, whales, and dolphins, the Great Barrier Reef is a place where the best of Queensland marine life encounters are pretty much guaranteed. With 2300km of coral reef stretching from Bundaberg all the way up to Cape York to explore, you might be wondering where to begin – or how much time you’ll need to see it all. Read more…

The pink hairy squat lobster – Jack’s February Underwater Photograph

This marine crustacean is commonly known as the “Pink hairy squat lobster”, also known as the “Fairy crab”. Its scientific name is Lauriea siagiani. Actually, L. siagiani is not really a lobster but belongs to a group of crabs called Anomurans. Read more …

Ocean Valentines – Printable Cards & GIF’s

Ocean-Valentines-full-color-coloring-sheets-envelope-template-from-Everett-Taylor-Living-Porpoisefully-1

Our love for ocean animals + ocean puns equals a match made in heaven that’s perfect for Valentine’s Day cards! So we’ve taken 18 ocean animals from our children’s books and transformed them into sweet little free printable cards – both full color AND coloring sheets (& mini-envelope template). PLUS, we’ve made 6 of them into animated GIFs that you can send digitally! Here’s one for a peek. See More…

Dive Guides Called to Apply for the Green Fins Dive Guide Scholarship

a scuba diver banner

The Reef-World Foundation – international coordinator of the UN Environment Programme’s Green Fins initiative – is calling for dive guides to submit their application for the Green Fins Dive Guide Scholarship. As a result of the Scholarship campaign, dive guides working around the world – including Brazil, the Philippines, Egypt, Colombia, South Africa, Indonesia, and Turkey – have received their certificate proving their status as a Green Fins certified dive guide. Read more…

Project Holocene by Russ Ronat

Russ Ronat banner

Russ Ronat is an artist and the creator of Project Holocene. The project has been shown at zoos, science, and art museums around the world. The project focuses on large mixed media paintings of endangered animals. The artist also creates projected films that show the steps of the drawings in creation. See more…

Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary Triples In Size

Rachel Plunkett coral banner

Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary has been expanded from 56 to 160 square miles. The expansion adds 14 additional reefs and banks to the sanctuary, with slight adjustments to the boundaries of the sanctuary’s original three banks. Read more…

IPNLF calls on IOTC to take decisive action on yellowfin stock rebuilding at Special Session in early 2021

a yellow fin tuna banner

The International Pole & Line Foundation (IPNLF) is calling on members of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) to take urgent action, while working in the best interests of the region’s tuna resources and its coastal fisheries, when this regional fisheries management organization convenes its Special Session in early March 2021 to discuss the rebuilding of the overfished Indian Ocean yellowfin tuna stock. Read more…

NOAA expands Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary in the Gulf of Mexico

a pink jelly fish in the wild ocean

NOAA is expanding Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary from approximately 56 square miles to approximately 160 square miles to protect additional important Gulf of Mexico habitat. The move builds upon the sanctuary’s rich 30-year history of scientific studies and public review of the preservation of this special place. Read more…

First New Seafloor Map of the Decade Collected on New Year’s Expedition in Australian Waters

Lead Scientist Helen Bostock seafloor mapping from control room aboard Falkor

Schmidt Ocean Institute’s research vessel ​Falkor ​has collected the first public seafloor data of the New Year, as part of a global effort to map the entire ocean floor by 2030. Australian scientists aboard the ship literally “​Pinged in the New Year”​ as they sent sonar waves down to the ocean floor at midnight on Dec. 31 and throughout New Year’s Day, flying the first official flag of ​The Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project​. Read more…

Miami-based Start-Up Launches Venture Studio & Innovation Pipeline to Save the Oceans

Seaworthy Collective (SC), a new Miami based start-up is empowering a community of current and aspiring ocean entrepreneurs (known as sea change makers) to innovate for regenerative ocean impact, officially launches their Opportunities for Sea Change initiative. Read more…

New Online Platform Creates Knowledge Portal for Aquaculture Farmers

fish frozen in the market

The Gulf of Maine Research Institute announced the launch of The Maine Aquaculturist — a free-to-use online knowledge portal designed to help Maine’s sea farmers access an array of existing business resources across the state. Maine’s rapidly growing aquaculture industry enjoys a comprehensive support system that includes state agencies, NGOs, research labs, academic institutions, trade groups, and other organizations invested in the economic potential aquaculture brings to the state. Read more…

An Angler’s Winter Chore May Spark an Idea to Make the World a Better Place

Angler is fishing next to a river

Winter is annual maintenance time for many anglers, and re-spooling with a new line and recycling the old is a common task. Ever thought about what happens once you dispose of the old line in a fishing line recycling tube? Read more…


The FREE Weekly Conservation Post and Jobs List

Signing up for the free Weekly Newsletter & Jobs List 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, SEVENSEAS Media 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. SEVENSEAS Media 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, independent consultants, and academia/students.

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


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Issue 69 - February 2021

An Angler’s Winter Chore May Spark an Idea to Make the World a Better Place

a man is fishing on a rock next to a river

Winter is annual maintenance time for many anglers, and re-spooling with a new line and recycling the old is a common task. Ever thought about what happens once you dispose of the old line in a fishing line recycling tube?

It’s not pretty. Turning fishing lines into new products is labor-intensive, requiring a series of workers to manually comb through, sort, clean, remove hooks and weights, and separate out miles of encrusted debris in an entangled fishing line. So as you pile up a few reels of the line to be recycled this winter, the BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water is asking for your ideas on how to help grow the volume of line recycled each year.

Teaming up with fishing tackle company Berkley, the BoatUS Foundation’s Recast & Recycle Contest seeks out new ideas and improvements to the process, new ideas for recycled products, or technology breakthroughs for the current process that will increase the volume of line and soft baits that are recycled. Entry is simple – all you have to do is send a short video or one-page summary explaining your idea. Thirty thousand dollars in prize money is at stake for the three best ideas submitted through May 14, 2021.

“It’s great that anglers recycle,” said BoatUS Foundation Director of Outreach Alanna Keating. “Now we need to ask for help with scaling up recycling with a greater volume of line, whether it’s a time- and labor-saving process improvement or creating a new market to fully sustain recycling efforts.”

Judges will add weight to contest submissions that actually work, are practical, innovative, and have the potential to have a significant impact.

The first-place prize is $15,000, second place receives $10,000, and $5,000 will be awarded for third place. Contest submissions can address any part of the process (or multiple parts) of taking discarded fishing lines and soft plastics from the end of life to a new beginning. Professionals, amateurs, and students alike are encouraged to apply, as are school teams and groups. Contest entries can be submitted with as little as a link to a video demonstration of the idea or a one-page graphic summary. Videos are limited to 4 minutes.

Contest rules and conditions, details on the current recycling process, and videos on how various plastics and soft baits are recycled can be found at the Recast & Recycle website BoatUS.org/Contest.

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About the BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water

The BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water is a national leader promoting safe, clean, and responsible boating. Funded primarily by donations from the more than 700,000 members of Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS), the nonprofit provides innovative educational outreach directly to boaters and anglers with the aim of reducing accidents and fatalities, increasing stewardship of America’s waterways, and keeping boating safe for all. A range of boating safety courses – including 36 free state courses – can be found at BoatUS.org/Courses.

About Pure Fishing

Pure Fishing, Inc. is a leading global provider of fishing tackle, lures, rods, and reels with a portfolio of brands that includes Abu Garcia, All-Star, Berkley, Fenwick, Fin-Nor, Greys, Hardy, Hodgman, Johnson, JRC, Mitchell, Penn, Pflueger, Sebile, Shakespeare®, SpiderWire, Stren, Ugly Stik, and Van Staal.


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Conservation Photography

The pink hairy squat lobster – Photo taken in Indonesia – Jack’s February Underwater Photograph

This marine crustacean is commonly known as the “Pink hairy squat lobster”, also known as the “Fairy crab”. Its scientific name is Lauriea siagiani. Actually, L. siagiani is not really a lobster, but belongs to a group of crabs called Anomurans.

Anomurans are decapod crustaceans, meaning they have ten appendages (legs). But unlike their relatives called brachyuran (the true crabs), the two rear appendages are small and are hidden under the shell, together with the respiratory organs or gills.

The fairy crabs are tiny. Adults typically measure no more than 1.5 centimetres; thus they are of no value from the point of view of a commercial fishery. However, despite their small size, and because of it, they are spectacularly beautiful. Their body is almost translucent; their legs show edges of intense, nearly florescent pinkish-purple color, with purple spots and lots of white hairs covering the entire body.

Anomuran crustaceans live in almost all oceans, but this particular species, the fairy crab, lives associated with a species of sea sponge called the “Giant barrel sponge” (Xestospongia testudinaria) which abounds in coral and rocky reefs off the coast of the Lesser Sunda Islands (Bali) and Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Fairy crabs are usually difficult to photograph because they are very shy and hide under the projections on the sides of the sponges.


See more of Jack Fung’s underwater photography on Instagram


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