Navigating Troubled Waters: A Personal Reflection

In this heartfelt essay, Mark J. Spalding reflects on four decades of building global trust through ocean conservation—now shaken by abrupt political changes. He shares personal stories, professional grief, and his enduring hope for resilience across communities and ecosystems. [Read the full article]

Thriving Antarctic Ecosystems Found in Wake of Recently Detached Iceberg

The expedition was the first detailed, comprehensive, and interdisciplinary study of the geology, physical oceanography, and biology beneath such a large area once covered by a floating ice shelf. The ice that calved was approximately 510 square kilometers (209 square miles), revealing an equivalent area of seafloor. [Read the full article]

Troubled Waters: The Ocean Foundation Navigates a Policy Storm

This in-depth feature lays out the systemic impact of the 2025 U.S. foreign aid freeze on The Ocean Foundation’s international programs. Spalding explores the legal battles, geopolitical stakes, and institutional consequences of the policy shift—making the case that ocean conservation is critical to U.S. national interests. [Read the full article]

The World’s Largest, Most Luxurious Phinisi Yacht, Prana by Atzaró, Announces New Whale Sharks & Dragons Expedition for 2025

Encounter majestic Komodo dragons in their natural habitat and snorkel alongside graceful whale sharks, explore some of the world’s most pristine coral reefs, and meet manta rays, sharks, schooling fish, and turtles along the way, and experience exceptional bird and marine life. [Read the full article]

Entries of URI’s ‘Ocean View’ Youth Art Competition to be Displayed at Pawtucket Gallery

About 300 Rhode Island students in grades kindergarten through 12th grade entered the third biennial “Ocean View” student art competition, organized by the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography (GSO). [Read the full article]

Methane-Eating Bacteria & Archaea Saving Earth from the Ravages of Climate Change (and cattle burps)

How are methane-eating microbes responding to climate change? Are they physiologically adjusting to temperature changes and other stressors to influence the amount of methane entering the atmosphere? [Read the full article]

Feature Destination: Discovering the Delicate Balance of Palau’s Jellyfish Lake Ecosystem

Jellyfish Lake, or Ongeim’l Tketau, nestled within the Rock Islands of Palau, is one of the world’s most captivating marine environments. This small, isolated lake on Eil Malk Island has become an emblem of both natural wonder and environmental vulnerability. [Read the full article]

Feature Destination – Journeys With Purpose: Restoring Island-Ocean Ecosystems in Palau

Visiting Palau has been one of the most remarkable and affirming experiences of my life.  Spending hours in the ocean observing turtles, sharks, rays and a host of other marine species, including cuttlefish changing colour and form to their immediate environment, has proven to be one of the greatest joys and wonders in the world. [Read the full article]

FEATURE DESTINATION – Palau’s Future Amid Shifting U.S. Foreign Policy

The Republic of Palau, a small island nation in the western Pacific, has long stood as one of the United States’ most steadfast allies in a region marked by increasing geopolitical competition. Bound together through the Compact of Free Association (COFA), Palau and the United States have enjoyed a uniquely close relationship. [Read the full article]

Feature Destination – Ann Singeo, hero of the ocean, leads women to sea change

It all started with a straightforward yet impactful concept for Ms. Singeo: giving women fishermen the knowledge and skills they need to embrace sustainable fishing methods so that the ocean’s abundance will continue for upcoming generations. The outcomes have been quite impressive. [Read the full article]

Capitol Hill Ocean Week registration is now open

The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation is proud to announce the opening of registration for Capitol Hill Ocean Week 2024! The Capitol Hill Ocean Week (CHOW) conference will take place in-person in Washington, DC, and on a virtual platform on June 2-5. Thanks to the generous support of our sponsors, the conference is free and open to the public. [Read the full article]

Aquarium Creates “Retirement Home” for Aging Penguins

Six African penguins at the New England Aquarium are settling into a new “retirement home” that is providing a comfortable environment as the birds age. More than half of the Aquarium’s penguin colony has met or surpassed their typical life expectancy of 10–15 years in the wild. [Read the full article]

Wheaton Precious Metles International Invests in Conserving Coral Reefs in Cayman

WMPI’s commitment to CCMI as a Gold Corporate Navigator supports CCMI’s ongoing, critical work in the Cayman Islands across both research and education with local, regional, and even global implications. This funding underpins CCMI’s 26-year coral reef monitoring and associated community outreach programme, the Healthy Reefs campaign. [Read the full article]

How NOAA Safeguards the Ocean, Fisheries, and the Communities That Rely on Them

Today, NOAA Fisheries, the branch focused on managing and protecting marine resources, is absolutely essential to keeping our oceans healthy, our fisheries sustainable, and our coastal communities thriving. [Read the full article]

President Macron Answers Urgent “SOS” Calling for Transformative Ocean Action Plan Ahead of 2025 UN Ocean Conference in France

The President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, answers a call for a transformative ocean plan for 2025-2030, ahead of 2025 UN Ocean Conference in France. 70 days before France and Costa Rica co-host the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3), the largest global gathering ever dedicated to the ocean. [Read the full article]

Glaciers & Mountains: Melting Water Towers Will Aggravate Global Crises (Report)

The United Nations World Water Development Report 2025, published by UNESCO on behalf of UN-Water, reveals the extent to which climate disruption, biodiversity loss, and unsustainable activities are transforming mountain environments at an unprecedented rate. [Read the full article]

“Elise” Returns to The Galapagos

In a historic and groundbreaking event, a tagged whale shark has returned to the Galapagos after an incredible ~7 month (210-day) journey across the Pacific Ocean (Image 1). Elise #262715 was tagged on June 21st at Darwin Arch by divers from the Galapagos Whale Shark Project (Image 2 & 3). [Read the full article]

Fourth Annual Plastic-Free Parks Trashblitz Launches During Earth Month

Plastic has made up the majority of trash logged for the past three years, averaging 75% of all waste recorded. Single-use plastic items, including food wrappers, bottles, bottle caps/rings, cigarette butts, wipes, and fragments, are most commonly identified. [Read the full article]

Researchers with URI Ties Co-Author Report on The Next Decade of Ocean Science

Five researchers with ties to the University of Rhode Island contributed to a report that emphasized the vital need for the United States to invest in ocean science research, infrastructure, and workforce development to meet national and global challenges over the next decade or risk being left behind. [Read the full article]

Rehabilitated Sea Turtles from New England Aquarium Surviving Years After Release Back Into The Ocean

Loggerhead sea turtles that were rehabilitated at the New England Aquarium and released back into the ocean in 2021 and 2022 are still alive and showing a surprising affinity for New England habitats, according to data transmitted from surgically implanted acoustic tags. [Read the full article]

Building a Bluer Future for Indonesia’s Marine Tourism Industry

Green Fins, the global environmental standards for diving and snorkelling, is set to contribute to Indonesia’s blue economy. A national workshop, focused on “Enabling a sustainable diving and snorkelling industry in Indonesia through the implementation of Green Fins initiative,” has ignited a collaborative effort to safeguard the nation’s marine ecosystems through marine tourism. [Read the full article]

Ostsee Besuch March 2024 – Through Fog and Time: Coastal Reflections from Stralsund to Barhöft

Ocean and coastal environments have long inspired me. One of my most prized artifacts my late mother created is a painting showing two people sitting gazing out at the sea. Viewing the horizon only an ocean can offer can do profound things to the mind. [Read the full article]

Southern Thailand Elephant Foundation: Improving Elephant Welfare in Southern Thailand

A low rumble echoes through the air as a large female Asian elephant walks across the dirt track in front of me, her mahout following close behind. They meander slowly up the path to the veterinary centre, stopping on the way for the gentle giant to browse on a nearby tree. [Read the full article]

These Underwater Meadows Capture More Carbon Than Forests — Here’s Why They Matter More Than You Think

Along the coasts of the world’s temperate and tropical oceans thrives a group of plants crucial in the fight against climate change: seagrass meadows. Although seagrasses are not as well-known as forests or jungles, these coastal ecosystems outperform their terrestrial counterparts in capturing and storing carbon. Read more…

Monmouth University Scientists Confirm New Invasive Species of Anemone in U.S. on New Jersey Beaches

A common inhabitant of the rocky coastlines of the British Isles and Northern Europe, the anemone has found a new home which bears some similarities – the jetties that protrude into the waters of the New Jersey Shore. The team located the anemones on a half-dozen beaches from Long Branch to Manasquan in Monmouth County. Read more…

Book Suggestion: The Wonder of Seashells – Discover the Meaning and Magic of the Ocean’s Treasures

There’s something magical about walking along the beach, feeling the warm sand beneath your feet, and spotting a seashell glistening in the sunlight. But have you ever stopped to wonder about the story behind that tiny treasure? The Wonder of Seashells is a beautifully illustrated and fascinating book that uncovers hidden meanings. Read more…

Ocean in Focus in Two Art Shows Through March

World-renowned photographer Ian Hutton, who is the curator of the Lord Howe Island Museum, and award-winning oil artist Selva Ozelli teamed up to bring a taste of  Lord Howe Island Group with their art show titled “Paradise” to this inaugural Conference. Read more…

Working Backwards to Save The Sea

START One theory goes that human beings are psychologically incapable of caring about an event they’ve been told will be catastrophic but will happen far in the future. Without the tangible and the immediate, most of humanity muddles along and doesn’t fret about the future. Read more…

Plastic Makes Up 83% of South Florida’s Waste Pollution

Clean Miami Beach and The 5 Gyres Institute share findings from a seven-month waste audit in South Florida, which analyzed more than 20,000 items and highlights the alarming prevalence of single-use plastic waste across shorelines, urban neighborhoods, and wilderness spaces. Read more…

FEATURE DESTINATION – Journeys With Purpose: Snow Leopard Key Takeaways

Over 100 people joined Journeys With Purpose from all over the world for our latest Wild Horizons conversation featuring renowned photographer and National Geographic explorer Mattias Klum and Behzad J Larry from the High Asia Habitat Fund. Read more…

Journeys With Purpose: A Journey to Grootbos, Where Nature and Community Thrive

When I first arrived at Grootbos Private Nature Reserve, I was immediately struck by its beauty. The rolling hills of fynbos, unique to the Cape Floral Kingdom, stretched as far as the eye could see, alive with color and fragrance. Read more…

FEATURE DESTINATION – Journeys With Purpose: The True Meaning of Life

It is day 5 of my journey in Ladakh and I am standing at the entrance gate of Thiksey Monastery in Ladakh and reading these beautiful words by the H.H 14th Dalai Lama and they sink in more than they would have done 5 days previously. Read more…

Francisco Garcia’s Take on the Future of the Wild Azores & Its Most Sacred Ocean Places

São Miguel, the largest and most visited of the nine Azorean islands, serves as something of a gateway to the archipelago’s rich marine life. Its proximity to the mainland and exceptional opportunities for whale watching, scuba diving, and snorkeling make it a magnet for tourism. Read more…

Where Culture & Conservation Meet: Samuel Ceremony Mole’s Inside Look at the Randilen Wildlife Management Area

The Randilen Wildlife Management Area (WMA), located on the eastern border of Tanzania’s Tarangire National Park, serves as a vital buffer zone for one of Africa’s most treasured ecosystems. Spanning 312 square kilometers, Randilen protects critical wildlife corridors and sustains the delicate balance. Read more…

Meeting Luke Senior: A Look Into How Rewilding is Reviving Argyll’s Iconic Ecosystems

Tucked away on Scotland’s west coast, Argyll is a region defined by its rugged beauty and its once rich ecological diversity. Despite its remote nature, it’s still surprisingly accessible—a place where ancient woodlands meet dramatic coastal landscapes, offering a window into Scotland’s natural and cultural heritage. Read more…

Dr Sylvia Earle & Hope Spot Champions Celebrate South Africa’s Marine Biodiversity & Diverse Cultural Connections 

Two Oceans Aquarium hosted Mission Blue and Champions from the seven South African Hope Spots. Dr. Sylvia Earle, founder of Mission Blue and a legendary marine biologist, joined the Hope Spot Champions in celebrating the growing South African Hope Spot network. Read more…

IUCN Spotlights Green Fins at Bali Ocean Days 2025, Calling for a Stronger Business Model in Marine Conservation

IUCN Global Ocean Director, Minna Epps, has spotlighted Green Fins Indonesia along with a call for stronger business models that sustain marine conservation. Speaking at the inaugural session of Bali Ocean Days 2025 held on 7-8 February, Epps emphasised the need for sustainable financing to support and scale marine conservation initiatives such as Green Fins. Read more…

Greenpeace Organizations Go to Trial on High-Stakes SLAPP Lawsuit That Could Redefine Protest Rights

 Energy Transfer, the Big Oil corporation behind the Dakota Access Pipeline, pursued $300 million in damages from Greenpeace USA and Greenpeace International, accusing these organizations of playing a central role in organizing the Indigenous-led resistance to the pipeline back in 2016. Read more…

Rescued Sea Turtles Receive Greek Mythology-Themed Names as Rehabilitation Continues at New England Aquarium

The annual sea turtle cold-stunning season came to a close in early January, with the Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Hospital in Quincy, MA, treating more than 500 live turtles that washed onto beaches along Cape Cod Bay beginning in November. Read more…

The Sultans of Swag Versus Looking at Clouds from Both Sides Now

A new scientific study indicates that changing cloud cover may be behind most of the abrupt global warming observed in 2023, with the rise in carbon dioxide contributing to only 10% of the warming. Climate scientists at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies find that the world’s cloud cover has shrunk by a small but tangible degree in the past two decades. Read more…

20 Critically Ill Sea Turtles Arrived in Landlocked Missouri for Rehabilitation

Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium (WOW), a world-class nonprofit conservation organization, has welcomed its fifth group of critically ill sea turtles to its cutting-edge Sea Turtle Center. As the only dedicated sea turtle rescue facility in the Midwest. Read more…

Orangutan Haven – A Holistic Approach to Conservation in Sumatra

In the morning mist, a deep rumbling call echoes through the trees as its creator sits perched on a high platform, taking in the sights and sounds of the surrounding forest. Krismon is an adult male Sumatran orangutan who lives with five others of his kind at the Orangutan Haven sanctuary in Pancur Batu, Northern Sumatra. Read more…

Plastic Makes Up Nearly 80 Percent of Waste Found Across U.S. National Parks

The 5 Gyres Institute published results from its annual Plastic-Free Parks TrashBlitz, a community science project that tracks waste trends across U.S. national parks and federal lands. According to data submitted by volunteers, plastic is the most prevalent material polluting national parks for the third year in a row. Read more…

Book Suggestion: Discover the World’s Most Breathtaking Dive Destinations with “Ultimate Dive Sites by Todd Thimios”

With 50 of the most amazing dive sites and underwater experiences from around the world, Ultimate Dive Sites is the perfect companion for your next underwater adventure. These extraordinary dive sites are from around the globe for both recreational and professional divers alike. See more…

Tiburon Subsea & Ocean Floor Geophysics Sign MOU to Expand Capabilities of Revolutionary AUV Design

In 2025, Tiburon is launching an initiative to develop its own revolutionary commercial AUV with its patent-pending technology. As a key part of this initiative, Tiburon announces an agreement to incorporate OFG’s Self-Compensating Magnetometer, Hypermag, iCP, and HyperEMF systems. Read more…

OceanWell Secures $11 Million in Series A to Build Deep-Sea Water Farms & Supply Abundant Fresh Water 

OceanWell is developing modular deep-sea water farms made up of pods that harness natural hydrostatic pressure at depths of 400 meters for reverse osmosis desalination. Each pod can produce up to one million gallons of fresh water daily, and the modular design allows for scalable projects based on demand. Read more…

Feature Destination:
Oceanic Society – Whale Watching

Join Oceanic Society on an unforgettable whale-watching trip from San Francisco. We offer whale-watching trips to see humpback, blue, and grey whales that are feeding or migrating off of our coast, as well as dolphins and porpoises. Read more…

FEATURE DESTINATION – Journeys With Purpose: Whale Watching Around the World

Intelligent, social and curious, whales have earned themselves a reputation as the friendly giants of our underwater world. Encountering them in the wild is often a transformative experience that many remember for the rest of their lives. Read more…

Feature Destination: Dance With Whales – Join us Swimming with Nature’s Gentle Giants

There are days when we might spend hours in the water with whales, and others where we might not see them at all. This is true for both Tonga and French Polynesia. See more…

Traveling in a Warming World: How ‘Conscious Exploration’ is Putting Heat on Modern Travel Practices

As the planet heats up, so does our desire to travel. Travel and hospitality industries have broken new ground this year, with people of all ages embracing domestic and international experiences in record numbers. Read more…

Landmark Study Using 21 Years of New England Aquarium’s MCAF Data Finds Small Grants Advance Ocean Conservation & Equity

Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are disproportionately impacted by threats to ocean health, such as overfishing and climate change, which are often caused by the world’s high-income countries (HICs). Read more…

Spekboom: The Carbon-Sequestering Plant in Africa’s Great Karoo

Over the course of 25 years, the Tompkins family have worked on a variety of successful restoration projects at Samara Karoo, but this “miracle plant” has turned out to be the one of the most effective carbon-sequestering schemes they could have possibly imagined. Read more…

The Monaco Ocean Protection Challenge 2025 is Now Open for Applications

The Monaco Ocean Protection Challenge 2025 is seeking innovative solutions to address the global ocean crisis. The challenge is open to a wide range of projects, including new business models, innovative products or services, and communication strategies or plans. More info…

The Number One Challenge in Ocean Conservation- And the Solution

From researchers in Antarctica to policymakers in Washington, D.C., from coral gardeners in Thailand to Navy officers at sea, conservation takes many forms, covers countless issues, and focuses on so many species, that they haven’t even all been discovered yet. Read more…

Paris Agreement Fallout, But Grassroots Conservation Remains the Backbone of Climate Action

President Trump has officially withdrawn the United States from the Paris Agreement, a move that weakens global efforts to combat climate change and undermines years of international cooperation. This decision arrives at a critical time, as climate-fueled disasters devastate communities worldwide and scientists warn that the window for meaningful action is rapidly closing. Read more…

Secretive Slugs Could Hold Key to WA’s Hidden Marine Biodiversity

These air-breathing slugs live on rocky and muddy shores where they hide at high tide and emerge at low tide to feed and reproduce, playing a major role in coastal ecosystems. However, despite their high numbers, they’ve never been properly documented along any part of Australia’s coastline until now. Read more…

Restoring The Climate with Native Plants and Deeper Soils

A tipping point is crossed when sufficient vegetation and soils are lost. The land surfaces harden or are paved over, transforming into hot plates or heat islands. These surfaces warm stormwater that is no longer held by vegetation and soils. Read more…

“Buy Now! The Shopping Conspiracy” – Reflections on the Netflix Documentary

The film discusses the manipulative tactics employed by big corporations to lure consumers into excessive spending, often at the expense of our financial well-being and environmental sustainability. Moreover, This documentary resonated with me because this level of consumerism affects us all and every aspect of the environment. Read more…