August 2013 - Mission Blue

Monthly Archives: August 2013

Photo of the Day ~ Plumose Anemones

Earlier this month, Mission Blue Board Director Dan Laffoley found these Plumose Anemones on a reef just north of St Martins, during his explorations in and around the Isles of Scilly European Marine Site and Marine Conservation Zone – a jewel in the crown of UK MPAs.
Photo: (c) Dan Laffoley
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Blackfish: A killer documentary

by Courtney Mattison
“Blackfish” is grim. But then again, so is the plight of these magnificent, intelligent whales.” – Tom Long, Detroit News1
The gripping documentary Blackfish is drawing crowds around the world this summer after advance screenings by Magnolia Pictures in Los Angeles and New York. Notable news outlets from the Guardian to the New York Times have praised the film’s condemnation of animal husbandry and safety practices at SeaWorld, painting a picture of corporate greed and negligence that the multibillion-dollar franchise is now publicly fighting.

Through a mesmerizing and heartbreaking tapestry of firsthand accounts, court proceedings and incident and autopsy reports, Blackfish tells the story of Tilikum, the 12,000-pound orca whale responsible for three human deaths including that of SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau in 2010.…

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Fracking, Gas and Coal Projects to Push Great Barrier Reef’s Sea Turtles Closer to the Brink of Extinction

Turtle Island Restoration Network (TIRN) and The Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) are warning that the massive fracking gas, coal and other industrial projects planned for Australia’s Great Barrier Reef will push globally significant species of turtles closer to the brink of extinction.
The industrialization of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area will destroy and degrade critical nesting, feeding or migration habitat for six marine turtle species of international value.
“The Great Barrier Reef is home to some of the most amazing and vulnerable sea turtle species in the world who rely on a healthy reef for their future,” said Teri Shore, program director for Turtle Island Restoration Network, which has taken legal action over U.S. funding of massive Liquefied Natural Gas facilities in sea turtle habitat. 

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Gulf of Mexico Brine Pools with Megan Cook

Have you ever met a little kid who refuses to go to bed, because they know the minute they lay their head down, something amazing and unexpected will happen? No matter how strong the onset of the Sleepies, this child will valiantly fight them back until wee-hours just to ensure the impending night’s biggest excitement won’t slip by. Over the last few weeks out at sea, I’ve been the adult-reincarnate of that child! 
Aboard the E/V Nautilus we are exploring the Gulf of Mexico seafloor using deep diving ROVs around the clock 24 hours a day.  Capable of diving to 13,000 feet, mapping the seafloor and bringing up a suite of water, sediment, chemical, or biologic samples the vehicles can produce never-ending possibilities for what lies just beyond the edge of the ROV lights.…

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A New Hope Spot! Together we’re keeping HOPE alive.

Nineteen Causes for Hope!
The Bering Sea Canyons were recently named the 19th Mission Blue Hope Spot, an area of critical importance to the ocean’s health: seeds of tomorrow’s healthy ocean. Already, change is happening and hope is growing.
The Bering Sea Canyons Hope Spot supports a near endless variety of precious life, a vital ecosystem which is threatened by industrial fishing. After Mission Blue and Greenpeace jointly announced the 19th Hope Spot, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council decided to expand research in the region to conserve the Bering Sea and its canyons.
By identifying precious ecosystems in the oceans with our scientific minds and human hearts — Hope Spots! — we can create a network of Marine Protected Areas across the globe.…

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Can California save the ocean?

By David Helvarg
California, its economy recovering from the Great Recession, is far from the demise conservative doomsayers predicted just a few years ago, a demise brought on by environmental regulation, graduated income taxes and its sybaritic ways.
In fact when it comes to environmental policy, particularly ocean and coastal protection, California is a national trendsetter and a role model for what kind of blue planet we leave the next generation. “This is the only state where you can get elected or lose your job based on your positions on coastal protection and offshore oil,” Monterey Rep. Sam Farr likes to point out.
One reason is Californians’ sense of entitlement to their 1,100 miles of oceanfront. This grows out of the state’s history as a maritime frontier dependent on access to the Pacific for its economic and social development.…

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Hope Spot Update: Protecting Bahamian Reefs

By Courtney Mattison
With Shark Week in full swing and beach vacation season beginning to wind down in the U.S., it’s time for an update on one of our favorite shark-loving tropical Hope Spots – the Bahamian reefs. Many NGOs, governments and other stakeholders are doing exciting work there and throughout the Caribbean Community that is good for the ocean and good for us.
With over 3,000 low-lying islands covering 1,400 square kilometers off the southeastern tip of Florida, the Bahamas are home to a wealth of marine life and host millions of visitors each year. More visitors mean more people hungry for seafood and eager to explore the reefs. It’s great that tourists want to get wet and explore the ocean both for their own enjoyment and to support the regional economy (tourism accounts for 60% of the Bahamian GDP), but as with any good thing, responsibility and moderation are key.…

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Ahoy Shark Week!

It’s Shark Week! How jawsome is that? We get a full week to celebrate and learn the full 360 on these toothy fellows. Get involved in the conversation! Check out the cheat sheet below, provided by our friends at Upwell.

On the menu for the week is a close look at the gargantuan megalodon, which had 7 inch teeth and the most powerful bite of any creature ever. Its chomp packed between 10 – 18 tons of pressure, compared to today’s lion which does about 600 pounds. What a wimpy cat! Check the graphic…these guys were huge!

Viewers can also look forward to 11 hours of new material, a profile of freshwater bull sharks near New Orleans, a peek at extremely rare deep sea sharks and the top ten sharkdown of the world’s most deadly species.…

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