November 2014 - Mission Blue

Monthly Archives: November 2014

Music to Save the Ocean to from The Jellyfish Project

Mission Blue is excited to announce a new partnership with The Jellyfish Project (JFP) – a non-profit organization that uses music and live performance to spread awareness of the environmental realities of our time and the solutions to overcome them. The JFP is a global coalition of musicians raising awareness about our environment and our future. In collaboration with some of the most prominent environmental organizations in North America, they have created a simple yet powerful platform for like-minded musicians and bands to engage in the environmental movement in an organized and impactful way.

The Jellyfish Project has two core programs:
1. From the Stage
From The Stage involves a simple commitment for artists to speak to their audiences about the environment for a few moments at some point during their shows.…

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Why we need MPAs – Hope Spots for the Ocean!

“It’s not about what it is, it’s about what it can become.” Dr. Seuss
This Dr. Seuss quote from The Lorax captures the essence of marine protected areas (MPAs). Science shows that these underwater wildlife sanctuaries can sow the seeds of tomorrow’s healthier ocean. We need a healthier ocean to help ensure the survival of the global ecological and geological engine it drives – to help ensure our own survival on the planet. The creation of MPAs, or “Hope Spots” as Dr. Sylvia Earle calls them, is an actionable way to address the tremendous existential challenges the ocean faces.
Many successful MPAs range in function, from small marine parks supervised by indigenous communities to large designated cultural landmarks or protected sites.…

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Sylvia Earle honored as a UNEP “Champion of the Earth” for Lifetime Leadership

Wednesday night in Washington, DC, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) honored eight environmental stewards as “Champions of the Earth!” As the United Nations’ most prestigious award for the environment, the Champions of the Earth award is celebrating its tenth year of highlighting the outstanding contributions of policy makers, innovators and advocates “to our greatest planetary cause.”
Mission Blue founder Dr. Sylvia Earle and seven others were honored at a gala event at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery and American Art Museum. Awash in hues of blues and greens, the gallery reverberated with haunting tones emitted by Earth Harp.  Elizabeth Broun, Director of the Smithsonian American Art Museum and Kim Sajet, Director of the National Portrait Gallery gave the welcoming remarks.…

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Bahamian Community Doing Good For Ocean Conservation

By Joseph Ierna Jr., Ocean CREST Alliance
We have badly managed our ocean for decades through overfishing, pollution, climate change and development. We have all been part of the ongoing decline of our ocean in some manner, and we can all be the solution to its repair.
On Long Island in the Bahamas, the “Long Islanders” are trying to restore a once-rich ecosystem while sustaining their economy and their direct ties to the sea. This delicate balance is not easy to maintain, but it is necessary to return our ocean to its former glory. In an ongoing process to establish a large marine protected area (MPA), the small 4,000-person community of Long Island Bahamas is making good progress in establishing protection for 215,000 acres of coastal waters.…

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World Parks Congress in Australia Unites Global Ocean Leaders

By Courtney Mattison
On a warm summer afternoon in Australia last Wednesday, thousands of environmental researchers, advocates, policy makers and business leaders gathered in a great hall within the Sydney Olympic Park for the opening ceremonies of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Parks Congress. Delegates from around the globe watched as world-class acrobats flew through the air and dancers in vibrant costumes portrayed a story about inspiring future generations to protect the environment. Aboriginal performances and protocols highlighted the rich cultural context of the host country of this meeting, which only comes around once a decade and is held in a different country each time.
IUCN President Mr. Zhang Xinsheng, Australian federal and state environmental ministers and Nelson Mandela’s grandson addressed the congress.…

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Act Now to Protect the High Seas with TakePart & Mission Blue!

Here at Mission Blue we are thrilled to be teaming up with TakePart — “a digital news & lifestyle magazine and social action platform for the conscious consumer” — to raise awareness for the ocean! 
TakePart enables people like you to change the world by broadcasting inspiring content and connecting it to actions you can take to make a difference. Over the coming months, TakePart will be spreading the word about ways you can help save the ocean alongside Mission Blue!
To start off, you can get involved by signing this Mission Blue petition to help protect the High Seas! As the IUCN World Parks Congress leads into  international meetings at the United Nations this winter, we face an exceptional opportunity to urge policymakers to create legal protections for the High Seas – nearly half of our planet – which are currently about as lawless as the wild west.…

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Sylvia Earle is a Glamour Magazine Woman of the Year!

Monday night in New York City, Dr. Sylvia Earle was among ten honorees of the Glamour Magazine 2014 Women of the Year Award. Comedian and television host James Corden hosted the star-studded awards gala at Carnegie Hall alongside an A-list of presenters including Stephen Colbert and Whoopi Goldberg. By celebrating luminaries from entertainment, philanthropy, education, fashion, and politics, Editor-in-Chief of Glamour Magazine Cindi Leive highlighted the extraordinary achievements of women from a diverse spectrum of fields and backgrounds.

“One of the privileges of my job is the front-row seat it gives me to watch some of the most amazing women in the world in action,” said Cindi Leive. “Glamour’s annual tribute to female ‘doers and darers’ honors those trailblazers: ten winners who have made history in 2014.”…

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A Spectacular Week of Film (and Ocean!) Appreciation Concludes at the Blue Ocean Film Festival

A remarkable spirit of cooperation and mutual support pervaded the Blue Ocean Film Festival this year as the tightly-knit ocean community came together and shared not only films, but visions for more ambitious ocean conservation in the future. Support of marine sanctuaries was omnipresent among the gathered filmmakers, explorers, politicians and other notables. The festival, which alternates between St. Petersburg, Florida and Monaco, is much more than a world-class film festival: it is an epicenter of the ocean conservation dialogue that grows in strength with each succeeding event. Let’s take a look back at a few memorable moments from the week.
The friendship deepened between Mission Blue founder Dr. Sylvia Earle and former President of the Maldives Mohamed Nasheed. Dr. Earle even honored Mr.…

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BLUE Ocean Film Festival & Conservation Summit kicks off today!

Here at Mission Blue we love the BLUE Ocean Film Festival & Conservation Summit and we couldn’t be more excited to be on the ground at BLUE 2014 this week! The festivities kick off today in St. Petersburg, FL for seven days of ocean appreciation that will include film screenings, presentations by marine conservation and film industry all-stars, special exhibitions and the “Oscars of the ocean.”
Hosted at the Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront, BLUE draws a diverse crowd from film and TV celebrities to marine scientists and explorers to families and schoolchildren. “Ocean issues urgently need our attention and not just for the well being of future generations, but for the health of our own children,” said Debbie Kinder, Co-Founder and CEO of BLUE. …

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