Artwork stating 'Education Destroys Barriers', 'We Demand Treatment', and 'I Need A Chance'

Search Results

You searched for: -

There are 206 results  for your search.  View and Refine Your Search Terms

  • Race to Decode Coral DNA to Save World's Reefs From Extinction

    After nearly back-to-back coral bleaching events made headlines internationally, there's been an increased awareness around the need to save what's left of the species. The newest strategy being implemented has to do with genetic technology that helps scientists determine via DNA markers which types of coral may be the most weak and the most resilient. “Scientists’ goal right now should be to take the steps necessary to optimize coral species so that each successive generation is more resilient,” explains marine biologist Ruth Gates. Although still early in its debut, this is the goal of genetic technology.

    Read More

  • Achoo! Snot-Collecting Drones Are Revolutionizing Whale Research

    Traditionally, whales have been studied through research vessels, which are hard to maneuver, and costly to make. However, drones with the ability to capture a whale’s snot, are providing a much easier, and cheaper alternative to whale research.

    Read More

  • Coral Triage: Scientists Zero in on Reefs With Best Chance of Survival

    Coral reefs on the brink of near extinction, but the more we know about the reefs themselves, the better chance they have to survive - or so says a group of coral reef specialists at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego. This group has implemented a 3-D imaging mapping project at the University of Queensland in Australia with the goal of equipping communities with the knowledge needed to help coral reefs survive another major bleaching event.

    Read More

  • Tweet Streams: How Social Media Can Help Keep Tabs on Ocean Health

    In an effort to collect data about the environmental health of high traffic destinations, researchers are examining the text and images of geotagged social media posts. Tweets about the Great Barrier Reef were analyzed for relevant information about specifically where people visited, common activities, and common complaints. While people passively provided data by geotagging posts, researchers are also proposing creating hashtags that allow for people to actively communicate data to researchers through social media posts.

    Read More

  • ‘Upcycling' Ocean Plastic Trash Comes into Fashion

    When global oil prices drop, so do incentives to recycle plastic materials, and even more plastic debris and trash ends up collecting in our oceans and ecosystem. An alternative solution in the form of "up-cycling" is helping to combat plastic pollution, as nonprofits and do-gooders who gather beach and ocean trash partner up with companies and retailers to produce desirable products crafted from materials collected out of the oceans.

    Read More

  • Robot Revolution: New Generation of Cheap Drones to Explore the Seas

    There's a robot revolution happening in the San Francisco Bay Area, and it's all in the name of mapping our oceans. This boom of technological innovation is helping bring lower-cost tools to both researchers and citizens. These consumers in turn use the devices to take photos during their excursions that ultimately create a network of ocean data that helps map the realities of concerns such as ocean acidification, rising water temperatures and overfishing.

    Read More

  • Ghost Gear Busters: Paying Fishers to Collect Derelict Nets, Traps

    "Ghost gear" describes the nets, lines, and other debris lost off the back of commercial fishing boats in staggering amounts each year, and it spells death for hundreds of thousands of marine animals and birds who get tangled in it. Previously, there was little financial incentive to pull this litter back out of the water, but a new public-private partnership called Fishing For Energy is paying fishers to gather up ghost gear and help recycle it, as well as developing new technologies to prevent bycatch and educating communities about the issue.

    Read More

  • Mexico launches pioneering scheme to insure its coral reef

    Climate change is a mounting threat to coral reefs, which serve not just as critical habitats for ocean life and a draw for the tourism industry, but also as a buffer to the increasing storms caused by changing weather patterns. In the first scheme of its kind, private businesses, nonprofits, and the government in Mexico's Yucatán Penninsula are combining financial resources to take out an insurance policy on their coral reefs. The insurance will help rebuild the reefs after storms and man-made damage, and fund new ways to keep them healthy.

    Read More

  • Madagascar: No more fish? We'll farm seaweed instead

    Adapting to climate change in coastal areas means adjusting local fishing and cultivation practices. Residents of Velondriake, a locally managed marine area in southern Madagascar, have introduced seaweed and algae farming as an alternative to fishing. With the help of Blue Ventures, an NGO based in the UK, and the University of Toliara, residents are monitoring their ecosystem and finding new markets for their harvests.

    Read More

  • When New York Harbor Is Your Classroom

    New York City’s Harbor School is a public school that provides students with a comprehensive education in oceanic issues. Classes happen in a traditional classroom on Governor’s Island as well as on the harbor. Through this school, students living in an urban environment have a chance to connect to the environment and receive hands on training for maritime jobs.

    Read More