How to Exorcise the Ghosts of Crab Traps Past

The world's oceans absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, which is a positive thing in the face of climate change for those living on land, but can harm the animals that rely on certain acidification levels of ocean waters. When it became apparent off the coasts of Oregon and Washington that oysters and other sea life with a shell or a skeleton were suffering the ramifications, researchers created a sensor that could detect acidification levels that could warn oyster growers of potentially harmful areas.

Because of drastic reef declines globally, coral reef restoration efforts have gained support in recent years. To understand how to do it, a hardy band of conservationists in the Caribbean are looking at how corals reproduce. But as these scientists acknowledge, raising corals is challenging and complex. And such restoration is no silver bullet for continual habitat loss, pollution, and ocean acidification.

Increasing salinization of water sources and droughts as a result of climate change have threatened traditional agricultural practices in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam. But The International Union for the Conservation of Nature and the Netherlands Development Agency are helping teach farmers to adapt by showing them how to work with the saltier waters, establishing organic shrimp farms instead of growing rice and preserving the valuable mangroves that protect their coastline from storms.

Dams make for complex and often controversial infrastructure. While hydropower generated from large dam projects is currently providing the bulk of the planet's renewable energy, dams can also cause major environmental and social damage by interrupting animal migrations, displacing indigenous communities, and collecting toxins. A number of solutions are being implemented, however, to address the various issues caused by dams, to help make them a more eco-friendly and viable source of clean energy.

Lake associations in New Hampshire are using a combination of chemical herbicide treatments, manual diver removal, and volunteer Lake Host inspection programs to manage invasive variable milfoil. Since 2002, their work has achieved up to 100% reduction in treated areas, and more than 1,500 invasive species intercepted at boat launches statewide.

Artificial mangrove roots or AMRs, developed by Thailand scientists are being installed on the country’s beaches to mimic mangrove’s sediment trapping abilities. These wood and rubber structures can help reverse coastal erosion, reclaim the land and help in restoring natural mangrove forests.

Morocco's implementation of seawater desalination plants has successfully provided drinking water to 1.6 million people and enabled record agricultural exports for large-scale tomato producers, while simultaneously revealing the technology's limitations in addressing broader water needs due to high costs, geographic constraints, and environmental impacts that benefit only well-funded farms near coastal facilities.

The Watershed Project works with residents to protect and restore landscapes that drain into waterways—creeks, rivers and ultimately—around the San Francisco Bay. Strong community outreach aims to connect people, the environment, and government agencies, municipalities, legal firms, and private and public investors.

Scientists in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, are propagating common species of mussels to restore the once-thick mussel beds in local waterways. The mussels work as filters that purify the water and improve the health of the ecosystem.

Several villages are establishing no-take zones, or tengefus, to address issues of overfishing, allowing fish to repopulate. With the help of several local organizations and government authorities, there are currently 22 tengefus in various stages of development across the country.