Changing the Way We See the World — How do we change the way we see the world? We have been schooled to visualize and understand our global arrangement by maps and projections, specifically the Mercator projection that aligns the hemispheres, west and east, in a relationship that has informed our relations, conflicts, and cultures as apposite, often…

Written by Sofia Perez for ReefBites.com (Edited by Matthew Tietbohl) The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is one of the most iconic marine landmarks of the world. Not only is it a hot tourist destination on many travelers’ bucket lists, but it is also a symbol of biodiversity, natural beauty, and…

Earth Overshoot Day marks the date when humanity consumes from Nature more than the planet can provide, either as natural or renewable resources in a year. For 2022, the date is July 28, meaning that from today, and all days after, we will be living in debt, in debt for our needs next week and the rest of the year, value subtracted from earth’s total resource capacity. That’s one day earlier than last year, and five months earlier than 1970, the time this calculation was first created. There is no solace in these statistics.

Water, tide, sun, current, power, light, nature, human emotion, and the often under-appreciated, surreal force of the moon. — We live by day with the sun that illuminates our lives, powers growth, and contributes light to the natural processes that nurture our communities and ourselves. But we are reminded these days of the destructive power of the sun, that evaporates our fresh water, dries our fields, and foments the…

In Tampa Bay, Florida, a revival of seagrass and cleaner waters has served as an example of engagement, cooperation, determination, and leadership. What can be learned from this success in order to meet environmental challenges and solve today’s problems? — During the second half of the 20th century, coasts and bays in the United States and around the world became a turgid dumping ground for urban, industrial, and agricultural waste. The expansion of population, economic growth, tourism, dredging, and nitrogen-based fertilizers created a set of conditions in which life, both…

by Stefan Labbé for Business in Vancouver In 1983, Verena Tunnicliffe was floating about 250 kilometres off the coast of Vancouver Island when a call came over the radio — geologists on a nearby sister ship had dredged up something strange from the sea floor. “We got all these strange…

This summer we are revisiting some of our favorite stories highlighting optimism in ocean news, science and advocacy. — How many times at ocean conferences and presentations have I heard someone exclaim: “We know more about Mars than we do the ocean!” …

This summer we are revisiting the archives, choosing some of our favorite stories of optimism in ocean news, science and advocacy. This week we are talking about the history of oysters, New York Harbor, and the Harbor School — an innovative high school on Governor’s Island in New York City…

How do we value ecosystems? How do we assess, monetize and protect them with new practices that are constructive and sustainable? How do we move forward? — We have focused on how to assess the value of ecosystems, how to monetize that value as a legitimate balance sheet line, how to create financial instruments by which capital markets and incentives can be directed away from conventional, polluting, destructive use of natural resources on land and sea toward…