Freeing the Elwha: Witnessing the Largest Dam Removal Project in History

This past weekend, large excavators began deconstructing two dams along the Elwha river in Olympic National Park. The project is the largest dam removal project to date and one of the largest ecosystem restoration projects in U.S. history. The Elwha river (photo by S. Neil Larsen 2011 Economic development in the Pacific Northwest has often relied on the abundant natural resources of the area, with timber and salmon being two of the most iconic. In... Read More

Sylvia Earle VIDEO: Into the Blue Ocean

Sylvia Earle at the Tennessee Aquarium from Nature Films Network on Vimeo. An Ocean Advocate extraordinaire provides a wonderful and insightful talk about the state of the Oceans, and the inspiration she derives from it. Very cool.  Read More

“Since we’re here swimming in the drink”

The Triathlon at Pacific Grove This past weekend I completed an Olympic distance triathlon. My first. Highly recommend it. What happened immediately following was also memorable: I was interviewed within minutes of crossing the finish line! Seafood Watch You see, a number of my colleagues from the Monterey Bay Aquarium also raced. There was a good group of us out there, and together, we were “Team Seafood Watch.” I am relatively new to... Read More

Tuna and Salmon in the news

There are some interesting developments in the world of fish this week:  The FDA is nearly ready to approve the first genetically modified animal for human consumption. AquAdvantage salmon is Atlantic salmon spliced with a gene from ocean pout (an eel-like fish) that allows it to grow twice as fast as a normal salmon. The company that has developed this fish wants to use it in aquaculture operations, but there are concerns about the safety of the... Read More

Biodiversity conservation can reduce poverty, study finds

Shameless self-promotion: The knowledge review I had been working on for The Nature Conservancy has been published. Does Conserving Biodiversity Work to Reduce Poverty: A State of Knowledge Review can be downloaded from ConserveOnline.  Read More

The Cove Wins Best Documentary at Oscars

“The Cove,” a documentary film about the slaughter of dolphins for meat in Taiji, Japan, won best feature documentary at the 2010 Academy Awards. I wrote about the powerful film a few months ago [see: "The Cove, a Must See Documentary"], and was hoping that it would win. The film did not get very much press coverage in Japan, and was only shown at two small engagements. The company that has bought the rights to the film is working on... Read More

US Supports Ban on Trade of Bluefin Tuna

As I reported a few weeks ago, the bluefin tuna may be listed as an endangered species at the next meeting of CITES in a few weeks. The US government is now officially supporting Monaco’s proposal to ban the trade of bluefin tuna in an effort to save the species from extinction, as announced by the assistant Secretary of the Interior Tom Strickland: “[In] light of the serious compliance problems that have plagued the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean... Read More

Bluefin Tuna, an Endangered Species

The U.N. panel that oversees the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES) has declared that the export of Atlantic bluefin tuna should be banned in order to save the species from possible extinction. “In our opinion, the criteria for including the species in appendix 1 are met and international commercial trade in bluefin tuna should be prohibited,” David Morgan, head of CITES scientific unit, told a news briefing. Bluefin... Read More

Ocean Acidification – Ocean in Peril

Rising CO2 emissions in the atmosphere due to the burning of fossil fuels is causing ocean acidification. Ocean dwelling organisms, many of which we eat and depend on, will be negatively affected because forming carbonate (i.e. shells) will become much more difficult. A new study from the north Pacific provides evidence that the oceans are becoming more acidic on a large scale. Graph showing the increase in both atmospheric and dissoved ocean CO2,... Read More

The Cove: A Must-See Documentary

The town of Taiji, Japan holds a big secret. In a small cove on the outskirts of town, fishermen reportedly slaughter 23,000 dolphins each year and harvest the meat. This is the subject of an incredible (and potentially Oscar-nominated) documentary film: The Cove (2009). The film tells the story of a team of activists who stage an elaborate clandestine operation to film the dolphin slaughter using hidden cameras. Their goal is that by exposing this... Read More

Richard Ellis: Q & A

For most of his professional life, Richard Ellis has been an outspoken advocate for the world’s marine creatures. A prolific artist, author, naturalist, and activist, he carries a firm belief that the problems associated with his marine subjects are due to our lack of knowledge and awareness. “I am a person who uses every tool in the toolbox to try and make a point” A tireless crusader for the world’s ocean life, he has written and illustrated... Read More