Thursday, December 31, 2015

2015 in Review !

As 2015 comes to a close, Sea Save Foundation reflects on some of the year's top headlines. Our Week in Review has covered topics ranging from the shark fin trade to the impacts of climate change, as part of our efforts to raise awareness of marine conservation successes and challenges. Cheers and Happy New Year to all!


Shark Enemy Award Goes to the President of Costa Rica


Costa Rican President Luis Guillermo Solis was named the Shark Enemy of 2016 by a coalition of 30 international organizations, including Sea Save! Solis has been a potential candidate since February when the government signed off on the export of two shipments of shark fins from an endangered species. The government of Costa Rica refutes the claim that they violated the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna (CITES) and states that they are "looking for a balance between fishermen and conservation".   Read more...



Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)

(Creative Commons)
In 2016, a few of our members will attend CITES CoP17 in Johannesburg, South Africa. The purpose of CITES is to ensure that international trade does not threaten the survival of any plant or animal. Approximately 33,000 species fall under the CITES umbrella of protection, of which approximately 5,000 are animals. Delegates from member nations discuss the proposed species and then vote whether they would like to place the species in one of three appendices. Each appendix reflects a different level of endangerment and suggests sanctions that should be considered for animals in that category. Although there was no conference this year, Sea Save used various petitions to help support the CITES decisions made during the 2014 conference. 

Preserve the Cayman Pier

2015-09-30-1443638203-3963704-Nosy_turtle2.jpgIn July, Sea Save's Week in Review reported on the proposed construction of a Cruise Berthing Facility in the Cayman Islands to increase cruise tourism.  The Environmental Impact Assessment reports the extend of the anticipated damage here. Although these environmental impacts have been identified, the project has not halted. The coral dreading that will occur this process will destroy a large portion of the reefs in Grand Cayman. An article, written by Sea Save Director Georgienne Bradley, was published in the Huffington Post to discuss the thoughts and concerns of many of the islanders and other close to the island.  Read here... The Sea Save team also developed a petition to the Minister of Environment of Cayman Islands to stop the dredging.  



Shark Week 2015

Discovery Channel's 2015 Shark Week was a week to remember ! This year, Sea Save has been selected as an official partner of this famous week. Discovery's new commitment to present factual stories that make people care about the subject , made us so excited to watch the broadcast. We can't wait to see what they have lined up for next year! 




International Reduction Shark Finning 

Throughout 2015 there were a number of headlines that more countries, states, transportation companies, and restaurants were putting a ban on shark finning. Take a look at Sea Save's Wins For Fins- Global Protection at a Glance map here. Even though the world has made good progress on diminishing shark finning, there is still a lot of work to be done. Cheers to even more shark conservation successes in 2016!

Don't forget to participate in our Give Em Fin campaign. Help us build a photo mosaic that will used as an ocean protection billboard.  Each uploaded image becomes one pixel of the artwork.  20,000 images will send one clear message: Be Part of the Global Picture.  Say “No” to Shark Fin Soup! Visit our campaign page here for more information.



Free Nasheed!

Home minister Umar Naseer gestures as he speaks during a ceremony. FILE PHOTO
This year you may have seen some posts on our social media sites about the current activity in the Maldives. After we found out the ocean conservationist and human rights leader, Mohamed Nasheed, was imprisoned and not given the right to an attorney, we sprung to action. We created a petition here to ask the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group to get involved with this situation. Many people do not understand the history or current state of the Maldive Islands and the impact that Mohamed Nasheed has had to the community. We challenged you all to read this article from the Berkeley Journal of Sociology to educate yourselves. A recent article, here, discusses the international organizations applying pressure calling for his release.  Please continue to help us free Nasheed!



Can't wait to read the Week in Review in 2016?

Please donate what you can to our Challenge 500 campaign! The Challenge 500 runs until midnight on New Year's Eve: if 500 people donate (as little as $15 - $20 each) Sea Save will receive a grant of $60,000. Together we can do this!
Donations can be made through one of these two portals:



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Be sure to "LIKE" http://facebook.com/SeaSave to ensure our "Week in Review" is delivered to your newsfeed every Thursday. 

Sea Save Foundation is committed to raising awareness of marine conservation. The Week in Review is a team effort produced by the Sea Save staff to provide a weekly summary of the latest in marine research, policy, and news.

Monday, December 28, 2015

Week in Review: Three Whales Have Died at SeaWorld San Antonio in the Last Six Months

1. Three Whales Have Died at SeaWorld San Antonio in the Last Six Months

In the past six months, three whales have died at SeaWorld San Antonio. Unna, an 18 year old killer whale, died from a resistant strain of fungus called Candida this week. In November, a beluga whale named Stella dies from  gastrointestinal problems. The last whale death was a newborn beluga who died after being born premature in July. SeaWorld claims that " non of the issues were related to each other, or to the care that the animals received". Read more...

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2. Why This Newly Discovered Shark Is A Real Ninja

This week, Victoria Vasquez and her colleagues published an article in the Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation reporting on the first lanternshark that has been found in Central America. The shark has light emitting organs, two doral fins with a spine on each one, and dignathic heterodonty. The scientists have labeled the sharks as a ninja lantern shark. Why use the name ninja? This creature use their bio luminescence to camouflage themselves within the deep ocean's limited light to then sneak up on their prey.  Read more...


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3. Large Permanent Reserves Required for Effective Conservation of Old Fish

A newly published study in the journal Proceedings of the Society B  has found that the ages and growth rates of long-lived fish species are important factors in measuring the recovery of the Indian Ocean ecosystem. This study evaluated the life histories of fish communities. The findings underscore the importance of permanent marine protected areas and wilderness in the effective protection of marine fishes. The study combined fish censuses from more than 300 coral reefs to examine how they changed in response to fishing methods and the number of years they had been closed to fishing. Read more...


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4. Judge Upholds Rule Allowing More Hawaii Bigeye Tuna Fishing

U.S. District Judge Leslie Kobayashi issued a ruling rejecting environmental groups' claims that the extra fishing is illegal. 3,500 metric tons is the fishing limit from the international commission that regulates commercial fishing between Indonesia and Hawaii. The U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service created a rule allowing additional catch limits for 3 U.S Pacific territories. Although tuna fishing is being managed internationally, the rules aren't adequate to protect the fish population. Read more...


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5. Endangered Sea Turtles Impacted By Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill



Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Researchers at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science reported that sea turtles were greatly impacted by the 87 day long oil spill in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The team created an ocean circulation  model to track particles from the Gulf of Mexico spill site to possible major nesting beaches. The study determined the green, loggerhead, and Kemp's ridley turtles which were likely present within the spill site. Predictions indicate that ~ 75% of the turtles came from Mexico, ~14% from Costa Rica, ~6% from South America, ~4% from the US, and the remaining percentage from West Africa.  Read more...



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Be sure to "LIKE" http://facebook.com/SeaSave to ensure our "Week in Review" is delivered to your newsfeed every Thursday. 

Sea Save Foundation is committed to raising awareness of marine conservation. The Week in Review is a team effort produced by the Sea Save staff to provide a weekly summary of the latest in marine research, policy, and news.

Thursday, December 17, 2015

Week in Review: What Was Really Achieved at COP21 Climate Summit, and What Next?

1. What Was Really Achieved at COP21 Climate Summit, and What Next?


An historic event occurred this week at 7:27pm on Saturday December 12, 2015 in the conference center in Le Bourget. After weeks of discussions and negotiations, all nations pledged action on climate change. What is their aim? To restrict global warming to well below 2 degrees C above pre-industrial levels and to strive to limit it to 1.5 degrees C.  To read more of the details of the summit and the information reviewed, read  here...

Phys.org has also compiled a special report of  all of the best articles covering the scientific, political, and economic challenges beyond Paris. Read them here...

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2. GrubHub Bans Sales of Shark Fin

Over the years we have heard of transportation companies and countries banning the trade of shark fin but this week a ban came from a unique source. GrubHub, the widely used online food delivery service, made a statement that they would no longer permit the sale of food products made with shark fin. GrubHub covers over 35,000 restaurants in 900 cities. The company stated that "[they] deeply value [their] relationships with restaurants that provide Chinese cuisine on GrubHub and feel that is is the right choice to protect the world's endangered species". Read more...


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3. 8th Endangered Orca Spotted in Puget Sound

In this Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2015 photo provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, (NOAA) a new baby orca swims alongside an adult whale, believed to be its mother, about 15 miles off the coast of Westport, Wash.This week, another baby orca was born in the Puget Sound. This is the eighth orca bron since last December to the small, endangered populations of killer whales. According to the Center for Whale Research, a decade ago there were more than 140 southern resident killer whales. The number declined to 71 in the 1970s due to increased killer whale captivity for aquariums and amusement parks. The current population is now 84! It is possible that this boom is a result of a good salmon year on the Columbia river.  Read more...


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4. Fish Stocks Are Declining Worldwide


A group of scientists from Dalhousie University and University of California- Irvine recently published an analysis in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The report found that the ability of fish populations to reproduce and replenish themselves is declining across the globe. The declining populations are directly correlated to the change in ocean temperature which affects the phytoplankton populations.   Read more...


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5. Are You Ready to Track Gnaraloo's Sea Turtles? 

The Gnaraloo Turtle Conservation Program (GTCP) is working with Aub Strydom (University of Queensland) to attach satellite trackers onto 10 adult loggerhead turtles. This will provide data on the migratory patterns and habitats of the species. Habitats of interest are the area adjacent to the nesting beach where females go to develop their eggs and foraging areas that are linked to Gnaraloo's rookeries. The information will fill major knowledge gaps and will provide insight into how the southeast Indian Ocean loggerhead turtle population can be preserved. To follow the project and the turtles see the project's webpage here...



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6. Chinese Poachers Destroy Coral Reefs

This week, BBC reported on Chinese fishermen who are deliberately destroying coral reefs around the tiny Philippine-controlled island of Pagasa. The sea floor was covered in debris and left the coral smashed into pieces. The boats were also collecting giant clam shells to auction off for a few thousand US Dollars.  To watch the horrifying story visit the link here...




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Be sure to "LIKE" http://facebook.com/SeaSave to ensure our "Week in Review" is delivered to your newsfeed every Thursday. 

Sea Save Foundation is committed to raising awareness of marine conservation. The Week in Review is a team effort produced by the Sea Save staff to provide a weekly summary of the latest in marine research, policy, and news.

Thursday, December 10, 2015

Week in Review: Can We Control Climate Change with a 29 Page Document?

1. Can We Control Climate Change with a 29 Page Document?


Ok, a whole week has passed since our last update. You may be wondering- what's the big news from the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties (COP21), aka the Paris Conference on Global Climate Change? Good news, we have your update! 

On Tuesday the European Union joined 79 countries from Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific to "push for an ambitions, durable and legally binding deal with a strong review every five years". Throughout the week the United States also joined the ambitions coalition. The 29 page draft agreement  was released this week but, there are still many points to be negotiated by both rich and poor nations.  Read more...

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2. Adidas Unveils 3D- Printed Shoe Made From Plastic Ocean Waste

Embedded image permalinkFashion meets sustainability yet again! This week Adidas and Parley for the Oceans announced that they designed a shoe made almost entirely from ocean waste. The upper part of the shoe is made with ocean plastic and the midsole is 3D-printed using recycled polyester and gill nets. This is the second eco shoe that Adidias has developed. Read more...


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3. Invasive Species Could Wreak Havoc On The Arctic

This week, an article published in the Journal of Applied Ecology reported that there are not invasive species in the Arctic. Scientists believe that the invasive species were introduced from the water that travels in ballasts of ships. After research, it was concluded that the ballasts includeds a total of 23 non-native species, including crabs, barnacles, and copepods. Although many of these species can not survive the extreme cold, on species of crab is resilient.  Read more...

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4. Image Shows How Dolphins See People

A research team from SpeakDolphin.com recently shared a "what the dolphin saw" image of a submerged man. The image reveals that dolphin echolocation results in fairly detailed images. It is possible that dolphins employ a 'sono-pictorial' form of language. To read more about the experiment and see the CymaScope image of how a dolphin saw a submerged man, click here...

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5. Beluga Whales Blow Bubbles to Express Mood


Beluga Whale After studying the activity of over 11,000 Beluga whales, researchers from Canisius College concluded that there is more detail to their underwater bubbling. Beluga whales blow bubbled into four different shapes- blowhole drips, blowhole bursts, blowhole streams, and mouth rings. Each of those shaped signal a different mood. Blowing underwater bubbles is a behavior used by many whales to express emotion. On average, Beluga whales blow 58 bubbles per minute, this number will vary with the weather or other environmental factors.   Read more...



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6. After Decades Masquerading As a Walrus, An Ancient Sperm Whale Finally Gets its Due

A reconstruction of Albicetus. (A. Boersma for The Smithsonian)In 1925, 14-16 million year old fossil was collected near Santa Barbara, California and was misidentified by a Smithsonian scientist as a walrus. An article published in PLOS ONE corrects the incorrect identification of this fossil to Albicetus oxymycterus. The name was developed because the species is a sperm whale like Moby Dick and the fossil is white. Scientists estimate that this whale was around 20 feet long  and had a large mouth with huge teeth.   Read more...




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Be sure to "LIKE" http://facebook.com/SeaSave to ensure our "Week in Review" is delivered to your newsfeed every Thursday. 

Sea Save Foundation is committed to raising awareness of marine conservation. The Week in Review is a team effort produced by the Sea Save staff to provide a weekly summary of the latest in marine research, policy, and news.

Thursday, December 3, 2015

Week in Review: Who May Be Considered Public Shark Enemy #1?

1. Who May Be Considered Public Shark Enemy #1?

Last week, Costa Rican President Luis Guillermo Solis was nominated for the Shark Enemy of 2016 by the conservation NGO Sharkproject International. Solis has been a potential candidate since February when the government signed off on the export of two shipments of shark fins from an endangered species. The government of Costa Rica refutes the claim that they violated the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna (CITES) and states that they are "looking for a balance between fishermen and conservation".   Read more...

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2. See How Deepest Ocean Currents Move

If you're a diver or a sailor, you probably have a love-hate relationship with currents. Currents are often times very difficult to predict and see. A group of Australian scientists have recently created a full detailed animation of the deep ocean currents in the Southern Ocean. Read more... For more details on the project and the theory behind the complex southern ocean circulation click here...

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3. Amid Controversy, Japanese Whaling Ships Return to Antarctic Ocean 

On December 1st Japan sent two whaling ships back to the Southern Ocean to resume whale hunts. Japan proposes to kill 333 minke whales this year for research purposes. In previous years the total had been over 900 whales killed. Japan's Institute of Cetacean Research (ICR) states that " the purpose of Japan's research is science-science that will ensure that when commercial whaling is resumed it will be sustainable".  Japan has not provided the International Whaling Commission's Scientific Committee with justification for lethal whaling to carry out research. Read more...

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4. Sleep Underwater? 


rerewrr345sfsdfsdf.jpgOk readers, THIS is a cool story- maybe on the borderline of terrifying and absolutely amazing. Tony Webb, travel advocate and managing director of Planet Ocean Underwater Hotel, has received a U.S. patent for his design of an underwater hotel. Every separate guestroom would be 30 feet below water with its own entrance via surface to ocean elevator. Every room would be complete with a bed, refrigerator, living room with entertainment space, and a bathroom. The first prototype is being built in Key West and will be towed to Cube for its first test at a Spanish-owned resort.  Read more...

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5. Ciguatera Fish Poisoning Predicted to Increase with Rising Temperatures


Ciguatera fish poisoning predicted to increase with rising ocean temperaturesA new NOAA study, published in the journal Ecological Modeling, predicts an increase in ciguatera fish poisoning in the Gulf of Mexico and the US SE coast due to rising global ocean temperatures. Ciguatera is the most common form of algal-induced seafood poisoning and can contaminate many marine reef fish consumed by humans. More than 400 fish species are known to become toxic and it will also contaminate corals and seaweeds, two critical components of the marine food chain.  There is no easy way to identify fish for ciguatoxins but, scientists are able to forecast where the algae will grow and produce ciguatoxins. Read more...



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6. COP21 Update- Indian Signals Willingness to Cut Coal for Climate Cash

IndiaCurrently, India is set to become one of the world's largest producers of coal by 2020. The estimated coal production is 1.5 billion tons. This week during the COP21 discussions, India agreed to make some coal restrictions if there was assistance to pay for green energy which is significantly more expensive. India is currently struggling with meeting the energy needs required by the rapid and massive development. US lead negotiator Todd Stern said that "Prime Minister Modi has made pledges that are quite enormously impressive actually with respect to the development of renewable energy, the total of what he has pledged is 175 gigawatts".  Read more... 

Still confused about the intentions on this years Conference of Parties (COP) on climate change? Read some more details and watch some fabulous videos here... 


Be sure to "LIKE" http://facebook.com/SeaSave to ensure our "Week in Review" is delivered to your newsfeed every Thursday. 

Sea Save Foundation is committed to raising awareness of marine conservation. The Week in Review is a team effort produced by the Sea Save staff to provide a weekly summary of the latest in marine research, policy, and news.