Oceans: Rise Up!

The RISE UP Blue Call to Action is a joint call by civil society, fisherfolk, Indigenous Peoples and philanthropic organizations for bold action to safeguard the ocean at the next UN Ocean Conference in Portugal from 2-6 June 2020. This is a joint statement by: Oceano Azul Foundation Ocean Unite Oak Foundation The David and Lucile Packard Foundation Marine Conservation Institute Hish Seas Alliance Oceana NRDC Waitt Institute Waitt Foundation The Nature Conservancy Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation Conservation International The Ocean Policy Research Institute, Sasakawa Peace Foundation RARE Seas at Risk Wildlife Conservation Society Oceanario de Lisboa Monterey Bay Aquarium World Forum of Fish Harvesters and Fish Workers World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Ocean Conservancy International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF) Monaco Blue Institute L’Institut Océanographique de Monaco The ICCA Consortiu

Atlas of Ocean Wealth

The Atlas of Ocean Wealth is the largest collection to date of information about the economic, social and cultural values of coastal and marine habitats from all over the world. It is a synthesis of innovative science, led by The Nature Conservancy (TNC), with many partners around the world. Through these efforts, they've gathered vast new datasets from both traditional and less likely sources.The work includes more than 35 novel and critically important maps that show how nature's value to people varies widely from place to place. They also illustrate nature's potential. These maps show that one can accurately quantify the value of marine resources. Further, by enumerating such values, one can encourage their protection or enhancement for the benefit of people all around the world. In summary, it clearly articulates not just that we need nature, but how much we need it, and where

Flipping the Fishing Business Model on its Head

This GrantCraft case study, developed for Foundation Center's FundingtheOcean.org portal, explores how the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, encouraged collaboration in U.S. West Coast groundfish fishing communities. It includes the perspective of one of it's grantees in the area, The Nature Conservancy, and how they worked together locally to address declining groundfish populations and improve the livelihoods of local fishermen

Mapping Ocean Wealth: Livelihoods, Economies and Integrated Ocean-Use Planning

The Conservancy's goal is to calculate and describe—in quantitative and spatial terms—all that the ocean does for us today, so we can make smart investments and decisions affecting what the ocean can do for us tomorrow. In mapping our ocean wealth, we move from broad global averages of habitat science to specific local details, and evaluate nature as an asset. This local data then becomes actionable, translating directly into the engineering, financial and policy language that can inform and improve coastal and ocean planning, conservation, development and investment decisions

Florida's Coastal and Ocean Future: An Updated Blueprint for Economic and Environmental Leadership

Florida's coastal and marine habitats and numerous ecological and economic resources provide invaluable assetsto the millions of people who live in Florida or visit the state each year. The coast is Florida's economic engine. Florida's world-class beaches and coastal waters generate tens of billions of dollars from tourism and recreation andprovide habitat for numerous species of fish, birds, sea turtles, and other wildlife. Coastal marshes, mangrove forests, seagrass and oyster beds, and other habitats remove excess nutrients and pollutants, act as a buffer against major storms and flooding, and support the vast majority of Florida's marine fish and shellfish. Furthermore, the coralreefs off the Southeast coast and Florida Keys are home to thousands of marine species, support a thriving tourismindustry, and protect Florida's coasts from erosion and storm damage. These coastal and marine systems defineFlorida and frame the lives of Floridians. But these precious natural resources are at risk from destruction, misuse,and pollution.The Florida Coastal and Ocean Coalition created this second, updated Blueprint, Florida's Coastal and OceanFuture: An Updated Blueprint for Economic and Environmental Leadership, to inform state leaders and the publicof current issues affecting Florida's environment, economy, and citizens. This report addresses many continuingand some new issues affecting Florida's coastal and marine environments since 2006, and also recommends specificactions to improve the environmental and economic health of Florida's natural resources

Sea-level rise and vanishing coastal parks: A call to action for park managers and leaders

A "Coloring Outside the Lines" editorial column

Exploring the Recent Abundance of Spiny Dogfish in the Gulf of Maine

I received a 2016 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) grant to work alongside commercial fishermen on the New Hampshire coastline. Declining populations of traditional groundfish species, such as Atlantic cod, have forced New Hampshire commercial fishermen to target different species. One of their new targets, the spiny dogfish, is a species of shark that migrates along the eastern seaboard over the course of the year. The mechanism behind this migration is still unknown, but typically dogfish are seen in New Hampshire waters from June to August. With the increase in ocean water temperatures in recent years, some fishermen have begun noting unusual catch patterns concerning spiny dogfish. My project sought to relate benthic water temperature to the presence of dogfish at popular commercial fishing locations offthe coast of New Hampshire. I predicted that dogfish would be more abundant at higher benthic water temperatures. Our findings refute this hypothesis, as water temperatures continued to rise through the end of August despite declining catches of spiny dogfish. These findings indicate that other variables, such as dogfish prey abundance, play a critical role in the movement patterns of spiny dogfish in New Hampshire waters