Sharks steal the show at Selfridges
Chelsea Bradbury, Marine Reserves Coalition, uncovers the sharky goings-on this week at Selfridges. Overnight on Sunday 1 June, Selfridges in Oxford Street London was transformed, with the beauty of sharks being highlighted both inside and out. The famous windows at the Orchard Street corner expose the myths and highlight the beauty of sharks, through a series of thought-provoking displays and a unique hammerhead shark sculpted by Jonathon Latiano, which definitely demands attention. For the unsuspecting shopper, in-store exhibits also ensure that the plight of sharks is not forgotten and...
Read MoreToday is World Turtle Day!
And on this special day, our Greenpeace friend, Willie Mackenzie reminds us why turtles are awesome! “When I heard it was World Turtle Day, I hatched a plan. I know that to an international audience ‘turtle’ covers a multitude of reptile species, but rather than getting all Queens’ English-y over what is a tortoise, a terrapin or a turtle, I thought this was a good opportunity to focus in on the seven amazing species that roam our oceans – the sea turtles…” Read Willie’s full blog: ‘Turtle recall’ at Greenpeace...
Read MoreAre we turning the tide on ocean rubbish?
Has litter become socially acceptable? When asked what the threats to marine life are, a string of damaging activities may be listed before marine litter is even considered, yet it is currently one of the biggest threats facing the health of our ocean. Plastic litter is a huge problem as it never biodegrades and instead breaks down into tiny particles. Plastic bottles can stay intact for 450 years! This means that marine litter affects wildlife big and small. Millions of seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals die each year through entanglement or ingestion of marine litter. In 2002 a minke whale...
Read MorePew Global Ocean Legacy: the science of a marine reserve
Pew’s Global Ocean Legacy is collaborating with the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) on their current research expedition to Tristan da Cunha archipelago, in the remote South Atlantic Ocean. Tristan da Cunha is about 2,400 kilometers (1,500 miles) from the nearest human settlement, making it the remotest inhabited island on Earth. The BAS research vessel RRS James Clark Ross will be carry out deep sea research in the waters around the archipelago. It is the most important research expedition that has ever occurred around the islands at these depths. The data collected by the expedition will...
Read MoreBasking sharks return
Posted by Chelsea Bradbury The world’s second largest fish is once again in the UK’s coastal waters and the basking shark season has officially begun, so grab your binoculars and head out to see these gentle giants. The first basking shark of the season was spotted off the Cornish coast, measuring a whopping 8m long – which is relatively small seeing as these sharks can grow to 12m! As the long-awaited sunshine of spring arrives, basking shark sightings are now rolling in. Lured in by an abundance of plankton in surface waters as sea temperatures rise, the basking shark can be...
Read MoreHappy Birthday Chagos Marine Reserve!
Last week saw the third birthday of the world’s largest fully-protected marine reserve – the British Indian Ocean Territory marine protected area (otherwise known as the Chagos Marine Reserve). Our friends at the Chagos Conservation Trust have put together some of the best images from the latest scientific expedition to this remarkable archipelago. They show why we’re all working to protect this globally important environment, and the stunning wildlife that thrives there. View the full story at the Chagos Conservation...
Read MoreGood riddance to bad fishing
Marine Reserves Coalition member, Willie Mackenzie – Oceans Campaigner at Greenpeace UK – on the Margaris Abel Tasman Supertrawler: “Over in Australia, our colleagues have just seen off an unwanted supertrawler, the Margiris. This monster of a boat has been sent packing after an unprecedented campaign by Greenpeace, local fishermen and NGOs, which resulted in the government banished it from fishing in Australian waters.” Read Willie’s full blog at Greenpeace UK Related posts: Fish are...
Read MoreLyme Bay: A fishing-conservation alliance
Lewis Smith of the Blue Marine Foundation explains why their Lyme Bay project is a winner for conservation, the local community and fishermen: Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall travelled far and wide to highlight the need for marine reserves but when it came to offering a solution he looked at what is being done rather closer to home. More specifically, he came to us. The scheme to which he devoted several minutes’ attention at the conclusion of Hugh’s Fish Fight: Save the Seas, is the Blue Marine Foundation (BLUE) project in Lyme Bay, on the south coast and just a short distance from his...
Read MoreExpedition: Danajon Bank
Love nature? Love photography? Check out the fantastic new collaboration between Project Seahorse and the International League of Conservation Photographers — a team of the world’s top marine scientists and nature photographers, including Luciano Candisani, the creator of this photo. Expedition: Danajon Bank is a photography project and #crowdfunding campaign to protect Danajon Bank, a rare and threatened double barrier reef in the Philippines. Support the project and get amazing perks, like gorgeous, high-quality photo prints, a hardcover book, postcards, and much more. Find out...
Read MoreThe year of the shark…
Chelsea Bradbury – Marine Reserves Coalition: 2013 has been dubbed the year of the shark. This follows an exciting and historic success for sharks and rays during the 40thanniversary year of CITES. At CoP16, currently taking place in Bangkok, votes from over 130 government representatives resulted in a two thirds majority in favour of adopting proposals to list oceanic white tips, porbeagles, hammerheads (great, smooth, scalloped) and both manta ray species onto Appendix II of CITES, and to uplift the freshwater sawfish (Pristis microdon) from Appendix II to Appendix I. The CITES...
Read MoreSteve Cole: Dispatches from Tristan da Cuhna
In November 2012, Marine Reserves Coalition member, Steve Cole – Global Ocean Legacy Manager at the Pew Environment Group – travelled to one of the most remote inhabited islands on Earth: Tristan da Cunha. Located in the South Atlantic Ocean, the British-governed archipelago is about 2,400 kilometres (1,500 miles) from the nearest human settlement. During his month-long stay, Steve lived with a local family and met the islands’ residents to learn more about their home and their way of life. Encountering subantarctic fur seals, albatross, and the island’s renowned rockhopper...
Read MoreA good day for sharks and rays…
Chelsea Bradbury – The Marine Reserves Coalition: A major wildlife convention is currently underway in Bangkok and sharks are a big talking point. On 3 March, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) kicked off its 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP16). This marks the 40th anniversary of CITES, but today will also be remembered as an exciting and momentous occasion for shark and ray species, as a record number were listed under the CITES Appendices by a two thirds majority vote in favour of the proposals made by a...
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