The 22nd of May commemorates the International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB), a global celebration that aims increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues. Th theme this year is ‘Water and Biodiversity’ - chosen to coincide with the United Nations designation of 2013 as the International Year of Water Cooperation. The linkages between water and biodiversity speak [...]
An Egyptian Bio Boat has been conceptualized as a floating classroom that will be used for environmental education along the Red Sea. The Bio Boat is the idea of the environmental organization, Hurghada Environmental Protection and Conservation Association (HEPCA), and is receiving co-funding from the U.S. Forest Service. HEPCA’s vision for the Bio Boat [...]
Reef Rescuers is an innovative project of Nature Seychelles that aims to help build resilience by restoring and conserving coral reefs that have been affected by climate-induced coral bleaching. The small island developing state of the Seychelles is a chain of islands that lie in the western Indian Ocean. In 1998, the Seychelles experienced [...]
The Antarctic Ocean Alliance (AOA) is celebrating World Penguin Day, with events in Russia and Germany aimed at urging government support for the establishment of two large-scale Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in Antarctica’s Southern Ocean this year. AOA will soon hold a scientific seminar in China – another country that is critical to achieving Antarctic marine protection, at [...]
Dr Sylvia Earle, an internationally renowned marine conservationist and scientist, was in Cape Town this week to launch the 2013 Sea Pledge tour of South Africa. Dr Earle was joined at the launch event by Dr Ben Ngubane, former South African Minister of Science and Technology and KwaZulu-Natal Premier, as well as 11 times South African free diving champion, Hanli [...]
The Prince Edward Islands, two small islands in the sub-antarctic Indian Ocean, have been declared a Marine Protected Area (MPA), making it South Africa’s first offshore MPA and one of the world’s largest. Comprising Marion Island and Prince Edward Island, its MPA status is intended to significantly contribute to global initiatives aimed at protecting offshore and deep ocean areas, to [...]
Sea turtles are majestic creatures which have been swimming and migrating around the world’s oceans for millions of years. Sadly, sea turtle populations globally are at risk of extinction and one of the main causes is that they are being caught as bycatch – in other words they are unintentionally caught while fishing for other [...]
The 16th meeting of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES), which recently took place in Bangkok, resulted in a historic regulation of international trade of five species of sharks and manta rays and almost all rosewood tree species. CITES meets every three years to discuss how to best regulate trade in plants and [...]
A new app called AppliFish has been developed to help policy-makers, producers and consumers make informed decisions about the fish species that are consumed. The application is designed as a pocket book of marine knowledge at the touch of a button, and offers basic information on over 550 marine species, such as a common names and sizes, distribution [...]
World Water Day is celebrated annually on 22 March – highlighting the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources. This year, World Water Day also falls within the International Year of Water Cooperation, which raises awareness about the importance of water cooperation for security, poverty eradication, social equity and gender [...]
