Conservation

More than ever, the fate of the ocean is in our hands. Learn about different threats to the ocean and its organisms, successful conservation stories, and what you can do to help.

EDUCATOR RESOURCES

LATEST TODAY'S CATCH


					The Great Pacific Garbage Patch May 6, 2013 - 8:10AMThe “garbage patches,” as referred to in the media, are areas of marine debris concentration in the North Pacific Ocean, circulated by the North Pacific gyre. The gyre spreads across the Pacific Ocean from Japan to the western US...

Ocean Acidification with Dr. Francisco Chavez

Apr 30, 2013 - 9:29AM

Dr. Francisco Chavez of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute...

Investigating Nutrient Pollution's Impact on Mangroves

Apr 26, 2013 - 9:47AM

At Carrie Bow Cay in Belize, Dr. Candy Feller explains her research on the...

Oil’s Impact on Marine Invertebrates Oct 9 2012 - 9:17am In the aftermath of the Gulf oil spill, what is the effect of oil on invertebrates like jellyfish, clams, crabs, sea stars, and plankton? The scope of the damage is more easily observed among birds and large animals, but Dr. Chris Mah, an invertebrate zoologist at Smithsonian's National Museum...	Loggerhead Escapes from Fishing Net Jul 26 2012 - 11:00am A Turtle Excluder Device (TED) enables a loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) to escape from a fishing net. Technological advancements like this are helping to prevent deaths of unintended marine bycatch. Loggerhead turtles are considered to be threatened and endangered (depending on the specific...
Accidental Catch Jul 3 2012 - 10:23am An albatross drowned after being accidentally caught on a longline near Brazil. Marine birds are among the species that can become bycatch. Watch a video about how scientists and fishermen are trying methods to reduce bycatch.	The Last Wild Places In the Ocean Webcast May 12 2011 - 4:36pm The ocean is not as natural as it once was. Where there used to be large predators that we took for sea monsters, now there are tiny fish and jellyfish. But there are a few untouched places left in the ocean, remote oases of life where sharks are the kings of the underwater world. These last wild...
Shark DNA Helps Catch Poachers Sep 30 2009 - 1:14pm Dr. Mahmood Shivji explains how shark DNA is used as evidence to prosecute shark fin poachers. More about sustainable seafood can be found in our Sustainable Seafood Section.	Ujung Kulon National Park, Indonesia Nov 4 2010 - 1:20pm The Ujung Kulon National Park in Indonesia was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1991. The park, located in the extreme western tip of Java on the Sunda shelf, includes the Ujung Kulon Peninsula and several offshore islands and encompasses the natural reserve of Krakatoa. In addition to its...
Saving Sharks and Dolphins, Near and Far Jun 9 2011 - 3:45pm Sophi Bromenshenkel is an unlikely shark-lover. She's eight years old and hails from Minnesota, a state that couldn't be further from the ocean. But a family vacation to Florida changed everything. When she saw a pregnant bull shark left for dead on a beach, Sophie knew she needed to help.	Seafood for Thought Nov 18 2010 - 4:49pm Sunday, November 21 marks World Fisheries Day, an annual occasion observed in many fishing communities around the world. It’s a great opportunity—even for those of us who do not fish for a living—to pause and reflect on the importance of maintaining healthy fisheries.
Science in a Time of Crisis: Sampling the Source May 10 2011 - 2:27pm Part 3 of a 6-part series describing Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's efforts to understand the scope and impact of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. "Sampling the Source" describes successful efforts by WHOI scientists to obtain the only samples of oil and gas directly...	Sablefish: A Sustainable Alternative Jan 26 2010 - 11:44am Sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria) are among the many delicious and sustainable seafood choices. More about sustainable seafood can be found in our sustainable seafood featured story.
Socotra Archipelago, Yemen Nov 5 2010 - 1:11pm The Socotra Archipelago site in Yemen was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2008. The marine life is diverse and includes 283 species of coral, 730 species of coastal fish, and 300 species of crab, lobster, and shrimp.	Habitat for Leatherback Turtles Jan 31 2012 - 10:52am Endangered Pacific leatherback sea turtles now have nearly 42,000 square miles of Pacific Ocean to call their own. Thanks to a decision in January 2012 by the National Marine Fisheries Service, these magnificent reptiles will now be safeguarded off the U.S. West Coast.
Mangrove Island Clear-Cut for Tourism Jan 26 2010 - 11:46am This mangrove island in the Pelican Cays, Belize, was clear-cut and filled with dredged sand and coral from the adjacent reef flat. Developers are clearing and dredging mangroves in an attempt to create sand-based islands for tourists. Unfortunately, mangroves help prevent erosion and submergence...	Sea Grapes: A Google Earth Tour Dec 16 2011 - 11:16am “Sea grapes” may sound like something Poseidon would snack on, and not a killer algae. Yet Caulerpa racemosa var. cylindracea poses a serious threat to marine life. Spread by the bilge water of boats, this fast-growing alga is quick to take root, squeezing out native species.
Teach Us Mar 12 2010 - 8:10pm Welcome Teachers! Thank you for visiting the Ocean Portal. We hope the “OP” will be a valuable tool for you and for your students—a place where you can find teaching resources and your students can find helpful, exciting, or just-plain-weird content that sparks interest in science and the ocean....	Channel Islands Marine Sanctuary Map Project Sep 2 2010 - 12:44am Students participate in a map project for the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary.