James Richens, editor of The Economist Group’s World Ocean Initiative, takes stock of Responsible Investor’s survey of investment risks and opportunities in the blue economy.
In 2000, Stanford marine ecologist Larry Crowder read an intriguing scientific paper that introduced the concept of mobile marine protected areas, or mMPAs – ocean sanctuaries whose boundaries can shift in space and time to protect animals that follow changing ocean features like the Gulf Stream.
A new land-based salmon farm, described by industry groups as among the world's largest, is raising millions of the healthy popular fish in giant warehouses about 30 miles southwest of Miami.
If you’ve only heard about the negative aspects of algae, like how its blooms clog waterways and kill off species, you’re missing half the story. Now scientists and engineers are discovering new ways to harness algae’s unique qualities.
Safeguarding and harnessing the ocean’s ability to provide for people and the planet is crucial for sustainable development, says Martin Koehring, head of the World Ocean Initiative.
The first blue paper commissioned by the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy finds that, if mariculture is better managed, the world can both produce more food, and do so profitably.
When workers with a whale strandings agency in Scotland performed a necropsy on a recently beached sperm whale, they found a gruesome surprise: The animal had died with around 220 lbs. (100 kilograms) of trash in its stomach.
Our planet’s health—and our own well-being—is dependent on a vibrant ocean rich with natural resources. Oceans provide but must also thrive. Sustainable fishing can be an effective way to balance the needs of people and nature by protecting complex, interconnected ecosystems while providing food security and livelihoods for coastal communities.
Anew report from the Stimson Center, a global security think tank concludes thatglobally the fishing industry — particularly fishing vessels that ply waters far from their home (“the distant water fleet”) — is unsustainable and the only way to reign it in is through much greater transparency so that these vessels’ movements and catches can be more closely monitored by governments and NGOs.
Authorities in China haveapproveda drug for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, the first new medicine with the potential to treat the cognitive disorder in 17 years. The seaweed-based drug, called Oligomannate, can be used for the treatment of mild to moderate Alzheimer's, according to a statement from China's drug safety agency.
Oceana works to save theoceansand feed the world, and we can't do that without sustainable seafood. We help our oceans thrive by promoting fishery policies that follow science-based quotas, reduce bycatch, put an end to overfishing and protect fragile habitats. These tactics not only help marine life flourish — a win in its own right — but also ensure that our oceans can continue to nourish the people who need it most.
The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), responsible for the world’s leading sustainable seafood ecolabel and certification programme, has today published a report showing continued growth in the demand for and supply of sustainable seafood.
While the Amazon plays a vital role in global carbon absorption (and we should continue to try and save it), between 1994 and 2007, our oceans absorbed 34 gigatons of the world’s carbon through algae, vegetation, and coral. In other words, the trees might not save us—but the oceans could.
Aquaculture is surfacing as an attractive sector for green investors. The farming of fish, and other waterborne organic protein, such as algae, is becoming increasingly important to the world’s growing population. Aquaculture’s share of global fish consumption climbed to 50% in 2014 from 18% in 1990, and is expected to reach 57% by 2025, according to UBS.
Like many Florida waters, Lake Bonnet had become overrun with plant slime. In fact, all 50 states and many countries worldwide are struggling with epidemic levels of algae that can prove toxic to people and ecosystems. “Red tides” of algae along Florida’s Gulf Coast have killed tons of fish and marine mammals.
The world population is expected to grow by at least 2 billion people between now and 2050. That’s going to take a lot more food, and our appetites are already having planetary consequences: Raising cattle for food is huge source of emissions, and we’ve done enormous damage to ocean ecosystems with our fishing.