Clipperton: A Plastic Paradise
A little dot in the Pacific, Clipperton is surrounded by coral reefs and encloses a stagnant lagoon. Despite looking like paradise, Clipperton is being invaded by plastic.
Alert Diver Category: Water Planet
On the Brink
Predatory fish in natural environments are a rarity, because of physical traits and population exploitation. Read more about about predatory fish populations that are on the brink.
Celebrating Seagrass
The benefits of protecting seagrass cannot be overstated. Seagrass purifies the water, helps protect against coastal erosion, helps sustain small-scale fisheries that support communities, and increases fish populations and biodiversity. It sequesters much more carbon per area than terrestrial forests and reduces ocean acidification. Healthy seagrass means a healthier ocean.
The Business of Protecting Paradise
Our oceans are under siege. Destructive industrial-scale fishing is causing widespread species decline. Ocean warming due to human-induced climate change is triggering episodes of mass coral bleaching with increased vigor and frequency.
Turning the Tide of Mangrove Loss
Mangroves live along subtropical and tropical coastlines. Their upper trunk, branches and leaves grow above the waterline, but an extensive network of roots remain mostly underwater. Dense patches or forests of mangroves are habitats for terrestrial, estuarine and marine species that include invertebrates, fish and many types of seabirds and waterfowl, and they provide shelter as well as feeding and breeding space for 174 marine megafauna species. Mangrove forests provide also protect coastlines against erosion and flooding and help mitigate climate change.
Cuba’s Coral Reefs
Cuba is a hard-to-get-to dive destination from the United States. However, other divers from across the globe have been able to explore Cuba. Read more about diving in Cuba.
Chasing Weeds
How many times have you noticed the line of weeds out of the corner of your eye and driven past, around, or through it without a second glance on your […]
Lost at Sea
The eight species highlighted here are recognized as at risk by the IUCN, the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA), or the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which regulates trade.
A Perfect Storm of Warm
Thanks to warming ocean temperatures, animal encounters have changed and increased. Read about the unique sea creatures divers are interacting with.
Diadema, Caretake of the Reefs
Diadema sea urchins once plagued coral reefs but in just 13 months, quickly died off. However, diadema are important for reefs. Read more.
