Maintaining a respectful distance from potentially harmful species underwater is a tenet of good recreational diving and a frequent topic of charter boat predive briefs. But those venomous fish you have learned to avoid might save your life someday.
Corals bleach, or turn white, when their symbiotic algae are expelled from the corals’ tissues due to stressors such as excessively warm water. Bleached corals can and do recover when favorable conditions resume.
Offshore platforms actually house a lot of marine life and are popular dive sites because of it. Several oil platforms, however, are scheduled to be removed from the Gulf of Mexico. Read more about the platforms’ importance.
Are sharks really facing extinction for an Asian delicacy? Learn more about shark populations and conservation efforts.
Though I believe rewilding coral reefs is a valuable approach, it requires a strong, established foundation of good old-fashioned marine conservation. I view reef rewilding as a tertiary marine conservation strategy that we should attempt only after the fundamentals of an effective marine conservation strategy (often anchored with a well-managed marine protected area) are in place.
Lionfish pose a threat to native species as their numbers are skyrocketing out of control. The best way to solve the problem of invasive lionfish? A fork.
Reef corals demand greater protections. Broad reef protections have been helpful, protections specifically for corals are needed. Read more about threats to corals and what you can do as a diver and ocean lover.
Overfishing can cause irreversible damage to local ecosystems. Learn more about overfishing and how to combat it.
Many divers top off a trip to the Southern Red Sea by watching a rotund dugong snuffle through seagrass meadows in about 25 feet (7.6 meters) of water.
Menhaden, also known as bunker, are forage fish that play a critical role in the ocean food web. They are a vital source of food for wildlife up and down North America’s Atlantic seaboard. But their population management ignores the importance of the food web. Learn more and what you can do.
