When Garbage Doesn’t Die
Garbage, especially plastics, can be found all over the world in all kinds of bodies of water. Read more about what is being done and what divers can do help clean it all up.
Alert Diver Category: Water Planet
When Tiny Toxins Fight Back
Sometimes the tiniest critters can pack the greatest punch. Phytoplankton, which are unicellular microalgae, can cause mass mortalities of animals such as dolphins and manatees and be the source of serious human illness.
The Last Unicorns
The pillar coral is as unique in its taxonomy as it is in its growth form. It is also poorly studied — and it is in decline. Efforts have ramped up to study and conserve this species.
Choosing Extinction
Monk seals are a critically endangered species in Hawaii, however, some island natives are protesting the seal being on the list. Read more.
Renewed Hope for the Reefs of the Coral Triangle
The Coral Triangle, a particular section of the Western Pacific, is on the path of comprehensive conservation. Read more.
Flipping the Script
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.
Differentiating Coral Bleaching and Coral Mortality
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
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.
Extinct for Soup?
Are sharks really facing extinction for an Asian delicacy? Learn more about shark populations and conservation efforts.
Rewilding Coral Reefs
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.
