Without complex habitats, populations of the fish that depend on structured habitats may suffer population declines, take longer to recover from other threats such as overfishing or be displaced by other species. The virtual disappearance of deep-sea coral influences fish distribution in the area, depriving fish of refuge from predators, removing spawning or rearing areas … Read more
Oil and gas activities pose significant threats to Arctic ecosystems and to the people who depend on them. Placing wells, pipelines and vessels in the remote Arctic creates a substantial risk of a catastrophic oil spill and there is no proven method to clean up an oil spill in the icy conditions often found in … Read more
Coiba Island lies 120 nautical miles to the south-east of Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica and just 12 nautical miles from the nearby coast of Panama. Intensive illegal fishing activities have made Coiba a highly threatened protected area. Coral reefs, humpback whales, pilot whales, killer whales, dolphins, sea turtles (who lay their eggs on its beaches), … Read more
Along with CO2, ships emit various global warming pollutants, including black carbon (BC), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and nitrous oxide (N2O). These pollutants all contribute to global climate change either directly, by acting as agents that trap heat in the atmosphere, or indirectly by aiding in the creation of additional greenhouse gases. Reducing black carbon from … Read more
Oceana’s campaign focuses primarily on one of the biggest human-provoked threats to sea turtle survival: bycatch (link) in commercial fisheries. Oceana works to reduce sea turtle (link) bycatch in EU fisheries through gear modification (link 5) and by advocating for the closure of fisheries at times and in areas where sea turtles are likely to … Read more
Bottom trawls have a footrope (the bottom lip of the net) that can span over 150 feet in width and can be lined with heavy rollers or rockhoppers that look like old tires and measure more than 30 inches in diameter. The larger trawls can drag over a half-acre swath with each pass. The damage … Read more
For most people in the United States and the world, changes caused by greenhouse gas emissions have not yet greatly affected day-to-day life. The same cannot be said for the communities, peoples and wildlife of the Arctic, where the climate is warming on average at about twice the rate of the rest of the world. … Read more
Lying 300 nautical miles to the south-west of Golfo Dulce, this constitutes the largest marine environmental treasure of the people of Costa Rica. It is a spot that gives rise to considerable controversy amongst fishermen and environmentalists. The fishermen (longliners, trawlers, seiners) fish illegally in the protected waters, mainly seeking out tuna and shark fins … Read more
Ships contribute a significant amount of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) calculated that ocean-going vessels released 1.12 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2007. This is equivalent to the annual greenhouse gas emissions from over 205 million cars, or more cars than were registered in the entire United States … Read more
The following effects of climate change will have critical implications for sea turtles: Severe Storms More severe storms, such as hurricanes and tropical cyclones, could increase beach erosion rates, endangering sea turtle nesting habitat. Often severe storms could increase the chance that sea turtle nests will flood, decreasing nesting success rates. Hotter Sands The sex … Read more
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We have already protected nearly 4 million square miles of ocean and innumerable sea life - but there is still more to be done.
Oceana in Europe gratefully acknowledges EU funding support.
