Seeing Blue: Celebrating Earth Day

Arthur C. Clarke once said: “How inappropriate to call this planet Earth when it is quite clearly Ocean.” He wasn’t off mark. Did you know that, in terms of volume, the oceans occupy 99% of planet Earth? That’s why we wanted to honour this Earth Day by celebrating our incredible, mysterious oceans. We believe that … Read more

Most recent test of oil spill response in US Arctic called “failure”

The “United for America’s Arctic” coalition challenged oil companies to provide proof that they can clean up oil in America’s Arctic in icy conditions. Shell is seeking approval to drill wells in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas in 2012, and the company has submitted a plan it says can respond to a worst case spill. … Read more

Protecting Deep-sea Corals in the North Pacific

A international delegation passed new conservation measures that will protect more than 16.1 million square miles of seafloor habitat in the North Pacific Ocean from bottom trawling and other bottom contact gear. Participating nations, including the U.S., Canada, Japan, Russia, China, Korea and Taiwan, PoC (Chinese Taipei), acted on a commitment they made at the United Nations … Read more

Shell Cancels 2011 Drilling Plans in U.S. Arctic

In a huge triumph for the U.S. Arctic, Shell announced it would cancel plans to drill exploratory wells offshore in Alaska due to continued uncertainty over whether it would receive federal permits. Shell had hoped to drill exploratory wells in 2010 in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas, but its plans were put on hold by Interior Secretary … Read more

Protecting the Arctic from industrial fishing

After years of work by Oceana and other conservation groups, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council voted unanimously to prevent the expansion of industrial fishing into all U.S. waters north of the Bering Strait in order to limit stress on ocean ecosystems in light of the dramatic impacts of global climate change in the Arctic. … Read more