• Ocean

Captain of Tanker That Wrecked in Mauritius Is Arrested, Questions Emerge About Panamanian Vessel

• coral reefs
• endangered species
• International Maritime Organization
• Mauritius
• oil
• ship traffic

The Captain of the giant tanker that ran aground off the coast of Mauritius causing a devastating oil spill in pristine marine areas was arrested last week after it emerged in local news reports that a preliminary examination by the police showed the crew was having a party on the night the ship ran off course, according to The New York Times.

Why This Matters: As Nishan Degnarain asks in Forbes, “Why has global shipping or the authorities in Panama not invested in leading-edge maritime control center – an Ocean Mission Control?

• Ocean

Mauritius Scrambling to Save Wildlife and Its Tourism Industry After Devastating Oil Spill

• endangered species
• fisheries
• mangroves
• Mauritius
• oil spill
• protected areas
• tourism
• wildlife

On Saturday, the Japanese oil tanker Wakashio that ran aground three weeks ago off the coast of the island of Mauritius broke in half. The Panama-flagged vessel was traveling from China to Brazil with no cargo, but it was carrying more than 4,000 tons of heavy fuel oil and diesel, of which between 800 and 1,200 tons have already spilled. 

Why This Matters:  It is unbelievably challenging to clean up an oil spill of this magnitude — just ask anyone who stood on the beaches in Louisiana mopping up oil after the Deepwater Horizon spill.

• Ocean

Maine Lobster Businesses Trapped By Virus and Trump Tariffs

• China
• Department of Agriculture
• fishing
• lobster
• Maine
• Marine Monument
• Northeast Canyons and Seamounts
• tariffs
• trade

The Hill and Time Magazine report that, despite all his pandering, President Trump is not winning over Maine’s lobster fishers nor is he helping Maine’s embattled Republican Senator Susan Collins.  Trump’s trade war with China and the coronavirus have delivered a one-two punch to the lobster industry in Maine. 

Why This Matters:  Unfortunately for Trump and Senator Susan Collins (in a tough re-election fight), his efforts to “help” are, according to The Hill, “falling flat.” 

• Ocean

One Cool Thing: A Growing Wave of Ocean Innovation

• climate change
• data
• fisheries
• Net Gains Alliance
• ocean
• pollution
• solutions

We like to highlight the truly wonderful things happening in conservation during these difficult times, and opportunities are growing to create innovative solutions to solve the ocean’s biggest and toughest challenges.  The Ocean Solutions Accelerator is a great way to get both access to funders and experienced entrepreneurs who can help young people with great […]

• Ocean

After a Shark Attack in Maine, Calls for Gray Seal Culling Grow

• Cape Cod
• gray seal
• great white shark
• Marine Mammal Protection Act
• marine mammals
• shark attack
• Shark Week

In the aftermath of a mother being killed by a great white shark on a Maine beach this summer, some are once again calling for the culling of seal populations to keep sharks away from popular beaches.  As Yahoo News reported, this latest attack was not an anomaly. Beaches across the Northeast have closed repeatedly […]

• Ocean

Taking off our masks, figuratively

• #OneOceanOnePlanet
• 52Hertz
• Against the Current
• environment
• Lonely Whale
• ocean
• plastic
• pollution

The need for authenticity, kindness, and inclusivity in the fight to protect the ocean By Dune Ives, Executive Director, Lonely Whale The pandemic has brought our world to a halt in many ways none of us had expected—altering how we live, communicate, celebrate, and of course, feel. And, although we’ve seen a temporary dip in greenhouse […]