Oceana News

The Rally to Save the Bay

emily — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 14:06:15 -0500

This morning I attended the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's rally to Save the Bay. The rally was a lead-up to today's meeting of the Executive Council of the EPA's Chesapeake Bay Program. On Oct. 29, the CBF, along with its allies, filed a notice of intent to sue the EPA for its failure to enforce the federal Clean Water Act and clean up the Bay by 2010 as it promised in a 2000 agreement.

There were a few hundred people gathered outside Union Station, most wearing symbolically black shirts with the words, "The Bay is Slowly Dying" and chanting "Don't Delay! Save the Bay!"

Oceana Visits Efest

jfrank — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 10:55:49 -0500

This past weekend, Oceana visited central Florida to participate in Efest at the Sarasota Polo Club.

Holiday Adoptions are Back!

emily — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 08:30:52 -0500

I know holiday shopping season doesn't officially begin until the day after Thanksgiving, but you can get a head start today with the official start of our holiday adoption center.

This year, when you symbolically adopt a creature with a donation to Oceana, you can choose from our famous cookie cutters (Dolphin, Octopus, Penguin, Polar Bear, Sea Turtle and Shark), plus this year we've added four adorable plush toys (Dolphin, Hammerhead Shark, Killer Whale and Seal.)

So avoid the crowded malls and give the gift of ocean conservation today!

Our Chance at ICCAT

emily — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 14:02:11 -0500

This week (Nov 17 - 24) the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) meets in Marrakesh, Morocco to discuss the state of Atlantic tuna. Along with Greenpeace and the Blue Ocean Institute, Oceana has called on the United States to push for a complete moratorium on the catch of bluefin tuna throughout the Atlantic basin.

A Nasty Case of the Humans

emily — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:11:33 -0500

For all you cynics, here's a clever short about a little-known disease Earth is carrying: a nasty case of the humans.

Bittman Chews on Conservation

emily — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 11:03:30 -0500

I've been checking NY Times' food writer Mark Bittman's blog, Bitten, and watching his short, entertaining Minimalist cooking videos for a while now -- and I've never noticed anything from him about marine conservation. So I was pleasantly surprised to see his piece, A Seafood Snob Ponders the Future of Fish, in the Times this weekend.

Virginia is for Lovers -- er -- Oil?

MattN — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 13:35:56 -0500

Months after President George W. Bush lifted the Presidential moratorium on offshore oil and gas development and Congress let a similar Congressional moratorium lapse, on Thursday, the federal government moved to pursue oil and natural gas exploration off the coast of Virginia.

The Interior Department began a public comment period on drafting an environmental-impact statement on offshore drilling. The environmental review process is the first step to open 2.9 million acres of offshore habitat to a lease sale scheduled for 2011.

Acid Oceans on ABC News

emily — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 11:32:22 -0500

Yesterday ABC's World News Tonight aired a segment about ocean acidification featuring the lead author, Ellycia Harrould-Kolieb, of our new Acidification Report, Acid Test.

In the segment, Harrould-Kolieb says that if we reach 450 parts per million of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, "We can pretty much say goodbye to coral reefs." Right now we're at 385 ppm.

A Mini Ocean Film Fest

emily — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 09:38:28 -0500

Ahoy, DC film buffs! The Museum of Natural History (Home of Sant Ocean Hall), is hosting four ocean film classics this weekend:

On Saturday, it's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Swiss Family Robinson.

On Sunday, it's Mutiny on the Bounty and Moby Dick.

The films will be introduced by senior scientist and film buff Dr. David Pawson of the Museum's Department of Invertebrate Zoology.

Any recommendations on which one of these is the best classic ocean film?

Aaron's Winning Streak Continues

maureen — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 11:02:02 -0500

The inaugural Aaron Peirsol’s Race for the Oceans was a splashing success this weekend. Hundreds of swimmers, from age 9 to 59, gathered in Ft. Myers, Florida for their chance to race against the seven-time Olympic medalist and support ocean conservation.