Ocean Zone News Blog

The Wave of the Future
by Vikki Spruill

We rely on our ocean for many things—it drives our climate, it provides jobs that fuel our economy, and it gives us much of the air we breathe and the food we eat. Like urban sprawl on land, the demand for space in our ocean and on our coasts is growing. But a healthy ocean depends on our using it wisely. We need to coordinate the many government agencies that manage how we use the ocean, to conserve it at a time when there is increasing competition for its space.

: An application to the Bonaire National Marine Park
By CostBenefit on Oct 13, 2009 | In Water, Land + Water, Academic Study/Journal Article, Preservation & Open Space, Ecosystem Valuation, Contingent Valuation, Surveys,.., Environmental Economics / Ecological Economics, Costs and Benefits, Recreation | Send feedback »

Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2009.04.008

WASHINGTON (Oct. 8, 2009)–In her latest book, published by National Geographic, world-famous marine scientist Sylvia Earle, a National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence, tells how 50 years of destructive — and ever increasing — oceanic change is threatening the very existence of life on Earth.

(Media-Newswire.com) – WASHINGTON ( Oct. 8, 2009 )–In her latest book, published by National Geographic, world-famous marine scientist Sylvia Earle, a National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence, tells how 50 years of destructive — and ever increasing — oceanic change is threatening the very existence of life on Earth.

Public News Service – CA
October 2009

October 9, 2009
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Saturday marks the tenth anniversary of the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA). It was the first state law that mandated the creation of a state-wide network of marine protected areas, with the goals of better protection for marine habitats and replenishing fish and wildlife populations. They’re often called the “Yosemites of the sea.”

Former California Assemblyman Fred Keeley was the Act’s original author and says, by the mid-1990s, it was clear the pressure on the Pacific had grown and that new public policy based on sustainability was needed.

Macdonald | Medill News Service McClatchy
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration’s Ocean Policy Council is calling for a coordinated approach to restoring fragile ocean areas, many of which have been damaged by decades of piecemeal management decisions by the federal government.

According to Larry Crowder, a professor of marine biology at Duke University, dividing ocean management among multiple agencies has taken a heavy toll on marine ecosystems and economies. “There were 20 different federal ocean science agencies trying to enforce 140 different ocean laws.”