National Geographic Expanding Pristine Seas Project

Image Source and Courtesy National Geographic Society Pristine Seas Ocean Project

National Geographic Society made an international call for governments around the world to unite in their expansion of the Pristine Seas project. Pristine Seas aims to add 777 thousand square new miles -2 million square kilometers of protected ocean area to the project already working in 11 areas.

The project -with clear goals for 2014 to 2018 aims to reach the meet the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity's target of protecting 10 percent of the world's oceans by 2020. National Geographic stated they hope to add 20 more countries to their Pristine Seas Project. Of the 11 projects working globally 6 expeditions have been completed, one is active and 4 have already moved down the process and become protected areas.

Nat Geo explains that Pristine Seas is an exploration, research, and media project to find, survey, and help protect the last wild places in the ocean. “These pristine places are unknown by all but long-distance fishing fleets, which have started to encroach on them. It is essential that we let the world know that these places exist, that they are threatened, and that they deserve to be protected,” Nat Geo stated.

Once again the need to interconnect ocean marine protected areas is translated into action by scientific expeditions. Pristine Seas teams up with local communities, local governments and international leaders.

On September 22^nd Enric Sala of National Geographic blogged from Palau where the group has already spent a total of 250 man-hours underwater. The government of Palau announced in 2013 their intention of protecting 80% of its water as a National Marine Sanctuary, since then work is on its way.

For the month of September 2014, National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Dr. Enric Sala is leading key scientists and filmmakers to explore, survey, and document the diversity and abundance of the marine life that will be protected by the new offshore sanctuary.

“As fulfilling as expedition work is, it is exhausting, and sometimes hard, especially when it’s rough out there. Today there is a tropical depression north of Palau. It is so windy that the rain is hitting us horizontally, and being underwater feels much better than being on a small, rocking boat,” Dr. Enric Sala stated.

Under Pristine Seas government leaders have protected areas in the United States, Chile, Kiribati, and Costa Rica that cover more than 150,000 square miles -about 400,000 square kilometers.

"A few country leaders have already shown tremendous leadership in ocean conservation by creating the largest marine no-take areas in history," says Enric Sala, a National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence who launched Pristine Seas in 2009.

"National Geographic Pristine Seas and our partners are excited to inspire other leaders to protect what's irreplaceable: the last wild places in the ocean," the National Geographic Society concluded.

Ocean Life News in Brief

Ocean Level Increase Dropping Oceans Floor: International Press reported on December 5 on the findings of new research which assures that due to ocean level increase the ocean floor is sinking. The study published online in Geophysical Research Levels used mathematical equations to accurately measure the Ocean's floor impact driven by the increased of water volume weight. Using data from 1993 to 2014 researchers found that ocean level increase is causing the Ocean floor to drop globally by the milimeters. Ocean Dead Zones Up By Four: On January 8 New York Daily reported that Ocean Dead Zones have quadrupled.Researchers warned in a new study that oxygen-starved ocean dead zones, where animals and plants are struggling to survive, have increased fourfold and it may not be reversible. The new study was published in the Journal Science. The increase of Dead Zones was linked to climate change. La Niña´s Polar Wave Hitting Hard the US -Freezing Oceans: International Press reported on the Polar Wave hitting hard the US. The event is linked by experts to the influence of La Niña. “For the past couple of weeks, parts of North America have been chilling down to record temperatures, with massive snowfall and icy cold conditions putting life at a standstill for many,” media reported. The US East Coast has been particularly badly hit with the likes of Boston down to Philadelphia reaching bone-chilling lows of near 0°F , with icy winds making it feel closer to around -10°F to -20°F. Officially 18 were dead and 100 million affected. Government of Bali Declares a Garbage Emergency: On January 5 Ocean Conservancy reported on a New Waste Management Emergency in Bali. Massive amounts of ocean debri are affecting the island. The situation has reached its peak as the Government of Bali declared a “Garbage Emergency”. Clean up works have began. “Ivory Coast Village Swallowed by Ocean Increase,” Aljazeera Reports: On January 8 Al Jazeera reported that ocean increase levels are affecting infrastructure in the Ivory Coast. “Rising tides and more frequent, devastating storms are slowly destroying what is left of Lahou-Kpanda, the offshoot of what was once a major colonial town near the mouth of the Bandama River, the longest river in Ivory Coast,” Al Jazeera reported. Arctic Ocean Radioactive Levels on the Rise: IFL Science reported on January 3 on the findings of new report which assures that radioactive levels in the Arctic Ocean are on the rise. “Concentrations of radioactive radium-228 in the Arctic Ocean increased between 2007 and 2015,” the report reads. While levels have not yet reached a mark of concern the trend is worries experts. Lauren Kipp of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution addressed the issue. New World Wide Ocean Turtle Study Says 90% of Plastic Pollution Cases Result in Death: Earth Sky Org reported on January 7 that hundreds of marine turtles die every year after getting tangled in trash in oceans and on beaches. A research published in the journal Endangered Species Research took on a World-Wide Survey covering the major oceans where turtles live. They discovered that 91 % of the entangled turtles were found dead. They also suffered serious wounds from entanglement, leading to maiming, amputation or choking. Double Whirlpools Discovered for First Time: December 4 Press reported that Double Eddies have been registered for the first time in History. Tangled up Double Eddies can travel great distances affecting ecology significantly. Eddies are a natural part of the ocean environment but double whirlpools had only been theorized by mathematicians.