by Todd Steiner Executive Director, Turtle Island Restoration Network (www.SeaTurtles.org) Few Americans realize that a deadly driftnet fishery targeting swordfish and shark operates off the California coast with fatal consequences for ocean wildlife. Driftnets, which have been described as “curtains of death,” were banned on the high seas by the United Nations in the 1994. … Read more
“We want to go Deep Sea Diving in Papua New Guinea”. The lady on the other end of the telephone informed me in a deep Texan drawl. This is terrific, I thought. I was in the early years of running a sport diving business in PNG and was mainly involved with a diving school. Diving … Read more
Since 2004 Raja Ampat and the surrounding areas of the wider Birds Head Seascape (BHS) have been the focus of comprehensive, long-term conservation initiatives. The area’s priority in the world of marine conservation is justified, considering that the Birds Head is home to more marine species than any other area its size on the planet. … Read more
The Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) is a large, slow moving marine mammal that inhabits the coastal bays, estuaries and rivers within the southeastern United States. It is an endangered, tropical species, with closely related species endemic to regions near the equator. Manatees found in the United States are in their northernmost habitat range. During … Read more
We just returned from two dive trips where the focus was on soft science. In Lembeh we hosted a nudibranch workshop with David Behrens. Our group identified over 200 species in 10 days. Dr. Mark Erdmann and Dr. Gerry Allen accompanied our trip to Cenderawasih Bay. In just nine days they discovered three new fish … Read more
