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Strange as it may appear, I cannot hide my excitement to read in the World Economic Forum’s 2016 global risk report the great emphasis on the risks posed by climate change. Quoting WEF, the top finding is “the potential for climate change to exacerbate water crises, with impacts including conflict and more forced migration, calling […]

The 2016 World Economic Forum Annual Meeting follows an extraordinary year with the first-ever truly global response to some of the most challenging problems in our relationship with the planet. The “Anthropocene” made headlines earlier this month, as scientists presented further evidence that we have entered a new era in Earth’s history – one in […]

When you think about the changing climate and the impact this has on the marine environment, your first thought might be melting polar ice caps. Yet corals are among the most sensitive ecosystems and may be the most affected by climate change in the near future. In Hawaii, with water temperatures 3 to 4 degrees higher than […]

Much is made of what we don’t know about the ocean. In many ways, it remains impenetrable and mysterious, even in today’s technological era. This is why, perhaps, we continue to be so deeply fascinated and inspired by its might. Through studies produced by WWF and other organizations, as well as expert meetings like the […]

I work to protect fresh water, but the reality is, I don’t get my feet wet as often as I’d like. But there are days when I get to leave the desk and computer behind, and remember why I’m in this fight. Last week I had one of those days, as I cheered the athletes at […]

The upcoming Global Forest Resources Assessment – FRA2015 – slated for release on Monday will no doubt reconfirm what many of us have seen with our own eyes: devastating deforestation in the tropics over the past 25 years. Looking forward, the picture isn’t any rosier. In his new book,  On the Edge: The State and […]

Recent research on global shark and ray landings highlighted Sri Lanka among several countries that have suffered the greatest declines over the last decade. Reading the findings caused me to cast my mind back to my own experience in that country almost exactly a year ago. Dawn had broken at the Negombo market, and most […]

As a marine scientist and conservationist I have traveled and worked around the world. My work has allowed me to explore spectacular places and meet brilliant, hard-working people. But there’s nothing quite like working to protect your home, and that’s why I came back to the Mediterranean. The Mediterranean Sea has provided food and enabled […]

The soy farms of Mato Grosso stretch as far as the eye can see. In fact, it’s almost impossible for the mind to process a sense of scale in this environment. The green fields extend for what seems like forever, the huge blue sky blankets the land and highlights the golden sun that illuminates the […]

Everyone has heard the jokes about lawyers and sharks. But this month, lawyers became fish’s best friends. In 2013, a West African fisheries commission asked the International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea for clarity on four questions. These questions focused on the responsibilities of states that license fishing vessels and the recourse available […]