Over 15 years of ocean science and conservation online
Conference schedules are gruelling. You wake up in a timezone and climate you aren’t used to, coffee in hand trudge into the first plenary session, and then spend the day bouncing between freezing conference rooms catching the talks in your area of expertise or to support your colleagues; All the while trying to set up … Read More “We Asked IMCC7 Attendees What Ocean Conservation Needs. Here’s What They Said.” »
The ocean is not exempt from the Trump administration’s reverse Midas touch. While the administration’s fisheries policies undermine protections for endangered species and iconic habitats, the war in Iran drives up the price of diesel, leaving fishermen teetering on the edge of insolvency. Elevated fuel costs driven by President Donald Trump’s war of choice in … Read More “REPORT: The Trump Administration’s War in Iran Is Harming Fishermen in Hawaii and Across the Country” »
In his second term, President Trump has taken action to remove protections from marine areas stretching across more than 1 million square miles, threatening iconic seascapes with industrial-scale fishing fleets. With ocean health increasingly under threat from climate change and human harm, the Trump administration is putting America’s ocean conservation legacy at risk. Government agencies … Read More “REPORT: Trump rolling back 87% of the nation’s highly protected ocean waters” »
Deep sea mining lease sales are scheduled to take place in American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands in November and December, respectively. The Trump administration has advanced a rushed and secretive process in both U.S. territories with limited public participation. Thankfully the United States is still a democracy and the First Amendment guarantees us … Read More “How to help protect the deep sea in the Marianas and American Samoa today” »
Yesterday the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management ignored the voices of 60,000 public comments and issued a proposed leasing notice for the seabed surrounding the Mariana Trench. This is a key step in selling off 69 million acres of the American seafloor to the mining industry, an area about the size of Nevada. A new … Read More “Trump Administration Advances Mariana Trench Offshore Mineral Leasing Process” »
A small, friendly Dumbo Octopus named Miss Abyss is currently traveling across the United States, and she needs your help. Miss Abyss carries a message of urgent importance for the future of our oceans. As she makes her journey, she is gathering allies from every corner of the country to oppose the looming threat of … Read More “Please Help This Little Dumbo Octopus Travel Across America” »
Most people know me for my work on ocean conservation, Indigenous-led stewardship, and marine protected areas. Over the past year, however, I have found myself increasingly drawn into a different but deeply connected area of research: how public lands tell America’s story, and what happens when that story is deliberately altered or erased. This work … Read More “Researching Historical Erasure on Public Lands” »
Abstract submissions are now open for the 8th International Marine Conservation Congress (IMCC8), taking place November 13–17, 2026, in Edinburgh, Scotland—and we’re excited to announce an open symposium on deep‑sea mining. Titled “Between a Rock and a Deep Place: Science and Deep Sea Mining Policy,” this session will examine the science, ethics, and governance shaping … Read More “Deep Sea Mining Symposium Announcement” »
I hope that you will join me at Upwell: A Wave of Ocean Justice this June 2-3 in Washington, DC. Please register today. Due to popular demand, Upwell is moving to a larger venue this year and we are adding a second day. We are holding this year’s event at the Martin Luther King Jr. … Read More “Join Me at Upwell: A Wave of Ocean Justice — Our Fourth Year!” »
The Trump administration argues that opening America’s seafloor to deep sea mining is essential for strengthening our economy and securing our energy future. But from a Pacific Islander perspective, this rush to extract metals from the ocean – especially near the Mariana Trench and American Samoa – ignores hard-earned lessons and risks repeating past mistakes. … Read More “Walking Backwards Into the Future: Applying Indigenous Knowledge to Deep Sea Mining” »
