Ocean Program, Environmental Law Institute

The Bay of Fundy has a record-setting 50-foot high tide that has long frustrated engineers hoping to harness its electricity. However, a new coalition of entrepreneurs and scientists in Nova Scotia are trying a new technology that may work long-term and could be a highly reliable new source of renewable energy.

Who Will Win the Race to Generate Electricity From Ocean Tides? The Bay of Fundy, between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, has one of the world’s most powerful tides. Now, engineers and scientists hope to finally turn it into a clean energy source.

Negotiations are taking place at the United Nations for a treaty to protect ocean life in the high seas. The agreement is known as the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Treaty and it addresses critical issues like marine protected areas (MPAs) on the high seas, environmental impact assessments for activities in these waters, and capacity-building and the transfer of marine technology.

With High Seas Treaty Near Final New Paper Offers Roadmap for Rapid Implementation Negotiations at the United Nations for an ambitious treaty to protect ocean life in the high seas are approaching the final stage. These ocean areas lie beyond the jurisdiction of any country and make up about two-thirds of the ocean; conserving large areas of the high seas is critical to ensuring e...

Natural methane seep sites, areas of the ocean floor where methane and other fluid seeps out, may be providing an extra energy source for communities on the seafloor. Scientists found that seep sites in the Arctic diversify diets and add resources to marine ecosystems.

Methane emissions in the Arctic diversify the diets of marine ecosystems living in productive shallow-marine areas Methane gas from cold seeps – a complementary food source for organisms living in the Arctic? New study finds that methane emissions in the shallow Arctic shelves actually diversifies the diets of marine organisms living here.

The Washington Invasive Species Council (WISC) and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) are holding an art contest for high school students to spread the word about invasive species, especially the freshwater Quagga and Zebra mussels. The contest is looking for education designs that highlight priority invasive species and include actions the public can take.

Washington state organizations hold art contest to highlight invasive species, how to contain them The Washington Invasive Species Council and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife are asking high school-age artists to create educational designs.

100 marine scientists sign a letter to the Biden administration asking for help saving one of the most endangered marine mammal species, known as Rice’s whale. Scientists hope that reduced boat traffic and ship speed will make these animals less vulnerable to harmful collisions.

Scientists are calling on the White House to save a whale species unique to the Gulf of Mexico On the 50th anniversary of the passage of the Marine Mammal Protection Act last month, a group of scientists asked the federal government for protection and funds for recovery of Rice’s whales.

At COP27, the Commonwealth Secretary urges member countries to apply for grants under the Commonwealth Blue Charter Project Incubator. The grants are between €5000 to €50,000 and can be used for a wide range of activities such as training, capacity-building, knowledge exchanges, and more.

New Commonwealth grants available for ocean projects The Commonwealth Secretariat has today announced the first call for proposals under the newly established Commonwealth Blue Charter Project Incubator.

NOAA has awarded Oregon State $4.2 million to investigate the impact of climate change-related stressors on marine ecosystems. The project highlights integrating Traditional Ecological Knowledge to research the Dungeness crab and krill.

Oregon State and partners to receive $4.2 million to study stressors facing Dungeness crab, other marine life under climate change NEWPORT, Ore. – The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has awarded Oregon State University and its research partners $4.2 million to investigate how multiple climate change-related stressors are impacting marine ecosystems off the coast of Oregon, Washington and Northern California.

Surfing’s biggest organization, the World Surf League has partnered with Coral Gardeners to save the reef through a process called coral reef rehabilitation. The rehabilitation program involves taking coral that hasn’t been impacted by bleaching and using grafts of this coral to help more coral grow elsewhere.

‘It’s not too late’: Surfers come together to help preserve coral reef Over the last three years, the World Surf League has partnered with Coral Gardeners, a group dedicated to preserving and regenerating coral reefs.

States are enacting Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policies as a solution to diminishing landfill capacity. These policies charge producers based on their packaging choices and how much plastic they are producing.

To Reduce Trash, Some States Charge the Companies Producing It Four states are tackling trash at the front end by pushing producers to reduce packaging.

Over seven years, two women hike, cycle, and paddle across two continents and 13 countries from Antarctica to the Arctic Ocean. In their travels across South America and North America, they note that the people they’ve met along the way have made the journey possible.

Two wonder women complete seven year journey from Antarctic to Arctic oceans October 30, 2022 - Seven years, two continents, 13 countries, 31,704 kilometres — and two very determined women....

Disposable waste is a feature of many marine environments. Scientists that have mapped plastics in the ocean have calculated global estimates that reach several thousand tons, with fishing gear contributing to around 10 percent of this pollution. Creating accountability for plastic waste is vital to stopping ocean pollution.

How Much Trash Is In Our Oceans? In 2014, there was more than 593 million pounds, or 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic floating on the ocean’s surface. And experts say there's more beneath.

At the United Nations 27th Conference of the Parties (COP27) in Egypt, oceanographic researchers hope that the ocean will play a central role in climate discussions. Scientists are increasingly recognizing the role the ocean plays in the planet’s climate system.

San Diego researchers hope to spotlight ocean at UN climate conference San Diego’s top ocean researchers hope to put the spotlight on the ocean at the next major global climate summit in Egypt.