A Conservation International scientist shares what can be done to prevent an ‘outright alarming’ future for whale sharks.

November 20, 2024

Ocean protections are lagging dangerously. Here’s what it’s going to take to meet global goals, according to a Conservation International marine scientist.

October 17, 2024

Does the ocean hold the key to a replacement for plastic? Sway, a California-based startup backed by Conservation International, is using seaweed to replace the plastic in packaging.

October 1, 2024

Rising ocean temperatures are disrupting marine ecosystems, a new study finds — but recent Conservation International projects offer hope for sharks.

September 24, 2024

A new study challenges the idea that marine protected areas come at the expense of locals’ access to fish — instead, finding that fish catches in coral reefs could increase by up to 20 percent.

September 17, 2024

There are plenty of fish in the sea, so the old saying goes. But that’s not as true as it used to be: Climate change, pollution and overfishing have slashed global fish populations. Now a new study suggests the problem may be worse than expected.

August 29, 2024

Surf breaks worldwide are loved for their natural beauty and the thrill of riding that next big swell. Now, a first of its kind study finds that they are also an ally in the fight against climate change.

August 13, 2024

The government of Indonesia announced this week a deal to redirect more than US$ 35 million it owes to the United States into the conservation of coral reefs.

July 10, 2024

Nearly a third of fishing lines are lost or discarded at sea. This so-called “ghost gear” — along with nets and traps — is deadly for marine animals. One man is on a mission to clean it up, net by net.

June 20, 2024

A landmark treaty to protect the world’s oceans could go into effect soon — but experts argue it must consider climate change if it is going to succeed.

June 13, 2024

The ocean feeds us, regulates our climate and sustains economies. Yet numerous threats are devastating the health of marine ecosystems. In honor of World Oceans Day, we take a dive into efforts that are charting anew course for our oceans.

June 6, 2024

There’s only one place on Earth where reef manta rays are truly thriving. A new study finds that this manta haven is even more special — and threatened — than previously thought.

May 30, 2024

Fishing is a way of life in Peru. But one of it's most important fisheries is not immune from human-made pressures like overfishing and mining. Now, a new protected area is offering a new lease on life.

May 28, 2024

The ocean powers food systems and economies. It also badly needs to be protected from overexploitation. Humanity can do both — with some science, money and humility, experts say.

May 23, 2024

Countries around the world are trying to bring fish populations back from the brink after decades of overfishing. But some marine protected areas are falling short with a certain type of fish. Here’s why.

April 25, 2024

In the third year of the sweeping global PBS series “Changing Planet,” Conservation International CEO M. Sanjayan explores how climate change is affecting some of Earth’s most vulnerable ecosystems — and the groundbreaking science that’s offering hope.

April 22, 2024

A new documentary takes viewers on a trip around the world to explore one of nature’s most powerful — yet overlooked — climate allies: blue carbon.

April 18, 2024

With the dazzling diversity of species that live on a coral reef, dwarfgobies are easy to overlook. While the may be easy to overlook — they are the most diverse of all fish genera.

March 20, 2024

A recent deep-sea expedition off the coasts of Chile and Peru is revealing the secrets of a vast underwater mountain system — and could help make the case for future ocean protections there.

March 4, 2024

Despite evidence that efforts to ban shark finning in recent years isn't reducing shark mortality, new research shows there is reason to have hope.

January 12, 2024

Despite having far more to fear from humans, sharks are often vilified in popular culture. To protect beachgoers, governments often resort to ineffective strategies — at great cost to marine life. One company aims to change that.

January 8, 2024

Conservation News is reflecting on some of our most noteworthy ocean stories of the year — from an innovative approach to protecting Pacific waters, to the launch of a new program to reintroduce threatened sharks back into the wild.

December 14, 2023

New Caledonia recently took a big step for ocean conservation by banning all industrial activities — such as fishing, mining and oil drilling — in 10 percent of its waters. The new protections safeguard marine habitats, as well as some of the healthiest coral reefs on Earth.

November 29, 2023

Growing up in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, Jill Hamilton always felt connected to nature — and knew she would pursue a career to protect it. But time spent on the coast with family drew her from the mountains to the ocean.

November 1, 2023

Aquaculture — a fancy term for farming fish and other aquatic animals — has been criticized for years. But one scientist wants you to know that it could be essential to feeding the planet, fighting climate change, protecting marine life and supporting small farmers — if done right.

October 17, 2023

In the past decade, seaweed production has boomed as researchers and investors eye its climate potential. Yet alongside seaweed’s promise, there are pitfalls. A company in the Philippines is working to change that.

October 11, 2023

The small South Pacific island nation of Niue recently launched a first-of-its-kind sustainable funding initiative that enables anyone to sponsor a square kilometer of its ocean waters — a sanctuary for humpback whales, sea snakes and gray reef sharks.

September 25, 2023

After intense negotiations, discussions on commercial deep-sea mining have been postponed — at least for now. Environmentalists view the decision as a hopeful step toward protecting fragile marine ecosystems.

August 1, 2023

Earlier this year, three zebra shark pups became the first endangered sharks ever to be bred in captivity for the purpose of being released into the wild. They're part of a bold plan to bring sharks back from the brink of extinction.

July 24, 2023

A new study found that seaweed forests may play a bigger role in fighting climate change than previously thought — absorbing as much climate-warming carbon as the Amazon rainforest. But not all seaweed forests are created equal.

July 18, 2023

Across the globe, marine protected areas help struggling fish populations and ecosystems recover and flourish. But what impact do they have on the people living nearby? A new study finds big benefits for both biodiversity and coastal communities.

June 22, 2023

Every year, up to 10 million tons of plastic end up in the world’s oceans — an amount so large it’s hard to visualize. Two journalists from Al Jazeera found that if flattened, ocean plastic today would cover an area roughly the size of Jamaica.

June 21, 2023

The Indonesian government has granted six species of threatened “walking sharks” the highest level of protection — a move experts hope will lead to the conservation of other sharks, whose numbers have plummeted due largely to the shark fin trade.

April 19, 2023

Roughly two-thirds of the world’s oceans lie beyond national boundaries in an area known as the “high seas” — yet only about 1 percent of that largely unexplored expanse has been protected. Now, nearly 200 countries have agreed on the first-ever United Nations treaty to protect the high seas.

March 10, 2023

In case you missed it: One of the coldest regions of the planet is experiencing its highest temperatures in at least a millennium. While grim, the findings are in line with what’s becoming clearer and clearer — Earth’s frozen regions are steadily warming.

January 30, 2023

In case you missed it: A recent study reveals that underwater forests are much more prolific than previously thought — and may play a key role in stemming the climate crisis.

January 9, 2023

In case you missed it: As climate change drives sea level rise, and more extreme droughts and floods, understanding the world’s water patterns is increasingly important. Luckily, scientists are coming up with new ways to adapt. The latest: satellites.

January 3, 2023

In case you missed it: North Atlantic right whales are fast approaching extinction. Each year, this rare species migrates along the eastern coast of the United States. The path leads right whales into a gauntlet of treacherous fishing grounds around New England.

December 5, 2022

Targeted for their gill plates and trapped accidentally in fishing nets, reef manta rays are in trouble; their populations around the world are plummeting. But in one protected area off the coast of Indonesia, the rays are not only bucking worldwide trends – they’re thriving.

December 2, 2022

On a tiny island in the Philippines, fishermen and green sea turtles live side by side in hard-earned harmony. That wasn’t always the case. Slowly and steadily, they have returned, a story of against-the-odds compromise.

November 15, 2022

Deep in the frigid east Bering Sea, snow crabs have historically flourished — supporting Alaska’s $160 million annual crabbing industry. Yet state officials recently sent shockwaves across the industry when they announced there would be no snow crab season this year for the first time.

October 25, 2022

In case you missed it: More than 85 percent of the world's best surf breaks are located in areas that are critically important for conservation. And surfers are some of the ecosystems’ best advocates.

October 19, 2022

In case you missed it: Scientists are sourcing new, lifesaving medications from the sea. But deep-sea mining explorations could risk critical marine ecosystems before their potential is understood.

September 12, 2022

In this explainer, we dive into “aquaculture,” a method for farming fish, which can sustainably satisfy the world's growing appetite for seafood — when done correctly.

July 21, 2022

Protecting nature starts with science. Here’s a roundup of recent research published by Conservation International experts.

June 30, 2022

In case you missed it: A giant stingray hooked (and released) by a fisherman in Cambodia’s Mekong River earlier this month has taken the title of world’s largest freshwater fish.

June 27, 2022

New technology will help inspectors tackle the illegal wildlife trade using a tool most already have in their pockets: their cell phones.

June 8, 2022

A new technique for measuring manta rays could offer critical insights into their health, reproductive status, lifespans and whether a population is growing or shrinking.

March 4, 2022

Here are three recent conservation success stories you should know about.

February 25, 2022

In partnership with Conservation International, chefs in Hawaiʻi are cooking up creative ways to control invasive species populations.

January 20, 2022

Costa Rica announced Friday that it will expand its protected ocean area from 2.7 percent to more than 30 percent of its territorial waters.

December 17, 2021

Conservation News is highlighting how nature nurtures us — and why we must protect it. Here are a few of the ways nature supports human health.

November 5, 2021

Here are three recent conservation success stories you should know about.

October 21, 2021

In an announcement today at New York Climate Week, nine philanthropic organizations pledged US$ 5 billion over the next decade to support the creation and expansion of protected areas, sustainable management of the world’s oceans and Indigenous-led conservation.

September 22, 2021

Ocean warming will alter the habitats of tuna, which could have catastrophic economic consequences for Pacific Island nations and territories, according to a new study.

July 29, 2021

Ana Gloria Guzmán-Mora is the executive director of Conservation International’s Costa Rica program, where she works with local communities and governments to help them meet their goals for protecting the planet.

July 22, 2021

Here are four recent conservation success stories you should know about.

July 15, 2021

On the surface, the international waters off the coasts of Peru and Chile are a seemingly barren expanse. But beneath the waves, two underwater mountain chains — known as the Salas y Gómez and Nazca ridges — are bursting with life, according to a new study.

June 30, 2021

A unique approach to ocean conservation could help countries balance protection and production for the marine ecosystems they depend on.

June 8, 2021

A recently-launched blue carbon finance project for the first time takes into account not only the carbon that mangrove trees store in their trunks and leaves, but also the carbon they sequester in their soils, often for millennia.

May 19, 2021

According to a recent study, women are facing hidden hardships throughout seafood supply chains around the world.

April 29, 2021

Conservation News spoke to a manta ray expert at Conservation International about the findings of his new research — from promising pregnancies to drone discoveries to acrobatic feeding behaviors.

April 1, 2021

Protecting nature starts with science. Here’s a roundup of recent scientific research published by Conservation International experts.

February 25, 2021

The government of Tristan da Cunha — the most remote inhabited islands in the world — committed to protecting 90 percent of its territory’s waters, creating the largest marine protected area in the Atlantic.

November 25, 2020

A team of researchers recently discovered three new species of black coral in the depths of the North Pacific — but deep-sea mining could threaten them.

October 29, 2020

Here are three recent conservation success stories you should know about.

October 22, 2020

Conservation News spoke to Conservation International's marine and diving safety officer, Edgardo Ochoa, about his shark encounters, the dangers of decompression sickness and his passion to prevent a plastic-filled future for the world’s oceans.

October 7, 2020

Coral reefs on the high seas could offer a lifeline for the world's dying reefs, a new study finds.

September 14, 2020

You can help prevent an even more plastic-infested future for our oceans. Here are 5 tips to get you started from Conservation International's diving guru.

August 20, 2020

Walmart, the world’s second-largest retailer, just notched a major win for sustainable seafood. Conservation News spoke to two Conservation International fisheries experts about what this could mean for the global fisheries industry.

June 8, 2020

In new article for CNN, one of Conservation International's ocean experts offers a survival guide for the world's remaining coral reefs.

June 8, 2020

Conservation News spoke to Conservation International scientist Mael Imirizaldu about his work helping countries and communities conserve the ocean that they depend on.

May 14, 2020

A new study outlines the relatively small steps humanity can take to ensure coral reefs’ long-term protection and productivity.

April 23, 2020

Conservation News spoke with Conservation International's Mark Erdmann about his job as a marine biologist, where he spends almost as much time underwater discovering new species as he does helping communities above ground conserve them.

March 25, 2020

A look ahead at ocean conservation in 2020 from Conservation International experts.

February 20, 2020

Conservation News spoke with one of the authors of a new study on walking sharks to find out how he and his team uncovered the evolutionary origin of these peculiar creatures — and how this information could help us adapt to climate change.

January 22, 2020

Here’s a roundup of recent science published by Conservation International experts.

December 5, 2019

Tuesday’s Climate Week roundup: UN report warns grim future for oceans, marine scientists map out how to prevent that future and leaders discuss building resilience in coastal communities.

September 25, 2019

The new UN report warns that climate change could have a drastic impact on the world's oceans and, in turn, humanity.

September 25, 2019

On International Whale Shark Day, we sat down with two Conservation International scientists to learn more about their work tagging the world's largest fish.

August 30, 2019

Conservation News spoke with Jack Kittinger about his passion for protecting the animals — and people — in the seafood sector.

July 10, 2019

Human Nature spoke with a tuna expert about the powerful ways climate change will affect tuna populations.

July 1, 2019

Emily Pidgeon is senior director of the Blue Climate program within Conservation International’s Center for Oceans. Pidgeon focuses on coastal and ocean ecosystems as critical solutions to climate change, including “blue carbon” — the carbon stored naturally in mangrove forests and other coastal...

May 2, 2019

A new course by PADI teaches recreational divers how to remove ghost fishing gear

October 31, 2018

We spoke with Olive Andrews about what whales can teach us about the health of the oceans — and her longtime friendship with a humpback named “Nala.”

July 12, 2018

Conservation News examines some of the ways that climate change affects life in the oceans — and what that means for humanity.

June 7, 2018

To feed its growing population, Hawai‘i is looking to produce more locally sourced seafood, which has a smaller environmental footprint.

May 31, 2018

Knowing where the turtles go is the first step to protecting them.

May 22, 2018

On the first day of the Economist World Ocean Summit, we break down the “blue economy.”

March 7, 2018

Voyagers in Samoa use the Va’a as a way to connect with other cultures while learning to live in harmony with nature.

February 23, 2018

The EcoGourmet program connects independent fishers to local restaurants.

November 28, 2017

In Indonesia, scientists give whale sharks “physicals” — measuring, tagging and taking blood samples underwater, in 30 minutes — to assess the health of both the species and the surrounding waters.

September 28, 2017

To feed a growing population without further depleting our oceans, farmed seafood will be crucial.

August 17, 2017

Two years into a whale shark tracking program, scientists are learning new facts about the world’s largest fish.

August 1, 2017

OHI scientists — including several from Conservation International, the index’s co-developer — are using open science to do “better science in less time.”

June 12, 2017

When you buy seafood, your purchase affects fishers, businesses — even the health of the ocean.

May 16, 2017

A routine search for spots to train scuba divers led to a disturbing discovery: huge, abandoned fishing nets in the middle of the ocean.

May 3, 2017

A new study in Science on climate change’s effect on mass species migration reveals the impact on humans will be monumental.

April 3, 2017

There are two keys to protecting our oceans: funding and staff. Without these elements, we’re putting our oceans at risk.

March 22, 2017

A term you might never have heard of has immense importance for curbing climate change.

November 1, 2016