The Ocean Brief
Ocean stories and insights covering science, policy, innovation, and the ocean community
Protecting Kenya’s dolphin habitat
Marine protected areas for dolphins need to focus on their critical habitat if they are to do a good job
Just a designation? The reality of some no-take zones in the ocean
If people keep fishing inside the no-take zone, it doesn’t really meet the criteria of being no-take. Inevitably a fished zone will fail to meet expected successes of a no-take.
The ocean and its inhabitants aren't static, so why do we manage them as if they are?
If we want to protect marine life that moves across the ocean, the protection should move with them - not stay in one place.
Are we really protecting North Atlantic right whales?
The east coast USA has several measures in place to protect the North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) - but just how effective are they?
Old fishing line hints at fishing levels inside no-take marine protected areas
Fishermen leave behind clues that tell us about their illegal activity inside marine protected areas
A practical solution to detecting species range changes?
Detecting species range changes in the marine environment is difficult and expensive. For many species, assessment simply has not taken place.
Are marine protected areas protecting the places that need protecting?
Marine protected areas differ if how much protection they offer, and some may in reality not offer much more protection than you get in the rest of the ocean anyway. Why does this happen? Politics.