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By Stefano Mariani and Judith Bakker Imagine studying animals without seeing them. Does that sound ludicrous? To people like us, who first got interested in biology because we love animals and enjoy studying them, yes, it sounds like a poor deal. Yet, if you think about what forensic investigators do when they seek DNA evidence […]

Featured Image:  A plastic bag floats through Manila Bay in the Philippines.  PHOTOGRAPH BY RANDY OLSON, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC Even one of the most remote places on Earth couldn’t hide from the scourge of plastic trash By Sarah Gibbens, National Geographic PUBLISHED MAY 11, 2018, www.NationalGeographic.com The Mariana Trench—the deepest point in the ocean—extends nearly 36,000 feet down […]

“Just one word… plastics…There’s a great future in plastics.” Remember this famous quote from the 1967 film, “The Graduate“?  It foreshadows the incredible rise of the plastic industry, which took off like a runaway train shortly after its release. Now, over 40 years later that train is about to run off the tracks. We produce […]

Every January, millions of people will resolve to workout more often, eat better, drink or smoke less. But there’s one new year’s resolution we hope everyone will make: reducing their use of disposable plastic. A recent report found: – Only 9 percent of plastic gets recycled – 12 percent is incinerated, and the rest ends […]

As a conscious diver, you probably already know that oxybenzone found in many sunscreens bleach coral and kills larva at incredibly low concentrations – or if you missed that news, check out these reports from the United Nations, Vogue, UPI,  DAN, or this article about the best natural sunscreens. What’s less well documented, but just as important to the health […]

When is enough ENOUGH?  I was diving in Bali at Manta Point off Nusa Penida today.  This is supposed to be a magnificent dive site where the mantas and mola-mola congregate.  Well, today was not that day. On the way out to the site from Sanur beach, we had to stop the boat 3 times […]

Evidence shows that human activities, including overfishing, oil spills, pollution, and climate change are altering ocean environment beyond their natural state over the last few decades. According to numerous scientific studies, marine species are declining in many places, which impacts on the marine ecosystems and may lead to undesirable consequences for the biodiversity. We need […]

In the wake of the mass coral bleaching events over the past few years, a new study has found that ocean acidification, caused by elevated levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide dissolving into the ocean, may have a detrimental impact on the ability of coral reefs to regenerate in the future. Mixed with water, CO2 forms […]

They have patrolled our oceans for more than 400 million years, but, for the sake of a bowl of soup, the very existence of sharks is now under threat WORDS + PHOTOGRAPHS DOUGLAS DAVID SEIFERT Would you want to live in a world without sharks? Before emotion charges you with a knee-jerk response, it is essential […]