Dolphins severely impacted by industrial fishing practices

The Guardian reports on a recent study into dolphin populations in the Indian Ocean. The results are disheartening — a greater than 80% in decline over the last 50 years. The reporting describes a meta-study published in the peer-reviewed journal Endangered Species Research analyzing 10 bycatch studies on gill net fishing.

Journalism and research, like the article and the studies it reports, are essential to understanding the impacts we are having on cetaceans and the marine environment overall. But, we also need to take action to change the way we interact with the marine environment. This is no small feat. As the article describes, it is difficult to enact change on the open ocean where there is no meaningful regulation and there are competing interests like poverty.

For myself, the catastrophic side-effects of bycatch are part of why I’m vegetarian trending towards vegan.

If you want to learn more about dolphins, I recommend Voices in the Ocean: A Journey into the Wild and Haunting World of Dolphins by Susan Casey.

Outstanding Labor Day Weekend dive at Point Lobos

I regularly tell people that Point Lobos is my favorite Monterey Peninsula dive site and days like today demonstrate why. My friend and PADI Divemaster Brandon organized the dive and I’m glad he did. The conditions don’t get better than what we had today. No swell or surf or surge. The water was a bit chillier than usual at a crisp 51 degrees F at the coolest. However, as Monterey divers know, colder is usually clearer and visibility was a solid 40 feet. Judge for yourself…

Brandon navigates the kelp forest

Exiting one of the Coal Chute Cove caves

A male sheephead patrolling.

Crab fully decorated and trying to hide

The kelp canopy looking resplendent.

Point Lobos kelp forest in all of its glory

As is often the case in Monterey Peninsula diving, we ran into friends at the dive site and had a nice lunch with Grace, Dhaval, Katie, and Grace’s dive buddy whose name I didn’t catch (I’m sure I’ll bump into him again on another dive).

ABC reports on Australia downgrading the health status of the Great Barrier Reef

As ABC reports, Australian officials are downgrading the health status of the Great Barrier Reef. This is sad news for all who love marine life and have concern for healthy oceans.

Read the ABC article here.

CBS 60 Minutes' "Cleaning up the plastics in the ocean"

CBS’ 60 Minutes aired an updated segment on efforts by The Ocean Cleanup to invent novel methods to cleanup plastics pollution in the ocean, including the Pacific Gyre Garbage Patch and the efforts of

Watch it here: Cleaning up the plastics in the ocean

Longitudinal study gives new insights to coral reef bleaching

A recently published study gives new insight into the causes of coral reef bleaching and die-offs. The results give hope for coral restoration.

Read more at Phys.org: Thirty years of unique data reveal what's really killing coral reefs