Green sea turtles receive improved conservation designation after years of conservation efforts

The New England Aquarium is celebrating decades of hard work paying off in the wake of the announcement that green sea turtles have received an improved conservation designation from “Endangered” to “Least Concern.” Read more here.

Great Barrier Reef clings to “critical” status

The Great Barrier Reef is being let down by the Federal and Queensland Governments, says the Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) which has warned they are falling short on their duty to protect the Reef, after the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) again rated the its outlook as “critical”. Read more here.

Solar powered lights keep sea turtles out of fishing nets

In a win-win for endangered sea turtles and the fishing industry, researchers at Arizona State University worked with fishers to develop a practical solution to drastically reduce bycatch in coastal gillnet fisheries, a new study finds. Read more here.

Resolution to end bottom trawling in seamounts headed to UN General Assembly

The resolution, titled Motion 032, was adopted on 14 October with overwhelming support from the WCC, receiving yes votes from 95 percent of the state and government agency members, and 99 percent of the participating NGOs and organizations representing Indigenous People. Read more here.

Oyster reefs can protect from suffocating marine life, researchers say

Restoring large oyster reefs may be able to turn the tide on South Australia’s toxic algal bloom, some conservation scientists say. Read more here.