How we’re keeping the ocean healthy

Editor’s note: April is Earth Month, when we honor humanity’s shared responsibility for nature and the climate. At Conservation International, this responsibility drives us — and in honor of Earth Month, Conservation News is highlighting stories of our impact. We hope that this inspires you to carry the spirit of Earth Month throughout the year. In honor of this campaign in the coming weeks, Conservation News is spotlighting some recent stories and successes from around the world. We hope you consider supporting our work.

It’s the origin and engine of life on Earth — and it is in trouble.

The ocean has provided humanity with food, livelihoods and a stable climate since time immemorial. Yet it is increasingly hot, acidic and polluted — and only by humanity’s collective effort can it be restored to health. To that end, Conservation International has made major strides in recent years to protect our planet’s most important feature, and the people who depend on it. In honor of Earth Month, here are a few recent ocean success stories from Conservation International.

As the oceans have warmed, these gentle (and endangered) giants are increasingly swimming into busy shipping lanes. Even at the size of a school bus, whale sharks — the world’s largest fish — are no match for cargo ships in busy shipping lanes: When the two collide, the sharks always lose. “Whale sharks’ risk of being struck by these massive ships could increase dramatically if fossil fuel use continues to run wild — driving climate change and making our oceans hotter than ever,” said Conservation International marine biologist Mark Erdmann, a co-author of the study. The new research points to ways to protect whale sharks.

Find out here.

Slow moving and surface feeders, whale sharks are uniquely vulnerable to collisions with large ships.

It’s no surprise that the world’s top surf spots are in some of the most picturesque places in the world. What may come as a surprise, though, is that the forests and marshes surrounding these places store massive amounts of climate-warming carbon. In a groundbreaking recent paper, researchers from Conservation International and elsewhere mapped more than 4,800 popular surf spots across 113 countries and found that they store the same amount of carbon as the emissions from 77 million gas-powered cars. It’s the first time the carbon stored in the mangroves and forests surrounding popular surf spots has been measured, bolstering the argument for their protection.

Read more here.

Surf spots store about 88 million tons of carbon, equivalent to the emissions from 77 million cars.

Nearly a third of fishing lines are lost or discarded at sea. This so-called “ghost gear” — along with lost nets and traps — is deadly for marine animals: Experts estimate that more than 300,000 whales and dolphins die each year after getting tangled in them. With far more “ghost” nets than any one person can possibly handle, Conservation International’s Edgardo Ochoa created a course to teach recreational divers how to safely remove ghost gear from the sea. Over the past five years, that course has certified nearly 100 divers in six countries.

Find out more here.

Volunteers learn to safely remove ghost gear in what Ochoa calls a “choreographed dance.”

Bruno Vander Velde is the managing director of storytelling at Conservation International. Want to read more stories like this? Sign up for email updates. Also, please consider supporting our critical work.