Saving Wild Ocean Places

Saving Wild Ocean Places From the President Marine Conservation Institute is a leader in the global of Marine Conservation Institute: movement to protect and recover the integrity of vast ocean areas. We use the latest science to identify important marine

When I started working ecosystems around the world, and then advocate for their to save our oceans more protection, for us and future generations. than 30 years ago, marine conservation was in its infancy. To shape the thinking of policy-makers, scientists and students, I assembled what’s now the most-cited book on marine conservation, and then the first university textbook. They were useful conversation-starters.

But they weren’t enough. Marine life is in peril and we’re running out of time. We must act now to save our living oceans for us and future generations.

That’s why I founded Marine Conservation Institute in 1996.

Our team focuses on identifying and winning protection for the oceans’ best places, and reducing threats to them.

To succeed takes expert knowledge, bold vision and resources. Thanks to our dedicated scientists and policy experts, and to other organizations who’ve joined the movement we’ve built, marine conservation is now making waves around the world.

It’s not too late to save life in our oceans.

If you want fish to eat, oxygen to breathe and safe, sparkling waters to swim in; if you want your grandchildren to live in a world with beautiful corals, polar bears and great whales, please help us make it happen.

It’s the most important thing you’ll ever do.

Covering about 70 percent of our planet, the Elliott A. Norse, Ph.D. oceans are the Earth’s largest life support system. Photo: NASA

1 “My grandfather would have applauded Oceans of Life, Oceans in Peril

Marine Conservation Institute’s unique focus on From dazzling coral reefs to the ice-covered Arctic Ocean, protecting the world’s best ocean places.” from rich green coastal waters to the blackest depths, our oceans are home to millions of species.

Philippe Cousteau Life in the oceans is essential to life on Earth. Living oceans provide a sixth of the animal protein people eat, CEO, EarthEcho International moderate our climate and generate half of the oxygen we breathe. Board member, Marine Conservation Institute Grandson of Captain Jacques-Yves Cousteau They’re the source of new medicines to treat cancer and chronic pain. Their beauty inspires us. Countless millions of people come to the ocean to fish, dive, sail, watch whales and enjoy the beach.

But our oceans are in deep trouble.

Once teeming with fishes, oceans are being emptied faster than life can recover. Bottom trawlers rake the seafloor with huge, weighted nets, destroying fragile corals in their path. Fossil fuel use is making oceans more acidic. Millions of tons of discarded trash are killing sea turtles, seabirds and seals. Huge container ships run over endangered right whales and blue whales, making them road-kill in our shipping lanes.

Saving our oceans means saving ourselves. It’s both the noblest cause and the smartest investment we can make. But bountiful oceans need champions with the courage to fight for them and the expertise to succeed.

That’s why Marine Conservation Institute exists.

Loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) entangled in discarded fishing gear in the Mediterranean Sea off Libya.

PHOTO: Greenpeace © /Carè © Marine Photobank

2 3 Using the Latest Science to Save Ocean Life “Where there’s life there’s hope. No place can inspire us

Some groups make headlines. Some protest. Some with more hopefulness than that great, life-making sea— file lawsuits. that singular, wondrous ocean covering the blue planet.

Marine Conservation Institute identifies the best places And Marine Conservation Institute is a guardian of hope to protect. We investigate the greatest threats to these for the oceans.” places. We get governments to safeguard them.

Some places provide refuge for baby sea turtles. In others, Carl Safina, Ph.D. groupers gather to spawn or whale sharks come to feed. President, Blue Ocean Institute Places for feeding and breeding are the oceans’ highest- value real estate, where marine life is most vulnerable. John Burroughs Writer’s Medal winner These ecosystems deserve special protection.

Using research submarines, sophisticated geographic information systems and satellite imagery, Marine Conservation Institute scientists identify the seas’ most important ecosystems. We do this so governments will know the best places to save.

It’s our unique focus… and a uniquely effective one for conserving ocean life.

Dr. Lance Morgan, our Vice President for Science, preparing for a dive to the bottom of Hecate Strait, British Columbia, Canada, to find deep sea coral ecosystems. Peacock grouper (Cephalopholis argus) in coral reefscape (Kingman Reef, Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument).

PHOTO: © Enric Sala, Ph.D., National Geographic Society

4 5 Creating Hope Through Deep Understanding

Everything we do is based on in-depth understanding of marine science. Our Staff has a total of nearly three centuries of professional experience.

We collaborate with university researchers, government agencies, corporations, fishermen and conservationists to discover the most diverse, most vulnerable places to protect. For example:

Lance Morgan, Ph.D., our Vice President for Science, directs our science team and works to identify the most diverse and vulnerable ecosystems, most recently off the Pacific Northwest and in the Central Pacific Ocean.

Sandra Brooke, Ph.D., our Coral Conservation Director, uses research submarines to explore deep-water coral ecosystems in the Gulf of Mexico, southeastern USA, Alaska and Norway.

John Guinotte, Ph.D., our Marine Biogeographer, identifies ocean acidification threats to ecosystems and uses remotely operated vehicles and predictive habitat models to map vulnerable undersea places in the Pacific and Indian oceans.

Sara Maxwell, Ph.D., our Postdoctoral Fellow, uses data from satellite-tagged sea turtles, seabirds, seals and whales to pinpoint places in the Pacific Ocean and off West Africa that need to be protected.

Our scientists conduct field research to identify and map critical marine ecosystems. Then we collaborate with scientists and conservationists to get them protected… while there’s still time. Dr. Sandra Brooke about to descend into the Gulf of Mexico to study oil Giant clams (Tridacna sp.) in Kingman Reef, Pacific spill damage.

Remote Islands Marine National Monument, have color PHOTO: © Steve Ross, Ph.D. patterns as distinctive as fingerprints.

Photo: © Enric Sala, Ph.D., National Geographic Society.

6 7 Marine Conservation Institute “Marine Conservation Institute played an essential role in Advocates for Healthy Oceans identifying, nominating and, equally important, inspiring the Identifying especially important areas requires expert need for the President’s designation of the Pacific Remote knowledge. So does winning their protection. Our tight- knit team does both. Islands and Rose Atoll Marine National Monuments.”

To conserve ecosystems for us and future generations, governments now protect 12 percent of the world’s land. The Honorable James L. Connaughton Yet about 1 percent of the ocean is now protected. Chairman, White House Council

That’s not enough! Our bold but achievable goal is to win on Environmental Quality (2001-2009) protection for 10 percent of the oceans by 2020.

Our policy experts advocate for laws, regulations and programs in national and international arenas to safeguard the oceans’ most vulnerable ecosystems. For example:

Bill Chandler, M.A., our Vice President for Government Affairs, is our master strategist for getting federal agencies to designate and better manage our National Marine Sanctuaries and Marine National Monuments.

Emily Douce, M.A., our Conservation Advocate, analyzes marine conservation programs and budget needs of federal agencies, and educates policy makers about the impacts of ocean acidification.

Jeff Ardron, M.Sc., our High Seas Program Director, coordinates with scientists and policy advocates around the globe to push the UN for marine protected areas and effective enforcement of laws in international waters.

Kassandra Cerveny, M.S., our Legislative Director, lobbies the US Congress to appropriate funds for marine research and ocean protection, often in collaboration with other environmental groups.

From polar waters to the tropics, we work to save the living oceans essential to our economy, health and well-being. Polar bear mothers and their cubs (Ursus maritimus) hunt for seals on sea ice. But the Arctic Ocean’s sea ice is shrinking, so their habitat is disappearing, making it harder for them to find the food they need. Arctic Ocean near Spitsbergen. Photo: © john B. Weller.

8 9 Some Key Places in the World’s Oceans

Papah¯anaumoku¯akea Baja to Bering US Deep Sea Corals Sargasso Sea In 2006, at the urging of In 2003, our scientists led a tri-national Marine Conservation Institute was With an international team of Marine Conservation Institute, the USA team of experts who developed a list instrumental in winning protection conservationists, we are working established Papah¯a naumoku¯a kea Marine of priority conservation sites from Baja for deep sea coral reefs of the to win strong protection for this

n t ifyi de California to the Bering Sea. PROTECT National Monument, then the world’s PROTECT southeastern USA. ADVOCATE enormous high seas ecosystem. largest strongly protected ocean area. Arctic Ocean

Mediterranean Sea

East Pacific PROTECTED 12% LAND

Rise PROTECTED 1% OCEAN

Saya de Malha Banks

Although the ocean covers about 70 percent of the Earth’s surface, only about 1 percent of it is protected now, versus 12 percent of the land. Marine Conservation Institute has identified these gems throughout the world’s oceans like Ross Sea the ones on this map. We work to protect the sea’s best places every day.

Marine Conservation Institute is working Predicting Deep Coral Reefs Pacific Remote Islands Finding Seamounts rapidly to increase the percentage of our Our scientists are leading an In 2009, Marine Conservation Institute Marine Conservation Institute and an ocean that is strongly protected by secur- international team using cutting-edge secured the establishment of two huge international team of experts created ing very large Marine Protected Areass, like models to identify vulnerable marine marine national monuments to protect a global seamount classification to aid n t ifyi de n t ifyi de these, as well as effective, resilient networks ecosystems in the southern Indian ADVOCATE spectacular coral reef ecosystems in the in the design of marine protected area of smaller, highly protected areas. Ocean and the South Pacific. US Central Pacific Ocean. networks on the high seas.

10 11 Our Amazing Track Record

Marine Conservation Institute has been at the forefront of marine conservation since we were founded by marine ecologist Elliott Norse in 1996. Seeing our success, many new and older organizations have joined us in this movement.

In 1997 we organized the first symposium on marine conservation biology, attended by more than 1,000 scientists from 70 countries.

In 1998 we published the scientific paper that catalyzed the global movement to curtail destructive bottom trawling.

In 1999 we held the first scientific workshop to determine priority conservation areas in New England waters. The next year we persuaded President Bill Clinton to establish a national system of marine protected areas.

In 2003 we published Shifting Gears, the first scientific comparison of commercial fishing gear impacts.

In 2005 we published Marine Conservation Biology, the first textbook on our field. It is used to train the next generation of experts in universities around the world. Moreover, we published the list of key areas to protect between Baja California and the Bering Sea.

In 2006 and 2009, we were instrumental in persuading President George W. Bush to designate three huge marine national monuments: Papah¯anaumoku¯akea surrounding the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, which became the world’s largest marine protected area, and Pacific Remote Islands and Rose Atoll.

And in 2010 we helped President Barack Obama’s Administration to develop the USA’s first National Ocean Policy.

Our ideas and advocacy are shaping marine conservation. And the best is yet to come. Around the world, countless millions of people come to the ocean to fish, dive, sail, watch whales and enjoy the beach.

12 13 “Marine Conservation Institute is visionary, lean and very effective. How Do You Want to Save the Living Oceans? Its outstanding science and policy experts identify the best areas to protect, the ones I call ‘Hope Spots.’ Then they find ways to get You can choose the best ways to help Marine Conservation Institute protect our oceans for us and governments to safeguard these special places. For the fishes, for us future generations: and for everyone we love, we must protect the blue heart of the planet.” Cash Gifts – Our greatest need is for cash donations to support the work we’re doing right now to save Sylvia A. Earle, Ph.D. our oceans. Please make checks payable to Marine Conservation Institute and mail to our address on the Board member, Marine Conservation Institute back cover. For payments by credit card, please visit Explorer-in-Residence, National Geographic Society our website.

Appreciated Securities – We gladly accept stocks and other securities. You will receive a tax deduction for the full market value, thus avoiding all or part of your capital gains tax. Please consult your tax advisor for more information.

Oceans Protection Fund – Your endowment gift of cash or securities to our Oceans Protection Fund will provide reliable long-term continuity and stability for our work.

Planned Gifts – A contribution to the Marine Conservation Institute is a testament to your love for the ocean.

Marine Biogeographer Dr. John Guinotte (left) explains his new Sunbeams on Atlantic Ocean, Madeira. map of the world’s seamounts. Marine Conservation Institute highlights the best places in the oceans, then works to win their protection for us and future generations.

14 15 Join the Movement

For their generous support we thank the following individuals and organizations. “It’s amazing what Marine We invite you to join us in the global effort to protect 10 percent of the oceans by 2020. Conservation Institute

$500,000+ Underwriter $10,000+ Patron $1,000+ Supporter accomplishes. It would be

Anonymous Anonymous (2) Anonymous difficult to find a more Arcadia Arntz Family Foundation AFTCO Manufacturing Edwards Mother Earth The Bay and Paul Foundations Company, Inc. cost-effective investment Foundation Owsley Brown Charitable Tom and Diana Allen J.M. Kaplan Fund Foundation, Inc. Justin and Jodi Arnold in our oceans.” David and Lucile Packard Margaret A. Cargill Foundation The Baum Foundation Foundation Chantecaille Beauté Gordon Beaham III Christensen Fund Benziger Family Winery Moore Family Foundation Anthea Case Richard and Rhoda Goldman Naomi and Nehemiah Cohen Cooley LLP Fund Foundation Philippe Cousteau Principal Advisor, Arcadia (London) Bertram and Barbara Cohn Larry B. and Judy A. Crowder Surdna Foundation DuPont Gene Duvernoy and Winslow Foundation Sylvia A. Earle Carolyn Madsen Environmental Systems Research Environmental Defense Fund $100,000+ Benefactor Institute, Inc. David Festa Firedoll Foundation Gary and Bonni Fields Anonymous (2) The William H. and Mattie Wattis Fred Gellert Family Foundation Mark Bloome Harris Foundation Georgia Power Sharon Bloome Horizons Foundation Hannah Goldstein Sally Shallenberger Brown Ittleson Foundation Google.org Bullitt Foundation G. Robert Kerr and Linda DiSantis James C. and Christina P. Keith Campbell Foundation Steven and Michele Kirsch Greenwood for the Environment Foundation Kay Grinnell and Jeff Ulbright The Educational Foundation Massachusetts Environmental David and Carol J. Johns of America Trust Kongsgaard-Goldman Foundation Ben Hammett Giles W. and Elise G. Mead John Kruthoffer The Henry Foundation Foundation Robert Lane Hogan Lovells National Fish and Renaud Lecoeuche Holland America Line Wildlife Foundation Andrew J. Luk Herbert W. Hoover Foundation New England Biolabs Wendy P. McCaw Foundation Lenfest Ocean Program Elliott and Irene Norse Steven and Joyce Melander-Dayton Gordon and Betty Moore Brian O’Kelley and Microsoft Foundation Elizabeth Rovere Nakamura Design The Curtis and Edith Munson Gail Osherenko and Oran Young National Marine Sanctuary Foundation The Overbrook Foundation Foundation Peach Foundation Scott and Catherine D. Rayder Oak Foundation Anne Rowland Robert Reed Jennifer and Ted Stanley Russell Family Foundation Richard and Rebecca Rockefeller Sun Hill Foundation Sacharuna Foundation Eric Rosencrantz The Tiffany & Co. Foundation Sandler Family William D. Ruckelshaus Turner Foundation Supporting Foundation Christopher Schraeder Wallace Global Fund The Vidda Foundation Charles Schwab Foundation Weinstein Family Charitable Sub Pop Records Long-beaked common dolphins Foundation Tides Foundation (Delphinus capensis) and a school of sardines John Twiss (Sardinops sagax). South Africa, Indian Ocean. World Wildlife Fund PHOTO: © Doug Perrine / SeaPics.com

16 Marine Conservation Institute 2122 112th Ave NE, B-300 Bellevue WA 98004 +1 425.274.1180 [email protected] marine-conservation.org

Marine Conservation Institute is a leader in the global movement to protect and recover the integrity of vast ocean areas. We use the latest science to identify important marine ecosystems around the world, and then advocate for their protection, for us and future generations.