Oceans Stories

Whales and the plastics problem
Protecting whales is crucial to protecting healthy oceans for all of us. Yet even these ocean giants are being impacted by the "deadliest predator in the sea": plastic pollution.
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Testing the Waters
WWF Magazine: Spring 2021Investing in open-ocean seaweed farming could help move the needle on climate change. -
Rejection of mining permit marks important milestone in protection of Bristol Bay
December 02, 2020The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has denied a permit for developers to build the controversial Pebble Mine in Alaska, marking an important moment in the decade’s long effort to protect Bristol Bay.
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It's time to stop funding overfishing
November 12, 2020Harmful fisheries subsidies fuel harmful fishing practices. Rather than subsidizing fishing activities that hurt the ocean, communities, and the economy, governments have an opportunity to reroute funding toward efforts that bring benefits to marine health and human well-being.
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Ghost fishing gear
October 20, 2020Ghost fishing gear includes any abandoned, lost, or otherwise discarded fishing gear. It is the deadliest form of marine plastic debris and often goes unseen. Learn more about how you can help stop this silent killer and protect the health of our ocean its inhabitants.
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In the UK, restoring seagrasses to boost biodiversity and ocean health
WWF Magazine: Winter 2020A partnership with Sky Ocean Rescue and Swansea University, the WWF project aims to restore a total of around five acres of seagrass this year. -
Putting the ocean (and the planet) first, with Julie Packard
WWF Magazine: Winter 2020WWF president and CEO Carter Roberts talks with Julie Packard, founding executive director of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, about coping during COVID-19 and creating a place where marine life shines. -
3 tools to promote sustainable fishing and end human rights abuses
September 29, 2020Many of the practices that lead to unsustainable fishing are also rooted in some of the same underlying conditions that lead to human rights abuses. Learn more about the tools that WWF is implementing to help address these critical issues.
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5 species that stand to lose the most if the US allows drilling in the Arctic Refuge
August 17, 2020The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is located in one of the largest remaining natural areas on the planet: Alaska. The species that call the refuge home have been protected from the risks of unsustainable development for decades, but now the US government is moving forward with plans to open the coastal plain of the Arctic Refuge to allow for oil and gas drilling.
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Five ways sharks and rays help the world
July 13, 2020Sharks and rays are some of the most enigmatic and misunderstood creatures of the ocean. They are crucial for the health of our planet. This blog describes five incredible ways in which sharks and rays help the world, from fighting climate change to digging through sand for their neighbors to feeding phytoplankton.
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Helping fisheries around the world meet the highest standard
May 28, 2020Fishery Improvement Projects—called “FIPs” for short—draw together fishers, industry, researchers, government and NGOs to help improve fishing practices and management. Through a transparent and comprehensive approach, FIPs aim to increase a fishery’s performance and help it meet the sustainability requirements.
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In the Arctic, places once protected are now exposed
April 21, 2020Recent rollbacks mean a dramatic decline in the security of America’s Arctic for both people and nature. Places that are so crucial for Arctic biodiversity, such as the Bering Strait—and the people who live there—are increasingly at risk.
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How LED nets help sea turtles swim free
WWF Magazine: Spring 2020Entanglement in fishing nets and lines is among the greatest threats to sea turtles worldwide. So WWF and partners designed the world’s first solar-powered LED fishing net. -
Mighty Mangroves
Mangroves are a vibrant part of coastal wetlands on five continents. Explore some of the most diverse coastal forests around the world.
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Depths Unknown
WWF Magazine: Spring 2020WWF is aiding the Fijian government and local communities in their efforts to establish a network of marine protected areas that will cover 30% of the country’s waters by 2030. -
Port Heiden, Alaska: the town that moved
WWF Magazine: Spring 2020Beginning in 1981, the coastal community was forced to move inland when it became clear that erosion, accelerated by retreating sea ice and strong storms, would one day take the town altogether. -
Setting the line on transparency in tuna fishing
January 28, 2020For tuna fishing, data is more important now than ever. Most tuna stocks are fully exploited, meaning at best there is little to no room for expansion and at worst, they are in danger of collapsing. That’s why unmonitored tuna fishing is unacceptable. Commercial tuna fishing is increasingly transparent—but more needs to be done
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What we learned about coral reefs in 2019
January 07, 2020While most of what we learned about coral reefs in 2019 is grim, there's still hope. In this new decade, we can do quite a bit to protect coral reefs and the wildlife and people that depend on them.
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5 ways harmful fisheries subsidies impact coastal communities
November 21, 2019Our planet’s health—and our own well-being—is dependent on a vibrant ocean rich with nature, like fish! While sustainable fishing can be an effective way to keep our oceans healthy, one big barrier is standing in the way: taxpayer-funded support for unsustainable fishing operations.
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Developers say Pebble Mine won’t hurt Alaska's Bristol Bay.
A gold and copper mine proposed for the headwaters of Bristol Bay would hugely impact the watershed—the federal agency assigned to evaluate the mining company’s plan has finally recognized the risk to the watershed but is still delaying a final decision on whether to allow the project to move forward.
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Seagrass: the lesser-known superstar in the fight against the climate crisis
October 31, 2019Seagrass is crucial to the health of our ocean and provides food and shelter for a ton of animals. But this leafy green marvel’s real superpower is the rate at which it captures heat-trapping carbon.
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Melting Down and Rising Up
September 25, 2019What should be frozen solid is now thawing and melting away—and communities are already dealing with the consequences. From Alaska to Miami to Bangladesh, learn how ice loss and sea level rise are impacting communities.
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One billion people threatened by climate crisis risks to oceans, polar, and mountain regions
September 25, 2019Drastic and swift-moving changes to our oceans and the cryosphere—the Earth’s snow and ice-covered places—are one of the most dramatic consequences of global warming.
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Scientists confirm second-lowest summer sea ice extent in the Arctic
An analysis of satellite imagery determined the annual sea ice minimum in 2019 tied the record for second-lowest.