Ocean Stories
Anthropocene brings some of the best minds to bear on tough questions about the future of the Earth’s largest ecosystems: Should nations farm their EEZs—and how can they do it ecologically? Are there economically viable ways to harvest plastic waste? Can we cultivate acid- and heat-resilient coral reefs?
Buy High, Sell Low
Like it or not, retreat from the coasts has begun. The only question left is whether it will be managed or chaotic.
It’s an unsinkable idea
The concept of settling the high seas is back—this time as a sustainable answer to sea-level rise, with an impressive team and UN support.
Taming the Blue Frontier
Should the U.S. cultivate giant offshore fish farms in its piece of the sea or keep taking most of the fish we eat from foreign waters?
Researchers calculate the value of bivalves’ appetite for pollution. It’s huge.
If coastal cities planted clam beds along the urban edge, they could save millions in nitrogen clean-up costs
Closing more of the ocean to fishing actually means there’ll be more fish to eat
Researchers calculate that protecting just 5% more of the ocean could boost fisheries by as much as 20%.
Probiotics could help save overheated coral
In lab experiments, an infusion of bacteria extracted from coral reefs made the difference between life and death for coral stuck in hot water.
The unrealized potential of seaweed farming to clean up agricultural pollution
A research team calculated how strategically-planted beds of seaweed could help to clean up one of the world’s most polluted coastal environments, the Gulf of Mexico
Saltwater Aquaculture Moves Inland
Improved technology could give fish farms a sustainable foothold far from the ocean
Nearly a century after being extirpated, blue whales are moving back to South Georgia Island
Now that whaling has been outlawed for decades, populations are beginning to heal—but they face new threats.
Eyes on the High Seas
Illegal fishing is getting harder, thanks to public surveillance from space
