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?
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%.
Saltwater Aquaculture Moves Inland
Improved technology could give fish farms a sustainable foothold far from the ocean
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?
Using seawater for cooling could be a sustainable option
Researchers found that just one cubic meter of seawater has the same cooling energy as a solar farm the size of 68 football fields—or 21 wind turbines.
Letting the big fish get away could be an unexpected climate solution
Big fish sinking to the bottom of the sea could sequester millions of tons of carbon
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.
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.
Eyes on the High Seas
Illegal fishing is getting harder, thanks to public surveillance from space
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.
How many fish are in the sea?
Researchers are getting closer to an answer—and improved management—by identifying the DNA traces that fish leave behind in seawater