Reducing Risk in U.S. Arctic Waters
The Arctic is changing fast: it’s warming at more than twice the rate of the rest of the planet, and seasonal sea ice in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas is decreasing in extent, thickness and duration. These changes mean A...
Reducing Risk in U.S. Arctic Waters
With several crises confronting the nation at this time—from a global health pandemic to widespread protests against anti-Black racism—it is unfathomable that the Trump administration has set its sights on weakening safe...
Proposal Threatens to Weaken 2016 Arctic Drilling Rule
Sewage. It’s nasty stuff, and it should be treated to prevent potential health and environmental impacts. I am often frustrated by the extremely weak laws that regulate sewage dumping from ships, and even these weak laws...
Why International Sewage Regulations Are 💩
Theresa Peterson is Alaska Marine Conservation Council’s (AMCC) longest serving staff person (14 years!), an active fisherwoman and long-time resident of Kodiak, home to the nation’s largest fishing fleet. Theresa has a...
The Powerful Impacts of Climate Change on Fisheries
Brown bears. Bald eagles. Sea otters. These iconic Alaskan species that we all know and love deserve admiration, but this blog is not about them. This blog is about four of the lesser-known creatures that reside and thri...
Unexpected Creatures Thriving in the 49th State
One thing I enjoy most about Ocean Conservancy is that we work hard to ensure our advocacy for the ocean is driven by an understanding of science. Yes, we spend a lot of time giving testimony at public meetings and sitti...
New Study from Iceland Tracks Marine Debris
Sunlight sparkled off the water as it sluiced down my paddle. My canoe was cutting a path to a favorite spot in Bellingham Bay. I could hear the distant call of seabirds in the crisp salty air. Slowly, I felt my heart ea...
Calm in the Middle of the COVID-19 Storm
Like the rest of Ocean Conservancy, I am working from home, tapping out these final lines from the modest comfort of the one table in my apartment. Even though we can’t meet face to face work with environmental leaders,...
What are Scrubbers?
Last month, a subcommittee of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) created draft regulation to ban ships from using or carrying heavy fuel oil (HFO) in the Arctic. For four years, Ocean Conservancy has worked ti...
Banning Heavy Fuel Oil in the Arctic
The dramatic melting of Arctic sea ice due to climate change means more commercial ships than ever before are traveling through the Bering Strait, a remote marine gateway located between the United States and Russia. At...