Before the Ice MeltsUntil the 1970s, the Arctic was considered a desert. We knew of polar bears and Right Whales, but were still fairly ignorant about life beneath the pack ice.Beyond the CageA decade ago, I was privileged to lead a film team that observed Great White Sharks off Dangerous Reef in South Australia. For six months we tracked them, filmed them and sought to learn their ways.California Tidepools Loved to Death?Tidepools are one of the standout features of the California coast.Castaways of the MillenniumIntroduced species, exotics, bioinvaders—these terms all refer to the same major phenomenon: organisms on the move from one place to another.Coral Threats Require Global SolutionsFor some 90 nations that depend on coral communities, diving and other reef-related tourism are a source of prosperity and hope for the future.Cruise Ships in Hot WaterIn the course
of a one-week cruise, hundreds of thousands
of gallons of waste is dumped directly into
the sea.Cruise Ships in Hot WaterIn the course
of a one-week cruise, hundreds of thousands
of gallons of waste is dumped directly into
the sea.Diving For FunWhy do we dive? we go to a lot of effort to get into the water...Diving with DevilfishThe lagoons of Baja California are legendary. California Gray Whales have birthed and nursed at the end of their seasonal migrations since time immemorial.Does Trade Protect the Environment?Will the World Trade Organization's report, 'Trade and the Environment' bring about a positive change?Economy & EcologyThe Year of the Ocean is moving into the final quarter and weve all been deluged with a single unsettling message: The pressure on the undersea environment is heavy and real.Free Willy-For RealKeiko was not doing well. Viral lesions covered large areas of his skin. He was underweight and his dorsal fin was completely bent over, atrophied from years in captivity.Hope for Sharks—And PeopleEarlier this year, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) Committee on Fisheries met in Rome to discuss one of the most challenging—and depressing—issues confronting humanity: the decline in ocean productivity.Human impact Test Sanctuary IdeasMarine sanctuaries are a good idea. They give marine species a safe haven and offer scientists an opportunity to study the effects of human impacts on wild ecosystems.Into the Communication Age...scientists, conservationists, fishermen and representatives of government and the military got together and discussed their varying interests with regard to the sea.It’s a Brave New World for WaterFor the last half of the last century, my family was driven to articulate a simple theme: humanity takes water for granted.Looking for Lessons in Coral BleachingThis spring, I spent some time in Fiji, and my stay happened to coincide with a major coral bleaching event.New Frontiers of Inner SpaceUnlike Star Trek and (so far) the Mars mission, we are actually discovering new creatures in environments once thought too harsh to sustain life...Philippe Taillez, Dive PioneerFrom inside the French Navy, Captain Taillez worked tirelessly to advance diving. Taillez was instrumental in the physiological research that led to the training and outfitting of frogmen and commandos on scuba.Powering the FutureImagine a world of nine to 11 billion people. That’s what we will be living in by the year 2050, according to projections compiled by the United Nations.Rendezvous with a Diving PioneerRecently I had an unexpected encounter with one of the pioneers of undersea exploration-Jacques Piccard. Piccard is now 70 years old, white-haired but still robust and enthusiastic.Shark Diving with the DuchessWould I be willing to guide the Duchess of York on an undersea adventure involving sharks? The risks were there, but I agreed at once.Summer of SalmonIn the Pacific Northwest, the salmon is an ancient symbol of abundance. But this king of the open stream increasingly has feet of clay.The Legacy of Divings Founding FathersTheir story begins far from the sea, in the mining town of Espalion in central France. In the mid-19th century, cave-ins and floods were common in the mines, and miners often suffocated on poisonous gases.The Not-So-Silent WorldWe divers know that the sea is a noisy place, full of noisy animals...Tuna—The Lords of the SeaLike the other Lords of the Sea…many species of tuna are also in deep trouble.Widening Our HorizonsAs we move from the Year of the Reef into the Year of the Oceans, divers may begin to feel spoiled.
