Newsletter tells of oceans'ills

Sailors with an environmental conscience would be well served to subscribe to a free newsletter that is intended to raise awareness about the growing threat to the ocean and its living resources. The Ocean Update is published by SeaWeb, which was founded by the Pew Charitable Trust in 1996 as a means to protect the world’s oceans.

The Update is a direct link to many universities and research developments around the world since it publishes academic studies in all areas of marine environmental issues. For example, a recent issue contained an article that described the ninth annual Coral Reef Symposium in Bali, Indonesia, which was attended by 1,500 marine scientists, the majority of whom agreed that climate change is seriously affecting the health of coral reefs. Further, the Symposium concluded that, without drastic change, “coral reefs face a bleak future.” Another article described various problems of waterborne pollution from commercial vessels, and several others addressed issues concerning depleted fish stocks around the world.SeaWeb, based in Washington, D.C. (202-483-9570), can also be followed on the web: www.seaweb.org.

By Ocean Navigator