Tag: oceans

Following world's first attempt to clean up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch from marine plastics that was interrupted due to unscheduled issues in late 2018, The Ocean Cleanup began to work on solutions that could start trialing again in June. 

The World Ocean Council (WOC) - the Global Blue Economy Business Organization - announced it has become an official ally of the World Benchmarking Alliance, aiming to advance development of sustainability criteria for global ocean business community.

The UK Government has backed plans by Ascension Island to designate over 150,000 square miles of its waters as a fully protected ‘no-take’ Marine Protected Area (MPA) – closing the offshore area to any fishing activity and safeguarding important marine habitats.

In a joint declaration during the Nordic Council 2019 in Reykjavik, Iceland, the Nordic ministers for the environment, pushed for a new global agreement on the reduction and prevention of plastic waste and microplastics discharged into the sea. 

Nordic Innovation and Nor-Shipping have collaborated to help facilitate a new funding instrument aimed at supporting innovation and collaboration between land-based and ocean industries. The initiative 'Nordic Innovation Mobility Mission: Sea Meets Land funding instrument will be officially launched at Nor-Shipping 2019.

The five-year GloFouling Partnerships project, a collaboration between GEF, the UNDP and IMO, kicked off at a global workshop at IMO Headquarters in London, UK, in an event on 18-20 March. The project seeks to address bioinvasions by organisms which can build up on ships’ hulls and other marine structures.

Oceans, seas and coastal areas cover the vast majority of our planet’s surface, as two-thirds of the planet is water. Oceans are a life-giving force considering the fact that our drinking water, weather, climate, food, and oxygen, are driven by the sea. For this reason, it is of vital importance to protect the seas through enhanced ocean conservation and sustainable practices.

Charting the course for ocean sustainability in the Indian Ocean Rim is a report, sponsored by Environment Agency Abu Dhabi and the Department of Economic Development Abu Dhabi, highlighting key ocean challenges facing the Indian Ocean Rim countries. It also showcases initiatives carried out by governments and the private sector to address these challenges.

An International Conference on Regional Cooperation for the Protection of the Marine Environment, organised by the Centre for International Law of the National University of Singapore (NUS), discussed cooperative efforts by regional bodies and platforms, and ways to improve the state of the marine environment in the region.

In our special column this time, we have the pleasure to host an interview with Mrs. Christine Valentin, Board Member & Chief Operating Officer,  World Ocean Council (WOC) who explains us the vision of WOC toward ocean sustainability as well as her career path, inspiring us to believe in ourselves and support every professional choices we make.