A Hawaiian monk seal lounges on the beach. Credit: Kanaka Menehune, Flickr

TED Prize winner Sylvia Earle inspired all of us to care deeply about the ocean and to think deeply about how we can protect it. But the ocean is vast and the challenges are numerous. Where do we begin to understand the complex beauty that is the ocean? One great place to start: The new mission-blue.org. It’s a home for ocean news and initiatives, a place to elevate public awareness about critical ocean issues and inspire support for the people, organizations and initiatives making a difference in the field.

Stories range from history to entertainment to research. The stories are written not only to raise concern and alarm but to help concerned citizens understand what’s happening in response.

Just yesterday, Mission Blue posted a solution-oriented story about monk seals, one of the most critically endangered marine mammals in the world. From the story:

In Hawaii, scientists have adopted a hands-on approach. Sharks that have developed behaviors for attacking pups in nearshore waters are targeted for removal. Seals found entangled in debris are freed, while juveniles lost from their mothers are reunited. Overly aggressive males responsible for the deaths of other seals have been removed from the population, with one recently transported to a research facility in California where he will participate in non-invasive research that will enable scientists to study the animal’s metabolism and other basic biological processes …

Perhaps the most novel method proposed, however, is temporary translocation. Though the technique hasn’t been tested yet, NOAA researchers plan on moving newly weaned female pups — the more important sex for population recovery — from the remote Northwestern Hawaiian Islands where they have been doing poorly to the main Hawaiian Islands where young seals seem to have a better survival rate. The seals that are translocated will be closely monitored until they’re about 3 years old. after which they will be returned to the place of their birth. Walters said that the experiment would start modestly, with perhaps 10 or fewer seals initially translocated until it can be determined that this method is viable.

Researchers in the Mediterranean are adopting a more human-focused strategy. The World Wildlife Fund in Greece and other nongovernmental organizations are working to raise awareness in the area about monk seals and other sea issues. They’re also pushing the Greek authorities to make seal protection more of a priority by enforcing a firearms ban, for example.”

The site is updated daily with fresh ocean news. Explore http://mission-blue.org/

– Casson Rosenblatt

Photo: James Cameron / Deepsea Challenge

Update: This Storify tells the story of the descent in tweets from around the world …

If all goes as planned, today James Cameron (watch his TEDTalk) begins an epic dive to the deepest point in the ocean — taking the director almost 7 miles down into the Mariana Trench.

Follow the Deepsea Challenge expedition >>

The Mission Blue ocean news site offers context on the expedition:

Cameron spent the last six years researching submersible technology and coming up with solutions to negotiate the Mariana Trench’s crushing 1,086 bars of pressure (roughly 1,000 times the pressure at sea level). He began building his vessel—dubbed the Deepsea Challenger—in secret in Australia. His effort resulted in a 24-foot-long craft that seats only one person and has no amenities. Now, he is ready to put that vessel to the test in a 6-hour solo dive.

On the ocean’s floor, Cameron plans to film what he sees (the sub is designed not to kick up clouds from the ocean floor) and turn his deep dive into a 3D film to share the wonderment of this almost-unknown part of the ocean.

Mission Blue asked ocean legend and TED Prize winner Sylvia Earle for her thoughts on Cameron’s epic exploration:

Earle thinks Cameron should receive the same level of recognition as the pioneering astronauts who returned with images of the Earth from afar. “The ocean is relevant to every breath we take, every drop we drink, and this provides incentive to solve problems and take the ocean seriously,” she said. “There’s a sense of urgency for exploring and gaining knowledge about the ocean so we can take action,” she added.

One other TED-related side note: Only two other humans have ever made this dive, US Navy lieutenant Don Walsh and oceanographer Jacques Piccard, in the Trieste in 1960. And now Piccard’s son, Bertrand Piccard, is attempting to circumnavigate the globe in a solar-powered plane — a plan he shared at TEDGlobal 2009. Watch Bertrand Piccard’s TEDTalk >>

By the end of Mission Blue Voyage, most of the attendees and speakers were sporting cool glass necklaces, a gift from Dianna Cohen, second from left, and the Plastic Pollution Coalition (PPC). (From left, above, you can see filmmaker Mike deGruy, Dianna Cohen, speaker John Delaney, and the legendary Sylvia Earle, all wearing their glass necklaces.)

The Plastic Pollution Coalition fights to reduce one of the most pervasive threats to ocean wildlife — the plastic we throw in the oceans every day. Watch this TEDTalk from Capt. Charles Moore to learn more about the Pacific gyre, where discarded plastic goes to … well, not to die but live on in a hideous afterlife, poisoning and killing fish, turtles and seabirds. It never degrades and never goes away.

In this email interview, Dianna tells us more about these symbolic necklaces and the work she’s doing with the PPC:

Q: What do these necklaces mean to you?

A: These necklaces are a talisman (made from recycled melted glass from bottle necks) to remind us to choose wise and healthy alternatives. And to REFUSE single-use and disposable plastics daily. Here’s what the artist who makes them said:

“These necklaces are an example of re-use and a metaphor for how just a little bit of human interaction and creativity and vision can alter everything and / or anything … and can become a beautiful artistic expression … the glass was dug out of the dumpster and was reworked and redesigned to become a talisman.”
– Liz Marx, glass artist

Q: What are some ways we can reduce / reuse / refuse plastics in our own lives?

A: Here are 10 ways we can reduce plastics use:

1) Bring your own grocery bags
2) Bring your own water bottle
3) Bring your own travel mug
4) Bring your own takeout/leftovers containers (stainless steel is great)
5) Bring your own utensils and straw (stainless steel or glass ones are great)
6) Shop the bulk bins and bring your own bags/containers
7) Buy “naked” produce instead of using plastic produce bags.
8) Switch to bar soap instead of liquid soap.
9) Buy large sizes of food (as much as you will consume before it goes bad) instead of single sizes. Less plastic that way.
10) Give up packaged convenience foods and frozen foods. They ALL come packaged in plastic.

Q: Is there a way to buy a necklace so that the cost supports the PPC?

A: You can get the necklaces, along with T-shirts and stainless steel bottles that support the work of the PPC, at our website: PlasticPollutionCoalition.org.

PLUS: Watch this awesome video Dianna made this spring with students in Barcelona:

Photo collage from images shot by James Duncan Davidson

How to describe what happened last week? A Galapagos sea-voyage of 100 people (including Sylvia Earle, Leonardo DiCaprio, Edward Norton, Glenn Close, Elizabeth Banks, Steve Case, Ted Waitt, Bill Joy, Jackson Browne, Damien Rice, Chevy Chase, Jean-Michel Cousteau and 30 of the world’s leading marine scientists) turned into an epic event that may have significant impact on global efforts to save our oceans. It happened because the individuals and organizations on board chose to abandon the obstacles that often engulf nonprofit work, and engage in a process of emergent collaboration that I, for one, found truly thrilling.

Eight separate initiatives were kickstarted, aided by $15m in commitments from the individuals on board. These included:

• $1m to complete a package to protect the waters around Galapagos themselves
• $1.1m to launch a plan to protect the 1m-square-mile Sargasso Sea and commitments to raise a further $2.5m to see the plan through to success
• $350k to boost ocean exposure in schools
• $3.25m to commence a campaign to end fishing subsidies
• $10m to kickstart a new partnership to fund longer-term ocean projects

Not bad for 4 days’ work, especially as these commitments were not pre-planned. They emerged organically from the discussions on board in an untried process that worked better than anyone dared hope for.

In addition, we recorded more than 20 fabulous talks on ocean issues that are to be shared with the world on TED.com in the coming months, and which will end up being seen by literally millions of people.

So how did this come about? Here’s the story:

her blockbuster acceptance speech at TED, she declared her wish “to ignite public support for a global network of Marine Protected Areas, hope spots large enough … to restore the blue heart of the planet.” The speech inspired hundreds of offers of support, including a $1m pledge from investor/philanthropist Addison Fischer. TED Prize team, headed by Amy Novogratz, worked intensively with the most promising offers, and plans were drawn up to embark on a new global awareness campaign. The agency Razorfish, working for us pro bono, came up with superb branding — active, exciting and ambitious. Mission Blue was born. But to mark the launch we decided to do something bold to kickstart interest. With Addison’s underwriting, and the confirmed availability of a perfect ship operated by Lindblad Expeditions, the Mission Blue Voyage to the Galapagos was born. The vision was referred to internally as “TED-at-sea.” By bringing together leading marine scientists with philanthropists and with thoughtful celebrities interested in this issue, we thought we could at a minimum: record memorable TED talks to boost understanding of — and passion for — the oceans give a transformative experience to people in a position to act raise money by charging passengers $20,000 to come Three months before the scheduled departure date, things were not looking good. No famous names were signed up, and we had yet to sell our first ticket. In late January, in a conference call of interested parties, we had three options: postpone, cancel, or redouble our efforts. We decided to go for it. By the time TED2010 was held three weeks later, Chevy Chase and Jackson Browne had confirmed their interest, along with a few leading members of the TED community. And the speaker lineup was looking fantastic. We presented the trip as an epic voyage for those willing to engage in one of the biggest challenges to our future. By the end of TED, we knew our boat would be full. But the question remained whether anything other than awareness-raising could be achieved. TEDx program is the latest evidence of this, spawning 1,000 TED-like events in little more than a year.) So we decided to go for a different approach, and two weeks ahead of the trip, we invited all of our participants to consider influencing the outcome of the trip by becoming an “Idea champion.” This meant proposing an idea around which a group could form to plan specific action for the oceans. WildAid, which has been working successfully in Galápagos for many years. Plus there was a clear sense from everyone that given the shocking threats to the ocean, this could not be just a pleasure trip. The celebs played a key role here. For example, on the very first evening, Ed Norton argued passionately to me that it was critical we came away with something concrete for Galápagos itself. And from the stage, Chevy Chase interrupted his own hilarious monologue with an eloquent plea for action. http://mission-blue.org. Instead she agreed to a bold alternative. Let the support go directly to the organization leading each initiative. This massively multiplied the potential for action. By allowing the idea champions to work out their own plans with their groups, and then secure their support directly from individuals on board, real action plans snapped into place with astonishing speed. And it was done largely in a spirit of collaboration not competition. The participating organizations — including WildAid, Conservation International, Oceana, National Geographic, the Nature Conservancy, NRDC, IUCN — acted respectfully toward potential funders, and I overheard several celebrating each others’ successes. Hard to believe, but for some reason last week, that happened. ]]> http://blog.ted.com/2010/04/13/ocean_hope_at_m/feed/ 20 tedstaff MissionBlue-06-17-35-14-D32_3091 S07_Earle_Mathat_115G4850 EN042 MissionBlue-06-21-13-14-D31_8799 MissionBlue-06-18-22-03-D31_8612 MissionBlue-08-08-13-30-D31_1806 Mission Blue (courtesy Wolcott Henry) MissionBlue-09-14-14-41-D32_4046 MissionBlue-09-14-32-38-D31_2557 MissionBlue-09-14-12-17-D32_4031 http://blog.ted.com/2010/04/09/wonder_roundup/ http://blog.ted.com/2010/04/09/wonder_roundup/#comments Fri, 09 Apr 2010 11:45:39 +0000 Matthew Trost http://blog-staging.ted.com/2010/04/wonder_roundup/ ]]> Shark diver Mike Rutzen: Sharks form a social hierarchy better than any military. Edith Widder: Bioluminescence has evolved 40 to 50 separate times in history. What makes it so important to animals? Fred Grassle: The rate of discovery of new species in sea mud is a steep graph up. Mike deGruy: “I first fell in love with marine life when I picked up a grey octopus and it turned chocolate brown.” Watch Mike deGruy’s TEDTalk >> ]]> http://blog.ted.com/2010/04/09/wonder_roundup/feed/ 1 matthewtoast rutzen.jpg wider.jpg grassle.jpg degruye.jpg http://blog.ted.com/2010/04/09/interconnection/ http://blog.ted.com/2010/04/09/interconnection/#comments Fri, 09 Apr 2010 11:44:11 +0000 Matthew Trost http://blog-staging.ted.com/2010/04/interconnection/ ]]> Rob Dunbar: We need ocean targets for climate change. Most oceanographers say 450 CO2 is too high. Stephen Palumbi: “We’re making the ocean unhappy. And if the ocean ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.” Chevy Chase: “I don’t fish, just never have. But if fish could scream, I don’t think anyone would fish.” Dee Boersma: “I’ve never really met anyone who didn’t like penguins.” Peter Tyack: Vision underwater is poor, so all marine animals use sound to communicate — to bond, to hunt, to find a mate. ]]> http://blog.ted.com/2010/04/09/interconnection/feed/ 0 matthewtoast dunbar.jpg palumbi.jpg chase.jpg boersma.jpg tyack.jpg http://blog.ted.com/2010/04/08/your_ideas_for/ http://blog.ted.com/2010/04/08/your_ideas_for/#comments Thu, 08 Apr 2010 12:28:35 +0000 Matthew Trost http://blog-staging.ted.com/2010/04/your_ideas_for/ ]]> We asked our Twitter fans on @missionblue to share their ideas for saving the ocean. Here’s a sampling of what they replied: @galapa_gal: Placing GPS units on all registered vessels like they are doing now in Galapagos good idea however pirates still fish @oceanuni: fund research in healthcare to reduce amount of plastics/ improve disposal/ reduce biohazards @davidwsaunders: quit serving straws in all those drinks you get at the bars and restaurants. @selinjessa: get the word out, and touch people through film, stories, art, etc. @oceansolutions: recycle wastewater and capture more urban runoff. @oceanuni: up-cycle military drones/ UAVs for Ocean health monitoring with offshore landing/ data relay pads. @leighleighsf: What about an adoption program? Can people adopt a portion of a hope spot/fundraise/create awareness? @teamsharkwater: Lead, Follow or step aside. Together we can stop shark finning and save humanity! @galapa_gal: Scholarships for Galapagos students so they can study abroad with a commitment to return and apply their knowledge in the isles What are your ideas? Post in the comments here, or join the conversation on Twitter! ]]> http://blog.ted.com/2010/04/08/your_ideas_for/feed/ 2 matthewtoast 4502286743_c2733d327c.jpg http://blog.ted.com/2010/04/08/protection_roun/ http://blog.ted.com/2010/04/08/protection_roun/#comments Thu, 08 Apr 2010 12:00:07 +0000 Matthew Trost http://blog-staging.ted.com/2010/04/protection_roun/ ]]> Kristina Gjerde: How do we monitor the open ocean? Using technology from space exploration. Barton Seaver: Just because there’s cod at the counter, doesn’t mean there’s enough cod in the sea. Damien Rice: “We have 12 minutes 37 seconds to write a song. Give me a chord and name an emotion.” Enric Sala: In a marine protection area, the fish come back after 5 to 7 years. The system recovers. Photos: TED / James Duncan Davidson ]]> http://blog.ted.com/2010/04/08/protection_roun/feed/ 0 matthewtoast 4502926770_8b8ea0ece7.jpg 4502292543_414ed528dd.jpg 4502292855_52eb4d25fe.jpg 4502928120_1881183f94.jpg http://blog.ted.com/2010/04/08/vulnerability_r/ http://blog.ted.com/2010/04/08/vulnerability_r/#comments Thu, 08 Apr 2010 11:43:33 +0000 Matthew Trost http://blog-staging.ted.com/2010/04/vulnerability_r/ ]]> Barbara Block: We know very little about tuna. It’s the 21st century but we really have just begun studying the oceans. Brian Skerry: The ocean’s not a grocery store; we can’t keep taking and not paying. Daniel Pauly: Ocean simluations draw gasps now, because we know we are seeing what we have lost. Dianna Cohen: 80 to 90 percent of ocean pollution is plastic. We should call it what it is: “plastic pollution.” Roz Savage: We do the Pacific a disservice on our maps — we cut it in half. Google Earth shows how big it really is. Photos: TED / James Duncan Davidson ]]> http://blog.ted.com/2010/04/08/vulnerability_r/feed/ 0 matthewtoast 4502290517_c212eb9c9f.jpg 4502291395_9c13e0080d.jpg 4502290275_dd9b55885b.jpg 4502925618_bc21022c9f.jpg 4502926118_bfb47f916f.jpg http://blog.ted.com/2010/04/07/7_big_ideas_fro/ http://blog.ted.com/2010/04/07/7_big_ideas_fro/#comments Wed, 07 Apr 2010 10:02:59 +0000 Matthew Trost http://blog-staging.ted.com/2010/04/7_big_ideas_fro/ ]]> At the end of the first day of the Mission Blue Voyage, seven Idea Champions with marine and environmental expertise across disciplines pitched their big ideas for ocean protection and restoration. These ideas will form the building blocks for actions pursued by the Mission Blue team in the months to come, as they continue in the fight to save our oceans. Peter Knights: We can show governments in the Pacific Ocean nations that restricting catch leads to more fish. Peter Seligmann from Conservation International: Can we bring together 14 heads of state to link a chain of hope spots? Kristian Parker: What if we funded an ocean alliance to spend money on the ocean? Lisa Speer says we need a game-changer in the Arctic, a necklace of protected zones set aside for science. Mark Tercek: Why don’t we pay countries to stop overfishing? Laurie Coots says it’s time for Mission Blue to go to school, to teach kids who might not ever see an ocean. Andy Sharpless says the key to overfishing is overcapacity in the world’s fleets, subsidized by cheap energy. Join the conversation! Post your ideas in the comments here, or tweet them with the tag #missionblue. Photos: TED / James Duncan Davidson ]]> http://blog.ted.com/2010/04/07/7_big_ideas_fro/feed/ 0 matthewtoast 4499550261_491cbca31d.jpg 4499550473_a51e62bd6c.jpg 4500185502_e3f4319ab1.jpg 4500185312_4e1f0d783c.jpg 4500185268_86a7d11774.jpg 4499549827_7bbd318866.jpg 4500185012_0a6dff8598.jpg