MERMAID, an open-source tech platform for marine scientists, is for the first time launching an interactive map that provides an insider’s view of the ecosystem data collected from coral reefs by field scientists around the world. MERMAID (Marine Ecological Research Management AID) is a first of its kind free, online-offline platform that allows scientists anywhere in the world to collect, analyze, and share field-based coral reef surveys. Developed in partnership between the Wildlife Cons...

A new global study has found that only 2.5 percent of tropical reefs are formally protected and conserved through laws and regulations. These numbers are significantly lower than previous estimates, and highlight an urgent need for governments, communities, and partnering organizations to create and expand marine reserves to protect these ecosystems which support more than 500 million people worldwide.

A new study investigating the links between coastal communities and coral reefs in Kenya and Madagascar has found that access to education and markets can help mitigate acute vulnerabilities for communities struggling with poverty and reliant on ecosystems degraded by overfishing.

Of the top five countries in the world most at risk to disasters, three are Pacific Island nations. Yet time and time again, Pacific Islanders exhibit marked abilities to quickly recover. Part of the reason may be due to strong social networks that help to distribute resources to those most in need, say marine scientists from the University of Hawaiʿi, National Geographic Society and WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society) in a new study.

Good governance appears to be a prerequisite for local support of strong fisheries restrictions, the key finding in a recently published study of 16 fishing villages in East Africa that are struggling to achieve fisheries sustainability.

Marine protected areas are one of the main tools to prevent the sharp decline in coral reefs being observed across the world. However, a recent scientific evaluation indicates some reefs in protected areas or far from human populations can still thrive, but only a small percentage can achieve the multiple goals of plentiful fish stocks, high fish biodiversity, high fish grazing, and well-preserved ecosystem functions.

A study of East African coral reefs has uncovered an unfolding calamity for the region: plummeting fish populations due to overfishing, which in turn could produce widespread food insecurity.

Just in time for Penguin Awareness Day on January 20th, WCS researchers announced the discovery of a new colony of Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) on a remote island in Argentina.

While many conservation plans focus on only environmental indicators for success, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)’s coral reef program is trying a relatively new approach: focusing on both social and ecological processes and outcomes to ensure a long-term future for coral reef systems, according to a newly published study.

The new study by WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society), the University of Miami, and Universidad de Puerto Rico have detected a decrease in the average size of adult queen conch (Lobatus gigas), possibly the result of fishers using shell length rather than thickness as a reliable indicator of age.