Read On and Be Inspired 

Whale Sightings on the Rise in Ireland
There's been an increase in humpback whales observed in Irish waters over the past few years, and  in recent weeks , members of the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group were delighted to capture a tail fluke image of yet another newcomer to the area.  Photo ID matching is a primary research tool for assessing population health,  migration patterns and more.  Photo above by Britta Wilkens, IWDG.

Discover more about whale tail photo identification here

From Trash Heap to Turtle Nursery in India
More proof that beach clean up matters! Hatchlings from a vulnerable turtle species have returned for the first time in decades to a Mumbai beach after a massive volunteer clean up effort. In total, 4 million pounds of trash were picked up by citizens! Read about it here on the Mother Nature Network

Find out more about Coastal Clean Up and volunteer opportunities worldwide

Mexico Creates North America's Largest Marine Protected Area
Already declared a World Heritage Site in 2016, the Mexican government declared the Revillagigedo Archipelago a protected national park, with bans on fishing, mining, and tourism development - creating the largest no fishing area in North America. Mission Blue further heralds the move, noting that this isolated area in the eastern Pacific is a high traffic feeding, breeding and resting area for whales, dolphins, sharks, tuna and more.

Discover more about this UNESCO World Heritage Site

Massive Marine Protected Area Now a Haven for Antartic Wildlife
On December 1st, 2017, after years of negotiation amongst a broad coalition of countries, a 1.55 million square kilometers area of the Ross Sea off Antartica became the world's largest marine protected area (MPA).  Home to Adelie and Emperor penguins, leopard seals, whales and more, this historic  designation safeguards one of the last unspoiled wilderness areas on the planet.  Many credit the documentary film The Last Ocean as the catalyst which brought international awareness and action to the area.

Discovery more about the Ross Sea here

This 24 Year Old May Have a Plastic Pollution Solution
With a prototype in process due to be tested in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in 2018, Boyan Slat , a Dutch inventor, entrepreneur and aerospace engineering student drop-out, wants to build the largest floating barrier every deployed and use the ocean's own currents to collect the trash of the seas.

Discover his vision here

Good Things are Happening

Chasing Coral Documentary Receives Peabody Award
The Peabody Award honors 'stories that matter' each year. This powerful film documents the urgent threats to corals reefs, showing the reality with a side of hope and solution.  Also just announced, it has received Fastcompany's 2018 World Changing Idea Award See how they are mobilizing awareness and inspiring action via free screenings , school visits complete with  cool virtual reality curriculum for the kids. 

Watch the Chasing Coral trailer here

Changing the World One Straw at a Tme
Plastic straws seriously suck. Just one of the many single-use plastic items we take for granted, they end up in the ocean, creating more pollution and harming sea life. The super smart Strawless Ocean Initiative is a collaborative effort that combines awareness, tech, outreach and sustainable straw ideas - and really cool videos too.

Check out the movement here

California Sea Lion Populations Have Rebounded
Biologists say the strict environmental laws enforced under the Marine Mammal Protection have worked to the point where the West Coast population of the California sea lion has become the first marine mammal to recover to its natural carrying capacity. The sea lions, which range from Mexico to Alaska, are doing well, and experts say it shows agencies are doing their job in protecting them.

For more info, read on here

$7 Million More to Help Marine Life
Nearly 8 years after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill environmental disaster, projects to restore wildlife and habitat continue full stop. The state of Alabama has just designated a portion of the fines paid by BP and other responsible parties to further fund marine life recovery, with specific projects for sea turtles and dolphins.

Find out more about continuing efforts to restore the Gulf of Mexico

Ocean Conservation Wins of 2017
Despite the challenges, there are good things happening all over the world. From the creation of North America's largest protected marine area in Mexico, to legislative to strides in plastics and pollution cleanup around the globe, see our round-up from some of biggest conservation names out there.

The Top Seven Ocean Good News Stories of 2017 from OCEANA
Wins for the Ocean 2017 from THE OCEAN FOUNDATION
Top 20 Ocean Conservation Wins for 2017 from NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC