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Wide-Eyed in Cuba’s Jurassic Park

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The Ocean Doctor on WebTalkRadio.netJuly 5, 2010: We journey to Cuba to visit some long-lost friends of the deep, along with LOTS of sharks. The awful truth about the oil companies? ability to deal with oil spills revealed during Congressional hearings. What’s happening in British Columbia and why it will affect millions of Americans — and possibly the Gulf of Mexico. And how you can help the Gulf — with your iPhone.

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Sustainable Salmon Farming: New Developments and Promise for British Columbia

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First Nations' totem art in British Columbia depicting a man with salmon. Representatives from the Canadian First Nations participated in the Vancouver workshop toward the goal of developing a more sustainable salmon industry for the region.

Serious environmental problems from traditional forms of marine finfish aquaculture — especially salmon aquaculture — are well-documented. The use of “net pens” in coastal areas around the world have resulted in local pollution, spread of disease and parasites, and escapement of non-native species. These problems are especially evident in the fjords of British Columbia where dozens of large-scale Atlantic Salmon farms have led to public outcry following the publication of peer-reviewed scientific papers demonstrating that nearby wild salmon populations are becoming infected with “sea lice,” (small parasitic crustaceans) from the captive salmon. Read more

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Beneath a British Columbian Waterfall?

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Greenpeace Vessel M/V Esperanza

Greenpeace Vessel M/V Esperanza

Greetings from aboard the Greenpeace ship, M/V “Esperanza”! We’re anchored beneath a beautiful waterfall in one of British Columbia’s magnificent “fjords” to prepare for this summer’s intensive expedition to the Bering Sea.

Greenpeace’s largest ship, the Esperanza, will be visiting the Bering Sea in Alaska for most of the summer.The expedition will be using manned submersibles and an ROV to survey Zhemchug and Pribilof Canyons, specifically to map and document deepwater corals living at depths of more than 1,000 feet. These corals, some hundreds of years old, are vital components of a healthy marine ecosystem. Unfortunately, these corals are at great risk, ending up in trawling nets as “bycatch.” Read more