Cuba Could Be Impacted by Gulf Oil Spill

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Cuba’s Northwestern Coast Along the Gulf of Mexico

For the most up-to-date information on the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill’s potential impacts on Cuba, please visit our special “Cuba at Risk” page.

Since its discovery of oil and natural gas reserves in the Florida straits, Cuba’s preparations for full-scale offshore oil and gas development has raised alarm in the United States, particularly in Florida where it is estimated that much of a catastrophic spill originating in Cuba would be swept by Gulf currents. Ironically, it is now Cuba that faces the threat of a massive oil spill by the United States. The disastrous oil spill from the BP Deepwater Horizon now threatens Cuba, the largest and most biologically diverse island in the Caribbean, due to those same Gulf currents. To make matters worse, the economic embargo imposed upon Cuba by the United States decades ago makes collaboration and coordination exceedingly difficult during this crisis. Read more

Do You Eat Salmon? Then This is a Must-See: "Farmed Salmon Exposed"

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This week marks the global launch of the new documentary film,? Farmed Salmon Exposed: The Global Reach of the Norwegian Salmon Farming Industry, produced by the Pure Salmon Campaign. The 20-minute film illustrates the major environmental problems and impact of global salmon farming industry operations in Canada, Chile, Ireland, Norway, and Scotland. 1planet1ocean is pleased to host the film in its entirety below. Read more

A Blueprint of Collaboration ? and Friendship ? with Cuba

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Nearly 60 representatives from Cuba, Mexico and the U.S. convened in Havana in October 2009 to finalize a "Plan of Action" for future collaboration in marine research and conservation focused in the Gulf of Mexico and Western Caribbean Sea

Nearly 60 representatives from Cuba, Mexico and the U.S. convened in Havana in October 2009 to finalize a "Plan of Action" for future collaboration in marine research and conservation focused in the Gulf of Mexico and Western Caribbean Sea


HAVANA, Cuba — On October 25-26, 2009 the third meeting of a growing partnership of U.S, Cuban and Mexican institutions dedicated to strengthening collaboration in marine research and conservation convened in Havana, Cuba and has resulted in the near-finalization of a new five-year “Plan of Action,” a blueprint for future collaboration. The ongoing effort, led by The Ocean Foundation, the Center for International Policy, the Cuban Ministry of Science, Technology and the Environment, and the Mexican Secretariat of the Navy has set the stage for an unprecedented level of collaboration among the three nations, including the creation of new projects and partnerships along with additional funding to support them. Read more

Farmed Salmon Exposed: Washington, DC Premiere

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Click for full-sized invitation

On Thursday, November 12th, 2009 at 11:00 AM, Ocean Doctor president Dr. David E. Guggenheim will join a panel discussion following the Washington, DC premiere of the new documentary, Farmed Salmon Exposed: The Global Reach of the Norwegian Salmon Farming Industry, produced by the Pure Salmon Campaign. The 20-minute film illustrates the major environmental problems and impact of global salmon farming industry operations in Canada, Chile, Ireland, Norway, and Scotland. Read more

OMG, I Thought You Were Dead!

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You’ve seen it in the faces of infants when they recognize their mother’s smiling face above. You’ve seen it on the face of an old friend across the room when she suddenly recognizes you…after all those years. And Doug Shulz, producer at Partisan Pictures, saw it clearly on my face, when he tapped me on the shoulder and pointed toward an old friend I hadn’t seen in nearly 35 years.

When we humans recognize a friend, our faces convey it with a distinctive widening of the eyes. Combine that with the surprise of seeing someone we aren’t expecting to see, our eyes grow even wider, often accompanied by a cartoon-like jaw drop. Judging from Doug’s expression while observing my face, I can only imagine how wide my eyes were. Since we were 20 feet beneath Cuba’s Gulf of Mexico waters, it must have been difficult for him to discern between an expression of surprise and delight versus a textbook example of wide-eyed diver panic. My eyes were transfixed on my old friend with a funny name whom I hadn’t laid eyes on since I was a teenager. Larger than life, vibrant, and embracing the sun, my friend was very much alive and healthy, clearly enjoying the good life in Cuba.

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Cuba's Offshore Oil Development – Radio Discussion on NPR-WGCU

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Tune in to NPR station WGCU (Southwest Florida) on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 at noon Eastern/9am Pacific. Dr. David E. Guggenheim, the “Ocean Doctor,” will be part of a radio discussion on “Gulf Coast Live,” for a program focused on oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, and specifically, the fact that Cuba is now rapidly pursuing the development of its oil resources in the Gulf following the discovery of a major oil reserve there in 2004. Read more

Cuba’s Offshore Oil Development ? Radio Discussion on NPR-WGCU

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Tune in to NPR station WGCU (Southwest Florida) on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 at noon Eastern/9am Pacific. Dr. David E. Guggenheim, the “Ocean Doctor,” will be part of a radio discussion on “Gulf Coast Live,” for a program focused on oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, and specifically, the fact that Cuba is now rapidly pursuing the development of its oil resources in the Gulf following the discovery of a major oil reserve there in 2004.

From WGCU: “The battle lines have been drawn and the fight over oil in the Gulf deepens. We’ll take a closer look at the pros and cons of drilling – we’ll hear from both sides as to whether or not it can solve our oil and gas dependency and whether it’s even safe. Also on the show – Cuba is ready to begin drilling off its northern coast. It may start leasing to companies willing to drill for oil by the end of next year. Is Cuba’s oil demand going to affect Florida’s waters?“

Listen to the archived broadcast at WGCU.

Cuba Loses its Mother Ocean

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Dr. Maria Elena Ibarra Martin

Cuba has lost its Mother Ocean. Dr. María Elena Ibarra Martín, director of the University of Havana’s Center for Marine Research (Centro de Investigaciones Marinas, CIM) since 1981, passed away yesterday afternoon after a month-long struggle following heart surgery. CIM is the only academic institution in Cuba where marine biologists are trained, and her loss is mourned by hundreds of her students, many of whom grew up to become her colleagues — and friends. Her selfless, tireless dedication goes far beyond words, and the impact she has made on education, conservation, and her unique model of personal integrity will no doubt endure for centuries to come. When I last saw Doctora in February, she was as busy as ever, wrestling mountains of paperwork on her desk while never letting go of her visionary perspective about conservation and education. Nor did she ever let go of her special fondness for sea turtles and her love for and dedication to her students.

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Acid Oceans: The Gravest and Most Immediate Planetary Threat Yet?

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Ocean acidification may present one of the gravest threats to our planet’s ecosystems and yet it is also one of the least publicized aspects of the global climate change issue. Acidification is occurring very rapidly, causing unprecedented changes to the chemistry of the oceans. It’s been estimated that roughly half of human-produced CO2 emissions over the past two centuries (since the beginning of the industrial age) have been absorbed by the oceans, leading to a drop in ocean surface pH of nearly 0.1 units (on the logarithmic pH scale).

Coral Reef in Timor (Photo courtesy of Nick Hobgood)

Coral Reef in Timor (Photo courtesy of Nick Hobgood)

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Event: A New Era for U.S.-Cuba Relations on Marine and Coastal Resources Conservation

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Event Summary
Cuba sits at the convergence of the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico. Its coastal waters are dense with islets, keys and reefs that provide critical habitats and spawning grounds for a rich array of fish, endangered sea turtles, manatees and other marine life. Preserving Cuba’s biodiversity is critically important to the natural resources and economies of coastal communities in the United States and other neighboring countries. Read more