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This month we have the pleasure of announcing the first commemoration of World Oceans Day on June 8th! This year's theme, "Our oceans, our responsibility", underscores the important role of oceans for all and how it is up to each of us to contribute to the sustainability of our planet's valuable oceans and aquatic resources. Read a message from the United Nations Secretary-General.
The official designation of World Oceans Day, to be observed every June 8th, is an opportunity to raise global awareness of the current challenges faced by the international community in connection with the oceans. Learn more from the UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea Web site. If this newsletter may interest someone you know, please forward it.
Contribute to and participate in the growing Atlas community by becoming an active Member of the UN Atlas today.
Thank you for your continued support -- we wish you an enjoyable World Oceans Day celebration,
The UN Atlas of the Oceans Editors
Visit the UN Atlas of the Oceans Web site
Comments? Please write to UN-Atlas-Oceans-Project@fao.org
- Climate change talks mustn't forget fisheries : Responses to climate change must protect aquatic ecosystems, fisheries and aquaculture — and make the most of them (News)
- Discussions on negotiating texts on pact to combat global warming kick off – UN : 1 June 2009 – Delegates from 182 nations are gathering in Bonn, Germany, today to initiate discussions on negotiating texts which could form the basis of an ambitious United Nations-backed climate change deal, to slash greenhouse gas emissions, expected to be clinched in December. (News)
- Fisheries and aquaculture in a changing climate : Climate change impacts such as more frequent and severe floods and droughts will affect the food and water security of many people. The impact and consequences of climate change on aquatic ecosystems, fisheries and aquaculture -- and on the people that depend on them -- remain uncertain and less well-known. FAO, in partnership with several agencies, highlights the issues of climate change in relation to aquatic ecosystems, fisheries and aquaculture in a new Policy Brief Fisheries and Aquaculture in a Changing Climate. (News)
- Finland gives 1.76 million euro for FAO fishery programme in Kyrgyzstan : Finland and FAO have signed a 1.76 million euro Trust Fund Project to improve fisheries and aquaculture management in the Kyrgyz Republic during the period 2009 – 2012. (News)
- FAO collaborates on farmed fish industry census : Authorities of the Special Secretariat of Aquaculture and Fisheries (SEAP), of the United Nations (UN) Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and of the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC) agreed to jointly undertake a farmed fish industry census. (News)
- Biodiversity: Alien Species Eroding Ecosystems and Livelihoods : Continent-hopping alien species are worsening poverty and threaten the agriculture, forestry, fisheries and natural systems that underpin millions of livelihoods in developing countries, warn biodiversity experts. (News)
- AFRICA: Coastal populations at risk as climate changes : Several large African cities are at risk from rising sea levels and intense storms, experts warn. (News)
- Research reveals Pacific Ocean threats and solutions : The Pacific Ocean, occupying a third of the planet's area, faces threats that will render some coastal areas uninhabitable. (News)
- Helping Myanmar after Nargis : Italy, FAO, Myanmar sign $5.2 million programme to boost long-term food security (News)
- Study Links Stranded Marine Animals to Environmental Toxins : A recently published study in the journal Environmental Pollution found high levels of man-made chemicals in the brains and fluid surrounding the brains of marine mammals. (News)
- Describing Ocean Life in Olden Days, Researchers Upend Modern Notions of Natural Animal Sizes, Abundance : Before oil hunters in the 1800s harpooned whales by the score, the ocean between east Australia and New Zealand teemed with about 27,000 southern right whales – roughly 30 times as many as today – according to one of several astonishing reconstructions of ocean life in olden days to be presented at a Census of Marine Life conference in Vancouver, BC, Canada from May 26-28, 2009. At about the same time, pods of blue whales, 18-foot orca and thresher sharks darkened the waters off Cornwall, England. Blue sharks harassed fishermen along the coast, herds of 12-foot harbour porpoise pursued fish upriver, and dolphins regularly played in waters inshore. From such diverse sources as old ship logs, literary texts, tax accounts, newly translated legal documents and even mounted trophies, Census researchers are piecing together images – some flickering, others in high definition – of fish of such sizes, abundance and distribution in ages past that they stagger modern imaginations. (News)
- Fisheries and Aquaculture in a Changing Climate : Policy brief by FAO, in partnership with several agencies, highlights the issues of climate change in relation to aquatic ecosystems, fisheries and aquaculture. The brief recommends key actions to implement an aquatic agenda (Document)
- Vietnam. A Natural History : A guide to Vietnam's flora and fauna that includes discussion of management issues like overfishing. (Book)
- IMO: Piracy off Somalia high on agenda as IMO Maritime Safety Committee meets : IMO's Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) is to meet at the Organization's London Headquarters for its 86th session from 27 May to 5 June. The packed agenda includes discussion on piracy and armed robbery against ships off the coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden, the implementation of the Long Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) system, the development of goal-based standards for new ship construction and the adoption of amendments to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS). (News)
- Science and Civilisation in China. Vol. 5 Part 11: Ferrous Metallurgy : Description of the earliest use of iron for ship-building including iron spikes and nails, tools, cooking and fishing implements. Discusses the debt of the modern steel industry to Chinese developments (Document)
- A Sea Change - New Movie on Ocean Acidification : Sea Change are sparking awareness of the ocean acidification issue with a series of international events celebrating World Ocean Day 2009. The "official" WOD is really June 8, but that's a Monday. So we're inviting everyone to begin celebrating with A Sea Change on Saturday, June 6. Click here for global screenings of the movie and related events. (News)
- Pacific Island principles: learning to live wise and sustainable lives : Considers how Pacific people view sustainable development and what knowledge, skills and values do we need to teach young people to enable them to live worthwhile and sustainable lives? (Document)
- IMO: New international convention adopted to ensure safe and environmentally sound ship recycling : A new international Convention on ship recycling has been adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships, 2009 is aimed at ensuring that ships, when being recycled after reaching the end of their operational lives, do not pose any unnecessary risk to human health and safety or to the environment. (News)
- Talking Stick: Climate Change : As the world's oldest surviving culture, Indigenous Australians offer a profound depth of knowledge relevant to climate change. Sea level rise in the Torres Strait is of concern. Half hour video presentation. Multi format. (Multimedia)
- Ch 17. Young Pacific Islanders in a Storm : Questions development in the Pacific Islands and the role of the education system. (Document)
- New Study First To Identify National Economies That Are Likely To Suffer Most As Climate Change Imperils Fisheries : With climate change threatening to ruin ocean reefs, push salt water into freshwater habitats and produce more coastal storms, millions of struggling people in fishery-dependent nations of Africa, Asia and South America could face unprecedented hardship, according to a new study. (News)
- WorldFish Center: Adapting to climate change : WorldFish Center Web pages dedicated to climate change and its impact on fisheries and aquaculture (Website)
- Scientists Discuss Climate Change at World Ocean Conference : Scientists and politicians have gathered in the Indonesian city of Manado for the World Ocean Conference. They are discussing the role of oceans in mitigating climate change and how climate change affects the world's seas, but their efforts are hampered by a lack of knowledge about the oceans. (News)
- High Human Impact Ocean Areas Along U.S. West Coast Revealed : Climate change, fishing and commercial shipping top the list of threats to the ocean off the West Coast of the United States. (News)
- Sea 'snake' generates electricity with every wave : Anaconda, a giant rubber "snake" that floats offshore and converts wave energy to electricity, is a step closer to commercialisation. (News)
- Sea Salt Holds Clues To Climate Change : New research coming out of the United Kingdom (U.K.) suggests that the amount of salt in seawater is varying in direct response to man-made climate change. (News)
- Australia must act on climate to north : Tens of millions of people in the Coral Triangle region to Australia's north will lose their livelihoods, sparking a vast humanitarian disaster, if the world fails to take effective action on climate change, a new study says. That's the grim assessment of a University of Queensland-led study, to be launched at the World Ocean Conference in Indonesia on Wednesday. Officials and ministers from more than 70 countries are meeting in the port city of Manado to discuss the impact of climate change on the world's oceans. (News)
- Draft Manado Oceans Declaration agreed at senior officials meeting : Senior officials from countries participating in the World Ocean Conference approved the draft Manado Ocean Declaration to be issued later by the conference. All the participating countries would make a proposal for inclusion of matters like sea issues in the talks at the Climate Change Congress to be held by the United Nations in Copenhagen, Denmark, at the end of 2009. (News)
- IMO: Conference to adopt ship recycling convention opens in Hong Kong : A Diplomatic Conference to adopt an international convention on the recycling of ships was opened in Hong Kong, China, by the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Mr. Efthimios E. Mitropoulos, on Monday (11 May 2009). The convention, the first ever to address ship recycling issues, is aimed at ensuring that ships, when being recycled after reaching the end of their operational lives, do not pose any unnecessary risk to human health and safety or to the environment. (News)
- IMO: Climate change on the agenda as UN agency leaders meet at IMO : Leaders of three United Nations agencies involved in the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 15) that will be held in Copenhagen, Denmark, in December this year, held a preparatory meeting at IMO's London headquarters on 30 April 2009. The meeting was hosted by IMO Secretary-General Efthimios E. Mitropoulos and was attended by Mr. Y de Boer, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and Mr. R. Kobeh González, President of the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). (News)
- Proceedings of the Fourteenth Biennial Conference of the International Institute of Fisheries Economics & Trade, July 22-25, 2008, Nha Trang, Vietnam: Achieving a Sustainable Future: Managing Aquaculture, Fishing, Trade and Development. : CD Proceedings of International Inst. of Fisheries Economics & Trade 2008 Conference (Book)
- Sensitive Sea Areas (PSSA) : This publication provides the reader with an overview of all PSSA’s designated by the MEPC (Book)
- Philippines, East Asian Region Prepare Declaration on ICM and Climate Change : The East Asian Seas Region Ministerial Forum, to be held in Manila on 26-27 November 2009 as part of East Asian Seas (EAS) Congress 2009 and to be hosted by Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Jose L. Atienza Jr., will be addressing climate change adaptation through integrated coastal management. (News)
- Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) : Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) continues to build and strengthen coastal and ocean governance in the seas of East Asia through intergovernmental, interagency and multistakeholder partnerships. (Website)
- IMO: New ship recycling convention set for adoption at Hong Kong Conference : A new international convention on ship recycling is to be considered for adoption at a diplomatic conference to be held in Hong Kong, China, from 11 to 15 May 2009. The new convention is aimed at ensuring that ships when they are being recycled, after reaching the end of their operational lives, do not pose any unnecessary risk to human health and safety and the environment. (News)
- IMO: International Maritime Law Institute celebrates 20th anniversary with commemorative seminar : A commemorative seminar to mark the 20th anniversary since the first graduation of maritime lawyers from the IMO International Maritime Law Institute (IMLI) was held on 5 May 2009 at IMO Headquarters in London. IMLI, located in Malta, was founded in 1988 and the first graduates left the Institution a year later, in 1989. (News)
- IMO: Experts on dealing with maritime incidents involving hazardous and noxious substances to meet in France : Leading experts in dealing with maritime incidents involving hazardous and noxious substances, such as chemicals, will gather to exchange information and ideas at IMO's Fourth R&D Forum on Hazardous and Noxious Substances (HNS) in the Marine Environment, which is to be held from 12 to 14 May 2009, in conjunction with INTERSPILL 2009, in Marseille, France. (News)
- Ghost nets hurting marine environment : Abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear is impacting fish stocks and poses a hazard to boats. Large amounts of fishing gear lost at sea or abandoned by fishers are hurting the marine environment, impacting fish stocks through "ghost fishing" and posing a hazard to ships, according to a new report jointly produced by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and UN Environment Programme (UNEP). (News)
- Voices from the Fisheries : Oral history database documenting the human experience of the fisheries of the United States (Website)
- FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department Web site survey : The FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department has launched an online survey to know what users think about its Web site. Please take 5 minutes to participate and help us improve the current Web site -- access the survey here. (News)
- One year after Myanmar cyclone, international support still critical, UN says : Marking the one year anniversary since Cyclone Nargis devastated much of Myanmar, the United Nations is reviewing an impressive life-saving effort but also pointing to the equally daunting work, and requisite support, needed to rebuild. (News)