Another expert regional workshop to identify Important Marine Mammal Areas (IMMAs) has just been completed in Perth, Australia.  The week-long workshop (10-14 February 2020) hosted 31 marine mammal scientists and observers from six countries, who together mapped the important habitats for marine mammals in the waters of Australia, New Zealand and the South East Indian Ocean.Continue Reading The IMMA process forges on!

The second World Marine Mammal Conference has concluded in Barcelona (December, 2019), with an extraordinary display of enthusiasm and results from scientists from around the world.  With 2,611 participants, it was the largest ever gathering of marine mammal scientists and conservationists. Amongst the varied presentations were those from our GOBI partners and associates:  the Tethys Research Institute,Continue Reading Marine mammals in the spotlight

GOBI partner Fundación MarViva in Costa Rica has launched an interactive ‘geoportal’ for the Costa Rica Thermal Dome.  The creation and launch of the portal is in addition to the printed and electronic versions of the Atlas of the Dome, which were launched at the most recent UN BBNJ negotiations in New York (BBNJ IGC3, AugustContinue Reading The Costa Rica Thermal Dome becomes interactive

Active hydrothermal vents in the deep sea are valued for their lush communities of strange organisms that rely on chemicals spewing from the seafloor for their sustenance.  Every vent eventually becomes inactive.  For decades, inactive vents were overlooked by the scientific community, but now that the metal-rich massive sulphide deposits at inactive vents have attracted the attentionContinue Reading Deep-sea inactive sulphide ecosystems in the spotlight

GOBI partner MarViva Foundation has released the electronic version of the Atlas of the Thermal Dome of Costa Rica, which was publicly launched at the Third Intergovernmental Conference for the UN BBNJ treaty negotiations in New York in August this year. The Atlas is part of MarViva’s mission to raise awareness of the Costa RicaContinue Reading Costa Rica Thermal Dome Atlas available online

The first Marine Regions Forum took place in Berlin (30 September – 2 October 2019), designed as an opportunity for informal exchange between leading scientists, decision-makers and stakeholders. The mission – to catalyse the transformation of ocean governance through regional actions and initiatives – is intended as a step towards developing innovative ocean governance solutions.Continue Reading Achieving a Healthy Ocean – Regional Ocean Governance Beyond 2020

GOBI’s work on ocean migration and connectivity is highlighted in a new peer-reviewed paper that details the importance of freely available and easily accessible information on migration patterns for the conservation of endangered species in the ocean. The work provides a community-led solution: a first-of-its-kind online mapping and knowledge platform. Led by GOBI partners DrContinue Reading Ocean governance needs better information on migration patterns

The completion last week (22-27 September 2019) of an EBSA regional workshop targeting the Northeast Atlantic Ocean formally concludes the region-based global coverage of the EBSA process (with the exception of the Southern Ocean, which has its own similar process in place).  Forty experts, scientists and representatives from a handful of inter-governmental organisation gathered in Stockholm,Continue Reading Northeast Atlantic EBSA regional workshop

During the third substantive session (August 2019) of the Intergovernmental Conference to negotiate a legally binding international instrument for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction at UN Headquarters in New York, GOBI and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, with the support of the Governments of Costa Rica andContinue Reading Successful GOBI Side Event at BBNJ IGC3

Pick up the new GOBI newsletter and find out the latest progress on all strands of the GOBI research portfolio, including: the fate of fauna at expired hydrothermal vents ways to promote governance for the conservation of oceanic areas beyond national jurisdiction impressive findings from seabird tracking data and their application to conservation progress onContinue Reading A new GOBI newsletter is out!