News
Join The Reef-World Foundation and The Ocean Agency at World Environment Day Webinar
Time for coral: how YOU can help save an entire ecosystem
Discover the simple changes you can make to protect coral reefs for future generations.
Coral reefs – often described as the “rainforests of the sea” – are some of the most astoundingly biodiverse ecosystems in the world. They support a quarter of all marine species, protect our coastlines, provide food and livelihoods for 500 million people and are even used in the development of new medicines. Yet, these exceptional animals (that’s right, coral is an animal!) are under threat.
This World Environment Day join the United Nations Environment Programme, The Ocean Agency and The Reef-World Foundation for a fascinating discussion about these vital ecosystems. You’ll learn:
- Why is coral so important?
- What threats does this ecosystem face?
- How a ground-breaking Netflix Originals documentary has put corals in the global spotlight
- How the Green Fins initiative is conserving coral reefs around the world
- The simple changes YOU can make to protect coral reefs for future generations.
The webinar will be available on World Environment Day – 5th June – at: https://reef-world.org/blog/time-for-coral
About the panel
Gabriel Grimsditch, Programme Management Officer, United Nations Environment Programme
Gabriel Grimsditch is a Programme Management Officer and marine ecosystems expert with the United Nations Environment Programme based at the headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. He has over 15 years’ experience working on the conservation, research and sustainable management of coastal ecosystems around the world, including with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and with CORDIO East Africa. Gabriel currently leads UNEP’s work on coral reefs, mangroves and seagrass.
Richard Vevers, Founder & CEO, The Ocean Agency
Richard Vevers is the founder and CEO of The Ocean Agency, The Advertising Agency for the Ocean – a unique nonprofit accelerating ocean conservation action through creativity, technology and powerful partnerships. Before diving into ocean and coral reef conservation, Vevers first worked at some of the top London advertising agencies and then as an artist and underwater photographer. It is this background that has guided his unique creative and business-thinking approach to ocean conservation. His ideas have included; inventing the SVII camera and taking Google Streetview Underwater, the Netflix Original Documentary Chasing Coral, and 50 Reefs – a targeted approach to saving coral reefs. His imagery, revealing what is happening to our oceans, is some of the most viewed underwater imagery of all time, and his ideas, project and public speaking have made him a leading voice in the fight to save coral reefs.
Chloë Harvey, Director, The Reef-World Foundation
Chloë Harvey is a professional diver and marine biologist with over 15 years’ experience working in tropical marine environments and supporting adoption of sustainable business models and practice within all segments of the diving industry. As Director of the UK Charity The Reef-World Foundation she has developed the Green Fins initiative for sustainable diving in partnership with the UN Environment Programme. She has worked with over 500 business owners and 19 national authorities to provide them with the tools and support needed to drive sustainable marine tourism practices.
James J Harvey, Director, The Reef-World Foundation
JJ Harvey is a marine biologist and diver with over 10 years’ experience working in tropical marine environments. This combined background provides a scientific and balanced approach to training, helping to educate those in a position to act and explain how and why it is important to reduce threats to marine ecosystems. JJ has worked closely with national governments, the private sector and international agencies to achieve successful outcomes that are meaningful to all stakeholders. As Director at Reef-World, JJ has led the development of Green Fins across eleven South East Asian, Middle Eastern, Pacific, and Caribbean countries since 2008 training national governments and NGO’s to manage the initiative. Today, Green Fins is a globally recognised approach for managing sustainable diving activities internationally with a proven conservation impact.
To care for ourselves we must care for coral. It’s time to wake up. To take action. To raise our voices. It’s time to make simple changes for a sustainable future.
It’s Time for Coral.
To find out more about The Reef-World Foundation visit their website by clicking here.
News
Euro-Divers to close dive centre at NH Collection Maldives Havodda
Euro-Divers have announced that as of 15 April 2024, they will no longer be operating the dive centre at NH Collection Maldives Havodda (formerly known as Amari Havodda).
The popular dive centre chain released this statement regarding the closure:
Dear valid customers, business partners and friends,
We are leaving NH Collection Maldives Havodda – former Amari Havodda as of 15th of April 2024.
Unfortunately, the information reached us on short notice that we are no longer operating the dive centre at the resort.
It was a great pleasure to work with the Amari Hotel group and continue to work with the NH Hotel group.
We wish our partners great success with all their new changes.
Thanks a lot for cooperating during our time at the resort. We wish everyone with whom we have worked a good and hopefully successful future.
Euro-Divers continue to operate in several other dive resorts throughout the Maldives in addition to other locations.
To finds out more about Euro-Divers, visit www.euro-divers.com.
Marine Life & Conservation Blogs
Creature Feature: Undulate Ray
In this series, the Shark Trust will be sharing amazing facts about different species of sharks and what you can do to help protect them.
This month we’re looking at the Undulate Ray. Easily identified by its beautiful, ornate pattern, the Undulate Ray gets its name from the undulating patterns of lines and spots on its dorsal side.
This skate is usually found on sandy or muddy sea floors, down to about 200 m deep, although it is more commonly found shallower. They can grow up to 90 cm total length. Depending on the size of the individual, their diet can range from shrimps to crabs.
Although sometimes called the Undulate Ray, this is actually a species of skate, meaning that, as all true skates do, they lay eggs. The eggs are contained in keratin eggcases – the same material that our hair and nails are made up of! These eggcases are also commonly called mermaid’s purses and can be found washed up on beaches all around the UK. If you find one, be sure to take a picture and upload your find to the Great Eggcase Hunt – the Shark Trust’s flagship citizen science project.
It is worth noting that on the south coasts, these eggcases can be confused with those of the Spotted Ray, especially as they look very similar and the ranges overlap, so we sometimes informally refer to them as ‘Spundulates’.
Scientific Name: Raja undulata
Family: Rajidae
Maximum Size: 90cm (total length)
Diet: shrimps and crabs
Distribution: found around the eastern Atlantic and in the Mediterranean Sea.
Habitat: shelf waters down to 200m deep.
Conservation Status : As a commercially exploited species, the Undulate Ray is a recovering species in some areas. The good thing is that they have some of the most comprehensive management measures of almost any elasmobranch species, with both minimum and maximum landing sizes as well as a closed season. Additionally, targeting is entirely prohibited in some areas. They are also often caught as bycatch in various fisheries – in some areas they can be landed whilst in others they must be discarded.
IUCN Red List Status: Endangered
For more great shark information and conservation visit the Shark Trust Website
Image Credits: Banner – Sheila Openshaw; Illustration – Marc Dando
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