Cover Features
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Hope on the Half-Shell
An ancient culture hangs in the balance as divers in northern California try to save kelp forests, home to the Pacific coast’s iconic and decimated abalone.
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Grafitti to Gold
Jason deCaires Taylor is transforming coral reefs and ocean conservation policy with his submerged sculptures, from Australia's Coral Greenhouse to the Cozumel Underwater Museum.
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Delicate Dance
Marlins are big business in Mexico's Baja Sur, where local scientists and a dive shop are trying to protect the famed fish by swapping sport fishing for snorkel encounters.
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Sunken Sudan
Underrated wrecks give divers reason to explore the Red Sea’s central shores, where a WWII wreck and an abandoned Cousteau research station beckon liveaboard divers below the waves and into history.
Conservation
Inside the effort to create marine protected areas around the world
Blue Bonds for Conservation aims to increase marine protected areas by 15 percent worldwide while redirecting over a billion dollars to support marine conservation.
Invasive plants choke Michigan waters. So why can anyone order them online?
Residents can order invasive plants through specialty websites, even though they are illegal in Michigan. Is there a better way to protect the state’s fish, waters and tourism industry?
NPR: Your Next Car May Be Built With Ocean Rocks. Scientists Can't Agree If That's Good
Your next electric car could be made with ocean rocks from deep sea mining. But regulations around it are incomplete — and there are still questions about its impact on the ocean's ability to store CO2.
Meet the marine biologist making urban oceans a climate asset
Dr. Ayana Johnson’s plan puts cities on the forefront of ocean conservation.
Drinking Water
New Flint water prosecutors face a skeptical hometown crowd
The state's new prosecution team delivered a scathing rebuke of how the investigation was handled by former Attorney General Bill Schuette. But their promises to deliver justice for the people of Flint were greeted by skepticism and even grief.
Michigan Democrats take aim at Nestlé. Farmers urge caution.
Amid tensions on water diversions, Democrats propose legislation that would limit Nestlé’s ability to pump Michigan groundwater and export it out of the state. But farmers say such a law threatens their groundwater rights.
How to weigh in on Michigan’s proposed limits on PFAS in drinking water
The state has proposed maximum contaminant limits for seven PFAS compounds in Michigan drinking water. Here’s what they are, and how you can weigh in on the limits.
Special Reports
As Public Engagement Director and Reporter at Bridge Michigan, I led a statewide campaign to identify Michiganders’ water policy priorities, then amplified those views to state leaders.
Engagement with more than 3,000 residents revealed support for stronger regulations statewide to improve water quality and safety.
The following special reports accompanied the campaign and results release:
Lake to Tap: A citizen’s guide to Michigan’s water systems and issues
Pure Waters: A citizen’s agenda for water quality and affordability in Michigan
Wary of water safety, Michigan residents want stronger regulation
Moderating a panel at the campaign’s “Great Waters, Great Economy” Summit:
Scuba Diving
Coral restoration nursery and dives to launch in Islamorada
I.CARE will bring the new restoration program to life in partnership with Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium and Bud N’ Mary’s Marina, where a land-based coral nursery will soon be built for the program’s education sessions.
What it’s like to get scuba certified during the coronavirus pandemic
The world’s changed. Has diving? I explore what it's like to get an Advanced Open Water certification during COVID-19.
First PADI dive shop in Wuhan reopens after COVID-19 shutdown
Wuhan Diving, a PADI dive shop in the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, resumed operations earlier this month.
Eight dives you can do to heal coral reefs
Power coral recovery when you dive with any of these reef restoration initiatives.