Covering two thirds of the ocean’s surface and making up 90 per cent of our planet’s marine environment, most of the ocean falls under the definition of the 'high and deep seas'. The 'high and deep seas' describes the area of our ocean which lies either beyond the national boundaries of coastal countries or [...]
A once-in-a-generation opportunity to revolutionise ocean governance kicks off at the United Nations Human impact has become ubiquitous across the ocean. Plastic has been found over 10,000 metres deep in the Mariana Trench, fishing takes place in over 90 per cent of marine waters, and all of the ocean is experiencing serious changes [...]
New guidelines for species conservation planning from the IUCN White-bellied heron chicks. Photo: Rebecca Pradhan Imagine you were tasked with conserving a species, let’s say the White-bellied Heron, a Critically Endangered bird found on the river banks of Bhutan, Northeast India and Myanmar. How would you go about facing this colossal [...]
Last week I attended the 'Our Ocean' conference on the shores of the Mediterranean in the coastal town of Saint Julian’s, Malta. Set under an unbelievably elaborate display of screens covering the entire ceiling and showing animations of ocean life, this was an opportunity for governments, NGOs and the private sector to come together [...]
Working with local communities to protect a Critically Endangered crocodile in the Philippines Philippine crocodile by Clare Shenstone At Synchronicity Earth we believe that essential aspects of effective conservation are long-term commitment and the capacity to take in all aspects of a situation causing species decline. If a species is bred successfully [...]
A wildlife paradise facing multiple threats Kanburi pit viper by Clare Shenstone At Synchronicity Earth we work to support conservation action where it is needed most worldwide. Our overarching objective of slowing the global loss of biodiversity and tackling the extinction crisis leads naturally to a focus on regions where biodiversity is [...]
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora The international trade of animals and plants stands as one of the biggest threats to many endangered species worldwide. Illegal wildlife trade (including illegal logging) is thought to generate up to USD$175bn annually, making it almost as lucrative as drugs-, [...]
A longstanding challenge within the world of species conservation is that a vast proportion of the money, time and research is focused on “charismatic” species. This is so pronounced, that even the giraffe, a classically unique and interesting species, has suffered from lack of attention – scientists have only recently discovered that there may in [...]