2019: What Happened

Join Us in the Largest Citizen Science Project Ever Undertaken: Earth Challenge 2020

Partners include the Wilson Center, the Earth Day Network and the US Dept. of State. View video below for more information

For a complete list of EC 2020 Partners, please see here:

http://earthchallenge2020.earthday.org/pages/partners

Featured video:

This short video was awarded the “Grand Jury Prize Winner” – San Diego State University Emerging Filmmakers Film Festival 2019.

Ocean Sanctuaries co-founder Micheal Bear was interviewed as part of this short documentary directed by Maddie Lowry demonstrating the impact single-use plastic has on our oceans and natural environment.

Stephanie Ly and Maddie Lowry interviewed: Surfrider Foundation, Ocean Sanctuaries, Saltwater Surf & Supply, and North County Scuba Center.

Ocean Sanctuaries provided some of the underwater clean-up footage which was part of our joint venture with Jade Scuba Adventures on April 7, 2019, as highlighted below.

Mark Your Calendars: April 13, 2019: Come, Celebrate Citizen Science Day with us!

Coming to a tide pool near you!

See here for more details: https://scistarter.org/citizen-science-day-2019

April 10, 2019: Ocean Sanctuaries Highlighted by Project Aware

Ocean Sanctuaries is honored to be featured among other great diving communities highlighted at the bottom of Project Aware’s Dive Against Debris Program page.

We would like to thank our partners Ashley Arnold, Jake Fitzgerald and Jade Scuba Adventures for the great work they do as well, in keeping oceans clean.

See bottom of this page: https://www.projectaware.org/

April 7, 2019:

Ocean Sanctuaries and Jade Scuba Adventures Partnered for a Dive Against Debris Dive in Long Beach

PADI Instructor Ashley Arnold Weighs Trash Collected by Divers

Over 15 lbs. of trash were collected on this Dive Against Debris

For more information on Project Aware’s Dive Against Debris Program and how you can participate, please see here for more info: https://www.projectaware.org/everydiveasurveydive

April 1:

Ocean Sanctuaries is pleased to announce that we are partnering with Jade Scuba Adventures, a member of Project Aware’s Marine Debris Program.

Jade Scuba Adventures offers training in safely retrieving trash from the bottom during your dive. Ocean Sanctuaries is pleased to partner with a Veteran-owned business.

See link for more information: https://jadescubaadventures.com/about-us/

More About Jade Scuba:

Donate to Ocean Sanctuaries

Ashley Arnold

PADI IDC Staff Instructor

Ashley served our country for 11 years in the Army and the Tennessee National Guard. She completed 2 tours of duty in Iraq and 1 in Afghanistan. When she left the armed forces, Ashley found Scuba diving as a form a treatment for PTSD. She became an instructor to share Scuba diving with the Veteran community. Ashley has taught diving in Utah and California.

Jake Fitzgerald

Co-owner

PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor

Prior to entering the underwater world, Jake served his local communities in Orange County as an Emergency Medical Technician and Law Enforcement. When he discovered diving, it quickly became an obsession. In his first year diving, Jake completed over 150 dives, several advanced specialties, and became an instructor. He now enjoys sharing his love of the ocean.

Mark Your Calendars: Mar. 28

San Diego Marine Technology Society

Guest Speakers: Ocean Sanctuaries Founder and Co-founder, Barbara Lloyd and Michael Bear

Topic:

1. The Yukon Marine Life Survey

2. Sharks of California

3. The Sevengill Shark ID Project (San Diego and Cape Town)

4. The Tide Pool Project

5. Certificate in Marine Citizen Science

Time: 7 pm

Location: Andre’s Restaurant

1235 Morena Blvd

San Diego, California 92110

Hakai Magazine: Feb.19, 2019: Citizen Science Comes of Age

Three major citizen science outfits—Reef Life Survey, Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF), and Reef Check Foundation—have collected data leading to more than 150 scientific papers. REEF’s director of science, Christy Pattengill-Semmens, says marine citizen science has matured in the eyes of academia. Their work, and that of other citizen science groups, is influencing lawmaking and legislation, too. “Fifteen years ago, you might [hear,] ‘Oh, that’s a nice little project you’ve got going—it’s good for education and outreach,’” she says. As more and more peer-reviewed papers using the group’s data sets appeared she says the respect for citizen science has snowballed.

Link: https://www.hakaimagazine.com/features/citizen-science-comes-of-age/

Jan. 24 Talk Given by Ocean Sanctuaries President Michael Bear at the Orange County Chapter of the American Cetacean Society, titled: “What Does ‘Ocean Sanctuaries’ Do?’

Photo credit: Orange County Chapter of ACA

2019: New Study Finds Sevengill Sharks Replacing Great Whites as Apex Predators in Cape Town Area

A new study has documented unexpected consequences following the decline of great white sharks from an area off South Africa. The study found that the disappearance of great whites has led to the emergence of sevengill sharks, a top predator from a different habitat. A living fossil, sevengill sharks closely resemble relatives from the Jurassic period, unique for having seven gills instead of the typical five in most other sharks.

Link: https://news.miami.edu/rsmas/stories/2019/02/new-study-finds-ecosystem-changes-following-loss-of-great-white-sharks.html

Ocean Sanctuaries is honored to be featured among other great diving communities highlighted at the bottom of Project Aware’s Dive Against Debris Program page.

We would like to thank our partners Ashley Arnold, Jake Fitzgerald and Jade Scuba Adventures for the great work they do as well, in keeping oceans clean.

See bottom of this page: https://www.projectaware.org/