Natalia Teryda, a PhD student at the University of Florida, has dedicated herself to marine conservation since age fourteen. She earned a Master's in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego as a Fulbright Grantee, following her BS in Biology from Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata.

Originally from Mar del Plata, Argentina, Natalia was selected by the US Embassy in Argentina to be an Argentinean Youth Ambassador for the "Our Oceans, Young Ambassadors" program, organized by the US Department of State.

Shima Abadi is a Professor of Oceanography, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Engineering and Mathematics at the University of Washington. Her research primarily focuses on ocean noise.

Her work encompasses sound source localization, acoustical imaging, and animal bioacoustics. An award recipient from the Acoustical Society of America, Dr. Abadi is currently developing algorithms for underwater network data analysis, mitigating seismic airgun noise, and analyzing ocean ambient noise.

Diana Pacin deGongora, a mechanical engineer, previously worked in the air conditioning and refrigeration industry during its transition from ozone-depleting refrigerants. Later, as a professor at Miami-Dade College, she contributed to the Earth Ethics Institute, which integrated Earth Literacy into the college's curriculum and operations.

Currently, Diana focuses on educating her community about the harms of single-use plastic. She collaborates with the South Florida Plastic Coalition, advocating for reduced single-use plastic use in her county.

Support Diana's efforts: plasticfreefl.org

Aaron McCall serves as EnviroVoters' Federal Advocacy Coordinator, focusing on building grassroots support for federal climate legislation and ensuring California's elected officials lead the way.

He began his activism in Orange County, chairing Indivisible OC 48 and continuing to advance local conservation and climate action. McCall was honored as the 2019 OC League of Conservation Voters Activist of the Year. Support Aaron here: https://envirovoters.org/

Nithya Narayanaswamy, an Environmental Justice Advocate and Emory University student, began her activism at age 14. She led a campaign against firecrackers during Diwali, highlighting their ecological harm and air pollution.

She previously served as President of her campus’s Climate Reality Chapter. Currently, Nithya is the Executive Director of the Plastic-Free Emory Project.

Support Nithya's work [here](https://plasticfreeemory.carrd.co/).

Oceana's report highlights Global Fishing Watch's (GFW) ability to monitor fishing activity in marine protected areas (MPAs) worldwide. GFW provides a clear view of how effectively policies control fishing in these vital zones.

A collaboration between SkyTruth, Oceana, and Google, GFW was used to document the success of the Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA). After new regulations established PIPA as a no-take area, GFW detected a drastic reduction in fishing, demonstrating the policy's positive impact.

Dive into Earth’s oceans with *Hostile Planet*, a beautifully filmed series showcasing animals adapting to extreme environments. Hosted by survivalist Bear Grylls, the show reveals epic stories of survival on our fast-changing planet.

Watch the full season on Disney+, or stream other National Geographic content on Hulu, the NGTV app, or ABC app. Subscribe to Nat Geo on YouTube for more episodes and follow them on social media for updates.

A new Oceana report reveals that the illegal seafood trade, partly fueled by U.S. demand, devastates fishing communities worldwide. Oceana advocates for expanded traceability and transparency requirements for all seafood imports.

Despite being the world's largest seafood importer, the U.S. Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP) covers only 13 species, leaving 60% of imports vulnerable to illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. This loophole allowed an estimated $2.4 billion in IUU seafood into the U.S. market in 2019, causing global economic and ecological damage.

Oceana urges President Biden to expand SIMP to include all imported seafood and implement comprehensive "net to plate" traceability to protect ocean health and livelihoods.

Oceana proudly celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. We are marking two decades of dedicated work protecting and restoring the world's oceans.

This milestone provides an opportunity to spotlight our significant conservation victories achieved globally, reflecting our unwavering commitment to marine life and healthy seas.

Every year, 33 billion pounds of plastic pollute our oceans, choking marine life and breaking into microplastics that we ingest. This global crisis impacts marine ecosystems and human health.

Support Oceana's efforts to protect our oceans and marine animals. Donate today at Oceana.org/give.

Stay connected with us on social media: Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

A massive Norwegian salmon farm is planned near Acadia National Park, threatening Frenchman Bay with noise, light pollution, boat traffic, and billions of gallons of daily waste.

This facility, projected to produce half of Eastern Canada's salmon, risks introducing disease and parasites, often requiring vast amounts of harmful pesticides and chemicals.

Join us in urging Governor Janet Mills to publicly oppose this project and protect Maine’s coastal way of life. Take action: https://www.Oceana.org/SaveMaine

The community's message is unequivocal.

It is now time to act decisively and #ProtectOurCoast.

A new Oceana report reveals widespread non-compliance with speed limits in critical North Atlantic right whale protection zones. Analyzing vessel speeds from 2017-2020, the study found nearly 90% non-compliance in mandatory areas and 85% non-cooperation in voluntary zones along the U.S. Atlantic coast. Only about 360 critically endangered right whales remain.

Vessel collisions are a leading cause of death for these whales. Studies show that reducing vessel speeds to 10 knots can cut the risk of fatal strikes by 80-90%. While the analysis focused on larger vessels, all vessel sizes pose a threat; a 54-foot recreational vessel recently killed a calf.

Oceana's report reveals widespread vessel speeding in critical North Atlantic right whale habitats. With only about 360 whales left, non-compliance in mandatory speed zones reached nearly 90% from 2017-2020, and non-cooperation in voluntary areas was almost 85%.

Vessel collisions are a primary cause of death for these endangered whales. Studies show that reducing vessel speeds to 10 knots can cut the risk of fatal strikes by 80-90%.

Oceana is urging NOAA to immediately revise U.S. Atlantic vessel speed regulations to prevent the extinction of North Atlantic right whales.