Quick Dips
Curated topical articles on the Blue Economy

NASA Launches New Climate Mission to Study Ocean, Atmosphere

• NASA

PACE, the Plankton, Aerosol, Climate, ocean Ecosystem satellite, launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

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IUCN metric to help quantify progress towards global ocean biodiversity targets

• IUCN

Global treaties lay out specific targets for protecting biodiversity, and the STAR metric enables countries and companies to measure how much their actions can help meet those targets.

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WTW launches first ever coral reef insurance policy in Fiji

• WTW • Fisheries & Aquaculture

A new reef insurance policy will help with reattaching broken corals and debris clean-up; the insurance payouts will provide community assistance activities that will alleviate food and water security concerns caused by storm damage.

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UNCW Launches Blue Economy Index

• UNC • Energy Solutions

UNC Wilmington Blue Economy Index brings together academics, science and business to create a unique product that brings awareness to a global concern about ocean preservation and economic development.

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Oceans “Forgotten” in Nature-related Analyses – UNEP FI

• Vibeka Mair, ESG Investor • Energy Solutions

New research, published in Advances in Atmospheric Sciences, found that ocean temperatures last year smashed previous heat records.

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Blue economy can provide investment opportunity, deliver environmental return

• Krystle HIggins, IPE • Energy Solutions

Transformations within the blue economy have been gaining increasing interest among investors.

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Why Nautical Investors Are Pouring Capital Into Better, Lower-Carbon Ships And Boats

• Joanna Glasner, Crunchbase • Energy Solutions

A Crunchbase data analysis has found that companies dedicated to improving the performance and reducing the carbon footprint of ships and watercraft have collectively raised more than $1.1 billion to date. 

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Ocean heating breaks record, again, with disastrous outcomes for the planet

• Elizabeth Claire Alberts, MongaBay • Plastics & Pollution

New research shows that ocean temperatures are hotter than ever in the modern era due to human-driven global warming.

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Blue Finance: financing the health of the ocean

• One Ocean Foundation

Blue Finance, through its main tools, can not only drive economic prosperity but also foster the resilience and well-being of our ocean.

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Where has the most venture capital been invested in aquaculture?

• Linda Chen, Hatch • Fisheries & Aquaculture

An analysis of the $808 million invested in the aquaculture industry by venture funds in the last 12 months.

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Ocean acidification is destroying oyster reefs – here's how that could affect the environment and the economy

• Brent E. Feldman, World Economic Forum • Fisheries & Aquaculture

As ocean acidification intensifies, the future of the oyster hangs in the balance – and with it, environmental and economic ecosystems.

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'Wake up': Senate hearing considers threat of climate change on 'blue economy'

• Lucas Thompson, NBC News • Shipping & Ports

Sea level rise impacts coastal ecosystems and infrastructure that underpin the blue economy including supply chains, real estate, infrastructure, agriculture, insurance markets, health costs and more.

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COP28: mainstreaming the ocean agenda

• Back to Blue • Energy Solutions

While COP28 left many concerned about the state of progress on the climate, it was one of the most promising conferences yet for addressing crucial issues concerning the ocean.

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Seabed trawling found to be a major source of global CO2 emissions

• Michael Le Page, New Science • Fisheries & Aquaculture

Studies find that bottom trawling, a controversial and destructive fishing technique, releases large amounts of carbon dioxide from the seabed.

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3 ways public-private partnerships can help restore ocean health

• World Economic Forum • Energy Solutions

Ocean health is measurably in decline due to threats such as acidification, warming, deoxygenation and overfishing.

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How Saudi Arabia is unlocking the power of the blue economy

• World Economic Forum • Energy Solutions

Under Saudi Vision 2030, blue economy investments will flow into Saudi’s coastlines which run for 2,640 kilometres across the Arabian Gulf and Red Sea.

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Can Submerging Seaweed Cool the Climate?

• Saima May Sidik, Eos • Fisheries & Aquaculture

Submerged seaweed can store carbon at the bottom of the ocean, but how effective the strategy will be—and how it will affect ocean health—remains unclear.

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Investing in a Blue Economy

• Anthony Roth, Forbes

Ocean-related industries generate $24 trillion of economic value globally and support 3 billion people’s livelihoods in industries including seafood, port construction and coastal tourism.

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Study Shows Estuaries Bring Wide Benefits Worth Millions to Surrounding Areas

• Mark C. Anderson, Middlebury Institute of International Studies/News • Fisheries & Aquaculture

The wild wetlands of the Stillaguamish River Basin and Snohomish County River Deltas in Washington state are beautiful.

Their intrinsic value is clear, but what is the return on investment for rewilding them?

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BlueTech: 2023 in Review

• Will Lutz, BlueX

An analysis of the blue economy market in 2023. 

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