David Prieto, 2015 graduate of the Master of Science in Sustainability Management program, has been awarded a Fulbright-National Science Foundation Arctic Research Grant focused on interdisciplinary issues across the Arctic.

We are losing coral reefs at an alarming rate and scientists believe that with business as usual they will likely be gone by the end of the century. However, better local management, coupled with new research on coral reef resilience and adaptability, may help buy some time for these indispensable ecosystems.

The 12th Session of the UN Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals (OWG SDG) will take place at the UN in New York City on June 16-20. An important opportunity is unfolding for the SDG process to contribute to the health and prosperity of our oceans and seas.

A team of researchers from Columbia University and the Republic of Fiji has found a unique and time-effective way to improve the design of marine protected areas in on coastal fisheries in Fiji—and, potentially, around the world. This method, which was used to assess a proposed temporary fishery closure in the village of Nagigi, Fiji, is described in a study published in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Abigail Golden of Columbia University and colleagues from Columbia, the Wildlife Conservation Society, and the University of the South Pacific.

Leading up to Rio+20, on April 25th the United Nations hosted “Healthy Oceans: Charting A New Course,” a panel discussion which brought together a range of experts to discuss the fate of the world’s oceans and what can be done to protect them.