Mark J. Spalding
TOF calls for National Academies to Explore Redesigning Plastics
As part of The Ocean Foundation’s Redesigning Plastics Initiative, on 15 July 2019, we requested a scoping meeting from the key boards of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and …
Africa Blue Economy Forum
Every time I am invited to speak, I have the opportunity to revisit my thinking about an aspect of improving the human relationship with the ocean. Likewise, as I confer …
The Vaquita
I have been afraid of this day for a long time, the “lessons learned” postmortem panel: “Conservation, controversy and courage in the Upper Gulf of California: fighting the vaquita vortex” …
Effectively Developing Marine Protected Areas
10th Monaco Blue Initiative Oceanographic Museum of Monaco 25 March 2019 Session #1 How can we – collectively – continue developing MPAs whilst ensuring their efficiency? Remarks by Mark J. …
The Green New Deal and the [New] Blue Economy
All of the talk about the “Green New Deal” and what that means, what it encompasses, and what it would take to achieve its vision, even if the specific strategies …
Complementarity with existing Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction Institutions
Complementarity with existing Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction Institutions A panel on The BBNJ Process George Washington University 10 November 2018 The Ocean Foundation is very interested in the conservation of the …
Committing to a Better Future
Gathering to talk about ocean issues, climate change, and other challenges to our collective well-being is important—face to face workshops and conferences bolster collaboration and foster innovation—especially when the purpose …
Recovery and Restoration after Hurricane Maria
Seventeen named storms struck the greater Caribbean region in 2017—wreaking havoc on human communities and natural resources alike. So many families lost loved ones, their livelihoods, and their homes—it is …
Our Ocean and the Future of Plastic
In July, I spent four days at The Klosters Forum, an intimate small-town setting in the Swiss Alps that fosters more innovative collaborations by bringing together disruptive and inspirational minds …
Science Diplomacy and our Shared Legacy
Three nations share the Gulf of Mexico abundant resources—Cuba, Mexico, and the United States. It is our shared heritage and our shared responsibility because it is also our shared legacy …
A Plastic Ocean
On January 21, TOF Board members Joshua Ginsberg, Angel Braestrup, and I participated in a Salisbury Forum event focused on plastic waste in the ocean. The event began with the …
Offshore Drilling Action
My late grandmother was a big believer in the old adage “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” She knew that relying on one skill or one industry or …
