2020 sees an international “wave” of single-use plastic bans, Dozens of beheaded baby sharks discovered and more…   1. Rising oceans

2019 was an eventful year for ocean conservation.  Below are our picks for the top 13 stories of the year. 

New Jersey shark fin bill goes to governor’s desk, Climate change reshaping ocean communities, Underwater rover to be used in

Shark fin wins the house, Abalone comeback, Sustainable brands, Right whale protection, Lawless oceans and overfishing, Bacteria from ocean floor

Oxford University – 11,000 scientists declare climate emergency, Dumped fishing gear is biggest ocean polluter, China, and Russia deadlock Antarctic

A generation of all-female turtles, mystery oil spill in Brazil, Cocos Island earns platinum-tier ranking, new MIT study on Antarctic

Canada bans shark fin imports, Greta’s speech, Success at CITES, United Nations global report: oceans are in danger, Oil spill

Japan may dump Fukushima radioactive water into the Pacific, Marshall Islands declare national climate crisis, Methane flares in Siberian Sea, Climate

UNESCO World Heritage Site now a plastic desert, Dolphin adopts orphan whale, Guam’s coral reefs deteriorate, Indonesia turns away plastics, 

Sharks threatened by global fisheries, How climate change created a drug-resistant fungus, Bi-partisan carbon tax introduced in US, Glow-in-the-dark sharks,

Threatened sea turtles hatching in record numbers, INTERPOL cracks down on wildlife trafficking, Corals shift north as temperatures climb, IRENA

Japan resumes commercial whaling, Marine conservation summit, Evolution of ocean life changed 170M years ago, Dominican Republic pledges towards sustainable tourism,

American Medical Association: “climate change is #1 public health challenge”, 2004 Gulf spill larger than previously believed, Shark tournaments kill

Canada bans shark fins, G20 takes on plastic pollution, Maine and Vermont ban plastic bags, Spy images reveal accelerated glaciers

Indonesia blows up three poaching ships, Disappearing islands, CITES is rescheduled, Gender equality could be key to healthy oceans, Sea