Save the Ocean

Save the Ocean Author Presentation at Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography Event to showcase the fifth anniversary of Scripps's Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation

Helvarg will join Scripps marine scientists for a special event on Wednesday, May 3, 6-8 p.m. at the Birch Aquarium at Scripps.

This event will appeal to all who have an interest in protecting and preserving the oceans. The Birch Aquarium is located at 2300 Expedition Way in La Jolla. This event is free and open to the public. Seating is limited and reservations are required: (858) 534-4109.

The Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation at Scripps was formed in 2001 to meet the scientific challenges facing marine conservation. The researchers in CMBC are deeply involved in research efforts to assess the state of marine ecosystems now and in the past and to develop predictive models for the future. Through education efforts, they are training new marine biodiversity and conservation scientists in the U.S. and around the world. They are developing novel interdisciplinary approaches linking the biological, physical, social and informatics, and are communicating their research findings to a curious public to improve understanding of scientific issues and to provide sound scientific analyses to policy makers. CMBC scientists are designing technically sophisticated, regionally appropriate strategies to prevent and reverse biodiversity collapse.

David Helvarg's book, 50 Ways to Save the Ocean, follows the path of CMBC's scientific efforts and addresses how people can continue to enjoy and appreciate the ocean, yet also partake in actions that protect and conserve this vital resource. Personal, and sometimes whimsical, 50 Ways to Save the Ocean addresses daily choices that affect the health of our oceans: what fish consumers should and shouldn't eat; maintaining storm drains and driveway run-off; conserving energy to protect the ocean; proper diving, surfing and tide-pool etiquette; and supporting local marine education.

In his compelling book, Blue Frontier: Dispatches from America's Ocean Wilderness, Helvarg fuses his passion for the sea and his reportorial savvy into a panoramic chronicle of America's maritime history and the challenges our coastal and marine environments face today. He dives deep into the cultures of those who know the sea in myriad ways--fishers, oil-rig roughnecks, hurricane forecasters, coastal developers, Navy personnel, scientists and surfers--and profiles the growing efforts by coastal citizens and local governments to restore and protect the health of our oceans in the face of wide-open development along our coasts and offshore.

Helvarg is president of the Blue Frontier Campaign, worked as a war correspondent in Northern Ireland and Central America, covered a range of issues from military science to the AIDS epidemic and reported from every continent, including Antarctica. An award-winning journalist, he has produced more than 40 broadcast documentaries for PBS, The Discovery Channel and others. His print work has appeared in publications including The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Smithsonian, Popular Science, Sierra and The Nation. His radio work includes Marketplace, AP radio and Pacifica. He's led workshops for journalists in Poland, Turkey, Tunisia, Slovakia and Washington, D.C. He is a licensed private investigator, body-surfer and scuba diver.

For more information about attending this special Scripps Oceanography event and CMBC anniversary celebration, please call: (858)534-4109.

Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation at Scripps: cmbc.ucsd.edu

Birch Aquarium at Scripps: aquarium.ucsd.edu

Scripps Institution of Oceanography: scripps.ucsd.edu

Scripps News: scrippsnews.ucsd.edu