Latest issue
Baby corals, a growing orca family, and a reef fed by seabirds. Here’s this week’s dose of ocean hope.
Stories checked against their sources on Oct 16, 2026.
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CoralManzanillo, Costa Rica
A million coral embryos return to a Costa Rican reef
After a big spawning night in early September, Raising Coral Costa Rica and Scripps scientists collected coral spawn and put nearly 1 million fertilized embryos back onto the reef, including critically endangered elkhorn coral. It’s the first time coral larvae have been raised in a lab in Costa Rica. Because they come from spawning rather than cloned fragments, the new corals carry more genetic diversity to face heat and disease.
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WhalesSalish Sea
Southern resident orcas grow for a second year running
The Center for Whale Research’s annual census counted 76 whales, up two from last year. Four calves were born and two of them, K47 and L130, made it to the July census; no other whales died. It’s a small gain, but two good years in a row matter a lot for this critically endangered population.
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RestorationPalmyra Atoll
Bringing back seabirds to help a Pacific reef
On Palmyra, seabird droppings wash into the water and feed a food chain that runs from plankton to manta rays and corals. Since about 30,000 invasive rats were removed in 2011 and more than a million coconut palms were cleared, more seabirds are nesting and the gray-backed tern has returned four years in a row. Scientists hope more birds will mean healthier reefs around the atoll.
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Protected areasBelize
Belize proposes three new deep-sea protected areas
Belize’s draft marine spatial plan, sent to the government on September 8, proposes three new deep-water protected areas. If approved, they would help Belize reach its pledge to protect 30% of its ocean and meet the sixth milestone of its Blue Bond agreement. The plan still needs government review and approval.
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CleanupJakarta & Southeast Asia
The Ocean Cleanup teams up with the UN on Asia-Pacific plastic
The Ocean Cleanup and UN ESCAP signed a letter of intent to build a regional clean-oceans partnership focused on Southeast Asian cities such as Jakarta. It would pair river interception with better waste systems and policy, so plastic gets stopped before it ever reaches the sea.
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SharksOʻahu, Hawaiʻi
Swimming with sharks makes lasting shark fans
A University of Sydney study in npj Ocean Sustainability surveyed people who snorkeled with sharks on Oʻahu. Two years later they were 40% more likely to be doing shark conservation than expected, from donating and signing petitions to pushing for new laws. Good ecotourism keeps working long after people get home.
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High Seas TreatyNadi, Fiji
Pacific Indigenous leaders prepare for the first High Seas Treaty summit
The first Pacific Indigenous Regional BBNJ Gathering met in Fiji on October 9–11 to plan how Indigenous voices and traditional knowledge will shape the treaty’s first conference (COP1) in January 2027. Their input feeds into a new Free, Prior and Informed Consent strategy.
Colombia & the Eastern Tropical Pacific
For a regional bonus, Pacífico, a survival thriller filmed at Malpelo, is now in Colombian cinemas. Vanguardia ↗ (opens in a new tab)
How you can help
Small things anyone can do this week
Choose ocean-friendly seafood
Check a fish before you buy it or order it. Seafood Watch rates seafood by how it’s caught or farmed, and its free app works at the counter.
Stop plastic at the source
Carry a reusable bottle and bag, and turn down straws and extra packaging. Most ocean plastic starts on land and travels by river, as story 5 shows. You can also join or start a local beach or river cleanup.
Be a whale-spotting scientist
If you go whale watching, upload your tail-fluke photos to Happywhale. Researchers use them to identify individual whales and follow how populations are doing.
Pick wildlife tours that give back
Choose operators that keep their distance, don’t feed or touch animals, and have a biologist on board. As story 6 found, a good tour can turn you into a lifelong ally.
Ask your country to ratify the High Seas Treaty
The treaty covers almost two-thirds of the ocean. Find out whether your country has ratified it, then write to your representatives to say you support it.
Support the people in these stories
Small donations or a share on social media help the groups doing this work:
Center for Whale Research ↗ (opens in a new tab)The Ocean Cleanup ↗ (opens in a new tab)Fundación Malpelo ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Wear sun protection that’s kind to reefs
When you swim near reefs, a rash guard means you need less sunscreen. For the rest, choose a mineral sunscreen without oxybenzone or octinoxate.
Pass on the good news
Hope motivates people more than doom does. Send this page to one friend who loves the sea.
Story of the week
The million coral embryos of Manzanillo
A national first, endangered elkhorn coral, and a whole community pitching in, from boat captains to local school kids. The project runs for two more spawning seasons, so there’s more to come.
Fun ocean fact
Octopuses have three hearts and blue blood. Two hearts pump blood through the gills and the third sends it around the body. That third heart pauses while the octopus swims, which is one reason they’d usually rather crawl.
Stories we’re following
Good news often has a second chapter. These are the stories from past issues we’re watching, and what would count as a follow-up.
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Belize’s three proposed deep-sea protected areas
Watch for: Whether the government approves the draft marine spatial plan, and Belize meets its 30% Blue Bond milestone.
From issue #1
WatchingCheck backDec 2026 -
Southern resident orcas
Watch for: New calves over the winter, how K47 and L130 are doing, and the next census (the count was 76).
From issue #1
WatchingCheck backJan 2027 -
The Ocean Cleanup and UN ESCAP
Watch for: The letter of intent becoming a signed partnership, and the first cities or river projects named.
From issue #1
WatchingCheck backJan 2027 -
Manzanillo’s million coral embryos
Watch for: How many of the settled elkhorn corals survive their first months, and the next spawning season.
From issue #1
WatchingCheck backFeb 2027 -
Indigenous voices at the High Seas Treaty’s first conference
Watch for: What comes out of COP1 in January 2027, and how the Pacific gathering’s input was used.
From issue #1
WatchingCheck backFeb 2027 -
Palmyra’s seabirds and reefs
Watch for: Published results on whether more seabirds are feeding the reef, and whether the gray-backed terns return a fifth year.
From issue #1
WatchingCheck backApr 2027 -
Shark ecotourism and lasting conservation
Watch for: Follow-up studies, or shark-diving sites like Malpelo, Cocos and Galápagos reporting the same effect.
From issue #1
WatchingCheck backApr 2027
Follow-ups updated 16 October 2026.
Past issues
Issue #1 is the first. Past issues will be listed here.
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