Did China sever undersea communications cables yet again? Are ships hauling crude oil leaking their cargo along the way? Are animal transport ships dumping feed bags overboard and causing unseen turtle and wildlife deaths? Are port authorities deliberately destroying underwater archaeology so projects can move ahead?

Getting away with bad business at sea may soon be harder with Mirai Robotics on patrol.

While security is a giant concern, Luciano Belviso, Mirai’s co-founder told Green Prophet: “Mirai’s autonomy can also support environmental monitoring, enabling continuous observation of marine ecosystems, pollution, and offshore infrastructure with persistent, autonomous operations, regardless of weather conditions.”

The company just raised $4.2 million in a seed round to continue development of its AI-driven autonomous marine vehicles. According to the company, the sea is one of the most critical infrastructures on the planet: more than 80% of global trade moves by sea, over 90% of Europe’s foreign trade depends on maritime routes, and roughly 95% of international internet traffic flows through subsea cables.

“The sea is one of the last major physical infrastructures not yet governed by software,” says Luciano Belviso, CEO of Mirai Robotics. “Autonomy is the key to finally making the oceans safe and usable, unlocking enormous resources and addressing critical security challenges. But it must be implemented through systems capable of operating continuously and safely in extreme environments. This is a technological and industrial challenge that requires a true robotics-lab approach.”

Mirai Robotics has already developed two autonomous vehicles designed for different operational needs, targeting ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) and patrolling scenarios in both coastal and offshore environments.

The vehicles integrate advanced perception systems, autonomous navigation, remote control, and safety features. They are designed to operate either as standalone units or as part of distributed monitoring systems.

Alongside its proprietary platforms, Mirai Robotics also develops autonomy, navigation, and control systems that can be integrated into third-party vessels. This allows industrial and institutional operators to adopt autonomous technology without fully redesigning existing fleets.

The decision to start in Italy is deliberate. The country is historically a global leader in shipbuilding and maritime engineering, with strong expertise in defense, yachting, offshore infrastructure, and marine technology.

The company was founded by Luciano Belviso (CEO), Luca Mascaro, and Davide Dattoli. Belviso previously built and led complex industrial companies including Blackshape, an aircraft design and manufacturing company later acquired by Angel Holding.

Luciano Belviso (left) and Luca Mascaro (right). Supplied by Mirai

Mirai Robotics has closed a $4.2 million pre-seed equity round, one of the largest in Italy in the robotics and deep-tech sector, led by Primo Capital, Techshop and 40Jemz Ventures, with participation from Italian and international angel investors. The capital will accelerate technology development, strengthen the team, and launch new pilot projects with industrial and institutional partners.

We love that the company can catch polluters in real time and take risks to rescue those at sea where other seafarers may not dare or have the expertise.

Mirai (未来) is a Japanese word that means “future.”

They aren’t alone. Mirai Robotics enters a rapidly growing field of autonomous maritime technology that can support defense and environmental missions. Competitors include firms such as Maritime Robotics, Saildrone, whose wind- and solar-powered robotic vessels collect environmental and security data across vast ocean areas. Defense and dual-use companies like L3Harris Technologies and Thales Group are also developing autonomous patrol boats and surveillance platforms for naval and infrastructure protection. In Europe, look to startups such as Ocean Infinity and Sea Machines Robotics.

::Mirai

The post Mirai’s robots for the high seas can track polluters, pirates and saboteurs appeared first on Green Prophet.

Is Anyone Listening? A Marine Biologist’s 40-Year Conversation with Dolphins

In 1985, marine biologist Denise Herzing set out on a six-week research trip to the Bahamas to study wild dolphins. Four decades later, she’s still there—immersed in what has become a lifelong effort to understand how dolphins communicate. Herzing’s new book, Is Anyone Listening? (University of Chicago Press, 2024), distills this remarkable journey and argues that it’s time we meet animals not just as research subjects, but as potential conversational partners.

Herzing’s work with Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis) through her nonprofit Wild Dolphin Project is among the longest continuous underwater studies of a single dolphin population in the world. She’s logged thousands of hours in the water and helped pioneer underwater keyboards and acoustic tools to investigate symbolic communication between humans and dolphins.

But not everyone is convinced the book qualifies as science. In a recent review for Nature, marine mammal expert Laela Sayigh praises Herzing’s “remarkable fieldwork” but warns that the book “lacks sufficient data and references,” leaving some claims unsubstantiated. “However, Herzing’s passion for nature and animals makes for a positive overarching message,” she writes.

Related: Saving Seychelles turtles – Jeanne Mortimer

Despite its speculative tone, the book opens important ethical questions: If animals are capable of language-like behavior, how should we interact with them?

Communication Underground, Underwater, and in the Canopy

Herzing’s work joins a growing body of research showing that non-human communication systems may be far more complex—and more meaningful—than once believed. At Green Prophet, we’ve followed this theme through the treetops, across deserts, and even underground.

Take frogs, for instance: scientists have shown that some species, like the red-eyed tree frog (Agalychnis callidryas), use seismic communication by shaking leaves beneath them to warn off predators or signal mates. These substrate-borne vibrations function like primitive Morse code, especially in low-visibility environments like rainforest understories.

And ants? Not to be outdone, recent soil science reveals how some tropical ant and termite species create micro-engineered soil structures, aiding water retention and plant growth. Their subterranean tunnel systems could inspire future architects and soil conservationists alike.

Even plants get in on the conversation. Some researchers suggest that root systems “communicate” chemically with fungi, triggering nutrient exchanges that resemble trading systems. Other researchers say they can pick up on the jabber. Whether we call it communication or co-evolution, it challenges long-held assumptions about intelligence.

While Is Anyone Listening? may not satisfy those looking for hard statistics, it’s a compelling read for anyone interested in the intersection of science, philosophy, and animal behavior. Herzing’s voice—at once personal, precise, and probing—asks us not just to decode dolphin sounds but to consider our role as co-inhabitants of a shared, noisy planet.

And with artificial intelligence now being deployed to analyze animal languages (see the CETI project on sperm whale communication), the field Herzing helped pioneer is more relevant than ever.

The post Want to speak “dolphin”? appeared first on Green Prophet.

Meet Andreas Weil, founder of EcoOcean, Israel’s leading marine conservation organization which has reached hundreds of thousands and brought the concept of Blue Flag beaches to Israel.

Under the blue, sparkling surface of the Mediterranean Sea lies an aquatic world teeming with life, history, and untold stories. For Andreas Weil, founder of the marine protection NGO EcoOcean, this vast marine expanse is more than just a sea; it represents a lifelong passion and mission. Growing up in Sweden, Weil has always had a passion for the environment. Weil explained his reasons for coming to Israel as “I’m going to have fun and do good for the country.”

He began his time in Israel studying Environmental Studies at the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies. He began to discover his purpose and his reason for being.

When Weil settled in Israel, he noticed a stark contrast between his homeland of Sweden and his new home of Israel. While Sweden was one of the first countries to expand, promote, and participate in green initiatives and recycling, Israel was lagging. There was no awareness, education, or environmental culture in the country. This troubled Weil. He saw that Israelis viewed the environment and climate change as a secondary issue. They disregarded the environment.

What troubled him also was the state of the Mediterranean Sea and the beautiful beaches of Israel being covered in trash. One point of emphasis Weil found was that Israelis did not take responsibility for the garbage that was in their seas. So, he decided to put down the facts. His initial research focussed on where the trash was coming from. He found that 80% of the garbage in the oceans was not from Gaza, Jordan, or any other country, as many had thought. It was from Israel. When framed this way, the Israelis realized that if they were to stop putting trash in the ocean, they would be 80% cleaner. Weil envisioned a new Israel, one where everyone was educated on the environment and the dangers of climate change.

Building EcoOcean

EcoOcean was born out of this vision to research, gather facts, and educate everyone. Central to EcoOcean’s success is the Mediterranean Explorer, the only privately operated marine research vessel in the region. Today, the level of research has increased, not without thanks to the Mediterranean Explorer and Weil himself. Armed with his ship and equipment, Weil set sail to find facts to bring back to Israel. The goal of the boat is to investigate water quality, marine life, trash, and other issues within the Mediterranean. With the information they collect, EcoOcean is not only well equipped to inform the public but also the government.

Discoveries are a commonality on board. While most are focused on climate research, they also have made discoveries outside the realm. One recent discovery made by the ship and its team is a sea sponge that possesses properties that could lead to a cure for Alzheimer’s.

Education is at the core of EcoOcean’s strategy. Starting with 10,000 students and evolving 20 years later to over 20,000, Weil and EcoOcean’s mission is to provide education to all on the topic of the environment and the looming climate threat. Weil has accomplished this with the help of others, starting with only two workers and evolving into a team of 18 full-time staff members and 25 freelance teachers.

They have a learning center called Seakura, located in Mikhmoret. Their center is only the start of it. They send their team of teachers to schools across Israel to provide constant, sustained education to the youth. Teachings focus on sustainability, climate change, and environmental ethics. Additionally, EcoOcean and its educators offer hands-on experiences, such as beach cleanups, that forge a strong, authentic connection to the issue at hand. “You are responsible as a citizen not only to pay taxes,” Weil says. “You’re supposed to clean and take care of your gift.” Israel.

EcoOcean doesn’t stop at education. It also works closely with the Ministry of Environmental Protection, local municipalities, and other NGOs to influence Israel’s environmental policies. One notable example of cooperation between EcoOcean and the Ministry is their “Disposable Dishes-Not in my Sea!” campaign, which educated the public on using reusable utensils, cups, and other kitchenware on the beach. The result was a visible reduction in single-use plastics on Israel’s sparkling, sandy beaches. As mentioned earlier, the Mediterranean Explorer is used to collect research for submission to the Israeli government. The abundance of information provided allows Israeli officials to identify and address clear problems.

Read related: This is the only government-funded sea turtle hospital in the world 

Environmental Unity in a Divided Region

Despite regional war and political tension, Weil sees marine conservation as a unifying force. EcoOcean and Weil are committed to providing the same level of education for all Israeli citizens. He says that “The environment does not have boundaries” and that, to have widespread change, the country needs “An Israel where people feel as one.” Nothing changes without cooperation.

You need a resilient population. He strongly believes in Tikkun Olam, the concept of repairing the world. Repairs can be done through education and information.

Looking ahead, Weil and EcoOcean’s ambitions are as expansive as the sea itself. He wants EcoOcean to one day reach 100,000 young people annually. Additionally, he aims to expand volunteer programs and enhance scientific contributions through blue ocean-based, tech, and climate research. Most of all, he wants all Israeli children to have access to marine education.

“If they approach us, we never want to say no,” he says. “We just need funding to say yes to everyone.”Weil’s vision extends far beyond Israel’s shores. “The environment and the threat of climate change can be the catalyst for Middle East peace,” he believes. “We are all part of the problem. We are all part of the solution. We can all fix it if we work together.”

Andreas Weil’s legacy is not about a single shoreline, beach, or sea. It is about a shift in attitude and consciousness. EcoOcean is a national leader in driving change, and its next goal is expansion to a broader area. “I want to go on a trip one day and hear everyone say, ‘I’d never throw trash in the ocean.'” This is when he believes he will have achieved his goals.

Until then, EcoOcean will continue to sail-chart a course for cleaner seas, educating citizens and working towards a future where the Mediterranean is a shared, thriving, and clean sea for all.

::EcoOcean 

The post Meet Andreas Weil, the founder of Israel’s EcoOcean, protecting the seas for all appeared first on Green Prophet.

Assomption Island is the back door to one of the last unspoiled corners of Seychelles, the Aldabra Atoll. The Seychelles is a nation of people that control 115 islands scattered across the Indian Ocean. With just over 100,000 people and a heroin crisis afflicting nearly 10% of its population, this small country faces vast and complex challenges. But perhaps none are more pressing—or more invisible to the wider world—than the fate of its sea turtles.

At the center of this story is Dr. Jeanne A Mortimer, an American-Seychellois biologist who has been studying sea turtles since 1973 and working in Seychelles since 1981. Known affectionately as “Madam Torti” among locals, Jeanne is not an activist. She’s not leading protests or lobbying parliament. She is, as always, knee-deep in research—methodically documenting, measuring, walking the beaches at dawn, and then later at night when the turtles nest, and publishing what she finds.

And what she finds is urgent.

Assomption Beach Too Valuable to Lose

Assomption lies just 20 miles from the Aldabra Atoll, a UNESCO World Heritage Site world-renowned for its giant tortoises, sea turtles, and pristine ecosystem. But while Aldabra has enjoyed global protection since 1968, Assomption, once over-mined for guano, remains largely overlooked. Development on Assomption will directly threaten Aldabra Atoll, considered to be an outpost of evolution.

According to Mortimer, Assomption once had the largest population of nesting green turtles in all of Seychelles. The island’s seven kilometers of mostly uninterrupted beach and deep offshore approach make it ideal for both turtle nesting and tourism. “It’s a perfect green turtle beach,” she explains, “better than Aldabra’s in many ways.”

That perfection now puts it at risk. Plans have emerged by a Qatari-based company Assets Group—cloaked in secrecy—for a luxury development of up to 37 private villas along the beach. Some like Syechelles presidential candidate Marco Francis, says the government has been bought off for $50 million. Assets Group agreed to an interview with Green Prophet but it’s been a month and they have not responded to our questions over allegations of terror financing and lack of environmental oversight.

Journalists have been there recently on Assomption, but they were not allowed to leave the tarmac or take photos. Building was clearly visible and construction crews are digging away, says a source to Green Prophet firsthand.

The scale and style of the project, suggest permanent disruption to this fragile ecosystem. No formal environmental survey has been conducted. No baseline turtle data has been published. And Mortimer, arguably the foremost authority on turtles in the region, has not been consulted.

Mortimer’s approach is neither alarmist nor oppositional. Her power lies in knowledge. After receiving her PhD under legendary sea turtle biologist Archie Carr at the University of Florida, she brought her expertise to Seychelles at the request of WWF and the local government. Her mandate: to study all turtle activity across the archipelago’s 155 islands.

See our talk with Jeanne Mortimer:

To reach remote islands like Cosmoledo, she traveled aboard supply ships like the Cinq Juin, slept on the floor of yacht galleys during high monsoons, getting soaked with water, and sometimes posed as a cook just to gain passage. Guests aboard the cabin caught on that she knew too much about Biology to be a standard cook.

Once, she stayed five months on Cosmoledo atoll among a dozen Seychellois turtle hunters, documenting the precise dynamics of a community reliant on harvesting turtles, sharks, and fish. When camping at night she wore socks on her feet and keep her hair wrapped in cloth so island rats wouldn’t nibble on her toes or collect her hair for making nests. She even ate turtles because food choices, those days, were slim.

Her presence changed them. “When I first arrived, the men were worried I would interfere,” she later wrote. “But by living with them, working alongside them, they developed a new perspective.” She never asked them to stop; she simply watched, listened, and recorded. That data formed the foundation for Seychelles’ 1994 decision to ban turtle hunting entirely.

She laments those days even, because they had a culture around hunting sharks and fishing and turtles, citing a fondness for Mazarin as the fisherman of fishers. She didn’t judge as it was their income and way of life. There are even times when she helped salt the fish for fear it would spoil before reaching the market.

Assomption: A Mirror of the Past

She says that what happened at Cosmoledo in the 1980s is relevant today on Assomption. The threat has shifted—from salted meat and tortoiseshell to artificial light and luxury development—but the stakes remain the same.
“Turtles are most vulnerable when they’re nesting,” Mortimer explains. “And we now know that females may take 30 to 35 years to reach sexual maturity. When they do, they return to the same beach again and again—sometimes for decades.”

These are the turtles that Assomption once hosted in abundance. And thanks to early signs of recovery, they are starting to return. If left undisturbed, Mortimer believes Assomption’s green turtle population could rival or exceed Aldabra’s.

But the Qatari villa development underway presents a new kind of threat. “The biggest issue is lighting,” she says. “Turtles won’t nest if there’s light on the beach. Hatchlings get disoriented. It’s one of the most studied impacts we know.”

And it’s not just turtles. Assomption hosts rare insect communities and bat populations, many of which could be wiped out by light pollution alone. Developers have reportedly promised a 1% footprint—but Mortimer warns that artificial light knows no boundaries. She also knows how devastating pesticides against bugs will harm the insects and the bats that feed off them. She once wanted to be an entomologist and knows how delicately all parts of island nature is connected.

In over five decades of work across more than 20 countries, Mortimer has seen conservation succeed. The many long-term monitoring programs she has coordinated in Seychelles—at places like Cousin, Aride, D’Arros and Aldabra—are now scientific goldmines. They prove that when science and policy align, recovery is not only possible, it is inevitable. Save Our Seas Foundation has been very helpful to her research, she says.

But Assomption is different. No formal turtle survey has ever been published for the island. No environmental management plan is in place. And development is already underway. Educating locals is one thing but now with international investment it’s a beast she has no experience in tackling and is letting environmental activists do the job.

It is, says Mortimer, “a very valid concern.”

She’s not fighting it. But she’s watching, documenting, and—when asked—offering solutions. “Turtle-friendly development is not a metaphor,” she explains. “It’s a science. Setback lines. Blackout curtains. No visible light from the beach. We know how to do this.”

The problem, as she puts it, is not science right now —it’s politics. “I don’t know why they haven’t asked me to help. But I would.”

Despite everything, Mortimer remains focused on what can still be saved. She invests where she can have impact. And she believes in young people—especially the children of those with power.

“If a Qatari child sees a turtle nesting and says, ‘Hey Mom, Dad, we should protect this,’ that might do more than any scientist,” she told me.

Her advice to the next generation isn’t to give up plastic straws. It’s to demand structural change. “The real responsibility lies with governments and corporations. Not individual guilt. We need investment in alternatives—seaweed-based plastics, smart design, policy change.”

Dr. Mortimer served as a mentor and inspiration to Dr. Yaniv Levy, now one of the Mediterranean’s leading sea turtle conservationists who lived on and near Aldabra Atoll for 2 years. He has built a sea turtle hospital, develops complex rehabilitation devices, and artificial flippers and runs a breeding program where he releases thousands of baby sea turtles back to the sea every year with the help of 600 volunteers. His latest research shows how animal feedstock bags tossed into the sea, contribute to sea turtle mortality.

Levy says that Mortimer’s encouragement and science-first approach inspired him when he met her on Aldabra and shaped his philosophy of protection through data and experience. She is the grandmother of sea turtle research, and leads the conversation globally in the annual sea turtle conference.

Meanwhile, Mortimer isn’t slowing down, but rather speeding up so the science gets published. She continues to write papers, to walk beaches, and to document what others might overlook. Assomption, for now, remains a question mark—a fragile bridge between two possible futures.

—

Karin Kloosterman is a former biologist and works as a science journalist and founder of Green Prophet. She interviewed Dr. Jeanne Mortimer for this story in Seychelles and is actively investigating the conservation status of Assomption Island.

To read more in our series see:

Seychelles Island under threat and linked to terror funds

Seychelles and the battle with royalty and rats – a talk with Adrian Skerrett

He lived on Aldabra Atoll and was inspired to protect sea turtles forever

They knew they shouldn’t be there: journalist Kevin Gepford writing a book on tortoises from Aldabra Atoll

Nirmal Jivan Sha on the history of conservation in the Seychelles

Seychelles Island sold to Qatar, leaving the conservationists out

The post They Call Her Madam Torti. She Might Be the Only One Who Can Save Seychelles Turtles appeared first on Green Prophet.

A few weeks ago, I took my son Gabriel to the edge of the sand dunes in Michmoret, a peaceful pocket of the Israeli Mediterranean coast a half hour drive from Tel Aviv. We weren’t there to sunbathe or surf, but to meet a man who has dedicated his life to turtles—at first the ancient ones who still roam the Indian Ocean’s most sacred atoll and injured survivors stranded ashore in a Mediterranean Sea increasingly shaped by war, overfishing, plastics, and politics.

This is the story of Dr. Yaniv Levy, founder of Israel’s Sea Turtle Rescue Center—the world’s only government-supported turtle hospital and breeding center unlike any in the world. But to understand why his work matters, you have to go back nearly 30 years, to another coastline altogether: Aldabra Atoll, part of the Seychelles, one of the last untouched Edens left on Earth.

“My Heart Is Still There”

Levy’s journey began in the mid-1990s. He was 26 and nursing invisible wounds and finding solace underwater—onboard a dive boat in the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. For three years he lived and worked on the boat, as a deck-hand, first mate and a dive instructor and guide, spending many months navigating between remote islands of the Seychelles, mainly in Assomption Island and the Aldabra Atoll.

Aldabra is no ordinary coral ring island. Home to giant tortoises, flightless rails, sacred ibis, and staggering numbers of green and hawksbill turtles, it is so pristine that boats are prohibited from entering its lagoon, and a 40 km radius around it. Access comes only through Assomption Island, a now-threatened outpost with a tiny airstrip, where wealthy tourists fly from Mahe before sailing two hours to what Levy calls “holy land.”

“I kissed the ground,” he recalls. “It is one of the most untouched places in the world… maybe one of the five last places of Eden.”

But Eden is under siege.

Today, Qatari developers with alleged terror-funding links are eyeing Assomption for luxury tourism, a move Levy fears will devastate Aldabra by turning its logistical lifeline into a backdoor for exploitation. Green Prophet was contacted by the developer’s PR company but they have not returned with any answers to our questions. It’s been 2 weeks.

“They will kill Aldabra. No questions asked,” says Levy. “It is one of the most preserved areas of the world.”

“You Are a Scientist”

While in the Seychelles, Levy met Roselle Chapman, a British biologist who would become both his mentor and his love. It was she—and her supervisor, the renowned Seychelles-based turtle researcher Dr. Jeanne Mortimer—who first taught him to track, study, and live among turtles.

“She looked at my maps, my drawings, my charts… and said, ‘You are a researcher.’ That changed my life.”

Levy would spend up to 10 days at a time on Aldabra, and over all every visit for two to three months. Sleeping on the boat or near nesting beaches, diving with manta rays and sharks. He remembers it as “the best diving I ever had.”

His dates with Chapman? “They were at turtle nesting sites.”

From Paradise Lost to Hospital Founder

The boat company in the Seychelles went bankrupt–– the original plan was sailing to Micronesia with a documentary crew with only a brief stopover for drydock and maintenance before heading to Micronesia. He found himself in Ashkelon, Israel and started his Marine Biology undergrad degree in Michmoret as Roselle predicted he should, and then, a turtle washed up.

“It was a loggerhead with a hook deep in its throat,” he recalls. A vet removed the necrotic tissue, and Levy—now reporting the case to the authorities as required by law—caught the attention of Ze’ev Kulur, Israel’s chief turtle biologist on behalf of the National Nature and Parks Authority at the time.

He saved the turtle.

After demonstrating his experience in Israel and on Aldabra, Levy was encouraged to launch a formal turtle rescue initiative. In 1999, he founded what would become the only government-supported turtle hospital in the world—a marine rehabilitation facility with research credentials, surgical suites, and even prosthetic limbs and buoyancy stabilizers designed in-house.

“They are lifers,” Levy says of his breeding turtles, about 30 of them in a large pool swimming together. “They’ve only lived in captivity. I don’t believe they can adapt to live in the wild, but their being here in captivity is with a cause for their whole population, they will reproduce and their hatchlings will return to sea and revive the almost extinct population.”

His 30 baby turtle “children”, now over 20 years old, are given names like Moana, Stitch, and Pocahontas. “I call my human kids my second batch,” he says.

Sea Turtles Have No Borders

Levy has treated over 2,000 sea turtles from Israel, Gaza, and beyond. He sees victims of boat strikes, plastic entanglement, and most disturbingly, war and fishing trauma.

“The booms and the bangs… the turtles suffer,” he says. Explosions in Egypt’s Bardawil Lake, where fishermen still use blast fishing, are particularly devastating. “Soft tissue trauma, inner ear injuries. Shockwave trauma.”

He’s tracked turtles rehabilitated in Michmoret—16 tagged individuals—and most of them returned to these dangerous waters. He’s also seen evidence of dynamite fishing in Lebanon, confirming earlier reports by Green Prophet.

In countries nearby, suspicious people sometimes trap or catch birds, turtles and animals tagged by Israel, calling them spies of the Mossad. They are often, sadly, killed. 

According to Levy, turtle injuries are not always visible. Some are so weak they can no longer float or dive. For these cases, Levy has invented floating slings that suspend turtles partially in water, allowing them to heal without exhausting themselves.

Plastic straws, he says, are a red herring. “The real problem is the polypropylene feed sacks—20kg bags used in livestock farming. Turtles get caught in them and lose fins and many die. That straw video from Costa Rica? It’s not really true about the straws, and maybe he tried the best he could, but what’s killing turtles at sea is something else, Levy tells Green Prophet.

He’s written research papers on this phenomenon, citing feed bags for livestock from Eastern European countries that have made it to the sea. 

A Message from Eden

Levy’s work is both clinical and spiritual. A veterinarian scientist with a PhD, he’s published research on turtle rehabilitation and consults globally on marine conservation. But when asked about fear—of being alone on Aldabra, for instance—his answer is revealing:

“I’m more afraid of people than of animals.”

Though his collaboration with Gaza has decreased—some residents now eat turtles out of protein desperation—he emphasizes empathy. “I don’t judge. I understand.”

He also stresses the regional unity among turtle workers. “Despite the conflict, we work with our Arab neighbors. People who work with turtles are… cool.”

The Israel Sea Turtle Rescue Center will open its breeding program to the public in September, offering hands-on education for children and adults. More than 600 volunteers already help guard nesting sites, relocate eggs to hatcheries, and release baby turtles back to sea.

“This is not just conservation,” Levy says. “It’s about showing that turtles have no borders.”

Assomption Island may seem far away—just a dot on a maritime chart near Mahe—but its fate is linked to our own. The ecological encroachment by luxury developers and the silent suffering of sea turtles in war zones should alarm anyone who cares about nature’s last strongholds.

Sign up for hatching tours and more at the Israel Sea Turtle Rescue Center.

? Learn more: Israel Sea Turtle Rescue Center
? Related: Green Prophet on Seychelles island development threatens Aldabra Atoll
? Take Action: Stop development at Assomption Island. Support the campaign at friendsofaldabra.org

The post Yaniv Levy’s Lifelong Quest to Protect Sea Turtles in a Time of War and Greed appeared first on Green Prophet.

Commonly used for livestock feed—woven sacks act like floating death traps, snaring turtles by the neck or limbs

In a groundbreaking study published in Marine Science, researchers from Israel’s Sea Turtle Rescue Center (ISTRC), the University of Haifa, and Ruppin Academic Center present the first high-resolution monthly growth data for sea turtles in the eastern Mediterranean—and uncover a deadly new threat: entanglement in polypropylene (PP) sacks.

This study, authored by Shir Sassoon, Yair Suari, and Dr. Yaniv Levy, focuses on the “epipelagic phase”—the early life stage of sea turtles when hatchlings drift passively in open water. While most conservation efforts target nesting beaches, this study shifts attention offshore, where plastic pollution silently kills juvenile turtles long before they reach maturity.

Turtle ‘Lost Years’ Finally Found

Sea turtles spend up to a decade adrift in the open sea, a period known to scientists as the “lost years” due to limited data. Using over two decades of rescue records (1999–2020), the team compiled length data from 577 young turtles—both loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and green (Chelonia mydas)—to track monthly growth for the first time in this region.

Findings show that loggerhead turtles grow at an average of 0.76 cm per month during their first 19 months of life, while green turtles grow faster—0.92 cm per month over the first 11 months. These growth rates mirror those found in other parts of the Mediterranean but fill critical knowledge gaps, particularly for green turtles during this early life stage.

Seasonal fluctuations in growth were also observed, with reduced rates in winter months, highlighting the sensitivity of juvenile turtles to environmental conditions.

Polypropylene: A Lethal Trap

But the most shocking discovery wasn’t about how turtles grow—it was about how they’re dying.

Out of 324 injured epipelagic phase turtles treated at the ISTRC, nearly half (48%) were entangled in woven polypropylene sacks. These sacks—commonly used for livestock feed—act like floating death traps, snaring turtles by the neck or limbs. Many were so severely injured that they required amputations; 12% died from their injuries.

Loggerhead turtles were most affected, particularly during the summer months. Between 2008 and 2020, PP sack entanglements surged from just 20% to 75% of all epipelagic injury cases. The number of incidents jumped significantly after 2017, suggesting a new pattern in maritime waste disposal.

These sacks are strong, lightweight, and slow to degrade—perfect for transport, devastating for marine life. When researchers traced the logos on the sacks, they found origins from as far as Romania, Russia, and Greece, mostly linked to livestock shipping.

“The threads unravel and act like tourniquets,” says Dr. Yaniv Levy, director of ISTRC. “We see turtles arrive unable to swim, starved, and in pain. Many suffer limb loss or systemic infections.”

Floating sacks may mimic natural cover like Sargassum seaweed, attracting juvenile turtles who use them as shelter. Once entangled, turtles often cannot free themselves.

ISTRC is uniquely positioned to collect long-term health and injury data. Their clinical records have helped transform the hospital into a research center that informs both policy and turtle care. Turtles are triaged with CT scans, blood tests, and X-rays, and their rehabilitation includes custom slings, IVs, and even prosthetics.

Rehabilitated turtles are typically released after two months of care, but the team notes that many never reach land for rescue. The actual impact is likely far greater than reported.

Policy Implications

The study urges international regulation on maritime waste, especially from livestock carriers. The team tracked suspect ships using Automatic Identification Systems (AIS), identifying several that sail regularly through Israeli waters but do not dock—making legal accountability difficult. There is a natural current that causes plastic sacks tossed illegally off the ship into the sea, to end up on the Levantine shores where they entangle juvenile turtles. Some plastics are believed to be dumped close to show where they blow into the sea.

A proposed bill in the Israeli Knesset calls for an end to live animal shipments, which would reduce sack and marine waste dramatically. It would also reduce undue animal suffering while being shipped for slaughter while alive at sea. Meanwhile, the study suggests declaring protected marine zones and enhancing multinational enforcement to curb this specific pollutant.

The epipelagic phase is one of the most vulnerable life stages for sea turtles. And while global conservation has made strides in nesting beach protection, this study shows that the open sea remains a lawless frontier.

If you live near a marine environment and find a turtle entangled in plastics, it’s important not to remove it without a veterinarian, says Levy. The plastic can cause reduced blood flow and necrotic tissue and removing it puts poisoned blood into the turtle. The turtle above explains what a vet needs to do to treat the turtle. First a round of antibiotics.

The problem with turtles is feed sacks, not plastic straws, Levy emphasizes.

“Plastic pollution regulations must be extended to pelagic zones,” the authors write in the paper. “We need international collaboration and enforcement—not just for turtles, but for the oceans.”

As Dr. Levy notes, these early-stage turtles are not just victims—they’re indicators. “They’re telling us where our waste ends up, and how fast we need to act.”

The post The Rising Threat of Woven Plastic Sacks to Eastern Mediterranean Sea Turtles appeared first on Green Prophet.

It had been hundreds of years since a non-motorized vessel had traveled such a distance, guided only by the stars. Last weekend, a historic 18-day double-hulled canoe voyage was completed from the archipelago of Palau to Orchid Island, a remote feature in southeastern Taiwan.

The GPS-free team of eleven was led by Sesario Sewralur, who inherited the love of sailing from his father, legendary navigator Mau Piailug. The journey was co-sponsored by the Taitung County Government and the Micronesian Voyaging Society, as a cross-cultural exchange to honor shared regional conservation values and seafaring techniques.

Image retrieved from Taipei Times.

In Palau, living in harmony with the environment is at society’s core. The customary practice of bul empowers the Council of Chiefs, Palau’s highest-ranking group of traditional leaders, to place and maintain moratoriums on the harvest of natural resources to prevent overconsumption. Local fishing is generally prohibited based on these measures.

The island nation established the world’s first shark sanctuary in 2009. In 2015, it designated 80 percent of its waters as a national marine sanctuary. Earth Day is expanded to the entire month of April.

While Palau is known for its lush land and seascapes, impressive biodiversity lies in particular within marine ecosystems. A paradise for snorkelers and divers, Palau is home to some of the Indo-Pacific’s most thriving reefs, which constitute one of the “seven underwater wonders of the world.” Now say that five times fast.

Image retrieved from Great Barrier Reef Foundation.

Palau is a prime tropical destination—but it’s just about in the middle of nowhere. Widespread sustainability efforts aim to offset the carbon footprint intensified by tourism. Many eco-tourism experiences involve nature excursions and one-of-a-kind experiences drawing on traditional knowledge and practices in such realms as culinary arts or handicrafts.

For visitors to Palau looking to gamify their stay in-country, Ol’au Palau is an app rewarding environmental stewardship with special access to local heritage sites. Though the transaction happens on a screen, it promotes on-site engagement for fuller meaning-making.

As of 2017, Palau also requires visitors to sign the Palau Pledge, a code of conduct stamped into their passports at international arrivals. Entry into the country hinges on signing on the line, promising to the Children of Palau to exercise awareness and shared responsibility for Palau’s ecological and cultural preservation.

Image retrieved from Palau Pledge website.

The Palau Pledge goes like this:

“Children of Palau, I take this pledge, as your guest,

To preserve and protect your beautiful and unique island home.

I vow to treat lightly, act kindly and explore mindfully.

I shall not take what is not given.

I shall not harm what does not harm me.

The only footprints I shall leave are those that will wash away.”

According to Palauan legend, a two-headed eel grew with one head on either side of a rock, each unaware of the other. The snakes starved as they pulled each other to go after prey, before realizing they were linked. Only then did they put their heads together, working together to thrive.

We are already aware we are linked. Palau may be one of the most isolated countries on earth, but we are all connected by the waters which lap at its shores.

The Palau Pledge is a refreshingly humanitarian immigration policy, inspiring us to respect and protect our surroundings both near and far. Should other countries follow Palau’s lead?

The post Palau: The place, the pledge, the legends appeared first on Green Prophet.

Kelp forests are some of the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth. We might know kelp as a superfood but in the sea it provides shelter, food, and breeding grounds for countless marine species. Unfortunately, these vital underwater habitats are in decline due to factors like climate change, pollution, and overfishing. With millions of divers exploring the world’s oceans, there’s a unique opportunity to engage the dive community in protecting these ecosystems. And we want to show you how by interviewing a leading expert in the field who also dives! Meet Dana Janke from Canada!

Dana Janke, Seaforestation Coordinator, B.Sc, B.I.T. from Ocean Wise, tells us that divers can help by participating in citizen science programs, joining underwater clean-ups, and following sustainable diving practices to minimize disturbance to fragile kelp habitats.

Engaging divers in kelp forest preservation not only aids conservation efforts but also fosters a deeper appreciation for these underwater forests and the roles they play in ocean health. Through education and responsible diving, divers can contribute to the restoration and preservation of kelp forests, safeguarding these incredible ecosystems for future generations.

1. There are millions of divers worldwide, many traveling to remote locations with extensive kelp forests. Can you list the top 10 most important kelp forests that intersect with recreational diving? For example, are there kelp forests in places like Egypt, where many US and European divers go? How can they get involved?

North Vancouver Island, especially Port Hardy, has beautiful kelp forests that attract divers globally. In my opinion, it’s some of the best diving in the world. Other top kelp forest diving locations include Monterey Bay and the Channel Islands in California, the Cape Town region in South Africa, Tasmania and Southern Australia, Norway, Japan, New Zealand, and the Strait of Juan de Fuca (BC and Washington).

Kelp is generally associated with cold waters, so it’s unlikely you’d find kelp forests in Egypt that resemble those in the Ocean Wise and Kelp Forest Alliance’s “Monitoring Kelp Forest Ecosystems” guidebook.

2. How can divers help kelp forests if they lack a background in marine biology?

The first step is to learn a bit about local marine life! One of my favorite parts of diving is discovering underwater critters and algae, then searching for them in ID books after the dive. I love Marine Life of the Pacific Northwest: A Photographic Encyclopedia of Invertebrates, Seaweeds, and Selected Fishes by Andy Lamb and Bernard P. Hanby, as it covers a lot of marine life in the Pacific Northwest. I recommend asking your local dive shop for ID book suggestions for your area.

Participating in clean-up dives is also helpful. Pollution significantly impacts ocean health, so any opportunity we, as a dive community, can take to care for the ocean is essential.

3. How can dive centers create training material to add kelp forest preservation to their sustainable travel practices?

A great start is hosting educational workshops—virtual or in-person—that teach divers about the importance of kelp forests and the stressors causing their decline. Helping divers understand the many benefits of kelp forests is the first step.

Next, hands-on experience and training are key, starting with how to ID kelp species underwater (it can be challenging!). Ocean Wise and the Kelp Forest Alliance’s Monitoring Kelp Forest Ecosystems Guidebook offers step-by-step instructions on monitoring various metrics. Dive centers can use it to create training materials on dive monitoring techniques and recognizing signs of kelp health decline.

4. Can individual divers make a difference? How? What’s the biggest impact?

Yes! Individual divers can significantly impact by collecting data, raising awareness, and promoting responsible diving. Citizen science is critical in expanding scientific knowledge, as data collection is time-consuming and costly. Data from citizen scientists is becoming increasingly valuable for research.

Many organizations utilize citizen science in kelp forest research. Kelp Tracker 2.0, a web-based platform by The Nature Conservancy Australia, allows divers to map and record kelp observations along the Tasmanian and Australian coasts, informing local restoration projects. The Puget Sound Restoration Fund’s All Eyes on Deck project, in partnership with Reef Check Foundation, trains volunteer divers on species identification and survey protocols to collect data on kelp forest health in the Pacific Northwest. Platforms like iNaturalist also allow users to record species observations and validate identifications, providing invaluable data for science and conservation.

I suggest finding citizen science dive programs in your area and getting involved. Knowledge gaps on kelp status and health exist, and programs like these help close them over time.

5. Can divers be harmful to kelp forests? Are there places they should avoid?

Divers can be detrimental to kelp forests. These forests are often dense and challenging to navigate, so it’s easy to disturb or damage them, especially if you’re new to diving. Diving lets us explore often-overlooked underwater worlds, but it’s essential to dive respectfully. If you’re a beginner or haven’t mastered skills like buoyancy, I suggest avoiding kelp forests until you’re more experienced. Also, consider diving with a local guide who knows the sites well and can guide you through a safe, low-impact dive. Remember to take only photos, leave only bubbles, and respect the underwater flora and fauna (no touching!). Know your limits and stay within them.

6. Could universities partner with dive centers to train divers who are also biologists?

That’s a fantastic idea! While we don’t currently have a specific program, we are exploring a volunteer-driven program for 2025 and beyond. We’ll keep you in the loop!

The post How cold water divers can save kelp forests appeared first on Green Prophet.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has welcomed the approval by UN member states of a landmark legally binding agreement, under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity in international waters, covering nearly two-thirds of world’s ocean. The world’s oceans are in trouble from over-fishing, pollution, plastic, climate change. 

The FAO is set to support its members in implementing the accord, often referred to as the “High Seas Treaty”, on safeguarding Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), which has been under discussion for nearly two decades and was approved at an intergovernmental conference in New York on 19 June after 5 negotiating sessions.  

Treaty marks new heights for marine protection

The BBNJ Agreement “is of great importance to our efforts to tackle environmental challenges and promote the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity on the high seas,” said Manuel Barange, director of FAO’s Fisheries and Aquaculture Division.

The agreement “enables us to complete the legal and institutional framework for global ocean governance and as a result manage and conserve our precious marine living resources more effectively,” Barange said.

The FAO has consistently advocated for sustainable and effective fisheries management as the best way to replenish stocks, conserving biodiversity and ensuring people continue to benefit from the ocean’s resources, including the high seas. 

In tackling biodiversity challenges, including those in areas beyond national jurisdiction, the Organization argues that lasting progress can only be achieved through sustainable practices that enable humans to restore the health of marine ecosystems as part of effective management solutions. 

As the only intergovernmental organization mandated to undertake the collection, compilation, analysis and distribution of global fisheries and aquaculture data, the FAO has played a crucial role in informing the treaty process and will assist in the implementation of this new legally binding instrument.

Groundwork already laid

Working with its partners through the Common Oceans Program, FAO has already laid the groundwork for change in the ocean governance of shared marine waters.  Between 2014-2019, the program helped to establish 18 new areas to protect vulnerable marine ecosystems, contributed to the reduction of marine pollution and rebuilt tuna stocks to more sustainable levels. It has also helped to lower the bycatch, or discarding by fishers of such species as dolphins and porpoises in the Indian Ocean and the threat to marine turtles in the Pacific Ocean, as well as to build capacity on the BBNJ process and foster public-private partnerships. 

The post New High Seas treaty set by the UN to protect marine life appeared first on Green Prophet.

The United Arab Emirates has passed resolution 500 in an effort to curb shark finning and protect endangered species. Currently a hub for the shark trade, the United Arab Emirates (the UAE) will implement the new laws on September 1, 2014.

The new laws prohibit fishermen from catching sharks within five nautical miles off shore, and within three nautical miles of the islands scattered throughout the UAE. Also, any animals protected by the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

This includes three species of hammerhead sharks.

While the new laws prohibit the export of sharks caught in UAE waters, whether they are smoked, fresh, dried, salted, frozen or canned, imports are acceptable and re-export of some shark species will also be permitted.

Although it could have been more, it is a positive step,” filmmaker and conservationist Jonathan Ali Khan told The National, adding the resolution defines the issue of shark fishing and trade more clearly and is “an important move forward”.

Related: Dubai marine life at risk after devastating shark catch

Fishermen will still be able to import sharks from Oman and Yemen, which is currently common practice according to The National, but detailed paperwork, which includes a certificate or origin, the shark’s scientific name, and a health certificate, will be required before those sharks can be exported to other countries.

Additional certification issued by the Ministry of Environment and Water will be required to trade sharks protected by CITES.

This is designed to protect endangered species and prevent finning, but there is some concern over whether customs officials and other authorities will be able to identify the sharks that need protection.

“The numbers of landed sharks from UAE waters are not the main issue, it is the re-export,” Ali Khan told The National.

“Will sharks coming from Oman and other countries be slowed down because of the paperwork? That is the real question.”

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Lion Cub Shot Dead in Egypt

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