Haint Blue

Fishes on a deep reef in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Photo: Greg McFall/NOAA Claire Rapp is a student in the Masters of Coastal and Ocean Policy program at UNC Wilmington. She is a 2015 graduate from Bucknell University with a BS in biology. Claire demonstrates her a passion for marine environmental conservation by working with organizations such as, the Central Caribbean Marine Institute in Little Cayman and the NC Coastal Federation to bridge the gap between science and policy through education. Global demand for seafood and fish oil result in destructive fishing practices and pollution that harm the health of the ocean. Conflict between consumption and conservation demands drive controversy over the extent of ocean closures in marine protected areas (MPAs). Scientists often use biodiversity- the variety of life- to measure the health of the ocean. The more biodiversity the ocean has, the more resilient it is to disturbances. Scientific research, howeve...

Colleen Walsh is a student in the Masters of Coastal and Ocean Policy program at UNC Wilmington. She received her bachelors in Environmental Studies and Coastal Management from Eckerd College in 2017. Colleen uses Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to visually convey environmental issues in hopes of bridging the educational gaps between scientists, policy makers, and citizens. Block Island Offshore Wind Farm (Photo: Kayana Szmczak of  The New York Times ) Proponents of offshore wind contend that it will curtail CO2 emissions and boost US energy independence without further strain on the limited available land. The northeast coast provides optimal wind speeds for energy generation and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has already identified several areas suitable for leasing to wind developers. There is broad support from advancing growth in renewable energy and improving its energy independence as evidenced in the mission statements of the Environmental Pr...