The Blue Beat

By David Helvarg Environmental trends such as declining sources of potable fresh-water and the recognized need to restore and give full economic value to natural water recharging services derived from watersheds, forests, wetlands, etc. pose global security issues. Fifty years ago top White House Science and technology advisors saw the solution to future water shortages, […]

By David Helvarg Commercial diving may be romantic, but our track record for safety lags far behind that of Europe. Do we need tougher regulations? Sixty feet below the water’s surface off Key Largo, the Aquarius, the last underwater science habitat in the world, was caught in a maelstrom. As Hurricane Gordon’s churning waves battered […]

By David Helvarg Pity the poor abalone, too tasty for its own good When I first moved to San Diego in the 1970s, you could free dive for abalone in the kelp beds off Point Loma. Pounded, trimmed, seasoned, and pan-fried, it was an extraordinarily tasty mollusk; consequently our cliffside house was littered with the […]

By David Helvarg Across America, Activists are Fighting to Save Our Living Oceans Just a few miles south of Crocodile Lake in the Florida Keys, the Marine Mammal Conservancy is working to sustain and restore the worldâs oceans one fish at a time. As a volunteer, Iâm one of 16 people, including five children, standing […]

14 Jan 2003 By David Helvarg Is the U.S. prepared for a major oil spill in its waters? In the wake of November’s massive oil spill off the coast of Spain that continues to despoil hundreds of miles of undeveloped shoreline, disrupt vast fisheries, and jeopardize the livelihoods of the people who depend on them, […]