Erika Lopez is named July 2024 Sea Hero for her work with the Colombian government to create a management plan to address illegal fishing and to champion a sanctuary in Malpelo Islands.

Divers play a crucial role in preserving the environments we cherish. Discover how one diver's outlook on ocean pollution transformed after participating in the largest organized cleanup in the Florida Keys.

Coral conservation in the Bahamas and across the Caribbean region is in full swing after a warming event caused historic bleaching. Scientists and nonprofits rely on coral tree nurseries, gene banking and outplanting tiny coral fragments back onto the reefs to restore areas that have been decimated.

On April 5, 2024, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium responded to rescue a distressed smalltooth sawfish after someone called the sawfish hotline; the animal was seen swimming in circles in a Cudjoe Bay canal in the Florida Keys.

Increasing water temperatures can spell disaster for kelp, underwater sea forests that are home to hundreds of species. Spore banks actively work to rescue and regrow kelp in distress

Spearing lionfish and feeding them to non-native predators has long been touted as a conservation-friendly solution to the invasive lionfish problem, but it can have serious consequences for divers.

Since February 2023, record-high global sea surface temperatures have stressed corals, leading to a fourth global bleaching event. Fifty-four countries and territories spanning all ocean basins—Atlantic, Pacific and Indian—have reported severe coral bleaching.

Jessica Pate's dedication to conserving the majestic rays of Florida through identification and education make her this month's sea hero.

The organization ReShark works to help threatened shark populations bounce back in a unique way.