{jb_quote}No magician ever produced more from an empty hat than a single sweep of the net would reveal under the barest bit of sargassum weed.{/jb_quote}

~ William Beebe

 About BASS

Greenrock is a proud partner in the Bermuda Alliance for Sargasso Sea (BASS) — a collaboration of ten leading conservation and scientific organisations seeking to protect the rich  biodiversity of the Sargasso Sea.

BASS was formed to support efforts by the SSA (made up of Bermuda government and its international partners) to ensure that the globally significant natural environment and unique biological richness of the Sargasso Sea is conserved for present and future generations.

BASS members are Atlantic Conservation Partnership; Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute; Bermuda National Trust; Greenrock; Bermuda Institute of Ocean Science; Bermuda Sloop Foundation; LookBermuda Education Foundation; National Museum of Bermuda; Bermuda Audubon Society; and Bermuda Zoological Society.

BASS Goal

The goal of BASS is to support efforts by the SSA (made up of Bermuda government and its international partners) to ensure that the globally significant natural environment and unique biological richness of the Sargasso Sea is conserved for present and future generations. BASS commits to encourage and assist in these efforts, and to promote the unique cultural relevance of the Sargasso Sea to Bermuda, through advocacy, education and research.

What is the Sargasso Sea Alliance (SSA)?

Launched in 2010, the Sargasso Sea Alliance (SSA) is a partnership led by the Bermuda Government, in collaboration with scientists, international marine conservation groups and private donors, who all share a vision of protecting the unique and vulnerable ocean ecosystem that is the Sargasso Sea.

To learn more about The Sargasso Sea Alliance, visit the Sargasso Sea Alliance official website — www.sargassoalliance.org.

What is the Sargasso Sea?

The Sargasso Sea is a very special and unique place – an ocean within an ocean; a 'sea' without shores that covers nearly five-million square kilometres. Bermuda is the only land mass within the Sargasso Sea.

The Gulf Stream and North Atlantic Drift form the western and northern boundaries, the Canary Current forms the eastern boundary, and the North Equatorial Current and Antilles Current form the southern boundary.

 Last June Greenrock and BASS sponsored a series of explorations of the Sargasso Sea on the Sea Dragon - you can find the final report here.

Why Protect the Sargasso Sea? 

Oceanographer Sylvia Earle has called the Sargasso Sea the "golden floating rainforest of the Atlantic Ocean".

Within this large system of rotating ocean currents (or ocean gyre), drifting with the wind and the currents are floating islands of Sargassum seaweed that support a remarkable web of life - and provide the sea with its name.

Any protection within Bermuda’s Exclusive Economic Zone — the waters within a 200-mile radius of Bermuda — would represent a major contribution to the conservation of marine biodiversity in the Sargasso Sea.

To learn more about why the Sargasso Sea should be protected, watch the video or follow the links below;

• The Sargasso Sea should be protected
• The Sargasso Sea - Why We Should Care
• Adopting The Sargasso Sea & Adapting to Life in the Sargasso
• Global Ocean Legacy - Bermuda

The Proposed "Blue Halo" marine reserve

The "Blue Halo" is the proposed marine reserve that will encompass much of  Bermuda's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) — the waters within a 200-mile radius of Bermuda — within the Sargasso Sea. By creating the marine reserve, Bermuda will show the world that we are serious about preserving our ocean environment for future generations.

The actual size of the reserve will be determined through public consultation. If we grasp this opportunity and vote for a marine reserve which goes from 50nm to 200nm we will be protecting our greatest assets and those of our children. These assets are currently unprotected, allowing foreign fishing vessels to trawl in our waters without any deterrence. Creating a legal entity: an internationally recognised marine reserve, we will be creating a living legacy without making very much difference to how we use our EEZ.

To learn more about The Bermuda Blue Halo, watch the video below or visit the Bermuda Blue Halo official website — www.bermudabluehalo.org.

Contact

For more information, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..