The Last Days of the Ocean

We’re Pushing Our Seas to the Brink. Can They be Saved? A <i>Mother Jones</i> special report.

Illustration By: Yuko Shimizu

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The Fate of the Ocean



Assaulted by pollution, overfishing, climate change, trash, and noise, our oceans are approaching a point of no return. The health of the world they feed and protect won’t be far behind.

P L U S :

arrowWhales hit the beaches

arrowPolar bears face extinction

The Catch



If America’s fisheries are regulated, how can they be overfished? Because the regulators and the fishermen are one and the same.
P L U S :

arrowThe ocean’s top enemies

arrowA field guide to failing fish

Net Losses



How a football tycoon took George H. W. Bush’s oil company and used it to declare war on the fish that built America.

Navigating the Catch of the Day



Overfishing…mercury…but they taste so good! How to eat fish without fear

Online Exlusives

M O R E    S T O R I E S



Should this threatened fish be an essential part of your healthy diet?



Filmmaker and conservationist Hardy Jones on reasons for hope in a sea of troubles.



Two “ocean champions” say the problems of the ocean are fundamentally political–and so are the solutions.



The editor of Sport Fishing magazine says many recreational fishers are conservationists at heart.



Thought whale hunting was a thing of the past? Think again.



A science journalist evaluates media coverage of the oceans beat.



A Bay Area activist raises awareness about contaminated seafood.



The EPA is supposed to protect our rivers and oceans. However, …



How to distinguish groups doing good from ones that just sound good.

T H E    I S S U E S    E X P L A I N E D

A C T   N O W

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LET’S TALK ABOUT OPTIMISM FOR A CHANGE

Democracy and journalism are in crisis mode—and have been for a while. So how about doing something different?

Mother Jones did. We just merged with the Center for Investigative Reporting, bringing the radio show Reveal, the documentary film team CIR Studios, and Mother Jones together as one bigger, bolder investigative journalism nonprofit.

And this is the first time we’re asking you to support the new organization we’re building. In “Less Dreading, More Doing,” we lay it all out for you: why we merged, how we’re stronger together, why we’re optimistic about the work ahead, and why we need to raise the First $500,000 in online donations by June 22.

It won’t be easy. There are many exciting new things to share with you, but spoiler: Wiggle room in our budget is not among them. We can’t afford missing these goals. We need this to be a big one. Falling flat would be utterly devastating right now.

A First $500,000 donation of $500, $50, or $5 would mean the world to us—a signal that you believe in the power of independent investigative reporting like we do. And whether you can pitch in or not, we have a free Strengthen Journalism sticker for you so you can help us spread the word and make the most of this huge moment.

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