Ocean Realm Society is the producer of the annual State of the Oceans Summit (SOS). Click here for information on the 2010 summit.

After the successful two-year campaign to end Alibaba.com's online trading of shark parts - the Ocean Realm Society is now focusing its attention to the problem of plastic waste in the ocean.

Marine trash, mainly plastic, is killing more than a million seabirds and 100,000 mammals and sea turtles each year. Plastic bags, bottle tops and polystyrene foam coffee cups are often found in the stomachs of dead sea lions, dolphins, sea turtles and others. In the sea, big pieces of plastic look like jellyfish or squid, while small pieces look like fish egg,

About 250 billion pounds of raw plastic pellets are produced annually worldwide and turned into a tremendous variety of products, from cars and computers to packaging and pens.About 20 percent of the plastic in the oceans comes from ships or offshore platforms; the rest is blown, washed off the land or intentionally dumped.

Not only does plastic kill marine animals that eat it or get tangled in it and drown, but it also damages and degrades their habitat. Plastic pellets are also magnets for toxic chemicals like DDT and PCBs, becoming, in effect, poison pills.

Ocean Realm pledges to support the reduction of plastic ocean waste by

* Improving the general public's awareness, concern, and attitude towards littering;

* Promoting the reduction of the use of plastic and other materials for disposable packaging; and

* Encouraging the enforcement of existing laws, especially at sea, to punish habitual litterers.

Please take a moment to watch this excellent documentary, Pelagic Plastic Plague produced by Bill MacDonald, high lighting the alarming problem of plastic ocean waste. Click HERE.



Ocean Realm Soicety supports the promotion and use of biodegradable "TO GO" take out products such as those produced by New Biodegradable Eco Packaging Products > www.newbiodegradable.com.

Have an opinion? Question? Solution? Please visit our Weblog and enter a post! Ocean Realm Society WebLog.

Alibaba.com To Discontinue Online Shark Parts Trading Web Site

After two years of discussions, negotiations, environmental organization pressure and media campaigns - Alibaba.com has finally agreed to end the practice of online shark parts trading via their internet platform.

Congratulations are in order for Wolfgang Leander, Ocean Realm Society Director of Shark Preservation, for first bringing the online trading issue to the public during the fall of 2006, prompting the Ocean Realm Society to launch the "Fear Man" anti-Alibaba.com public awareness campaign.

Additional congratulations go to Brian Darvell in Hong Kong, for his tireless pursuit of Alibaba which have now resulted in Alibaba's decision to discontinue online shark trading.

"I have been assured by the company that the intention is that all Alibaba group web sites will be shark fin-free on January 1st, 2009. Essentially, the decision that was made for Taobao applies to the whole of the company," Darvell recently announced."

Of course, kudos to the dozens of other organizations and media that joined the campaign and the "Respect & Protect Sharks" alliance as well and the continued efforts of everyone on the "The Shark Group."

This is a fitting and timely announcement during the YEAR OF THE SHARK.

Lastly, congratulations to the executive management of Alibaba.com for their understanding of the dire end results of shark parts trading and for their courage to make the decision to cease online trading via the Alibaba.com platform.

Richard H. Stewart - Executive Director

About the Ocean Realm Society

Established in 2001 by Richard H. Stewart IV - ocean explorer, photojournalist and founding publisher of Sport Diver magazine and currently Editor-in-Chief of the Ocean Realm Journal - the Ocean Realm Society was created to bring together like-minded people in search of unique experineces that combined ocean preservation with ocean adventures in nature.

The Ocean Realm Society is fast becoming the central resource with the latest news and activities to "all things ocean" related such as; ecological and environmental issues, scuba, snorkeling, kayaking, ocean adventures, destinations and travel as well as - science and technology developments, marine art and digital imaging and more.

Membership is FREE or, can be upgraded to a Charter catagory.



Standard Membership: Free!

<> Includes all online PDF editions of the printed coffee-table quality, society publication - a glossy, 100+ page, full-color journal featuring breathtaking above and below images and tantalizing, entertaining and informative content. See N2 here.

<> Full access to all web resources; OceanRealmNews.com, OceanRealmDirectory.com, OceanRealmChannel.com and OceanRealmRadio.com.

<> Monthly Ocean Realm Updates Newsletter.

<> Children's entertainment and educational resources at OceanRealmKids.com.

<> Discounts on products featured at OceanRealmCollection.com.

<> Discounts on adventure travel, expedition packages and insurance discounts (5-20%) featured at OceanRealmEcoAdventures.com and OceanRealmEcoExpeditions.com.

To join the standard membership, click here >>>>>.


Charter Membership: $30

Includes three print editions of the collector's publication - Ocean Realm Journal, plus all standard benefits.

To join Charter Membership / Journal subscription, pick your residency HERE: