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An initiative of the Center for Biological Diversity

An initiative of the Center for Biological Diversity

Environmental Truth & Justice

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Rick MacPherson

is a recently retired ocean conservation biologist with nearly 40 years of experience advancing community-based conservation around the world. He’s now launched Ocean Hoptimism: an SF Bay Area initiative uniting ocean science, art, policy, and community over a pint to inspire resilient optimism for our blue planet.
https://bsky.app/profile/oceanhoptimism.org https://www.oceanhoptimism.org/
Commentaries

Reflections on What Endures in Conservation

A meditation on building the future without forgetting what already works.
May 15, 2026
by
Rick MacPherson
A meditation on building the future without forgetting what already works.
Commentaries

The Work Behind the Win: The Long, Collective Effort Behind the Moments Conservation Celebrates

Conservation victories often look like moments. In reality they’re the visible tip of years — sometimes decades — of work, and we all too often fail to recognize the people responsible.
April 3, 2026
by
Rick MacPherson
Conservation victories often look like moments. In reality they’re the visible tip of years — sometimes decades — of work, and we all too often fail to recognize the people responsible.
A colorful sea slug on the ocean floor
Commentaries

The Nudibranch That Broke in Two

A meditation on observation, revision, and the quiet thrill of being wrong — and what all of that means for conservation.
March 4, 2026
by
Rick MacPherson
A meditation on observation, revision, and the quiet thrill of being wrong — and what all of that means for conservation.
Ocean waves crashing
Commentaries

How to Transform 30×30 From a Political Slogan Into an Ecological Reality

The recently enacted High Seas Treaty offers an opportunity to protect the ocean like never before.
February 4, 2026
by
Rick MacPherson
The recently enacted High Seas Treaty offers an opportunity to protect the ocean like never before.
A flock or birds flies over and is reflected in a body of water; sun glows through fog or mist
Commentaries

The Seduction of Despair, the Persistence of Possibility

Hope comes from the stubborn work of refusing to abandon what’s wild. Here’s how to keep moving forward.
January 9, 2026
by
Rick MacPherson
Hope comes from the stubborn work of refusing to abandon what’s wild. Here’s how to keep moving forward.
Commentaries

Spandrels of the Sea: From Evolution’s Byproducts to Blueprints for Equity and Representation in Ocean Conservation

Unintended consequences can become indispensable — in architecture and in efforts to preserve life on Earth.
December 10, 2025
by
Rick MacPherson
Unintended consequences can become indispensable — in architecture and in efforts to preserve life on Earth.
Voices

Ghost Reefs of 2083: The Paleontology of Color (A Speculative ‘Fiction’)

What will the loss of coral reefs cost the planet — and humanity?
November 12, 2025
by
Rick MacPherson
What will the loss of coral reefs cost the planet — and humanity?

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