Ocean Conservation Society

“The Secret Life of a Sea Turtle,” written by our OCS President Dr. Maddalena Bearzi, has been honored as one of Science Friday’s “10 Great Nature Books for Kids.”

"Birds aren’t the only animals that migrate! Sea turtles can also travel long distances, returning to lay their eggs on the same sandy beaches where they hatched. This beautifully illustrated nonfiction story of a female green sea turtle shares more than accurate science; it creates a compelling and powerful adventure. “I really connected with ‘The Secret Life of the Sea Turtles,’ and wondered where their journey would take them.”
(Sandy Roberts, Science Friday, June 15, 2026)

https://www.sciencefriday.com/articles/best-kids-science-books-nature/?utm_source=social&utm_medium=shortlink&utm_campaign=education

Book available here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250901675/thesecretlifeofaseaturtle/

Science Friday Macmillan Publishers MacKids Books

Learn something new with OCS every week — and this time we’re diving into the wild, color‑shifting world of cuttlefish.

Good news for Tortellini, Rotini, and Cavatappi!

The three sea lions are finally returning to the ocean off Los Angeles after recovery at Marine Mammal Care.
Tortellini and Rotini were found at Dockweiler Beach, and Cavatappi on the beach in El Segundo in mid-April. All three were malnourished, apparently because they had been unable to find food.
"The growing number of marine mammal rescues is an indicator of what climate change means to land mammals, including humans. For sea lion pups, climate change has meant increased competition for food, damage to their coastal habitats, and more frequent poisonings from toxic algal blooms."

In the image: Tortellini gallops to the water, cheered on by fans. Photo by K. Cody

learn more here: https://easyreadernews.com/tortellini-rotini-and-cavatappi-return-home-to-the-sea-after-recovery-at-marine-mammal-care-center/

MORE BAD NEWS FOR WHALES - More Gray Whales Are Visiting San Francisco Bay, and Many Die There

A recent study revealed that gray whales in San Francisco Bay are dying at alarming rates. Nearly 1 in 5 whales that come into the Bay don't make it out alive, and many are being killed by ship strikes. But why are the gray whales there in the first place?

Climate impacts are decimating the Arctic food chain. Arctic sea ice is melting earlier, and phytoplankton are disappearing far too soon. As these impacts travel up the food chain, hungry gray whales are changing their long-traveled migration routes in search of food … including journeying into the foggy, heavily-trafficked waters of San Francisco.

The Arctic may be thousands of miles away from San Francisco Bay, but the ecosystem problems happening there have impacts more far-reaching than first meets the eye.

🗞️ Read more about these recent whale deaths in The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/13/climate/gray-whales-san-francisco-bay.html

📸 The New York Times

More Gray Whales Are Visiting San Francisco Bay, and Many Die There The animals might be entering the Bay in search of food as climate change disrupts traditional sources. They face huge risks from ships in the area.