Time Magazine has highlighted the Island's innovative environmental research in an article out now.

The story entitled "Saving our Oceans" features Bermuda's efforts to declare the Sargasso Sea a marine protected area (MPA).

It chronicles oceanographer Silvia Earles who travelled to the Island, on the western edge of the Sargasso Sea, to see ocean life she fought long to protect.

Ms Earles, who has studied and written about the sea for nearly half a century, is trying to create marine protected areas just like conservation areas exist on land.

The MPA project could potentially create one of the largest protected areas of ocean on the planet.

Written by Bryan Walsh, who also profiled the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS) in the Time online earlier this month, the article includes interviews with both the Bermuda Government and BIOS. It describes the Island's long history of conservation, going back to 1670, when laws prohibited the slaughter of young sea turtles.

It goes up to today's efforts by Department of Conservation Services and BIOS, whose scientists have been closely studying the Sargasso Sea.

Environment Minister Glenn Blakeney announced that Bermuda was to be featured in the U.S. publication last week.

He said: "As Bermuda is the only land mass within the Sargasso Sea, our local scientific and environmental community, in partnership with the foreign Commonwealth Office, Bermuda Government and overseas organisations, set about making this MPA a reality. We simply couldn't ask for better publicity.

"Potentially tens of millions of people around the world will this week read about Bermuda and the environmental research for which we are becoming world leaders."

Premier Ewart Brown also said last week: "When an international publication of the calibre and reputation of Time takes interest in our Island and positive work coming from the Ministry of the Environment, it is good news for Bermuda.

"With the coming threat of dramatic global environmental change, it is clear that the nations of the world must unite to protect vulnerable ecosystems. With so few of the world's oceans being protected, this is an important cause, and one with which Bermuda is proud to be associated."

To see the Time online article visit http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2020806_2020805_2020796,00.html.