Rare changes in wind patterns this fall have caused the Pacific Ocean off our coast to warm to historic levels, according to scientists. In mid-October, it was 65 degrees off the Farallon Islands and in Monterey Bay; in most years, water temperatures in those areas would be in the high 50s or low 60s.
From Mexico to Alaska, starfish have been mysteriously melting for more than a year. When a starfish first gets sick, its arms pretzel up and white lesions form on its skin. Next, the starfish, normally plush with water absorbed to… Read More ›
“Microbeads have only been around for the last decade. There’s significant indications that the L.A. River is affected and there’s evidence that it’s already finding their way to our aquifers,” says Bloom.
Dead zones, or ocean hypoxia, is in the news this week. Besides the Gulf of Mexico dead zones, the Chesapeake Bay has struggled with oxygen depleted water as well. The following is an abbreviated report from the Washington Post. Three… Read More ›
The gulf dead zone is only one piece of a larger, environmental problem with U.S. agriculture and watershed issues, however. The gulf just happens to be one of the areas where effects of agricultural practices and pollution are more visible. These kind of problems, though, are far reaching, effect the whole country and are heavily tied to government and industry.
From Hamish Broome, Northern Star, 7 November 2014. Article. They call it climate change’s “evil twin”. About a third of all carbon dioxide in the atmosphere gets absorbed by the ocean, creating a nasty process called ocean acidification. Sucking up… Read More ›
Editor’s Note: Do you have an opinion about seismic exploration and marine mammals? Recent studies have shown negative impacts on the hearing of marine mammals in waters where the blasts of seismic testing has been implemented. Other research shows no… Read More ›
Neptune 911! 