Two cold winters have given the gulf some breathing space, but climate models and recorded trends indicate our seas are going to keep warming, with the conditions experienced in the “ocean heat wave” becoming the new normal by mid-century. The result will be dramatic changes in an ecosystem Mainers have relied on since the end of the last ice age, ones for which our communities, industries and government are poorly prepared to face.
“We are seeing starvation, these birds are emaciated,” says Senior Environmental Scientist John Thompson, Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Thompson claims it is the changing weather pattern with El Niño conditions and the boost in ocean temperatures.
Some parts of Southern California have already had record rainfalls this wet season, thanks to storms that moved through in mid-September. The state desperately needs the rain, but not the marine debris that comes with it. Major rainstorms inevitably lead… Read More ›
One phrase people are using these days is “global weirding.” And I think that that is something that we’re seeing, the “blob” of warm water offshore is something that’s really never been seen before on this scale in the North Pacific, and I think we really don’t understand the implications of that yet, or what’s causing it exactly.
“Overall, we found there’s a decrease in species diversity and abundance irrespective of what ecosystem we are looking at. These are broad scale impacts, made worse when you combine the effect of warming with acidification.
A new global review led by the University of Exeter that set out to investigate the hazards of marine plastic pollution has warned that all seven species of marine turtles can ingest or become entangled in the discarded debris that… Read More ›
“There is tremendous potential for good here,” said Fred Collins, Administrator of the Northern
Chumash Tribal Council. “A Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary will preserve and recognize
the importance of our tribal history, safeguard our shared coastal resources, and open new doors
for research and economic growth. We hope to move forward to designation as soon as possible.”
Joshua S Reichert, lead on environment initiatives at Pew, said: “World famous for its Moai statues, Easter Island will now be known as a global leader in ocean conservation.
“This announcement is an important step toward establishing the world’s first generation of great parks in the sea.”
In a world whose natural areas are increasingly threatened by human activities, the oceans have been among the most heavily impacted environments. Pollution, overfishing and the effects of climate change are just a few of the major challenges facing marine… Read More ›
Neptune 911! 