WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal government is protecting 20 types of colorful coral by putting them on the list of threatened species, partly because of climate change. As with the polar bear, much of the threat to the coral species… Read More ›
Climate Change
Climate Change Might Correct Ocean Hypoxia
Some good may come from climate change after all. Dead zones, the most oxygen deprive portions of our world’s oceans, may actually be due for some shrinkage due to changing atmospheric patterns and water temperatures, according to a recently study…. Read More ›
Whales “Ocean Ecosystem Engineers”
Staff Report FRISCO — Whales may play a much bigger role in ocean ecosystems than previously thought, according to a University of Vermont researcher who studied how the great cetaceans recycle and move nutrients from one region to another. “For… Read More ›
Acidification & Low-Oxygen Threatens Lowcountry Shellfish
That’s not a dire prediction linked to climate change. It’s already starting to happen as the ocean gets more acidic. And for the Lowcountry, ocean acidification might not even be the real threat. It might be what scientists call the one-two punch of acidification and low oxygen in the estuaries, the nursery for the shellfish we eat – shrimp, oysters, clams.
Sea Stars Dying from Warming Waters?
ORCAS ISLAND, Wash. — Drew Harvell peers into the nooks and crannies along the rocky shoreline of Eastsound on Orcas Island. Purple and orange starfish clutch the rocks, as if hanging on for dear life. “It’s a lot worse than… Read More ›
Acidic Oceans and the Lobster, Scallop, & Crab Industry
Today, experts predict pH declines in the world’s oceans of .4 units by the end of this century—a mere 85 years from now.
The oceans absorb over a quarter of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The more we pollute, the more they absorb, and the more acidic they become. It’s unlikely that some marine life that we depend on will be able to adapt to a rate of acidification that is over ten times as fast as during the PETM.
Saving Coral Reefs With Tradition & Science
Editor’s Note: The focus of Neptune 911 is about our oceans’ cry for help. While the following story is a pitch to raise funds by a group of researchers, it is also a response to that cry for help. The… Read More ›
“Alarm Bells” Ring. 53% of Sea Snail Shells Dissolving
Until now, the impact on marine species from increasing ocean acidity because of climate change has been something that was tested in tanks in labs, but which was not considered an immediate concern such as forest fires and droughts.
The new study, published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, a scientific journal based in England, changes that.
Mapping Maine’s Lobsters As Ocean Changes
Scientists in Maine are competing for a share of $11 million of NASA grant money in hopes of creating a real-time lobster distribution monitoring system. The proposed project is a joint collaboration between the Gulf of Maine Research Institute and… Read More ›
Fishermen: No Debate About Climate Change
For many U.S. fisherman, there’s no debate about climate change. It’s here, and already majorly impacting their industries. In New Jersey, Rutgers scientists have documented for 24 years how climate change is affecting the state’s oceans through weekly fish surveys…. Read More ›
Neptune 911! 