BY JULIET EILPERIN June 17 at 12:01 AM President Obama on Tuesday will announce his intent to make a broad swath of the central Pacific Ocean off-limits to fishing, energy exploration and other activities, according to senior White House officials…. Read More ›
Condition of Oceans
Most Polluted Oceans Named
IBTimes UK looks at the most polluted oceans areas and seas in the world. Atlantic Ocean – Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone The Gulf of Mexico is a basin in the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the gulf coast of the… Read More ›
About World Oceans Day, June 8, 2014
Why Should I Celebrate World Oceans Day? The world’s ocean: Generates most of the oxygen we breathe Helps feed us Regulates our climate Cleans the water we drink Offers a pharmacopoeia of potential medicines Provides limitless inspiration! Now each of… Read More ›
Marine Debris–A Growing Planetary Threat
“Marine debris casts its ominous shadow and threatens to break the virtuous circle which would otherwise guarantee sustainable livelihoods and incentives to protect wildlife.”
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 ›
Editor’s Note: Another unusual rash of marine mammals have beached themselves requiring rescue operations along the Pacific coastline. Along the north coast of California, the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, reports 429 pinniped rescues as of early May 2014,… Read More ›
Toxic Algae Killing off Sealife, Possible Threat to Humans
“One part of this organism’s life cycle is when it becomes a cyst, like a spore or seed that sits on the bottom,” she said. “When the environmental conditions become optimal — and we don’t know what those conditions are — these cysts can burst out of their little seed pods and come back to life. The worry is that when they bloom we get these giant red tides.”
“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.
Researcher’s Nightmare Fish Story: A Tale of Plastic in Fish
Story by Charmaine Coimbra The diminutive Dr. Chelsea Rochman shared a big fish story. She reeled in tiny Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) for research, and landed big results–results that could change the way we consume and what we eat. She calls it “the… Read More ›