Scientists say West Coast waters now have a hypoxia season, or dead-zone season, just like the wildfire season. Hypoxia is a condition in which the ocean water close to the seafloor has such low levels of dissolved oxygen that the… Read More ›
Warming Oceans
Unseasonal Warm Waters off British Columbia Coast
The blob is back. A meteorologist says unseasonable conditions in B.C. are likely once again causing a large area of the Pacific Ocean to heat up, emulating a phenomenon from past years called the “blob.” That mass of warm water was blamed… Read More ›
Our Ocean Connection: The Challenges, The Cures
By Charmaine Coimbra Dominoes. It’s like 150 years of stacked dominoes collapsing in four directions from Rugby, North Dakota, North America’s geographical center and from every geographical center of every continent on Planet Earth—with the final dominos landing in every… Read More ›
“When ice melts in the Arctic, the west burns”
Last week, scientists learned that 40-foot piles of compacted sea ice — some of the oldest and most durable clusters in the Arctic — are breaking away from the coast of Greenland and drifting out to sea. One meteorologist called… Read More ›
“The Blob” and the Cod of Alaska (Or less cod for fish n’ chips)
At its peak, the blob stretched from Alaska to South America. In the Gulf of Alaska, the cod population plummeted by more than 80 percent.
Marine Heat Waves Impact Marine Life
Between 1982 and 2016, the number of “marine heat waves” roughly doubled, and likely will become more common and intense as the planet warms, a study released Wednesday found. Prolonged periods of extreme heat in the oceans can damage kelp forests and coral reefs, and harm fish and other marine life.
Intense Heat Feeds Lake Algal Bloom Early
Intense heat has caused algal blooms to form in western Lake Erie much sooner than normal. Though toxin levels are not yet known, officials are issuing their standard advice to stay away from all scums floating on the lake surface…. Read More ›
