“As discussed in the press release, there still remains a need to reduce the nutrient load entering the Gulf of Mexico and the smaller observed size was likely a result of storm and wind conditions and are not necessarily an indication of a long-term decrease in hypoxia area,” said Keeley Belva, a spokeswoman for the National Ocean Service.
Though the tide can’t be totally turned back, the report, “Major Findings, Recommendations, and Actions,” found ways to blunt the environmental and economic impact now.
“Communities around the country are increasingly vulnerable to ocean acidification and long-term environmental changes,” said Richard Spinrad, chief scientist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and former OSU vice president for research. “It is crucial that we comprehend how ocean chemistry is changing in different places…”
The Atlantic Ocean is teeming with life, but for the first time researchers have discovered dead zones in these waters — areas low in both oxygen and salinity — off the coast of Africa. Fish can’t survive in the dead… Read More ›
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.
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 ›
Excerpt from the Baltimore Sun “Scientists are predicting that the Chesapeake Bay’s oxygen-starved “dead zone” will be slightly larger than average this summer. Using computer modeling underwritten by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, researchers forecast that by next month,… Read More ›
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.
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! 