PLANET IN PERIL

Interprets Agency Service News Agency The available data is enough for the United Nations to literally declare war on oceans plastic: more than 8 million tonnes of it leaks into their waters each year – equal to dumping a garbage truck of plastic every minute, wreaking havoc on marine wildlife, fisheries and tourism, and costing at least 8 billion dollars in damage to marine ecosystems. Story here.

The Washington Post A Mexican beach. PinP photo. A  new report , released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on the last day of Barack Obama’s presidency, presents a series of updated estimates for future sea-level rise, both in the United States and worldwide. It suggests that, under extreme future climate change, global sea levels could rise by more than eight feet by the end of the century — one of the highest estimates yet to be presented in a federal report.   Details here.

The Washington Post A Mexican coastline. PinP photo.  Intense future climate change could have a far different impact on the world than current models predict, suggests a thought-provoking new study just out in the journal Science Advances.   Story here.

EcoWatch The Obama administration formally denied today all pending permits to conduct seismic airgun blasting in the Atlantic Ocean. Seismic airgun blasting , an extremely loud and dangerous process used to search for oil and gas deposits deep below the ocean's surface, was originally proposed in an area twice the size of California, stretching from Delaware to Florida. Story here.

OCEANA Catches in NE Atlantic and North Sea could increase by 29% in less than five years if fishing limits followed scientific advice, report finds. Story here.

SEAVIEW NOW PREDICTED TO LAST UNTIL AT LEAST THE END OF 2016 – BY FAR THE LONGEST EVENT IN RECORDED HISTORY. Story here.

Science Over the last 7000 years, El Niños waxed and waned. Then, during the 20th century, with global warming taking hold, their intensity began to climb. The trend is likely to continue, boding ever more destructive El Niños . Story here.

The Washington Post We knew this news was coming, perhaps. Now that it is here, it is no less shocking. Story here.

Eco Watch Adult sockeye salmon.  Marvina Munch, U.S.  Fish and Wildlife Service For as long as people have lived in the area, salmon have been an important food source. But something is happening to Pacific coast salmon. Story here. RELATED: " Disastrous Fraser River salmon run eclipses 2009 collapse -  Warmer waters, overfishing, fish farm impacts all likely contributed to this year's dismal returns: environmental group"

That information comes from the US National Snow and Ice Data Centre. The video below shows the trends.

ThinkProgress Second-lowest sea ice minimum, lowest average annual sea ice extent.  Arctic sea ice continued its long-term death spiral in 2016, thanks to warming-driven ice melt. As the ice sheet shrinks and thins, it’s becoming easier and easier for icebreakers to reach the North Pole. Story here.

CommonDreams Oceans protected us from worst effects of climate change by absorbing most of humans' CO2 emissions, report finds, but they can't take anymore—and will soon release that CO2 back into the air. Story here.

The Washington Post The ocean surrounding Antarctica has become substantially less salty over the past couple of decades — and until now, scientists weren’t really sure why. But because changes in the Southern Ocean’s salinity have the potential to affect all kinds of important processes, including ocean circulation and its transport of heat and nutrients around the world, researchers have been eager to figure it out. Story here.

EcoWatch Researchers from the University of British Columbia say that closing the high seas to fishing could help coastal fisheries, increasing catches by 10 percent. But our waters are now more polluted than ever, threatening the entire food chain. Story here.

The world's largest protected area is now four times the size of California. pic.twitter.com/lvtsbzXXJF — AJ+ (@ajplus) September 1, 2016

CommonDreams Marine heatwaves have killed whales, birds, sea lions, mangroves, and coral—and research suggests they are increasing as the climate warms. Story here.

CommonDreams  Photo by  Fabio Grasso New study shows deadly bacteria levels spiking in North Atlantic as ocean temperatures rise. Story here.

CommonDreams Abel Valdivia / Center for Biological Diversity Global Warming Far Outweighs Local Impacts Like Pollution, Overfishing in Harming These Important Ocean Ecosystems. Story here.

EcoWatch b y Andy Rowell As the U.S. shale industry comes under increasing scrutiny for its environmental and health impact, it has emerged that the U.S. has approved fracking offshore leading to billions of gallons of wastewater to be dumped at sea. Story here.

theguardian Around 90% of the world’s stocks are now fully or overfished and production is set to increase further by 2025, according to report from UN’s food body. Story here.