PLANET IN PERIL

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.

the guardian About 90% of forests off the western coast were wiped out between 2011 to 2013, posing a threat to biodiversity and the marine economy, say scientists. Story here.

UN News Centre Fishing trawler - U.S. Navy photo. A new report from the UN shows that, while growth in aquaculture has helped drive up global per capita fish consumption, almost a third of commercial fish stocks are now over-harvested.  Story here.

EcoWatch Algal blooms on Lake Erie, similar to Florida's. Photo by NOAA. Waterways and beaches along Florida’s Atlantic coast have been taken over by thick, blue-green algae blooms , prompting Florida Gov. Rick Scott to declare local states of emergency in St. Lucie, Martin, Palm Beach and Lee counties. Story here.

WORLD RESOURCES INSTITUTE The Caribbean has long been hailed as a vacationer’s paradise, with its coral reefs, bioluminescent bays, white sand beaches and rainforests. Yet there’s a problem lurking beneath the sparkling sea—untreated wastewater. Story here.

EcoWatch Jellyfish - said to be one of the few creatures able to survive & thrive in dead zones. Photo credit -    Dan90266 The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has released its  annual forecast for the size of the Gulf of Mexico “ dead zone ”—an area of coastal water where low oxygen is lethal to marine life. They say we should expect an “average year.” That doesn’t sound so bad, but as we wrote last year , the dead zone average is approximately 6,000 square miles or the size of the state of Connecticut. Average is not normal. Story here.

National Snow & Ice Data Centre “Upside-down rivers” of warm ocean water threaten the stability of floating ice shelves in Antarctica, according to a new study led by researchers at the National Snow and Ice Data Center published today in Nature Geoscience . The study highlights how parts of Antarctica’s ice sheet may be weakening due to contact with warm ocean water. Story here.

Greenpeace Canada Earlier this week on World Oceans Day we were greeted with some wonderful and exciting news : Shell announced it was giving up all its offshore exploration permits in the Canadian Arctic! Story here. RELATED:   "Shell Relinquishes Canadian Arctic Drilling Rights"

the guardian Scientists hope large-scale maps will offer new insight into effects of warming and pollution as previous studies have almost always been done up close in the water.  Story here.

NATIONAL OBSERVER One of the planet’s largest oil companies has just walked away from a large swath of oil and gas reserves in the Canadian Arctic. But it says it hasn't given up altogether on the prospects of drilling for the fossil fuels in the pristine waters of the North. Story here. RELATED: " Shell’s Retreat From Canadian Arctic Creates Space for Arctic Protection"

Eco Watch Vietnam  has a fish problem and the government isn’t talking about it. Since April, millions of  dead fish have been washing up on Vietnam’s shores. Story here.

Nation of Change A massive fish die-off in Brazil.  Ana Perugini  Hortolândia, Brasil Over the past several months there has been an alarming number of dead fish and other sea creatures washing up all over the planet. In many places more than 30 tons of fish have washed up dead. Story here.

Huffington Post Photo by William Roger Uzun Take a wild guess what the culprit is. More here.