Climate change and the world’s oceans

UN News Centre

NOAA photo centre.

The vital link between oceans and climate change is among the issues at the forefront of discussions at the United Nations Ocean Conference taking place in New York from 5 to 9 June. Story here.

It's World Oceans Day. Tell Canada to Protect Them.

Canada should keep its 10 per cent marine protection promise Dear Larry,  I’ve loved oceans my whole life. So I’m watching as world leaders gather in New York this week to discuss how to conserve and sustainably use them. Canada’s government is starting to take action on its 10 per cent marine protection commitment. But with less than one per cent protected, there’s still a long way to go. Please encourage the federal government to meet its targets while creating high-quality protection for orcas, belugas, salmon, puffins and more. Send your letter to government now. Protect oceans now

‘It’s going to be grim, but there will still be coral’: Scientists call for realism about reefs

The Washington Post

With coral reefs all over the world suffering ongoing bleaching and death at the hands of warming ocean waters — from remote coral atolls in the Indian Ocean to Australia’s iconic Great Barrier Reef — the future of these beloved marine ecosystems appears increasingly grim. But while experts almost universally agree that climate change will continue to shape the future of the world’s corals, some scientists insist that there’s still hope for them. Story here.

Toxic Cocktail of Man-Made Chemicals Found in Great Barrier Reef Turtles

EcoWatch

Green Sea Turtles in Australia's Great Barrier Reef are some of the world's most majestic creatures. They have a lifespan of up to 50 years, but after recent results from blood tests on the marine animals, their health might be in jeopardy. Story here. 

Photo by Nize @ English Wikipedi

Coral bleaching on Great Barrier Reef worse than expected, surveys show

The Guardian

Surveys taken throughout 2016 show escalating impact from north to south, with 70% of shallow water corals dead north of Port Douglas. Story here.

Blue Starfish in the Great Barrier Reef 2004. Photo by Richard Ling

Scientists find 38 million pieces of trash on Pacific island

Associated Press

When researchers traveled to a tiny, uninhabited island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, they were astonished to find an estimated 38 million pieces of trash washed up on the beaches. Story here.













What's left of an albatross chick (found on another remote island) after 
ingesting bottle caps & other plastic debris. 

It’s the end of the world and we know it: Many scientists see apocalypse, soon

SALON

Stephen Hawking is one of many scientists who see the possible near-term demise of our species. STORY HERE.

Welcome Them Home.

Sierra Club Canada Foundation.

Larry

I'm devastated to report that the licence for oil and gas drilling has been approved in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and there’s not one thing whales can do to stop it.

We're not giving up and neither are they.

At this very moment – mile by mile, heading north – they’re coming back.

Over the next few weeks, blue whales will be making their way back to Canadian waters.

It’s a brave and often perilous journey.  But they do it because their ancient DNA tells them to come north, as they have for millennia.

While some of these whales have been south this winter, you and I have been working to keep their northern waters safe.

United Nations Declares War on Ocean Plastic

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.

One of the last Obama-era climate reports had a troubling update about the rising seas

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.

Scientists say the global ocean circulation may be more vulnerable to shutdown than we thought

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.

Obama Denies All Pending Permits for Seismic Airgun Blasting in Atlantic Ocean

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.

European fisheries ministers turn their back on the economic potential of fish recovery in the North East Atlantic

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.

THE 3RD GLOBAL CORAL BLEACHING EVENT – 2014/2016

SEAVIEW

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

Corals tie stronger El Niños to climate change

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.

Scientists report ‘devastating’ coral death at Great Barrier Reef

The Washington Post

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

World's Biggest Sockeye Run Shut Down as Wild Pacific Salmon Fight for Survival

EcoWatch

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"

Summer Arctic Sea Ice Set to Become Second-Lowest on Record (NASA VIDEO)

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

Arctic Death Spiral: Icebreakers Reach North Pole as Sea Ice Disintegrates

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.

Humans Have Pushed Oceans to Their Absolute Limit, Warns Report

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.