Protect the neglected half of our blue planet
nature Maintaining momentum is crucial as nations build a treaty to safeguard the high seas. More here. A ribbon seal in the Bering Sea. Photo by NOAA.
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World's Oceans Last Year Hit Hottest Temperatures Ever Recorded... 'By Far'
COMMON DREAMS Experts say the data indicates that humans must urgently "reduce the heating of our planet by using energy more wisely and increasing the use of clean and renewable energy." Story here. Coral reefs. A Wikimedia photo.
To Save Oceans and Planet, Greenpeace Backs Plan to Create Largest Protected Area on Earth
Common Dreams Mt. Herschel, Antarctica. Photo by Andrew Mandemaker. "We are in desperate need for governments to come together and do what is best for these amazing ecosystems." More here.
Warming ocean water is turning 99 percent of these sea turtles female
ScienceNews Rising temperatures are skewing population ratios toward extreme imbalance. Story here. Photo by Karla
Scientists warn of vanishing oxygen in oceans, including Canadian waters
NATIONAL OBSERVER A Mexican beach. PinP photo. Almost two dozen marine scientists from around the world have issued a warning about an often-overlooked side effect of climate change and pollution. Story here.
How a Wayward Arctic Current Could Cool the Climate in Europe
YaleEnvironment360 The Beaufort Gyre, a key Arctic Ocean current, is acting strangely. Scientists say it may be on the verge of discharging a huge amount of ice and cold freshwater that could kick off a period of lower temperatures in northern Europe. Story here.
Nations agree to ban fishing in Arctic Ocean for at least 16 years
Science Nine nations and the European Union have agreed to place the central Arctic Ocean off-limits to commercial fishers for at least the next 16 years. The pact will give scientists time to understand the region’s marine ecology and the potential impacts of climate change. Story here. Fishing boat in the Arctic. Photo by J osef Knecht
DEEP TROUBLE - 7 right whales entangled this summer, new data shows
CBC news Fishing lines killed at least 2 whales, and 2 others were freed by rescuers. Story here. We destroy our kindred creatures in ways that are varied and wondrous. This northern right whale was run over by a ship. Photo by NOAA.
Unraveling a major cause of sea ice retreat in the Arctic Ocean
ScienceDaily Quantitative analysis has evidenced the acceleration system of melting ice: dark water surfaces absorb more heat than white ice surfaces, thus melting ice and making more water surfaces in the Arctic Ocean. Details here.
Global fingerprints of sea-level rise revealed by satellites
NATURE|NEWS Geological processes send more meltwater from glaciers and ice sheets to Earth's mid-latitudes. Story here. Greenland. Photo by Uffe Wilken
Warmer waters from climate change will leave fish shrinking, gasping for air
ScienceDaily Great White shark. Photo by Pterantula (Terry Goss) Fish are expected to shrink in size by 20 to 30 per cent if ocean temperatures continue to climb due to climate change. Story here.
We Hardly Know Anything About the Deep-Sea Life we Are Destroying.
BuzzFeed News A weedy sea dragon. Photo by Richard Ling. There's been hardly any research into most residents of the deep oceans, despite it being the biggest habitat on Earth – and it's making them harder to protect, according to a new review. Story here.
With More Ships in the Arctic, Fears of Disaster Rise
THE NEW YORK TIMES When the Crystal Serenity, a 1000-passenger luxury liner, sails in August on a month-long Arctic cruise through the Northwest Passage, it will have a far more utilitarian escort; a British supply ship. Story here.
There’s literally a ton of plastic garbage for every person on Earth
The Washington Post More than 9 billion tons of plastic has been produced since 1950, and the vast majority of it is still around. Story here. Plastic waste on a beach in India. Photo by Hajj0 ms
'When Rising Seas Hit Home': Hundreds of Towns Threatened by 2100
Common Dreams Daunting new report shows coastal communities are at-risk and unprepared for flooding caused by climate change. Story here. RELATED: "Angry Oceans - Pt. #1" and "Pt. #2."
Iceberg almost the Size of Lake Winnipegosis breaks off Antarctic ice shelf
theguardian Satellite data confirms ‘calving’ of trillion-tonne, 5,800 sq km iceberg from the Larsen C ice shelf, dramatically altering the landscape. Story here. The Larsen ice shelf as it was in 2004. NASA photo.
If you want to save a whale, first save its food
|NATIONAL |OBSERVER - David Suzuki Orcas breaching - photo credit - Robert Pittman - NOAA Two of British Columbia’s most iconic species, chinook salmon and southern resident killer whales, are in trouble. The whale depends on the salmon for survival. Is it time to manage chinook fisheries with killer whales in mind? Story here.
Ten million tons of fish wasted every year despite declining fish stocks
ScienceDaily Industrial fishing fleets dump nearly 10 million tonnes of good fish back into the ocean every year, according to new research. Story here.
Countries agree on decisive and urgent actions to restore marine world to health as Ocean Conference concludes
Universal agreement on need for measures to reverse ocean deterioration. Details here.
Do Marine Reserves Provide a Buffer Against the Ravages of Climate Change? Yes, say experts!
by Larry Powell An international team of scientists is calling for more marine reserves as a way to lessen the impact of manmade climate change. The researchers believe, even if greenhouse gases are reduced in order to meet targets set out in the Paris Climate Accord, life on Earth will still face “serious stress and damage.” So more still needs to be done. A blue rockfish in the Channel Islands Marine Sanctuary. NOAA Photo Library Marine reserves are areas of ocean where fishing and development are declared illegal. They’ve been shown to result in greater biodiversity, density, mass and size among fish and other marine life living there. Yet only a very small percentage of the world’s oceans have been set aside for this purpose. The team suggests, well-managed marine reserves would help people adapt to “five prominent impacts” of climate change. These are; ocean acidification, sea-level rise, worsening storms, the distribution of marine life and decreas