Sand Mining Project Targets Wetlands; Wisconsin
An investment company wants to build a sand mining and processing plant in 2 Wisconsin counties, that would eliminate about 17 acres of pristine forested wetland. Wetlands are valuable habits for fish and wildlife and control flooding. Approval of the project would mean the largest single loss of wetlands for a sand project in the region, since at least 2008.
U.S. agency says no to requests for ocean surveys with airguns
Federal officials have turned down six applications to use airguns to look for undersea sites that might yield oil and natural gas up and down the East Coast, on the ground that the risks to marine life outweigh the potential benefits of seismic surveying along the Outer Continental Shelf.
Businesses and investors renew plea to Trump: don’t ignore climate change
More than 600 businesses and investors signed and released a letter on Tuesday urging president-elect Donald Trump to fight climate change – a move that coincides with the start of the Senate hearings to confirm his cabinet nominees, who are poised to gut existing climate policies.
Leave beach sand alone, Vancouver warns on Day 3 of salt shortage frenzy
As ice continues to plague parts of Metro Vancouver, some beach-goers were spotted scooping up sand from Kitsilano Beach. Stealing a pail of beach sand is not a solution to Vancouver’s road salt shortage – and it could result in a hefty fine.
Humpback habitats off Madagascar revealed as energy exploration ramps up
How humpback whales use marine habitats off the eastern coast of Africa is only partially understood, and that has become a conservation concern as offshore energy exploration expands in the region.
Lava Delta Collapses into Sea
Lava deltas are fan-shaped patches of new land that form along coasts when lava flows directly into the ocean. When they are built on steep marine slopes, they can easily collapse. Around 2:45 p.m. local time on December 31, 2016, unstable volcanic terrain began to tumble into the sea at Kamokuna, an area where lava from Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano pours into the sea.
The Ryukyu Islands: a destination gaining fame, for good reason
There’s a wonderland off the coast of Japan where the water is gloriously turquoise, the sand is perfectly white and you can lie on a beach with few neighbors besides the friendly sea turtles beneath the surface.
Study finds potential instability in Atlantic Ocean water circulation system
One of the world’s largest ocean circulation systems may not be as stable as today’s weather models predict, according to a new study.
Chesapeake Bay, nation’s largest estuary, is finally getting healthier
Water clarity in the Chesapeake Bay is the best it’s been in decades, and native rockfish, oyster and blue crab populations are rebounding as the overall health of the nation’s largest estuary improves, a report released Thursday found.