Ship Islands Restoration Underway
A $300 million, 30-month project to build shoreline in an attempt to restore the storm-severed Ship Islands back into one island began this month as a torrent of up to 15,000 cubic yards of sand a day began pouring onto the north shore of West Ship Island…
Ocean-Island Landslide At Tenerife: Onshore Record And Long-Term Effects
Volcanologists have uncovered one of the world’s best-preserved accessible onshore remains of a monstrous landslide that followed a huge volcanic eruption on the Canarian island of Tenerife. Tsunamis generated from such events may travel to devastate coastlines thousands of miles away.
Pacific Nation Of Tuvalu Declares State Of Emergency Over Fresh Water Shortage
The Pacific island nation of Tuvalu has declared a state of emergency due to a severe shortage of fresh water.
NASA Leads Study of Unprecedented Arctic Ozone Loss
An ozone hole five times the size of California opened over the Arctic this spring, matching ozone loss over Antarctica for the first time on record, scientists said on Sunday.
Canadian Arctic Nearly Loses Entire Ice Shelf
Two ice shelves that existed before Canada was settled by Europeans diminished significantly this summer, one nearly disappearing altogether, Canadian scientists say in new research. The loss is important as a marker of global warming, returning the Canadian Arctic to conditions that date back thousands of years.
$102 Million in Wetlands, Barrier Island Restoration Awards for Louisiana
Acting Secretary of Commerce Rebecca Blank just announced $102 million for three Louisiana projects in the Barataria and Terrebone basins, to restore deteriorated wetlands and barrier island habitats along the state’s coast.
Study Uncovers a Predictable Sequence Toward Coral Reef Collapse
Using data from coral reef systems across the western Indian Ocean, researchers identified how overfishing creates a series of at least eight big changes on reefs that precipitate a final collapse. This information can help assessing the health of a reef and tell when to restrict fishing in order to avoid a collapse of the ecosystem and fishery.
Chile Reels in Salmon Farming
Chile is the second largest producer of salmon in the world. But these fish don’t occur there naturally. Instead, the salmon swim within enclosed nets, often tightly packed together. Kept off the country’s coastline, fish farms like these can pollute local ecosystems. But in Patagonia, Chile has begun taking steps to protect some of its wild waters from the farmed fish.
Sand mining Is Booming Along With Fracking
Fracking, the latest craze in the quest to produce oil and gas, has been blamed for environmental problems ranging from flammable tap water to minor earthquakes. Now a new risk is emerging: sand mining. To squeeze hydrocarbons out of shale through hydraulic fracturing of the rock, the process known as fracking, producers need to pump an enormous amount of sand into the ground.