Motu One, Tubuai, French Polynesia; By Andrew Cooper
Most motus are quite well vegetated, but one small example at Tubuai is completely bare and composed of a white coral sand beach. Called Motu One (pronounced O-nay), it is barely 250m long and 50m wide and is located on the reef crest on the north side of Tubuai, a small island in the Austral Island Group of French Polynesia, about 600km south of Tahiti…
Peru Examines Deaths of More Than 500 Pelicans
The government of Peru is investigating the mysterious deaths of more than 500 pelicans found along a 70km (40-mile) stretch of the country’s northern coast.
Pacific Islands May Become Refuge for Corals in a Warming Climate, Study Finds
Scientists have predicted that ocean temperatures will rise in the equatorial Pacific by the end of the century, wreaking havoc on coral reef ecosystems. But a new study shows that climate change could cause ocean currents to operate in a surprising way…
ConocoPhillips To Pay $266 Million For China Oil Spill
U.S. oil firm ConocoPhillips and its partner CNOOC have agreed to pay 1.683 billion yuan ($266.89 million) in compensation for a series of oil spills off the coast of northern China last year.
Japan Sea Sediments Tell of Past Tohoku Quakes
Previous earthquakes that rivalled the March 2011 Tohoku tremor in size may be recorded in sediment samples just recovered from the seafloor off Japan’s coast.
Clean Water Act’s Effects On Coastal Waters in California Reveals Major Successes
Levels of copper, cadmium, lead and other metals in Southern California’s coastal waters have plummeted over the past four decades, according to new research from University of Southern California.
Pollution for the Sake of Economic Growth
Rapid economic growth will continue to be energy-intensive and highly polluting for the foreseeable future, adding to environmental harm on a global scale and having a tremendous impact on ecological systems, according to a study that looked at a decade’s worth of data from 30 Chinese provinces to build a comprehensive model of pollution.
Jellyfish On the Rise in World’s Coastal Ecosytems
Jellyfish are increasing in the majority of the world’s coastal ecosystems, according to the first global study of jellyfish abundance by University of British Columbia researchers.
Antarctic Ice Melting From Warm Water Below
Most glacial ice melting occurs below the sea surface and in regions where ice shelves and icebergs are concentrated, as along the Antarctic coastline. That suggests that future sea levels could rise faster than many scientists have been predicting.