What the Oceans Will Look Like in 2050
What kind of oceans will we pass along to future generations of humans and other living things? The answer to that question starts with two others: What kind of oceans would we like to pass along? And what would it take to do so?
Peru Planning to Dam Amazon’s Main Source and Displace 1000s
Peru is proposing to build more than 20 dams on the main trunk of the currently free-flowing River Maranon, which births in the Andes and is the River Amazon’s main source.
Whale Washes Ashore In 12th Recent Death in California
Another dead whale washed ashore in Northern California, the 12th carcass that has appeared in the past few months and marks a higher-than-normal number of deaths.
U.S. Hopes Chinese Island-Building Will Spur Asian Response
Washington hopes Southeast Asian nations to take a more united stance against China’s rapid acceleration this year of construction on disputed reefs.
Potential of Seagrass to Combat Climate Change
Seagrass ecosystems could play a key role in combating climate change, researchers have discovered. However, due to their shallow coastal habitat the aquatic plant is particularly prone to human disturbance – globally 24 per cent of seagrass species are now classified as threatened or near threatened.
Gulf of Maine Red Tide Bloom Expected to Be Similar to Past Three Years
New England’s spring and summer red tides will be similar in extent to those of the past three years, according to the 2015 Gulf of Maine red tide seasonal forecast.
Study: Why Blue Whales Can’t Avoid Barges, Ocean Liners
A new study reveals why ocean-going ships pose such a big threat to the whales: the gentle giants simply don’t know how to get out of the way.
Giant Waves Quickly Destroy Arctic Ocean Ice and Ecosystems
Scientists had never imagined that Arctic waves could break up pack ice so quickly. The chance encounter of a research vessel with the largest waves ever recorded amid floating packs of Arctic ice shows how such rollers could reroute shipping, damage oil platforms and threaten coastal communities with erosion.
The Blue Amazon: Brazil’s New Natural Resources Frontier
Brazil’s Atlantic continental shelf holds 90 and 77 percent of the country’s proven oil and gas reserves. This Blue Amazon, rich in both biodiversity and energy resources, is similar in extension to the country’s rainforest – nearly half the size of the national territory. But the big challenge is to protect the wealth of the Blue Amazon along 8,500 km of shoreline.