Sea Urchins and Overfishing Impact on Kenya Coast’s Reefs
An 18-year study of Kenya’s coral reefs by the Wildlife Conservation Society and the University of California at Santa Cruz has found that overfished reef systems have more sea urchins, organisms that in turn eat coral algae that build tropical reef systems.
United Nations Seeks Emergency Flood Aid as Death Toll Rises in Sri Lanka
The worst hit district was Batticaloa, a coastal city in the Eastern province of Sri Lanka.
Tracking Source of Microbial Contamination at the Beach
Reliable methods to determine the origins of contaminants are needed in order to reduce those sources and maintain a healthy beach.
Presidential Panel: Tougher Rules Urged for Offshore Drilling
Releasing its final report, the presidential panel investigating the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, found that the Deepwater Horizon explosion and subsequent oil spill arose from a preventable series of corporate and regulatory failures. New regulations for offshore oil operations are recommended.
Scope and Pace of Gulf Cleanup Is Criticized
Tar balls are still washing up on beaches. Visible sheen is still showing up in certain places in the wake of motorboats. Oil is being washed out of some areas, where it was buried, only to show up someplace else.
Drawing up a Global “Red List” of Vanishing Ecosystems
Now scientists are figuring out how to catalog and map the world’s most threatened ecosystems, such as mangrove, just like their familiar list of endangered species.
Methane Gas Concentrations in Gulf of Mexico Quickly Surprises Scientists
Calling the results “extremely surprising,” researchers from UCSB and Texas A&M University report that methane gas concentrations in the Gulf of Mexico have returned to near normal levelsonly months after a massive release occurred following the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion.
Oil Still Fouling Louisiana Marshes
More than 8 months after BP disaster, boat tour finds oil still fouling Louisiana marshes. No cleanup workers were there. The marshes are critical to the Louisiana coast because they protect the shore from hurricanes and serve as a nursery for Gulf sea life.
Uncontrolled Sand Mining Days Numbered, Namibia
While sand mining in the Swakop River is a crucial element of coastal development, concern is mounting over the uncontrolled sand mining taking place in the Swakop River, which is creating dangerous conditions as well as causing severe environmental damage.