Structural and Functional Loss in Restored Wetland Ecosystems

Wetlands are among the most productive and valuable ecosystems in the world, but because of human activities, over half of the wetland ecosystems existing in North America, Europe, Australia, and China in the early 20th century have been lost. Wetland restoration is a billion-dollar-a-year industry, that aims to create ecosystems similar to those that disappeared, but a new analysis of such projects shows that restored wetlands seldom reach the quality of a natural wetland.

Japan’s Nuclear Alley Conflicted Over Reactors

International inspectors are visiting a rugged Japanese bay region so thick with reactors it is dubbed “Nuclear Alley,” where residents remain deeply conflicted as Japan moves to restart plants idled after the Fukushima disaster.

Tropical Cyclone Funso

Tropical Cyclone Funso is now a dangerous Category 4 cyclone in the Mozambique Channel, moving southward between Mozambique on the African mainland and the island nation of Madagascar.

Seawater Injections Could Lift Venice 12 Inches ?

Known to Venetians as the acqua alta, or “high water,” flooding driven by high tides submerges the lowest 14 percent of the Italian destination four times a year, on average. And it’s only getting worse.

Ninety Whales Stranded on New Zealand Beach

A pod of 90 pilot whales beached themselves at the top of New Zealand’s South island Monday in the same area where seven whales died in a mass stranding earlier this month, officials said.

Fukushima’s Impact on the Ocean and Marine Sediments

The release of radioactivity from Fukushima, both as atmospheric fallout and direct discharges to the ocean, represent the largest accidental release of radiation to the ocean in history, and concerns remain high as radiation accumulates in marine sediments.

Mysterious Flotsam in Gulf of Mexico Came from Deepwater Horizon Rig

A research team led by scientists at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) confirmed that flotsam, found in the Gulf of Mexico and along coastal beaches, were pieces of material used to maintain buoyancy of the pipe bringing up oil from the seafloor. Tracking debris from damaged oil rigs could help forecast coastal impacts in the future.