Growing ‘dead zone’ confirmed by underwater robots in the Gulf of Oman
New research reveals a growing ‘dead zone’ in the Gulf of Oman. Little data has been collected in the area for almost 50 years because of piracy and geopolitical tensions. Reasearchers found an area larger than Scotland with almost no oxygen left.
County Starts Dumping-Related Clean-up Work at Goleta, Carpinteria Beaches; CA
Two months after trucks stopped dumping loads of Montecito mud onto the shore at Goleta Beach County Park, the ocean waters remain closed because testing shows bacteria levels significantly exceed standards.
Philippines closes ‘cesspool’ tourist island of Boracay
The Philippines has announced a six-month closure of the popular tourist destination of Boracay over concerns the island’s famous beaches and clear blue waters have been transformed into a “cesspool” due to sustained environmental damage.
The Pearl, Qatar
The Pearl-Qatar, a man-made island spanning approximately 1.5 square kilometers (0.6 square miles), extends from the mainland, and once fully completed, The Pearl will create over 32 kilometers of new coastline.
Estuaries may experience accelerated impacts of human-caused CO2
Rising anthropogenic, or human-caused, carbon dioxide in the atmosphere may have up to twice the impact on coastal estuaries as it does in the oceans because the human-caused CO2 lowers the ecosystem’s ability to absorb natural fluctuations of the greenhouse gas, a new study suggests.
Dolphins tear up nets as fish numbers fall
University of Exeter researchers studied the impact of bottlenose dolphins on fisheries off northern Cyprus and said Mediterranean overfishing had created a “vicious cycle” of dolphins and fishers competing for dwindling stocks.
Students Dig Into Decades of Turtle Data
More than three decades’ worth of information is, for the first time, being pieced together to tell a story of sea turtle nesting habits on Bald Head Island’s shores.
This Could Be the ‘Beginning of the End’ for North Atlantic Right Whales
Researchers who have been observing migrating North Atlantic right whales, which are endangered, are troubled by what they found this season: no sign of any newborns.
South-east Asia closes island beaches to recover from climate change and tourism
More popular South-east Asian islands will be off limits to visitors this year as officials seek to protect eco-systems crumbling from warming seas and unchecked sprawl, despite the risk to tourism revenues and tens of thousands of jobs.