Engineering away our natural defenses: An analysis of shoreline hardening in the US
Rapid coastal population growth and development are primary drivers of marine habitat degradation. Although shoreline hardening, a byproduct of development, can accelerate erosion and loss of beaches and tidal wetlands, it is a common practice globally. 22,842 km of continental U.S. shoreline, 14% of the total, has been hardened.
Undamming Rivers: A Chance For New Clean Energy Source
Hydroelectric power is often touted as clean energy, but this claim is true only in the narrow sense of not causing air pollution. In many places, such as the U.S. East Coast, hydroelectric dams have damaged the ecological integrity of nearly every major river…
Beach Erosion Troubles in Sarasota, Fl
For as long as Roger Barrow can remember, the sand along Lido Key has been on the move.
Sea Defences Not Enough to Protect Delta Cities From Rising Flood Risk
Rich nations spend huge sums to keep the seas at bay but wealth may not save them indefinitely.
2015 Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone Above Average
Scientists have found this year’s Gulf of Mexico dead zone — an area of low to no oxygen that can kill fish and marine life — is, at 6,474 square miles, above average in size and larger than forecast by NOAA in June.
Plains Says California Oil Spill Could Be Larger Than Estimated
Plains All American Pipeline LP’s ruptured California oil pipeline may have spilled 41 percent more crude than currently estimated.
Seagrass Thrives Surprisingly Well in Toxic Sediments, But Still Dies All Over The World
New studies of seagrasses reveal that they are surprisingly good at detoxifying themselves when growing in toxic seabed. But if seagrasses are stressed by their environment, they lose the ability and die. All over the world seagrasses are increasingly stressed.
Adele Island
An astronaut aboard the International Space Station took this photograph of Adele Island, off of Australia’s north coast. Adele Island has been classified as an important bird area because it is a breeding site of world importance for lesser frigatebirds and three other species.
Toxic Algae Blooming in Warm Water from California to Alaska
A vast bloom of toxic algae off the West Coast is denser, more widespread and deeper than scientists feared even weeks ago.