Sydney Harbour’s Plastic Pollution At Alarming Levels, Scientists Find
Researchers have found alarming level of plastic pollution in Sydney harbour, with fibres from clothing and toiletries causing a widespread impact upon the marine ecosystem.
NOAA Lists 20 Coral Species As Threatened
NOAA announced it will afford Endangered Species Act protections to 20 coral species. All 20 species will be listed as threatened. Fifteen of the newly listed species occur in the Indo-Pacific and five in the Caribbean.
Green And Golden Seaweed Tides On The Rise, By Victor Smetacek & Adriana Zingone
Green, brown and red seaweeds lying on the beach are part and parcel of life in many coastal regions. The amount of beached seaweed biomass started to increase along the shores of industrialized countries in the 1970s, and by the 1990s had become a nuisance along many beaches when mass-stranding events of macroalgae became known as green tides.
Demand for Sand Takes Off Because Off Fracking
Frackers are expected to use nearly 95 billion pounds of sand this year, up nearly 30% from 2013. There are growing restraints on sand supplies and oil companies’ insatiable appetite has generated renewed interest in second-tier deposits of lower-quality brown sand in places like Texas.
Mangroves Planted To Protect Airport From Coastal Erosion
Dozens of schoolchildren and hundreds of university students and soldiers helped to protect Ahmad Yani International Airport in Semarang, Central Java, from coastal erosion by planting 10,000 mangroves on Maron Beach.
Norway Whale Catch Reaches Highest Number Since 1993
Fishermen in Norway have caught 729 whales this year, the highest number since it resumed the controversial practice in defiance of international pressure…
“Just Right” Plant Growth May Make River Deltas Resilient
Geologists suggest that an intermediate amount of vegetation is most effective at stabilizing freshwater river deltas. Vegetation on marsh surfaces in river deltas can slow the flow of water and cause more sediment to be deposited, helping prevent sea-level rise from drowning sensitive marshlands.
Mozambique Works to Break Vicious Circle of Environmental Degradation and Poverty
The loss of coconut trees along the coastline has created a ripple effect as communities are now overexploiting local mangrove, which has exacerbated the problem of soil erosion in the area impacting negatively on housing, settlements, and agriculture.
A Tale of Two Cities: Miami, New York and Life on the Edge
Walking along the waterfront in Fort Lauderdale and admiring the 60-foot yachts docked alongside impressive homes, it’s hard to imagine that this city could suffer the same financial fate as Detroit.