How microplastics, marine aggregates and marine animals are connected
Prior research has suggested that mussels are a robust indicator of plastic debris and particles in marine environments. A new study says that’s not the case because mussels are picky eaters and have an inherent ability to choose and sort their food. Instead, the researchers have discovered that marine aggregates also called ”marine snow,” play a much bigger role in the fate of the oceans when it comes to plastic debris.
“We are at war”: Expect almost 5 feet of sea level rise when planning for the future, leaders say
Building a road, a school, a bridge in Hampton Roads? Think about how long you want it to be around, and whether it might be underwater by then. That’s what regional planners recommend in light of sea levels projected to rise nearly 5 feet over the next century.
A 14-year-long oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico verges on becoming one of the worst in U.S. history
An oil spill that has been quietly leaking millions of barrels into the Gulf of Mexico has gone unplugged for so long that it now verges on becoming one of the worst offshore disasters in U.S. history. Between 300 and 700 barrels of oil per day have been spewing from a site 12 miles off the Louisiana coast since 2004.
Beaches of Saint-Tropez hit by Mediterranean oil spill
A containership and a ferry collided off the island of Corsica in the Mediterranean Sea, causing a three-mile long spill of heavy fuel, with French and Italian coastal authorities scrambling to contain it. The mayor of the village of Ramatuelle, which lies on the Gulf of Saint-Tropez, told AFP that 16 kilometres (10 miles) of coastline had been affected by the spill.
Salty water causes some freshwater harmful algae to release toxins
The finding suggests that understanding the mixing of fresh and salt water, which takes place in many coastal water bodies around the world, will help researchers understand the toxic effects of these harmful algal blooms.
Plastic pollution has increased a hundredfold in remote parts of the South Atlantic
The amount of plastic debris in the ocean waters of the British islands in the South Atlantic — some of the most remote places on the planet — has increased hundredfold in the last 30 years, according to a new study.
Save Lighthouse Point, a true Bahamian treasure!
Lighthouse Point is one of the last great remaining wilderness places in The Bahamas. Located at the southernmost tip of Eleuthera, it is home to incredibly diverse and unique terrestrial and marine ecosystems as well as cultural and historic resources. Unfortunately, this outstanding Bahamian treasure is at risk of being lost to externally-driven, large-scale commercial development.
These 10 companies are flooding the planet with throwaway plastic
Nine months, six continents, 239 cleanup events, and more than 187,000 pieces of trash later, we now have the most comprehensive snapshot to date of how corporations are contributing to the global plastic pollution problem.
NC beach homes and coast are ‘doomed’ and residents need to get out, scientist says
There’s a “disaster” approaching North Carolina’s coast, and it’s not a hurricane. It’s an increasingly encroaching sea, Orrin Pilkey says.