Update from Senegal: Changing Things and Shaping the Future
The Senegalese government cancelled all fishing permits for foreign“pelagic trawlers,” large fishing vessels that drag nets below the surface of the ocean. This should remind leaders that with political will and courage, they can change things and shape the future of their people for the better.
Pebble Beach Development Plan: Coastal Community Expected To Give Green Light
The California Coastal Commission voted unanimously to allow Pebble Beach Co. to build 90 homes in coastal Monterey County’s Del Monte Forest…
Methane Emissions from the Arctic Ocean
The fragile and rapidly changing Arctic is home to large reservoirs of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. As Earth’s climate warms, that methane is vulnerable to possible release into the atmosphere, where it can add to global warming.
Another Dam Project Approved for Patagonia
An environmental review commission Tuesday approved construction of another hydroelectric project in Chile’s remote and pristine Patagonia region…
Chittagong Beach Ship Breaking Yards, Bangladesh
Stretched along 12 miles of what just a decade ago was a pristine sandy beach, ore carriers, container ships, gas tankers, cruise liners and cargo ships of every size and description are being dismantled by hand in 140 similar yards, at Chittagong beach Ship Breaking Yard, Bangladesh, the world’s second largest ship breaking area. Every year more than 250 redundant ships, many from Britain and Europe, come here to be broken up.
First-of-its-kind study reveals surprising ecological effects of earthquake and tsunami
The reappearance of long-forgotten habitats and the resurgence of species unseen for years may not be among the expected effects of a natural disaster. Yet that’s exactly what researchers have found on the sandy beaches of south central Chile, after an 8.8-magnitude earthquake and devastating tsunami in 2010. Their study also revealed a preview of the problems wrought by sea level rise, a major symptom of climate change.
Jellyfish On the Rise in World’s Coastal Ecosytems
Jellyfish are increasing in the majority of the world’s coastal ecosystems, according to the first global study of jellyfish abundance by University of British Columbia researchers.
Lakshadweep Islands
In the Arabian Sea, roughly 200 kilometers off the west coast of southern India, are the Lakshadweep Islands. The island chain consists of 27 islands along with coral atolls, and sand banks. Glistening white sand beaches ring the islands, and only 10 or 11 of the islands are inhabited.
NOAA Releases New Views of Earth’s Ocean Floor
NOAA has made sea floor maps and other data on the world’s coasts, continental shelves and deep ocean available for easy viewing online. These are critical data for modeling coastal flooding, from tsunami to hurricane storm surge.