From Texas to Maine: NOAA’s Expanded Flood Information Tool
A NOAA flood exposure risk mapping tool that was developed in New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania has now been expanded to cover coastal areas along the entire U.S. East Coast and Gulf of Mexico.
BCDC Approves Sand Mining Permit in San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) unanimously approved a 10-year mining permit for sand removal from San Francisco Bay, and from two other areas near Suisun. The amount of sand the permit requests is 15 times greater than the annual amount of sand that comes into the bay from the delta.
County Declares Six Houses on Buxton Beach Unsafe, NC
A Dare County building inspector has put up “unsafe structure” notices on six oceanfront houses north of this town on Hatteras Island, NC. Most of the recent erosion seems to be in an area where owners had placed sandbags in front of the houses.
Ocean Wealth Valued at US$24 Trillion, But Sinking Fast
The value of the ocean’s riches rivals the size of the world’s leading economies, but its resources are rapidly eroding. The value of key ocean assets is conservatively estimated to be at least US$24 trillion. If compared to the world’s top 10 economies, the ocean would rank seventh with an annual value of goods and services of US$2.5 trillion.