Risks To Penguin Populations Analyzed
A major study of all penguin populations suggests the birds are at continuing risk from habitat degradation.
China’s GDP Growth Has Steep Coastal Costs
A new study by a team of Chinese and American conservation biologists quantifies the serious consequences of China’s recent economic growth on its coastal ecosystems.
Oxygen-Deprived Dead Zones: Q & A
There are more than 400 known dead zones worldwide, covering about 1 percent of the area along the continental shelves. That number is almost certainly a vast undercount, however, since researchers have yet to adequately study large parts of Africa, South America and Asia.
Kenya Launches Giant Lamu Port Construction Project
A Chinese firm, China Communication Construction Company, has signed a $478.9 million deal to construct three berths at Kenyan Indian Ocean port of Lamu. The port, at completion, will have 32 berths. The project involves dredging shallow inland channels and felling shoreline-stabilizing mangrove forests.
Why Restoring Wetlands Is More Critical Than Ever
Along the Delaware River estuary, efforts are underway to restore wetlands lost due to centuries of human activity. With sea levels rising, coastal communities there and and elsewhere in the U.S. and Europe are realizing the value of wetlands as important buffers against flooding and tidal surges.
Thousands Of Blue Sea Creatures Called Velella Velellas Wash Ashore In California
The jellyfish-like invertebrates rarely washe ashore before the end of their lifespan. So when thousands of the tiny blue sea creatures recently turned up, en masse, on beaches in central California, many were surprised to see such a large amount of the beached marine life.
Nesting Gulf Sea Turtles Feed in Waters Filled With Threats
Nesting loggerhead sea turtles in the northern Gulf of Mexico feed among areas that were oiled by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill and where human activities occur, several of which are known to pose threats to sea turtles, a new U.S Geological study showed.
The Great Barrier Reef’s Days May Be Numbered
Researchers appeared before an Australian Senate committee to review how federal and local governments have managed the reef, and found that the Reef is in the worse state it’s ever been in since records began. Researchers attributed the significant decline to coastal development as well as dredging and dumping sediment along the Queensland coast.
The Great American Oyster Collapse
Scientists have linked climate change and pollution of the world’s oceans to problems with oysters and corals, and there are still questions about how other species of ocean life will be affected.