Invasive Species Are Riding on Plastic Across the Oceans
Crustaceans and mollusks foreign to the United States have survived up to six years riding on ocean plastic trash.
Plastic straw ban? Cigarette butts are the single greatest source of ocean trash
Cigarette butts have long been the single most collected item on the world’s beaches, with a total of more than 60 million collected over 32 years.
10 Beaches at risk of disappearing
All over the world, beaches are in peril. Globally, climate change has seen sea levels rise about 8 inches since 1880. If we don’t make some sort of drastic change in our lifestyles, levels are projected to go up another one to four feet by 2100. Here’s what that means for our beloved beaches: erosion, cliff disintegration, flooding, saltwater infiltrating freshwater, and possibly, complete destruction.
Tracking Sargassum’s ocean path could help predict coastal inundation events
New research explores how the Sargassum might grow while it is meandering along the currents, not just where it floats, combining both ocean physics and seaweed biology for the first time to understand the distribution patterns. Knowing could eventually help predict its arrival and impact on beaches around the world
Sea level rise is already eroding home values, unbeknownst to their owners
Three studies have found evidence that the threat of higher seas is also undermining coastal property values, as home buyers – particularly investors – begin the retreat to higher ground.
Muddy waters: Exploring mangrove governance in Tanzania
At the Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) in Nairobi later this month, a side event devoted specifically to mangrove preservation and restoration around the African continent’s coastlines will attract a range of stakeholders offering an opportunity to review lessons learned from research undertaken in the Rufiji Delta and mangrove ecosystems across the globe.
Decades of chemical pollution suspected in Maine’s seal die-off
As the number of dead and stranded seals washing up on southern Maine beaches rises by the day, researchers are linking the sudden die-off to decades of chemical pollution that made the seal population vulnerable to toxins and disease.
Ghost netting: Image emerges of decomposed turtle wrapped in plastic net
Pictures taken from the upcoming environmental film Blue, which will be shown at the Ocean Film Festival UK & Ireland Tour, show the horrific effects of plastic pollution and ghost nets on marine life and the world’s oceans.
Scientists testing new solution to fight Florida’s toxic red tide
The state of Florida is at war with a toxic red tide. A tide that is killing marine life along the Sunshine State’s southwest coast and creating a stench. Scientists at Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota are working on a new weapon that they call an “Ozone Treatment System.