Giant Garbage Patches Help Redefine Ocean Boundaries
Researchers have created a new model that could help determine what area of the world is most responsible for each ocean garbage patch of floating debris; a difficult task for a system as complex and massive as the ocean.
Sydney Harbour’s Plastic Pollution At Alarming Levels, Scientists Find
Researchers have found alarming level of plastic pollution in Sydney harbour, with fibres from clothing and toiletries causing a widespread impact upon the marine ecosystem.
Green And Golden Seaweed Tides On The Rise, By Victor Smetacek & Adriana Zingone
Green, brown and red seaweeds lying on the beach are part and parcel of life in many coastal regions. The amount of beached seaweed biomass started to increase along the shores of industrialized countries in the 1970s, and by the 1990s had become a nuisance along many beaches when mass-stranding events of macroalgae became known as green tides.
Study at Deepwater Horizon Spill Site Finds Key to Tracking Pollutants
A new study of the ocean circulation patterns at the site of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill reveals the significant role small-scale ocean currents play in the spread of pollutants.The findings provide new information to help predict the movements of oil and other pollutants in the ocean.
Study Shows Marine Debris Costs California Residents Millions Of Dollars
Southern California residents lose millions of dollars each year avoiding littered, local beaches in favor of choosing cleaner beaches that are farther away and may cost more to reach, according to a new NOAA-funded Marine Debris Program economics study.
A New Frontier for Fracking: Drilling Near the Arctic Circle
Hydraulic fracturing is about to move into the Canadian Arctic, with companies exploring the region’s rich shale oil deposits. But many indigenous people and conservationists have serious concerns about the impact of fracking in more fragile northern environments.
A New Look At What’s In ‘Fracking’ Fluids Raises Red Flags
Scientists are getting to the bottom of what’s in fracking fluids, with some troubling results.
Immediate Aftermath Of An Oil Spill
The fate of oil during the first day after an accidental oil spill is still poorly understood, with researchers often arriving on the scene only after several days. New findings from a field experiment carried out in the North Sea provide valuable insight that could help shape the emergency response in the immediate wake of disasters.
Matanzas-Riachuelo River Basin Clean Up Effort Hindered
The 64-km Matanzas-Riachuelo river cuts across 14 Buenos Aires municipalities. The basin houses a number of chemical manufactures and industrial factories. Two centuries of neglect and a complex web of political and economic interests are hindering a clean-up plan that requires a broad, concerted effort.