Great Lakes waterspouts (NOAA file photo of Lake Huron) Very common over the warm water in September, when water temperatures peak after summer months and cooler air temps start moving in, Great Lakes waterspouts are cropping up early this year because of odd cool weather this July. (We won’t mention possible climate change links here.) A waterspout […]
Lower Great Lakes Waterspouts Early This Summer Read More 👉
Underwater habitat at Aquarius Reef Base (photo provided to Flickr courtesy of Stephen Frink, www.stephenfrink.com/) On July 2, 2014, ocean scientists who have spent the last 31 days living in an ocean-floor habitat 63 feet underwater will decompress and return to the surface. They’ve been down there on “Mission 31” intensively studying ocean acidification and climate
Epic Mission 31 Night Dive Unlocks Secrets Of “Inner Space” (videos) Read More 👉
The Gulf of Maine’s best kept secret is under threat of being clear-cut. Cashes Ledge is an underwater mountain range which contains the largest and deepest kelp forest on the Atlantic Seaboard. It is an area of upwelling that brings nutrients to the surface causing the kelp forest to blossom and plankton to bloom. It
Maine’s Kelp Forest Under Threat! Read More 👉
Fabien Cousteau, ocean explorer and grandson of famed Jacques-Yves Cousteau, began a historic subsea mission on Sunday. He’s studying ocean impacts of climate change (especially acidification, which occurs as the sea absorbs atmospheric carbon dioxide), effects of plastic and other pollution on marine life, and overfishing of marine resources, which diminishes the ocean’s biodiversity. You
Watch Cousteau Ocean Climate Study LIVE in June! (videos) Read More 👉
The Lancetfish — perhaps you’ve never heard of it? Perhaps you should have? Perhaps you’ve seen the recent viral images of a lancet fish that washed up on the shores of North Carolina? And are wondering if they’re real or not? Have you ever seen anything like THAT before? Lots of important questions. 🙂 Perhaps
Lancetfish — Facts, Images, And Warnings Read More 👉
Even the strange and bizarre animals that inhabit the deep-ocean aren’t safe from human activity — with many of the more vulnerable of them possibly facing extinction in the near-term via said activity, researchers are warning. In addition to the highly destructive effects of deep-sea trawling, the environment of the deep ocean has also regularly
(All figures are from the 2014 National Climate Assessment draft.) Later today (Tuesday, May 6), at 8 a.m. EDT, the National Climate Assessment and Development Advisory Committee of experts meets by conference call to approve the final version of the Third National Climate Assessment. The gist of their message, as Suzanne Goldenberg of The Guardian
National Climate Assessment Pulls No Punches About US Options Read More 👉
For your next vacation, consider taking a trip to the newest continent on Earth, The Secret Continent, and enjoy the Museum of Modern Junk, dine on Plastic Bouillabaisse, dress in Debris Couture, and even see some celebrities! This eighth continent is a charming destination, brought to you in part by big soda companies and their
Eighth Continent Discovered: The Secret Continent Read More 👉
Not again. Last year, as PlanetSave’s James Ayre reported, dead giant oarfish—-bizarre and terrifying serpents of the sea (Regalecus glesne) five and six yards long—-washed ashore at separate locations off the California coast during one week in October. Also last year, National Geographic documented video by a remotely operated undersea vehicle of a giant oarfish
Two Giant Oarfish Spotted Off Mexican Beach (Video) Read More 👉
Bad news from the annual American Geophysical Union’s Ocean Sciences Meeting in Honolulu. Researchers there announced today that radioactive isotopes from the Fukushima nuclear disaster, when three reactors melted down after the March 11, 2011, Tohoku earthquake and subsequent mega-tsunami, have finally reached the West Coast. John Smith, a research scientist at Canada’s Bedford Institute
Canada Water Tests Positive For Fukushima Cesium-134 Read More 👉
In another sign of just how far the influence of human associated pollution now stretches, researchers have found that western Arctic Beluga Whale populations are now infected with a parasite most commonly found in the poop of domestic cats — Toxoplasma gondii. The findings have prompted a health advisory warning to be issued to the
Arctic Beluga Whale Populations Infected With Domestic Cat Parasite, Research Finds Read More 👉
A diver in California’s kelp forest. A new study will explore possible radioactive contamination from the 2011 Fukushima meltdowns (Wikimedia Commons/Ed Bierman). Biology professor Steven L. Manley of California State University, Long Beach, and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s Head of Applied Nuclear Physics Kai Vetter have set up monitoring off the state’s coast throughout
Academic, Government Researchers Watch Coastal Kelp For Fukushima Contaminants Read More 👉
Here’s a video with some beautiful music and some chilling pics of our changing climate: Apparently, the song is by Emily Maguire.
Woke Up (Music Video) Read More 👉
I’d like to be / under the sea / in an octopus’s garden/ in the shade Well, we may never get to live out Ringo’s maritime fantasy, but we can still share in the wonders and beauty of the world’s coral reef’s…thanks now to the Global Reef Record — a survey of the world’s most
Global Reef Project Documents The World’s Threatened Coral Reefs [PHOTOS/VIDEO] Read More 👉
An giant 18-foot long oarfish carcass was just found off the coast of Southern California. While the fish in question is rather huge looking, individuals of the species are actually known to get as large as 50-60 feet long, and can, perhaps, grow even larger than that. This recent individual was found by marine scientist
Oarfish Carcass Found Off Californian Coast — Giant 18-Foot (5 Meter) Oarfish Found Read More 👉
The black dragonfish — Idiacanthus atlanticus — is a rather strange-looking, long and slender fish that lives in the mesopelagic and bathypelagic waters of the world’s oceans, typically being found at depths of between 5000-7000 feet. Among the species more notable qualities are its distinct looking long fang-like teeth, its bioluminescence, its bizarre method of
Black Dragonfish — Deep-Sea Fish Facts, Pictures, And Videos Read More 👉
The Bobbit worm — Eunice Aphroditois — is an animal that you’ve probably never heard of — but that’s unfortunate for you, because it’s probably one of the most interesting animals in the world. You might assume that I’m exaggerating… but, read on… A super-aggressive worm that can grow to be as large as ten
Polar ecosystems are extremely vulnerable to changes in sea-ice cover — specifically changes to do with the timing of annual loss and sunlight exposure — and such ecosystems may experience significant changes in the coming years because of climate change, new research has found. The researchers — from UNSW and the Australian Antarctic Division —
A year-round, ice-free Arctic Ocean could help to explain why the Earth is known to have been significantly warmer during the Pliocene Epoch than the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere at the time would have otherwise suggested, according to new research from the University of Colorado Boulder. The last time that CO2 levels
Ice-Free Arctic Was Responsible For Super-Warm Pliocene Epoch, Research Finds Read More 👉
Most winter flounder populations found in the bays of Long Island, NY, are severely inbred as the result of overfishing, new research from the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University has found. The new research highlights a significant, and rarely acknowledged, problem with regard to overfishing — loss of genetic diversity.
The North Pole is a lake right now. Yeah, you read that right — there’s a small meltwater lake at the top of the world right now, as these photos from the North Pole Environmental Observatory show us. That’s an interesting thought isn’t it? The images — and also the time-lapse video posted below —
The North Pole Is A Lake Right Now — Small Melt Lake At The Top Of The World (VIDEO) Read More 👉
In this day and age, it is important to recycle as much as you can. With the entire environment being affected by mass pollution, we need to do all that we can to save our planet. Plastic has not been around very long. But it’s already causing huge problems in our oceans and on land.
Recycle Your Waste Read More 👉
The first ever global atlas of marine plankton — cataloging the wheres, whens, and hows of the world’s oceanic plankton populations — has now completed thanks to an international collaboration between many of the world’s premier marine research centers. When seen under the microscope — the microscopic organisms that are present in the world’s oceans
Underwater Universe Uncovered With Completion Of First Global Atlas Of Marine Plankton Read More 👉
A rare jellyfish species — Chrysaora achlyos, also known as the black stinging jellyfish — recently made an appearance at a popular Southern California beach. The rare black jellyfish was seen in very large numbers and apparently left quite a few people with stings — not surprisingly when you consider that the tentacles of the
Rare Jellyfish — Black Jellyfish Species Swarming In Southern California Read More 👉
Some fifty thousand years ago, a forest comprised of Bald Cypress trees was buried under massive amounts of ocean sediment that also locked out dissolved oxygen present in the water — effectively preserving (and hiding) the primordial forest forever. Well, that is until Hurricane Katrina’s mighty storm surges (it is believed) disturbed the underwater burial
Ancient Underwater Forest Discovered Off Alabama Coast Read More 👉
Local changes in coastal ocean temperatures have been much more dramatic over the past 30 years than than global averages imply, new research has found. The research suggests that there are very distinct regional differences — differences which have significant ecological implications. The new research was done by mapping and analyzing the differences amongst the
The noise that’s caused by boats disrupts orientation behaviour in larval coral reef fish — preventing them from finding their way home, according to new research from the University of Bristol, the University of Exeter, and the University of Liège. Image Credit: Reef via Flickr CCUniversity of Bristol press release explains how the research was
Boat Noise Disrupts Orientation Behavior In Fish — Prevents Them From Finding Home Read More 👉
A very diverse array of microbes has been found to be colonizing and thriving on the micro-plastic pollution that is now ubiquitous throughout the world’s oceans by new research from the Sea Education Association, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and the Marine Biological Laboratory. This vast and new ecological habitat of microbial communities has been
Summer solstice 2013 is here. Among other things, that means it’s hot! It also means a lot of people are headed to the beach to enjoy the sun and also cool off in the ocean… or sea or lake or whatever you have in your area. Google has commemorated the annual event with a cool
Summer Solstice 2013 Google Doodle Is Refreshing Read More 👉
The 2013 Gulf of Mexico dead zone may very likely be the largest one ever, according to new predictions based on several different NOAA-supported forecast models. The hypoxic dead zone is forecast to cover somewhere between 7,286 and 8,561 square miles of the Gulf of Mexico. The largest dead zone on record was the 2002
Gulf Of Mexico Dead Zone 2013 — Record-Setting Deadzone Is Likely This Year Read More 👉
The giant oarfish — regalecus glesne — is rarely seen by humans while still alive. But now, an incredible video of the rare animal has surfaced on youtube, and is absolutely worth a watch for those that love wildlife, especially the “weirder” kinds. The encounter between the sea-serpent-like oarfish and the ROV that filmed it
The Greenland Sleeper Shark — Somniosus microcephalus — is a rather large, and strange, species of shark native to the icy waters of the North Atlantic, and is especially common in the region around Iceland and Greenland. The species has also been dubbed: the sleeper shark, ground shark, grey shark, gurry shark, and the Inuit
Greenland Shark Eats A Polar Bear — Sleeper Shark Facts, Lifespan, Diet, And Video Read More 👉
Micro-plastic pollution is now prevalent throughout much of the the world’s oceans, as a result of discarded partially- broken-down garbage. These microscopic bits of plastic are present in large enough quantities to cause significant problems for many ocean animals, as well as potentially having more significant effects on the ecosystem, or even human health. The
Micro-Plastic Pollution Is Prevalent In Lakes Too, Not Just The Oceans Read More 👉
135-year-old data obtained by the crew of the HMS Challenger oceanographic expedition is now providing further confirmation of anthropogenic climate change, thanks to a new analysis done by NASA, along with researchers from several top universities. The ocean temperature measurements taken by the HMS Challenger were combined with modern measurements taken by the Argo array
135-Year-Old Data Taken By HMS Challenger Further Confirms Anthropogenic Climate Change Read More 👉
The Antarctic ice cap formed sometime around 33.6 million years ago, during the Oligocene epoch, according to new research from the Andalusian Institute of Earth Sciences (IACT) — a Spanish National Research Council-University of Granada joint center. The finding is supported by the data gained during a recent expedition to Antarctica by the IACT, where
Antarctic Icecap Is 33.6 Million Years Old, According To New Research Read More 👉
Overfishing has had an incredible effect on the quantity and diversity of fish present in the oceans of the world, along with greatly reducing biodiversity. Because of this decline in fish numbers, and a number of complete fishery collapses, the industry is becoming increasingly dependent upon only a handful of shellfish species. And now, new
In another victory for animal activists and sympathizers, a dolphin entertainment park in Turkey was shut down recently. (Hopefully, others around the world will suit.) The park was in Antalya’s Kaş, a small coastal town where tourism, fishing, diving and yachting are popular. (Considering all the water activities available it hardly seems necessary to keep
Dolphin Park Shut Down Partly By Online Petition Read More 👉
An enormous 28-foot-long basking shark washed up dead on a beach in Rhode Island over the weekend. It’s not currently known what caused the shark’s death. Basking sharks, the second largest fishes in the world, are currently listed as “threatened” on the endangered species list. The huge and intelligent animals can grow to be more
Basking Shark Washes Up Dead In Rhode Island Read More 👉
Ocean-surface temperatures along the Northeastern coast of the US are higher now than at any time since record keeping began 150 years ago, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). This isn’t a surprise of course, “high sea surface temperatures (SSTs) are the latest in a trend of above average temperature seen during
The goblin shark is a very rare, poorly understood, species of deep-sea shark. They are known primarily for their somewhat strange specialized “catapulting” jaws, which they use when feeding. When in action they look quite a bit like the alien from the movie Alien. It almost looks like there is something that lives inside of
Goblin Shark Facts, Video, and Pictures Read More 👉
The Arctic Ocean may be free of summer sea-ice as soon as sometime this decade, according to a new report from NOAA. As the report notes, it isn’t a question of if the Arctic will have ice-free summers, it’s simply when. And as of right now, NOAA’s projections say that it is very possible within
Ice-Free Arctic Possibly Within The Next Decade Or Two, New NOAA Report Says Read More 👉
Over 1,000 sick or starving sea lion pups have washed up on shores in Southern California since January. This trend has been reported about for months, according to the Marine Mammal Care Center. Some of the pups washing up on shores now are the same ones that were rescued previously. One female pup that was
Many Sick Sea Lions Found In California Read More 👉
A new study has found that Air pollution stunts coral growth, new research from the University of Exeter has found. The fine particulate matter that is released into the air as a result of fossil fuel burning, amongst other things, effectively “shades” the coral and subsequently cools the water that they reside in, both of
Air Pollution Stunts Coral Growth, Research Finds Read More 👉
The ancient Egyptian sunken port-city of Thonis-Heracleion is now having some of its secrets revealed thanks to new research from the University of Oxford. The port-city served as the obligatory gateway to Egypt sometime around the first millennium BC, being the place where incoming cargo from other regions was inventoried and taxed, before being transferred
Sunken Ancient Egyptian Port-City Reveals Some Of Its Secrets Read More 👉
One oil spill is too much. Three oil spills happened in the last short week, bringing horror to humans and wildlife alike. Dirty oil, at the root of this, has no moral compass. It is a style of bullying at the worst level. If the earth did not have the resources for renewable energy that its
One Oil Spill Is Too Much. One, Two, Three Oil Spills This Week! Read More 👉
Researchers at Virginia Tech, the University of Texas at Dallas and some other universities are working on the development of robotic jellyfish for a project funded by the US Navy. The propulsion mechanism for the artificial jellyfish employs hydrogen and oxygen mixed with seawater. A chemical reaction results, which causes material in the robotic jellyfish
Robot Jellyfish Could Be Powered By Seawater Read More 👉
“I am going out on this broken fin, and I assume it won’t collapse” — so says James Balog as he slides over to the edge of an endless cliff of ice that would make many feel faint simply to observe. Balog is nothing if not obsessive — however, brilliantly so. Needing his third knee
