Tag archives for oceans
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Thundersnow, super-storms, dust storms, arctic melting, and coral bleaching have existed in the past but not as a regular part of our language till fossil-fuel fired climate change kicked in. You know you’re in the greenhouse century when the 13 hottest years on record have all occurred since 1998 and last year, 2012, was the…
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By Valarie Chapman We have only studied a small portion of the world’s oceans – leaving us plenty of room for surprises. In one great recent surprise, researchers at Hokkaido University have proven that a species of squid can fly (published in the journal Marine Biology). There were rumors and witnesses of these flying squid,…
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Eelpouts, rattails, and cusk eels were among the odd haul of species discovered during a recent expedition to the Kermadec Trench.
What do a West African president, a pair of scientists studying life in the ocean, a 20-year-old veteran of the 4-H Clubs, a Massachusetts Congressman running for a Senate seat and two California women who spent over a decade working to create underwater parks have in common? They‘re among the winners of this year’s top ocean…
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Meet the microscopic moocher Prymnesium parvum, a strain of algae that freeloads on its kin without putting in any effort, a new study says.
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One spill-echoing artwork, a ceramic wall-mounted sculpture called “Eyak’s Jaw,” was made in remembrance of the 20th anniversary of the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Within a rich bed of intertidal life forms – sea start, kelps, and urchins, a viewer glimpses the jawbone and conical teeth of an orca. The actual jawbone of the male…
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Barnacles, already famous for having longest penises in the animal kingdom (relative to size), have another reproductive quirk.
By Alex Muñoz of Oceana I’m happy to start 2013 by sharing some inspiring news from my country, Chile, one of the world’s top fishing nations. The good news is that our Government and National Congress, following campaigning by Oceana, overhauled our fishing laws by banning bottom trawling in all vulnerable marine ecosystems (including…
In November, representatives of over 50 countries gathered in the coastal city of Agadir, Morocco, to determine the fate of one of the ocean’s most iconic species—the Atlantic bluefin tuna. Every year, the governments that are members of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT) struggle to jointly manage this highly migratory…
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Hoping for billfish, the team catches a sailfish, but in this situation, anglers can’t be choosers. Get the play-by-play.
On Wednesday Dec. 19, a statewide network of California marine parks was completed after twelve years of effort. On Thursday the 20th, President Obama announced the largest expansion of California marine sanctuaries in 20 years. Both events reflect the state’s more than 100 years of leadership in protecting, restoring, and exploring its coastal and ocean…
Before you can attach a Crittercam camera to a marlin, you’ve got to catch the fish. Researcher Sam Friedrichs shows how its done.
2012’s Biggest Lesson About the Deficit, the Ocean, and Climate Change
Posted by Miguel Jorge of National Geographic's Ocean Initiative in Ocean Views on December 20, 2012 
There are two things I know for sure: 1) we all love the beach; and 2), we all want to help out when others are in need. Here’s the data: According to the U.S. government, American coastal businesses dependent on clean oceans and beaches (mostly fishing and tourism) generated $225 billion in 2008. The…
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Over the past 20 years, scientists have been assembling compelling data that show the world’s oceans are in deep trouble. Once-abundant species are disappearing, habitats are being destroyed, and fisheries are collapsing across the globe (Jackson et al. 2001, Lotze et al. 2006). For example, studies estimate that biomass of tunas and billfish have decreased…
Every day the U.S. Coast Guard goes in harm’s way to assure the safety, security and environmental stewardship of our public seas. Sometimes they pay the ultimate price as did 34-year-old Chief Petty Officer Terrell Horne, killed December 2nd when his rigid inflatable boarding boat was run over by a suspected drug smuggling boat off…
Lessons from a Little Yellow Submarine
Posted by Youth Radio Investigates on December 7, 2012 
On a foggy night, a little yellow submarine is docked in Monterey Bay. The research submersible is about to introduce a group of young people to a whole new world and possibly a new line of work. Youth Radio’s Denise Tejada went along for the ride. Chris Randolph and Bailey Da Costa are juniors…
Posted by The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) has seen a lot in its 70-year history but nothing quite like this. More than 128,000 people flooded the commission’s inboxes with postcards and emails last month, a new record for public comment. Scientists, small business owners, nature lovers, and anglers sent letters and spoke out at public…
By Mera McGrew of Mission Blue In full scuba gear, we roll off a small open, outboard-powered boat into the clear water. We’re in a shallow bay near the southern tip of Baja California, in the middle of the Cabo Pulmo National Marine Park. Here, the Sea of Cortez blends with the Pacific Ocean. Looking…
The Crittercam expedition to Panama kicked off with blue marlin release as we made our way to Tropic Star Lodge.
Posted by NG Explorer-in-Residence Enric Sala heads to London to support the inhabitants of Pitcairn Island in their quest to protect the abundant marine life surrounding their famously remote home.
Posted by Earlier this year Rolex announced the five winners of the 2012 Rolex Awards for Enterprise, who are being honored in New Delhi, India, on November 27. This profile looks at the work of Marine Biologist Barbara Block, who has developed innovative electronic tagging techniques that enable following fish beneath the sea. Block’s aim is to build the technology that will enable monitoring of ocean hotspots where nutrient-rich waters form attractive hunting grounds for predators, and to engage the public on the plight of marine predators that roam along the west coast of North America.
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This article was originally published by the Center for American Progress. On November 7 the American people woke up to a post-election Washington, D.C., that looks an awful lot like pre-election Washington, D.C. President Barack Obama earned a four-year extension on his lease at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) and his Democratic colleagues…
Kachemak Bay in Lower Cook Inlet lies 125 miles south of Anchorage. It’s been statistically documented as one of the world’s richest and most biologically diverse marine ecosystems, and has been properly called the “Jewel in Alaska’s Coastal Crown” because of its remarkably rich terrestrial and marine resources. Yet since the expansion of…
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Tonight, anchored along the western shore of Lanai Island, we’re reveling in the briny land smell beneath volcanic seamounts and mountain goat habitat. Our scientific research is complete and all that remains is a final cleaning of the ship, a barbeque on deck, an alcohol-free swizzle party and another refreshing swim in the Pacific. Strange…
As we sail closer to port, mahi mahi fish have been hitting our lures and tropicbirds circle our masts. We have not seen land for over a month but as I write these words, we’ve just crossed the EEZ (U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone) within 200 miles of Hawaii. We’re now 34 days at sea and…
