In a first-of-its-kind hearing, small island nations disproportionately affected by the climate crisis are taking high-emitting countries to court. The suit is being viewed as the first climate justice case with the goal of protecting the ocean. The prime ministers of the islands of Barbuda and Tuvalu, acting as representatives of Small Island States on […]
Japan has begun discharging treated water containing radioactive tritium from the decommissioned Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the Pacific Ocean. The move led to China announcing an immediate ban on all aquatic products from the island nation. China’s customs bureau said in a statement that it was “highly concerned about the risk of radioactive […]
Japan announced Tuesday that it would begin releasing treated, diluted radioactive water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant as early as Aug. 24. The plan is to release the water into the Pacific Ocean over the course of 30 years. As Reuters reported, the first release set for Thursday will include about 7,800 cubic […]
Quick Key Facts What Is Overfishing? Overfishing occurs when fish are caught faster than their populations can reproduce and replenish themselves, and it’s among the greatest threats to our oceans. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, one-third of assessed fisheries worldwide are pushed beyond their biological limits, which has severe […]
In July, a historic marine heat wave descended upon the Florida Keys. Unprecedented coral bleaching ensued within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS), which boasts the largest coral barrier reef within the continental United States. With high temperatures predicted to persist until October, scientists worry about potential harm to the entire ecosystem. View this […]
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) scientists at the Climate Prediction Center have updated their forecast for this year’s Atlantic basin hurricane season to an above-normal activity level, up from the near-normal activity level predicted earlier this year. Forecasters are saying that the likelihood of the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season — which lasts from June […]
Scientists have discovered a new ecosystem beneath hydrothermal vents inside cavities of a well-explored undersea volcano. The volcano is located on the East Pacific Rise off the coast of Central America. An international team of scientists from Slovenia, Costa Rica, France, Germany, the Netherlands and the United States, led by Dr. Monika Bright, an ecologist […]
Quick Key Facts What Are Harmful Algae Blooms? Algae are one species within the protist kingdom of living beings, which is mostly composed of single-celled, microscopic organisms that may share traits with animals, fungi and/or plants. The biological grouping also includes kelp and molds. There are two main groups of algae — seaweeds, or macroalgaes, […]
When you take a dip in the ocean, expecting it to provide a refreshing reprieve from the scorching summer temperatures and it feels like a hot tub, as it did recently in the Florida Keys, something is amiss. According to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, the average global sea surface temperature reached a […]