Oceans

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    China Bans All Japanese Seafood Imports as Fukushima Wastewater Is Released Into Pacific

    China Bans All Japanese Seafood Imports as Fukushima Wastewater Is Released Into Pacific

    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 […]

    Overfishing 101: Everything You Need to Know

    Overfishing 101: Everything You Need to Know

    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 […]

    Extreme Heat in Florida Keys Threatens an Entire Ecosystem

    Extreme Heat in Florida Keys Threatens an Entire Ecosystem

    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 […]

    NOAA: ‘Above Normal’ Hurricane Season Now Twice as Likely Due to Late El Niño, Record Ocean Temperatures

    NOAA: ‘Above Normal’ Hurricane Season Now Twice as Likely Due to Late El Niño, Record Ocean Temperatures

    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 […]

    ‘Remarkable Discovery’ of Life Beneath Hydrodermal Vents Is Another Argument for Protecting the Deep Ocean

    ‘Remarkable Discovery’ of Life Beneath Hydrodermal Vents Is Another Argument for Protecting the Deep Ocean

    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 […]

    Algae Blooms: Everything You Need to Know

    Algae Blooms: Everything You Need to Know

    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, […]