Map shows tracks and strength of Atlantic tropical cyclones in 2020. Blues are tropical depressions and tropical storms; yellow through red show hurricanes, darker shades meaning stronger ones. Master0Garfield / Wikimedia Commons
By Astrid Caldas
As we reach the official end of hurricane season, 2020 will be one for the record books. Looking back at these long, surprising, sometimes downright crazy past six months (seven if you count when the first named storms actually started forming), there are many noteworthy statistics and patterns that drive home the significance of this hurricane season, and the ways climate change may have contributed to it.
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<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg0NzU0Ni9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMTk3NzI3M30.nuos3jK9lDTK2Y7lsUuwGwoYLSDW0lvEYLwvBPs60OM/img.jpg?width=980" id="8e32e" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="56d35cc370ede3d2f965a897182686ca" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
NOAA
<p>Hurricane activity this year <a href="https://twitter.com/philklotzbach/status/1329930734635630593" target="_blank">broke some records</a>. As of today, we have had a record 30 named storms, of which 13 turned into hurricanes. The first two, Arthur and Bertha, even formed before June 1, the official start of hurricane season. The third formed on June 1 itself.</p><p>This is also only the second time in tropical storm naming history, the first time being in 2005, that the National Hurricane Center <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutnames.shtml" target="_blank">had to use the Greek alphabet letters</a> to name storms after the regular list of names was exhausted. As the season progressed, storms generally got stronger – the image below gives a good idea of this progression. While a pattern like this is not unseen, it certainly is not usually this striking (for instance, see timelines of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_2005_Atlantic_hurricane_season" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2005</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_2017_Atlantic_hurricane_season" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2017</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_2018_Atlantic_hurricane_season" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2018</a>, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_2019_Atlantic_hurricane_season" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2019</a>).</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg0NzU2MS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0OTAyMDY3Nn0.BhJhN_ErgAy_w5VzMcYKPf9KHfLF6NvhQqJS8cj3HEY/img.png?width=980" id="e8972" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ea63282304cdf72c8bf095c11469abf9" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
<p>Fortunately, the high level of activity did not translate into a higher number of major hurricanes this season. The August <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/media-release/extremely-active-hurricane-season-possible-for-atlantic-basin" target="_blank">updated forecast</a> from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) had called for 19-25 named storms, with 7-11 turning into hurricanes, 3-6 of which would be major (Category 3 or higher). The total number of named storms and hurricanes went up, but the latter prediction did not change from the <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/media-release/busy-atlantic-hurricane-season-predicted-for-2020" target="_blank">original forecast released in May</a> (see infographics below).</p><p>So, even though 2020 surpassed the predicted number of named storms and hurricanes, as of today, six of the 13 hurricanes were major, still (barely) within the prediction. Of all the named storms, 12 made landfall in the U.S., six as hurricanes. As of today, the season was record-setting for named storms. It ranks <a href="https://twitter.com/philklotzbach/status/1329930734635630593" target="_blank">second</a> for hurricanes & major hurricanes.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg0NzU2NC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NDQwNzE4OH0.BqYImnv3vRtvgqZvRcIk8ESQX7eOePgn1Vp4RHivhT0/img.png?width=980" id="dc297" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="68446095682eb5c2bd085d14e6f920b7" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
A summary infographic showing hurricane season probability and numbers of named storms predicted from NOAA's 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season Outlook. NOAA
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg0NzU2NS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2NTkxMzk3OX0.a7NktMsiV-68Dtwf8uURYvGtByvjbcvPIxbS-itZz4E/img.png?width=980" id="d2ccc" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9a1b178bc5490c39407c8b0d2293ed16" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
The updated 2020 Atlantic hurricane season probability and numbers of named storms. NOAA
<p>Both Gulf and East Coast states were affected by landfalling hurricanes, and, strikingly, very <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2020/11/16/tropical-storm-winds-lower-48/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">few coastal counties have not been affected</a> by tropical storm winds this season. Many of the 2020 storms formed in the Caribbean or Gulf of Mexico, hence nine out of the 12 U.S. landfalling storms targeting the Gulf states. Louisiana, for example, suffered five landfalls starting in May with TS Bertha.</p><p>This is the 6th year in a row that named storms formed before the official start of the season, and the 5th season in a row with at least one category 5 hurricane. It was also the first year to have two major hurricanes in the month of November (Eta and Iota, a Category 4 and 5 respectively), and September 2020 alone had 10 storms – almost equal to the number of total storms for the entirety of an average season, which is currently 12.</p><p>The 2020 season also had 27 named storms that hold the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Atlantic_hurricane_records" target="_blank">record for earliest formation by initial letter</a> – most of the previous records were set in 2005.</p>
<h3>A Bit of Science</h3><p>One characteristic of the 2020 season that will be discussed for quite a while is the <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutgloss.shtml#r" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">rapid intensification</a> of storms. <a href="https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/2020-11-15-atlantic-hurricane-season-ten-storms-rapidly-intensify" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ten storms</a> so far this year have seen sustained winds gain 35 mph or more in speed within 24 hours or less, with Eta and Iota beating all records with 80 mph increases as they neared landfall on the coast of Nicaragua. The <a href="https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/2020-11-15-atlantic-hurricane-season-ten-storms-rapidly-intensify" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">1995 season also had 10 rapidly intensifying storms</a> – but not at the same rate. Some scientists <a href="https://journals.ametsoc.org/bams/article/98/3/495/70036/Will-Global-Warming-Make-Hurricane-Forecasting" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">argue</a> that rapid intensification is likely to become a more common feature of future storms, making forecasting trickier. <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-08471-z.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Research has shown</a> that rapid intensification, observed over the past 40 years, has become more frequent, a pattern that is not supported by models of internal climate variation alone, suggesting that human-caused global warming might be a factor. <a href="https://journals.ametsoc.org/jcli/article/31/20/8281/92614/Projected-Response-of-Tropical-Cyclone-Intensity" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Another study</a> determined that the chance of a hurricane intensifying went from 1 in 100 in the early 80s to 1 in 20 by mid-2005.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg0NzU2OS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxMjI2NjM3MX0.753Urx0au33Hqz3vy1bTqOWf4rZLyp3JPPGCF-nZ4Co/img.jpg?width=980" id="3d54a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="021f4862a8df4f5a055d450e7a7b0522" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
<p>What we are seeing in the U.S. is also being seen across the globe. Rapidly intensifying <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2019/10/07/tropical-storm-category-hours-super-typhoon-hagibis-intensifies-one-fastest-rates-record/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">typhoons</a> have wreaked havoc in Asia this year, and we saw storms crossing the Caribbean and hitting Central American countries as major hurricanes formed in less than 24 hours. Nicaragua was hit by two category 4 hurricanes in two weeks, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2020/11/17/nicaragua-eta-iota-landfalls/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">something never seen before</a>.</p><p>I have <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/astrid-caldas/dangerous-hurricane-season-to-open-amidst-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">previously written</a> that hurricanes are becoming <a href="https://rd.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00382-013-1713-0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">stronger</a>, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-018-0673-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">wetter</a>, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41612-019-0074-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">slower</a>, and <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/116/48/23942" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">more destructive</a>, and all these trends have been <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/10/climate/climate-change-hurricanes.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">linked to anthropogenic global warming</a> in one way or another. <a href="https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/link-between-heat-and-hurricanes" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">New studies</a> since have also pointed to the fact that the link between heat and the intensity of tropical cyclones is becoming clearer, and that their <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/117/22/11975" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">intensity over the past four decades</a> has increased.</p><p>Another new characteristic of Atlantic hurricanes determined in a study is that they are losing strength more slowly. Whereas in the 60's hurricanes lost 75 percent of their strength within 24 hours of making landfall, today they lose only 50 percent in the same amount of time. That certainly contributes to a higher impact from rainfall and winds.</p><p>The very active forecast released in August by NOAA was based on some variables that historically affect Atlantic tropical cyclone activity. In addition to the <a href="https://climatereanalyzer.org/wx/DailySummary/#sst" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">abnormally warm sea surface temperatures</a>, which act as a type of "fuel" to the formation of storms, there were other factors at play.</p><p>The establishment of a <a href="https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/ninonina.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">La Niña</a> pattern, which historically affects high winds in the Atlantic, tends to diminish the vertical wind shear that could help prevent the formation of a tropical cyclone. Also, according to <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/media-release/extremely-active-hurricane-season-possible-for-atlantic-basin" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">NOAA</a>, a large-scale climate pattern called the <a href="https://climatedataguide.ucar.edu/climate-data/atlantic-multi-decadal-oscillation-amo" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Atlantic Multi-Decadal Oscillation</a> has also been favoring more active hurricane seasons since 1995 by making wind conditions in the tropics more conducive to tropical cyclone formation. This favors weaker tropical Atlantic trade winds and an enhanced west African monsoon, which also affect Atlantic tropical cyclone formation.</p>
<h3>Costs and Future of Hurricanes</h3><p>Tropical cyclones are the <a href="https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/calculating-cost-weather-and-climate-disasters" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">costliest of weather and climate disasters</a>, no doubt due to their widespread impacts: storm surge, wind, rain, all come together to create compound risks in the areas affected. In addition, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/26/nyregion/rebuild-home-hurricane.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">hurricane recovery</a> – ecological, structural, economic – tends to last for years, and <a href="https://cen.acs.org/environment/pollution/Looking-lingering-health-effects-Hurricane/96/i37" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">health impacts</a> add to the costs.</p><p>The trend in rapid intensification, especially as a storm approaches landfall, can make preparations and evacuations more difficult, if not impossible, and is bound to increase the danger to people and the costs of these disasters. Plus, we cannot forget that storms are more consistently forming before and after the official hurricane season, and that extension can signify a longer period of disaster recovery, as well as a longer period during which communities will have to stay in a state of preparedness.</p><p>Especially costly and worrisome from the point of view of preparedness and recovery is when storms hit the same area successively. Hurricane Laura hit the Louisiana Lake Charles area in August as a Category 4, one of the strongest storms to hit the state. Then Hurricane Delta hit the same general area only six weeks later, while many houses still <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/10/10/922637167/hundreds-of-thousands-without-power-after-hurricane-delta-sweeps-through-south" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">had tarps covering their roofs</a>, and people in the region, especially low-income segments of the population, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/10/10/922637167/hundreds-of-thousands-without-power-after-hurricane-delta-sweeps-through-south" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">were far from recovered</a>.</p><p>Last but certainly not least, we are dealing with a pandemic that added to the <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/kristy-dahl/as-hurricane-laura-bears-down-on-gulf-coast-data-shows-how-covid-19-may-affect-evacuations" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">challenges of evacuations, sheltering, and recovery</a>. Because of the unprecedented confluence of hurricane season and the pandemic, many emergency preparedness officials <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/astrid-caldas/real-time-lessons-on-covid-19-and-us-hurricane-response-what-weve-learned-from-hanna-and-isaias" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">learned on the fly</a> how to best accommodate evacuees while trying to contain spread of the novel coronavirus.</p><p>The economic crisis from the pandemic is also leading to a lack of resources for both the people and the authorities to deal effectively with the disaster and take suitable action, something that could take years to resolve. The pandemic is of course a concern around the world, and everywhere people are scrambling to deal with these compound risks.</p>
<h3>The Need for Action</h3><p>There is an urgent need for policies and funding for equitable pre-disaster preparedness to help curtail post-disaster costs and recovery. Resources and technical assistance also must be allocated equitably so that those most in need and with the least capability of rebounding have the means to do so.</p><p>We know that human-induced global warming is making storms worse and bringing more destruction with them. We also know we have a path to reduce the carbon emissions that are driving our temperatures up. It is imperative that countries – including the U.S. – continue to increase the ambition of their pledges to reduce global warming emissions and cap warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius, as promised in the Paris Agreement. Only by keeping the worst of climate change at bay will we also limit the wrath of hurricanes, saving lives, property, and resources.</p><p>But for now, any way you look at it, the unprecedented 2020 season is one for the history books.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/astrid-caldas/rapid-intensification-unprecedented-number-of-storms-make-2020-a-record-hurricane-season" target="_blank">Union of Concerned Scientists</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
- Tropical Storm Theta Is Record-Breaking 29th Storm of 2020 ... ›
- Hurricane Delta Breaks Record for Earliest 25th Named Storm ... ›
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Government officials are offering an up to $20,000 reward for information that helps solve two brutal Florida dolphin murders.
<p>The first dolphin was discovered shot or stabbed late last week by biologists with the <a href="https://myfwc.com/" target="_blank">Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission</a> off of Naples, Florida, <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/" target="_blank">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries</a> <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/dolphins-stabbed-and-shot-florida-noaa-enforcement-seeks-tips" target="_blank">reported Tuesday</a>. The second was found within the same week by experts at the <a href="http://emeraldcoastwildliferefuge.org/" target="_blank">Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge</a>, who discovered the animal on Pensacola Beach with a bullet in its left side.</p><p>"[These are] some of the worst cases we have seen," Tracy Dunn, who leads the law enforcement team of NOAA's southeast division, told <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/12/us/dolphins-shot-stabbed-florida.html" target="_blank">The New York Times</a>.</p>
<p>The deaths bring the total for dolphins stranded in the southeastern U.S. up to at least 29 since 2002, according to NOAA. The dolphins appear to have been shot or stabbed with arrows or fishing spears. Four of these strandings occurred within the past year. This includes one dolphin who was found off Captiva Island, Florida in May 2019 with a fatal puncture wound in its head. The case remains unsolved, and authorities are also offering a separate reward for any information about that case.</p><p>The underlying problem is that people feed dolphins illegally, NOAA officials explained.</p><p>"When dolphins are fed, their behavior changes. They lose their natural wariness of people and boats," NOAA bottlenose dolphin <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/conservation" target="_self">conservation</a> coordinator Stacey Horstman told The New York Times.</p><p>This means that when dolphins encounter boats, they adopt a begging position, Horstman further explained to <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/two-dolphins-fatal-injuries-found-florida-coast-n1135911" target="_blank">NBC</a>. They either stick their heads out of the water with their mouths open or look up at the boats while on their sides. When they do this, they are only one to two feet from a boat. It is thought both of the dolphins killed last week were in a begging position when they died.</p><p>"The best advice is not to feed them, not to reach out to them. The seemingly innocent act of feeding dolphins can lead to harm and something like this," Horstman told The New York Times.</p><p>Bottlenose dolphins are not listed as an <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/endangered-species" target="_self">endangered species</a> in the U.S., but, because they swim close to shore, they are at risk from human activity such as development and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/fishing" target="_self">fishing</a>.</p><p>They are also protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, NOAA explained, which means it is illegal to hunt, harass, kill or feed them, or to attempt to do so. Anyone caught violating the act can face criminal or civil penalties of up to $100,000 in fines or up to a year in jail.</p><p>NOAA is asking for anyone with information about the recent deaths to call its enforcement hotline at (800) 853-1964.</p><p>"It's very difficult to solve without the community coming forward," Dunn told The New York Times.</p>
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CBD lemonade and CBD ciders in the Erewhon store in Venice, California. Irma Omerhodzic
With the ever growing popularity of CBD oil, consumer demand has paved the way for various other types of CBD-infused products and application styles. It's easy to find CBD edibles, but now hemp-infused beverages like CBD water are becoming more prominent within the industry.
<h2>What is CBD water?</h2><p>CBD water has become a recent hot topic in the consumer market, especially as people question its efficacy. The primary difference between CBD water and a regular bottle of water is the addition of cannabidiol (CBD), a compound found in cannabis plants. There are many potential benefits of CBD oil that have intrigued consumers and scientists alike, since it has anti-inflammatory and calming effects.</p><p>However, the main question on people's minds is do these products actually work?</p><p>For the most part, a CBD-infused bottle of water won't have any of the pain-killing or anxiety reducing effects that a quality CBD oil tincture can provide. Instead, these trendy beverages are an easy way to get a microdose of CBD that can promote general health and wellness from the inside out.</p><p>Most CBD waters are made with nano emulsified CBD, or tiny particle sized CBD molecules that make it easier for the bloodstream to absorb the compound. These nano CBD particles are more compatible with water, despite the <a href="http://www.jbc.org/content/early/2015/02/09/jbc.M114.618447.full.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">hydrophobic nature</a> of macro CBD molecules that usually have to be infused with oil based products.</p><h2>Best CBD Water On the Market</h2>
<h2>Is CBD Water Safe to Drink?</h2><p>While the jury is still out on the efficacy of CBD-infused waters, the consumption of CBD is considered to be generally safe by the World Health Organization (WHO). The 2018 Farm Bill federally legalized hemp nearly 2 years ago, but there is still some confusion when it comes to CBD. Generally speaking, CBD is completely legal to sell and purchase across all 50 U.S. states. Although it is important to note that cannabidiol products like CBD water have not been evaluated by the FDA, and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.</p><h2>The Downside of CBD Water</h2><p>CBD is a notably unstable compound that can be easily degraded when exposed to light or oxygen. Because of this, many high quality CBD oils are sold in dark glass bottles, and it's suggested they be stored away from direct sunlight.</p><p>Given the volatility of CBD molecules, some people believe CBD water is not a suitable form of CBD absorption. The doubts surrounding CBD in water form is often due to the light exposure that easily penetrates through clear water bottles, which may render the CBD ineffective. However, some brands have sought out solutions to this issue, like the nano emulsification of CBD to increase bioavailability and decrease the chance of degradation.</p><p>Although, the use of nanotechnology is still a relatively new concept when it comes to CBD, and it's still unclear whether this process truly enhances the bioavailability of CBD, or if it prevents the compound's degradation when exposed to light or oxygen.</p><h2>Should You Buy CBD Water?</h2><p>If you're looking for an easy way to get a dose of CBD and stay hydrated, CBD water is a fun way to do that. With that being said, I would consider CBD water to be a luxury item that perhaps not everyone can afford. And if you're looking to see real results like anxiety relief, pain reduction, sleep improvements, and even seizure reduction, you'll probably be better off purchasing a regular pack of bottled water and a high quality CBD oil.</p><p>A full spectrum hemp oil extract with higher amounts of CBD is more likely to elicit any potential health benefits associated with this compound. Although if you're really into the idea of drinking your hemp extracts, there's other options like CBD tea and CBD coffee, as well as water soluble CBD oils that can be mixed into any beverage to create a CBD-infused drink of your choice.</p>
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<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg2NzEwMC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NzU0ODIzOH0.ZXaX3XnEKm25LI6vCzB1ZuaDxoLjNnqEj_wqguRmPIM/img.png?width=980" id="173fe" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4c076b3b38c1b3a7d937fcd750ff1d69" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /><p>HOLISTIK is a member of the IMPACT COLLECTIVE, a group of forward-thinking brands committed to making an immediate and positive environmental impact. For every HOLISTIK STIK sold, the brand will pull one plastic bottle out of the ocean—which is great. We like buying from a brand that things about its place in the world. </p><p>It's also nice to shop a wellness brand that delivers on its promise of helping people feel better. HOLISTIK has a sleep, stress, recover, and digestion blend. All their STICKs mix directly into the water of your choice and 10mg of broad-spectrum CBD plus complimentary natural ingredients.</p>
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<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg2NzEyOC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2OTA3NTA2N30.z1EigaFFbLSMbf0c1aXoaEpWd-mfAQkOthor5tFfuYQ/img.png?width=980" id="6afee" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b385ac080f885d4f517c7d8742a86feb" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /><p>CBD Living is well known as a company that produces CBD-infused water, which is made with 10 mg of nano-CBD in each standard sized 16.9 oz bottle of water. You can purchase one bottle for $4.99 or stock up and save by getting the 24-pack of water. Before your purchase consider the amount of plastic in the case of water. We think this is a viable option, but the STIKs have a lesser downstream impact. </p>
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Cyclone Gati on Sunday had sustained winds of 115 miles per hour. NASA - EOSDIS Worldview
Cyclone Gati made landfall in Somalia Sunday as the equivalent of a Category 2 hurricane, the first time that a hurricane-strength storm has made landfall in the East African country, NPR reported.
<p>Furthermore, at one point before making landfall, Gati strengthened to sustained winds of 115 miles per hour, the equivalent of a Category 3 storm. It is the strongest storm on record for the entire geographical area.</p><p>"Gati is the strongest tropical cyclone that has been recorded in this region of the globe; further south than any category 3-equivalent cyclone in the North Indian Ocean," National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) researcher Sam Lillo <a href="https://twitter.com/splillo/status/1330554977870200838" target="_blank">tweeted</a>.</p>
<div id="eb022" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4a22e81d6d14760e4c92ea8fa70eaf9d"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1330554977870200838" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Gati is the strongest tropical cyclone that has been recorded in this region of the globe; further south than any c… https://t.co/p77EMJ3mUw</div> — Sam Lillo (@Sam Lillo)<a href="https://twitter.com/splillo/statuses/1330554977870200838">1606064001.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>The <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_self">climate crisis</a> is making storms both <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tropical-storm-intensity-climate-crisis-2646033123.html" target="_self">stronger and wetter</a>, and Gati is an example of both. First, it intensified rapidly. The storm began as an area of low pressure observed on Thursday by India's Meteorological Department (IMD), <a href="https://www.accuweather.com/en/hurricane/severe-cyclonic-storm-gati-bearing-down-on-somalia/852100" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">AccuWeather reported</a>. By Sunday, it had strengthened to a tropical depression; 12 hours later, it was a severe cyclonic storm. Lillo noted that its 12-hour intensification was the largest on record in the basin.</p><p>Gati intensified partly because of warm <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/ocean" target="_self">ocean</a> temperatures, according to AccuWeather. Other factors included low wind shear and the fact that it was relatively small, Lillo told NPR.</p><p>"With climate change we're seeing warmer ocean temperatures and a more moist atmosphere that's leading to a greater chance of rapid intensification for tropical cyclones like Gati," meteorologist and climate journalist Eric Holthaus told NPR. "Gati's strength is part of that broader global pattern of stronger storms."</p>
<div id="8d78f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="78b74a8fa911068186256663c6020cdd"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1330520441929293824" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Cyclone #Gati striking #Somalia with Category 2 force. https://t.co/qGdHTcDE3G https://t.co/QJ5RMCy0e7</div> — UW-Madison CIMSS (@UW-Madison CIMSS)<a href="https://twitter.com/UWCIMSS/statuses/1330520441929293824">1606055767.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>The storm is also predicted to be very wet. Somalia usually experiences four inches of rain every year. Gati could dump eight inches, doubling that amount in just two days.</p><p>"The system may impact Socotra, Somalia, Yemen and western Oman from [Sunday] night into Monday and potentially Tuesday, with the main threat being heavy rain and flash <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/flooding" target="_self">flooding</a>," AccuWeather Lead International Meteorologist Jason Nicholls said.</p><p>Holthaus <a href="https://twitter.com/EricHolthaus/status/1330558089779683329" target="_blank">noted</a> on Twitter that Somalia only accounts for about 0.002 percent of the total greenhouse gases emitted since the start of the industrial revolution.</p><p>"Today, they're experiencing a rapidly strengthening tropical cyclone that will bring two years worth of rainfall in just two days," he wrote. "This is the heart of climate injustice."</p>
<div id="5b55b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="48485c27d58cba8f2b923a207db706d4"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1330621846497103873" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Tropical Cyclone Gati landfalling in Somalia. https://t.co/3KQcpXgoTQ</div> — CIRA (@CIRA)<a href="https://twitter.com/CIRA_CSU/statuses/1330621846497103873">1606079944.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>There is usually an average of one cyclone in the Arabian Sea every year, <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/years-second-in-arabian-sea-severe-cyclone-gati-headed-to-somalia-7061376/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Indian Express reported</a>. However, Gati is the second to form this year after <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/cyclone-nisarga-mumbai-coronavirus-2646150409.html" target="_self">Cyclone Nisarga</a> made landfall south of Mumbai in June. The number of cyclones forming over the Arabian Sea has increased since 2015, according to IMD data reported by The Indian Express. There were four in 2019 and three in 2018. The uptick in activity has been linked to the climate crisis. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has found that the Arabian Sea's surface temperatures are rising.</p>
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Scaling up offshore renewable energy is one of the ways that governments can improve ocean sustainability efforts. BerndBrueggemann / Getty Images
On Wednesday, governments responsible for 40 percent of the world's coastlines and 20 percent of global fisheries announced a series of new commitments that comprise the world's biggest ocean sustainability initiative.
<p>The <a href="https://newsletter.climatenexus.org/e2t/tc/VW_ypy3S_jgNN9byR2ys4BzfW824bMN4k7sNjN1YBnv93p_8SV1-WJV7CgNTvW9lfXJd8Fkx0GW5DDTkJ49SyXxW1dVD6l3GPhxqW3pj49q59Yv1YN7nnMSZvnSpjW7HfmFt5wwRTrW6mC5VB1wCPgyW6qF3Pg2sCSF-W8z9Mzy5hzzCDVJHN8W53qh_6VdPWX39c5V7wW5tGWbp13HrrCW9kjgt71hRg7MW1blDfF4_LL4bW2Jh8Pw2Jhmx0W1yBYXL3yTLnMV6KD3l8Kq5FrW8_TXGL79rTMpN2K08B9YP9qDW20s99V5wybyfW349WdH7brMdpW8p2dkf4zJQJl35S_1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">fourteen countries</a>, which combined control an ocean area the size of Africa, committed to sustainably manage their national waters by 2025 and encouraged all other nations to join them by 2030. </p><p>In practice, this means that these governments will pursue a range of strategies, including reducing shipping emissions, reducing marine pollution, scaling up offshore renewable energy, and taking a precautionary approach to deep sea mining. </p><p>"You can't just prosper, prosper, prosper—fish more, drill more," Jane Lubchenco, an environmental scientist, former NOAA administrator, and one of the panel's expert co-chairs, told Fast Company.</p>
<p>"You have to do it in a way that minimizes the impacts on the ecosystem and maximizes the equitable benefit." </p><p>The new sustainable ocean agenda, if achieved worldwide, would dramatically increase food and renewable energy production, and contribute a fifth of the greenhouse gas pollution reductions required to stay within 1.5°C of global warming.</p>
<p><strong>For a deeper dive:</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/dec/02/global-sustainable-fishing-initiative-agreed-by-14-countries?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=101740057&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_UWMXguHF4B8mDRgLMPfsNbTEZWLXr2iO9m1C_OOJ5RXJqUEZCuHm1ZpfkTqtz_kbAuLwIQ2qcG8bXRzcCvZLRun3B0wqw6Hd67TBFFD-5WjQihwk&utm_content=101740057&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>, <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/90581007/14-countries-launch-a-new-plan-to-achieve-a-sustainable-ocean-economy?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=101740057&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8eHPkod09Lrg8Olfh8Rc8t1dqwdt7DkRJG7ZSBgLdxj50vaR-bmOaOyn7aogHUlftEA3W064mZFANV2PKwax17ZFL0VJx7s51jFvDRHE90ulz_Hfk&utm_content=101740057&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Fast Company</a>, <a href="https://www.nature.com/immersive/d42859-020-00084-7/index.html?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=101740057&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8aHFAlO_LqaMAAZlXr_dLoOJIoDZOdIrB_yIyCdJUXBS5vynN4PGaVhtwUokL1XYzT7o6MN57Re1x1hQfO6Aq9KzPyiSXNyDRmPsPiKk5ij5morsg&utm_content=101740057&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Nature,</a> <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/oceans-key-to-solving-climate-crisis-say-world-leaders/a-55789573?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=101740057&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_ascIVyKdy3ucnvJQIbAyxCLhXw2y5t8dkt02FOqfFYZiMl_aOCDpD86z33ei5xjwhXkL-c-DV2vJTWBkZkcFfeieRg77HaIPcPaY77lqwv-1hbc4&utm_content=101740057&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Deutsche Welle</a>, <a href="https://soundcloud.com/oceanpanel/bbc-world-service-with-pm-solberg-of-norway?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=101740057&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_WkSVHR0EtEthuS5HEYKxTL0MThvp12bEdGOc3BBtkP4BBK_SHhza8_CkpYOg3FRTp1zHD1GAwkxCcuUdu_RvrDWgB7uhS3cJT4pZLGO3hC4zKy0k&utm_content=101740057&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">BBC Radio</a>, <a href="https://www.undercurrentnews.com/2020/12/02/14-nations-commit-to-manage-sustainably-their-waters-by-2025/?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=101740057&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_JundZm7dqs79UkBXFXwOYFOHNuKpGM7ttOVH7QyH3zCxjiibJhyhhi_imQLbWeuRks4_zUEswZjN20kdG03AP6wxEXEqY4HW8jHOFWnNHSZXLdLg&utm_content=101740057&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Undercurrent News</a>, <a href="https://www.seafoodsource.com/news/environment-sustainability/world-s-biggest-ocean-sustainability-initiative-signed-by-14-countries?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=101740057&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9lnymFpaQ5SYT7ihvf-KB6OHlRD1h2YmBE2vUI0KGEZjL5JNKaM-trcJpO03T7NxoRmu2KnKeR4PP6N2sjhiDc8GIW_KLgayzH9yciuIYmSPpu214&utm_content=101740057&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Seafood Source</a>, <a href="https://blog.nationalgeographic.org/2020/12/02/key-fishing-nations-endorse-the-protection-of-30-of-the-ocean/?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=101740057&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--koAEW4Ll_dwV60oqQazyGoxxnw-t1kwDqzskZXHjGG_aJGf9XnyTBlwgRAGfPlEFzRb8bl6A37uGxREfm6sQJEMVamLsel0o2C76_YbURgvBRPuo&utm_content=101740057&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">National Geographic</a>; Commentary: <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-03303-3?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=101740057&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--STJt6CIUuKWYBNapAcJj35oaKn8XqMcBhePyf8rXh3bENLGMVinUwsVuJxIqw2EVfiSAp9kUd6ZcVbgkOJkg1Bya52Iy3sgeep0dfL1WyB6Y6Sp4&utm_content=101740057&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Nature, Jane Lubchenco, Peter Haugan, Mari Elka Pangestu comment</a>, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-03302-4?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=101740057&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8T5OTZHQQTzZYnSOW3cS-bSiqCGwcH2PBruHmvxGwH16S4Ku_1BPQekFufmWHoYo7vtcC97aA-VPxrCompd7j-gtGrSfP8GM3_mAiHboxPY1q7ABw&utm_content=101740057&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Nature, Erna Solberg op-ed</a></p><p><em>For more </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/climate-change-news/" target="_blank"><em>climate change</em></a><em> and </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/business/renewables/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>clean energy</em></a><em> news, you can follow Climate Nexus on </em><a href="https://twitter.com/ClimateNexus" target="_blank"><em>Twitter</em></a><em> and </em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ClimateNexus/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Facebook</em></a><em>, and sign up for daily </em><a href="http://climatenexus.us4.list-manage1.com/subscribe?u=d1f5797e59060083034310930&id=7c84c08aaa" target="_blank"><em>Hot News</em></a><em>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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In Parting Blow to Climate Science, Trump Admin Removes Expert in Charge of National Climate Assessment
10 November
Politics
A girl places an American flag on the rubble of her grandparents' home after it was destroyed by a tornado on April 30, 2014 in Louisville, Mississippi. Joe Raedle / Getty Images
The Trump administration has reassigned the scientist in charge of the National Climate Assessment, the most important federal report on the climate crisis.
<p>The National Climate Assessment, which is released every four years, combines the expertise of 13 federal agencies along with independent scientists, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/09/climate/michael-kuperberg-climate-assessment.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The New York Times explained</a>. The last assessment, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-report-takeaways-2621535494.html" target="_self">released in 2018</a>, said unequivocally that the impacts of climate change were already being felt in the U.S. and would get worse if nothing was done to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Trump administration tried to bury the report by <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/us-climate-report-black-friday-2621301116.html" target="_self">releasing it Thanksgiving weekend</a>, and President <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/donald-trump" target="_self">Donald Trump</a> <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/trump-rejects-us-climate-report-2621629346.html" target="_self">claimed</a> that he did not believe it. Now, there is concern the administration is trying to influence the findings of the next assessment.</p><p>"Even in their final days, they are continuing to attempt to bury the overwhelming scientific consensus on climate change," <a href="https://www.ucsusa.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Union of Concerned Scientists</a> senior climate scientist Rachel Licker told The New York Times.</p>
<p>The administration on Friday reassigned Michael Kuperberg, a climate scientist who runs the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP), which produces the report. The move was confirmed to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2020/11/09/trump-removes-climate-program-director/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Washington Post</a> by one current federal official and one former White House official, both of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity. Don Wuebbles, a University of Illinois climate scientist and friend of Kuperberg's, who directed the Fourth National Climate Assessment, also confirmed the news.</p><p>"Mike called me on Saturday and said he was just notified that he was let go, that his detail was over and that he should go back to the Department of Energy," Wuebbles told The Washington Post.</p>
<p>Kuperberg had led USGCRP since 2015 and had expected to continue to oversee the completion of the Fifth National Climate Assessment. Two people close to the administration told The New York Times he would likely be replaced by David Legates, a new appointment to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) who has worked with climate denying groups and argued that carbon dioxide is "plant food and not a pollutant."</p><p>It is unclear what influence the change in leadership will have given that former Vice President <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/joe-biden" target="_self">Joe Biden</a> has <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/biden-wins-first-climate-election-2648783892.html" target="_self">won</a> the presidential election and will take office Jan. 20.</p>
<p>"It might be a short-term appointment," Competitive Enterprise Institute Director and former member of Trump's transition team Myron Ebell, who approves of Legates' appointment, told The New York Times. "If he only directs it for two months and a week, then he may not get very far, but let's see what can get done in two months. Maybe the next administration will throw it all away, but maybe some changes will be adopted, who knows."</p><p>One concern is that, if Biden replaces Trump's new appointment, it could further delay the next climate assessment, which was due in 2022 but has been pushed back to 2023. The new appointee could also influence the writers of the report, <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/11/09/trump-removes-head-of-climate-science-report-435620" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">POLITICO pointed out</a>. Nominations for report authors are due Nov. 14, and the new USGCRP head could select people who deny mainstream climate science. However, a mainstream U.S. Geological Survey climate scientist named Betsy Weatherhead has been put in charge of coordinating the assessment itself, according to The Washington Post.</p><p>"I would be more concerned if Trump had won the election," Kathy Jacobs, who ran the Third National Climate Assessment and now directs the Center for Climate Adaptation Science and Solutions at the University of Arizona, told The Washington Post. "If USGCRP is rudderless for a few months, I don't consider that a devastating situation. The question is: What are they going to do in the interim?"</p>
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An orca swims in the Pacific Northwest. Malcolm Surgenor / Flickr / Creative Commons
The U.S. Navy has secured permission for exercises in the Pacific Northwest that could harm endangered orcas and other marine mammals.
The new rule, published in the Federal Register Thursday, would allow the Navy to increase the number of Southern Resident killer whales it could "take"—or potentially harm—from two a year currently to 51 a year through 2027, The News Tribune reported.
<p>"This plan allows Navy war games to harm and harass marine mammals from the Pacific Northwest to Alaska. Critically endangered orcas and right <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/whales" target="_self">whales</a> would be assaulted by sonar and explosions," <a href="https://biologicaldiversity.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Center for Biological Diversity</a> (CBD) <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/oceans" target="_self">oceans</a> program director Miyoko Sakashita said in a <a href="https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/navys-pacific-northwest-training-plan-harms-hundreds-of-endangered-whales-2020-11-12/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">press release</a>. "We understand the need for military training, but the Navy can do much more to balance that with its legal obligation to minimize harm to vulnerable <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/marine-life" target="_self">marine life</a>." </p>
<p>The plight of Southern Resident killer whales, the orcas that roam the waters between Washington and British Columbia, have attracted increased attention and urgency in recent years, especially after one mother <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/orca-mother-calf-mourning-2594507257.html" target="_self">carried her dead calf</a> for 17 days. That mother finally <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/orca-dead-calf-new-birth-2647545791.html" target="_self">gave birth</a> to a healthy baby this summer, but there are still only 74 Southern Resident killer whales left, according to the <a href="https://www.whaleresearch.com/orca-population" target="_blank">Center for Whale Research</a>. They <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/emergency-order--resident-orcas-2530527365.html" target="_self">have been harmed</a> by a steep decline in their Chinook salmon prey, pollution and noise and disturbances below the waves.</p><p>It is the last threat that could be increased by the Navy activities, which include firing torpedoes, using sonar, detonating bombs and using underwater drones, according to The News Tribune. Sonar and explosions can make it harder for whales and orcas to hear, and can interrupt their feeding, reproduction and migration, the CBD pointed out. Underwater noise can also kill up to 50 percent of zooplankton, the basis of the marine food web.</p><p>The Marine Mammal Protection Act requires that the Navy get permission for any activities that could harm marine mammals from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). The NMFS regulation governs the Navy's Northwest Training and Testing, which will take place off the Pacific Coast from Northern California to Alaska beginning Nov. 9 of this year and concluding in 2027.</p><p>In addition to orcas, the Navy's activities are expected to harm or bother more than 200 humpback whales, 300 minke whales and 10 blue whales every year, CBD reported. They could also harm 2,539 Cuvier's beaked whales every year, out of a population of just 3,274. NMFS did not even consider how the Navy's activities would impact North Pacific right whales, which have a population of only a couple dozen.</p><p>The proposal prompted concerns from Washington State officials over the threat posed to orcas, which rose from two to 51 animals bothered each year because the Navy realized the animals' population was more dense in the testing area than previous models had indicated, according to The News Tribune.</p><p>"The approval of such a high level of incidental take without requiring any additional mitigation measures represents gross neglect of the agency's management responsibilities under the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act to avoid or mitigate impacts to this highly endangered and iconic species," the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Department of Natural Resources, the Puget Sound Partnership, State Office of Recreation and Conservation, the Governor's Office of Salmon Recovery and Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz wrote in a <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/7002861-NMFS-7-16-20.html" target="_blank">joint letter</a> to NMFS in July.</p><p>In the final rule, NMFS responded to concerns about the increased take by saying it had added new mitigation measures to the final rule, including introducing new mitigation measures during explosive mine countermeasures and neutralization testing, as well as mitigation measures aimed at certain areas of critical habitat. The Navy is only responsible for less than one percent of boat traffic in the Pacific Northwest, according to The News Tribune.</p>
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A humpback whale is seen in the Santa Barbara Channel of California. Gregory "Slobirdr" Smith / Wikimedia Commons / CC by 2.0
By Tara Lohan
A blue whale can weigh as much as 200 tons and consume 12,000 pounds of krill in a single day. But even the largest animal on Earth doesn't stand a chance against a fast-moving cargo ship.
<p><br/></p>
<p>Collisions between whales and shipping vessels are especially prevalent in areas where whale habitat overlaps with busy port traffic, such as the Santa Barbara Channel. This 70-mile stretch of water between mainland California and the Northern Channel Islands is a thoroughfare for thousands of cargo ships going to and from the busy ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. It's also a hotspot for endangered and threatened whales.</p><p>The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has instituted voluntary slow-speed zones, but whale-ship strikes have still been on the rise for the past few years.</p><p>To reverse that trend, a group of scientists from all over the country have collaborated on a new project spearheaded by U.C. Santa Barbara's Benioff Ocean Initiative. <a href="https://whalesafe.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Whale Safe</a>, a technology-based mapping and analysis tool, provides near real-time data on whale activity in the Santa Barbara Channel in the hope of reducing fatal whale-ship collisions.</p><p>We spoke to Morgan Visalli, the science lead at the Benioff Ocean Initiative, about how the technology works and what the public can do to help hold shipping companies accountable.</p>
<p><strong>Why is something like Whale Safe needed?</strong></p><p>Many whale species thankfully are recovering from the days of intensive whaling, when they were hunted to the brink of extinction. But now they're facing other threats from ship strikes and fishing gear entanglements.</p><p>The Santa Barbara Channel, where we've launched Whale Safe, is a really important feeding ground for blue, humpback and fin whales — all species that are either endangered or threatened. Those three species are the ones that we're focusing on with this first launch of the project.</p><p>The past two years were some of the worst on record for ship strikes off the West Coast of the United States. Even worse, the number that we actually see recorded in the data is likely a small percentage of the actual number of ship strikes that occurred.</p><p>Scientists estimate that only about 5% to 17% of whale carcasses are actually observed and recorded. So if we see 13 whale carcasses that wash up on the beach, as was the case last year on the West Coast of the United States, it's likely that that could actually be closer to 130 ship strikes that occurred.</p>
<p><strong>What's the best way to reduce or eliminate whale-ship collisions?</strong></p><p>One way to address this issue is to separate ships and whales. In some places it's possible to actually move shipping lanes away from areas of known whale concentrations, which can help reduce the risk of these strikes happening.</p><p>In the Santa Barbara Channel in 2013 they did move the shipping lanes one mile away from an area that is a known blue whale feeding hotspot. But unfortunately, the Santa Barbara Channel is a constrained waterway, and so there's really not too much more that can be moved. The next best option is slowing down.</p><p>Studies have shown that when ships slow down it reduces the probability of a strike happening by potentially giving the whale a bit more time to respond. And we've also found that slower speeds can reduce the lethality of the strikes.</p><p><strong>How does Whale Safe work to try and alert ship captains to whales in the area?</strong></p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDUxNzY5OS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2NzU4OTIyNX0.QbDbB3_PCV01Ge9XKSzHg-9hwdKt_gtypGho8pAFfSI/img.jpg?width=980" id="17593" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="48e171670d9ac552374520f0d37fcaec" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
1. Acoustic monitoring instruments identify whale vocalizations. 2. Observers record whale sightings with a mobile app. 3. Oceanographic data is used to predict where blue whales are likely to be. 4. The data streams are compiled and validated. 5. Whale information is disseminated to industry, managers and the public. Nicolle R. Fuller, Sayo Studio
<p><span style="background-color: initial;">There are three main components.</span><br></p><p>One is an acoustic listening station. Out in the Santa Barbara channel, our collaborators at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and Texas A&M University at Galveston deployed an acoustic buoy that has an underwater microphone near the seafloor. There's a small computer that processes any audio that the microphone picks up.</p><p>It is able to automatically detect the calls of blue, humpback and fin whales. Then there's a surface buoy with a satellite transmitter that sends that information back to shore. It's then validated by a scientist on shore before it's added to the database.</p><p>Then the second piece is a blue whale habitat model. We use oceanographic data like sea-surface temperature and current to predict where blue whales are likely to be on any given day. That was developed by our collaborators at U.C. Santa Cruz, the University of Washington and NOAA Southwest Fishery Science Center.</p><p>It's a dynamic model that's running every day in an automated fashion and producing maps that show us blue whale hotspots.</p><p>The third piece is data gathered by community scientists who are out on whale-watching and tourism boats nearly every day. They use mobile apps such as <a href="http://www.whalealert.org/" target="_blank">WhaleAlert</a> and <a href="http://whaleaware.org/index.php?page=download-spotter" target="_blank">Spotter Pro</a> to record whale sightings that are also added to the database.</p><p><strong></strong><strong>I know you've just launched this database, but what are you hearing from people in the shipping industry that may be using it or want to use it?</strong></p><p>We did some interviews as we were building the system to get information from industry in terms of what information would be most helpful, how frequently they would like to receive data and what pathway they would like to receive data through.</p><p>Now we're working on building those relationships, making sure everybody knows that this information is available and also getting more feedback so we can continue to improve the system and tailor the data feeds to fit the needs of different folks within the industry.</p><p>One kind of communication pathway that could be really exciting to implement is getting the whale information piped into the charting system on the ship through the automatic identification system (AIS). It's the navigation and collision avoidance system that all of these large ships have on board.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDUxNzcwNC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2MTg0OTM2OX0.V_zkkwXuavZrUX5cyT3Mih7BgqARMButjo0HpBcii_E/img.jpg?width=980" id="617aa" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f30407783bbe5b3171e17e582e9223e7" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Deploying the acoustic detection system in the Santa Barbara Channel near the shipping lanes in 2019. Benioff Ocean Initiative
<p>There are quite a few challenges, both on the technological side and just the bureaucratic side, of actually getting the data delivered that way. It's their main safety and navigation tool, so you don't want it to be crowded with too much data and information. That would need to be done really thoughtfully. But that's a communication pathway that could really help get this data more easily adopted.</p><p><strong></strong><strong>Right now there are voluntary slow-speed zones, but some ships aren't abiding by those recommendations. How likely do you think they'd be to adopt technology like Whale Safe?</strong></p><p>A few years ago there was actually a NOAA-led working group that brought together many stakeholders to try to develop solutions. One of the recommendations that came out of that process was actually a call for new technology and more real-time data on whale activity. And that was supported by many members of the shipping industry that were part of that working group.</p><p>That helped to inform the approach that we decided to take. Some of these companies expressed that time is money, and if they're going to slow down, they want to make sure that they're slowing down because there are actually whales in the area.</p><p>Our hope is that this data can really help to reinforce those slow-speed zones, especially when there's high whale activity in the channel.</p><p><strong></strong><strong>Whale Safe also provides data on how well companies are abiding by the slow-speed zones. But many of these shipping companies aren't consumer-facing, so how can this information be used by the public to pressure companies to make changes?</strong></p><p>Big companies like Walmart, Target and Home Depot import a lot of stuff and use these shipping companies quite often. We're starting to have conversations with some of those retailers that are more public facing to see if there's information about whale safety that could be helpful for them as they're doing their planning around their sustainability portfolios.</p><p>And from the public standpoint, the more general awareness there is about the problem of whale-ship collisions, the more it helps public-facing companies know that this is something that they should prioritize in their sustainability planning.</p><p>We want people to know that whales are really important for global biodiversity and also as ecosystem engineers that help stabilize the food web. Whales are also important for coastal economies through whale watching and other tourism businesses. And they can help mitigate climate change. <a href="https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2019/12/natures-solution-to-climate-change-chami.htm" target="_blank">Studies have shown</a> that they can actually help to pull carbon out of the atmosphere.</p><p>Besides whales being incredible creatures deserving of protection in their own right, there are multiple benefits that we see from keeping these populations strong and healthy in our global ocean.</p>
<p><a href="https://therevelator.org/author/taralohan/" target="_blank"><em>Tara Lohan </em></a><em>is deputy editor of The Revelator and has worked for more than a decade as a digital editor and environmental journalist focused on the intersections of energy, water and climate. Her work has been published by The Nation, American Prospect, High Country News, Grist, Pacific Standard and others. She is the editor of two books on the global water crisis. </em></p><p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://therevelator.org/whale-safe/" target="_blank">The Revelator.</a> </em></p>
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For the first time on record, the main nursery of Arctic sea ice in Siberia has yet to start freezing by late October. Euronews / YouTube
By Sharon Guynup
At this time of year, in Russia's far north Laptev Sea, the sun hovers near the horizon during the day, generating little warmth, as the region heads towards months of polar night. By late September or early October, the sea's shallow waters should be a vast, frozen expanse.
<p><br/></p>
<p>But not this year. For the first time since records have been kept, open water still laps this coastline in late October though <a href="https://weawow.com/c9189393/tomorrow" target="_blank">snow</a> is already falling there.</p><p>"In one sense, it's shocking, but on the other hand, it's not surprising," said <a href="https://nsidc.org/research/bios/meier.html" target="_blank">Walt Meier</a>, a research scientist at the University of Colorado Boulder's <a href="https://nsidc.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">National Snow and Ice Data Center</a> (NSIDC). Over the past 40 years, unprecedented climate change-driven events such as this have become the new normal in the Arctic — which is heating up <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/why-the-arctic-is-warming-so-fast/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">far faster</a> than the rest of the planet.</p>
<p>While weather patterns at the top of the world vary, the overall changes are dramatic and occurring so rapidly that the region may be entering a "new Arctic" climate regime, <a href="https://www.ecoshock.org/2020/09/the-arctic-has-entered-a-new-climate-state.html" target="_blank">says Laura Landrum</a>, an oceanographer with Colorado's <a href="https://ncar.ucar.edu/" target="_blank">National Center for Atmospheric Research</a> (NCAR). The Arctic <a href="https://www.nature.com/nclimate/" target="_blank">is transitioning</a> from a mostly frozen state into an entirely new climate — and impacting the entire planet, she said.</p><p>Meier calls the Arctic the "bellweather of climate change" because it's a place where a small bump in temperature has real impact: a change from -.5°C to .5°C (31°F to 33°F) is the difference between ice skating and swimming, he said, while a couple of degrees warmer in Florida may not even be noticed.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDYyNjYwNS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MDcyMzIzMH0.EaEzABAC2Xq96dXQJ91WnuuPQfSE1o8ig7Vo-HZHCek/img.jpg?width=980" id="87d48" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c0f95377ec752e87a80832136af0f46a" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Comparison of autumn sea ice formation for the first half of October 2012 (the record year for Arctic sea ice extent loss) and in 2020 (second place for sea ice extent loss). The satellite record goes back to 1979. @Icy_Samuel, data provided by NSIDC
<h3><strong>An Extreme Year in a Region Known for Extremes</strong></h3><p>It's been quite a year in Siberia — on land, and off the Arctic coast. The first six months were extraordinarily warm and the sea ice began melting early. By May, fires burned in permafrost zones that are usually frozen year-round. In June, temperatures hit a record-breaking 38°C (100°F), and by September, blazes <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02568-y" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">incinerated</a> about 14 million hectares (54,000 square miles) of tundra — an area the size of Greece.</p><p>A combination of changing climate and quirky weather are now preventing this fall's freeze-up. Siberian sea temperatures are higher than usual because of this year's extreme climate events. The heat wave warmed the many rivers that feed into the Arctic Ocean and also triggered an early melt-out. Without ice and snow that acts like a mirror — reflecting the sun's heat back into the atmosphere — the dark ocean absorbed extra warmth over the summer. Much of the remaining ice disintegrated. Then in September, unusually strong, warm winds blew in from the south, pushing any newly formed ice out to sea.</p><p>In the past, a shift in the winds wouldn't have mattered much. Back in the 1980s, <a href="https://news.uaf.edu/expertsguide/igor-polyakov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Igor Polyakov</a>, a climate scientist at the University of Alaska, remembers being part of expeditions that landed small seaplanes on sea ice to study the Siberian Arctic. He described the Laptev Sea as a solid, glaring white landscape punctuated by pastel-tinged ice: rose-colored, light blue and green. Since the regions' deeply cut gulfs and bays are located in shallow continental shelf waters, they mostly stayed frozen.</p><p>But by summer 2002, sea ice was less stable, and today, ice breakers can travel the region through open water. "The changes are dramatic," he said. "It happened in front of our eyes. Now, in the summer, there's no ice at all for thousands of kilometers, sometimes as far north as the 85th parallel." That's five degrees from the North Pole.</p><p>In the 1980s, about 80% of the Arctic Ocean and its surrounding seas were frozen in thick, "old ice" that mostly survived the summer melt, said <a href="https://www.pmel.noaa.gov/scientist/dr-james-e-overland" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">James Overland</a>, an oceanographer with the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) who has studied the Arctic for decades. "Now much of that has to refreeze each winter. We did not expect to see this so soon."</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDYyNjYxMS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0OTI4NTQ3Nn0.h7gfBVBOiWHjc1F6veGxzZh7NIP2Aec0YsVgoyuF26Y/img.jpg?width=980" id="f9eed" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="76639f8f14b9d48d7496132d68b324ce" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Arctic sea ice extent on Oct. 25, 2020 was at a record low 5.613 million square kilometers for this date, surpassing the record set in 2019 of 6.174 million square kilometers. ChArctic NSIDC
<h3><strong>A Dangerous Cycle</strong></h3><p>Across the Arctic, ice is now thawing earlier, freezing later, thinning and — in many places — disappearing altogether.</p><p>Thinner ice is less resilient. Picture ice cubes in a glass. Thick chunks last longer and melt slower than ice chips and slivers. All disintegrate faster in warmer liquid. This is a huge problem in the Arctic, where vast stretches of open blue water absorb the sun's heat during summer, when the sun never really sets. Those warm waters flow beneath the ice to melt it from below.</p><p>This year, the overall health of the sea ice was bleak: the end-of-summer minimum was tracking at the second-lowest amount of sea ice in 42 years, Landrum said. Measurements by NASA and the NSIDC found it was about 2.6 million square kilometers (1 million square miles) lower than the average from 1981 to 2000. NASA satellite data shows an overall downward trend in Arctic ice is averaging 12.9% a year.</p><p>This year's average global temperature will be among the warmest on record, researchers say. Current models predict the Arctic will be ice-free in summertime by 2040 – 2050. Overland thinks this so-called <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U82e8XF-5Lo" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Blue Ocean Event</a> (BOE) might come even sooner.</p><p>Many factors are colliding that could speed massive melt. New feedback loops continue to emerge, compounding and accelerating changes. For example, early climate models didn't factor in methane — a potent greenhouse gas — that's pouring into the atmosphere from <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2020/03/arctic-permafrost-moving-toward-crisis-abrupt-thaw-a-growing-risk-studies/" target="_blank">melting permafrost</a>. The tundra is now thought to be emitting 300-600 million tons of carbon yearly, the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/energy/greenhouse-gas-equivalencies-calculator" target="_blank">equivalent of driving</a> between 65 and 129 million cars for a year.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDYyNjYyMy9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMjc2MjQyMX0.aAfm5qED_d_pgl29XwQcKL8lVcGi_yuDTmpsdxSlTFY/img.jpg?width=980" id="ce7d7" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="35b889b0841d11eb150720ea638a0a90" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
The Arctic appears to be changing into an entirely new climate state due to rapid warming. The extent of sea ice in the late summer, when it reaches its minimum each year, has already entered a statistically different climate, with surface air temperatures and the number of days with rain instead of snow also beginning to transition. Simmi Sinha, ©UCAR
<p>Likewise, thick ice that withstood high winds and storms decades ago, now is thin and can be severely damaged by such storms — amplifying one-off extreme weather events. Then there's "<a href="https://www.carbonbrief.org/explainer-how-atlantification-is-making-the-arctic-ocean-saltier-and-warmer" target="_blank">Atlantification</a>," the increasing intrusion of salty, temperate Atlantic Ocean waters into chillier Arctic seas.</p><p>The changes in the Laptev Sea, long known as an Arctic "ice factory," add another concerning factor. In the past, sea ice created there typically moved with wind and ocean currents, traveling over the North Pole towards Greenland. Depending on changing conditions, that ice then spent years trapped in a slowly spinning gyre in the <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/arctic-archipelago" target="_blank">Beaufort Sea</a>; ended up off the Greenland coast; or piled up on the north shore of <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/arctic-archipelago" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the Canadian Archipelago</a>, building ice ridges that towered 3 to 9 meters (12 to 30 feet) high — multi-year ice that resisted melting.</p><p>That system no longer works as before, with the Laptev Sea now turning to blue water every summer, the "ice factory" largely shut down, and <a href="https://nsidc.org/cryosphere/seaice/characteristics/multiyear.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">multi-year Arctic sea ice</a> at a record low — and still dropping.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDYyNjYzMi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYwNzY3NTYxNX0.Zuh1spCYvxt252oBj4dLJE7nbQR4xz1yCB5sJlWoK1k/img.jpg?width=980" id="4a421" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="d0b74b890c99f5a70fc03f874e627e58" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
A polar bear prowls the Arctic shoreline. VisualHunt.com
<h3><strong>An Interconnected Planet</strong></h3><p>The <a href="https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/polar-bear-population-decline-a-wake-up-call-for-climate-change-action" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">polar bear</a> has become the poster child for climate change impacts on wildlife. But Ursus maritimus isn't the only victim; <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2018/03/beyond-polar-bears-arctic-animals-share-in-vulnerable-climate-future/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">cascading affects</a> throughout the Arctic food chain are impacting everything from <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-020-0905-y" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">plankton</a> to <a href="https://climate.org/archive/topics/ecosystems/seals-battle-climatechange.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">seals</a>, globally <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2019.00179/full" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">important fisheries</a> species like <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-climate-change-arctic/climate-change-hitting-top-u-s-fishery-in-the-arctic-noaa-idUSKBN1YE2F2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">pollock</a>, on up to <a href="https://wwf.panda.org/knowledge_hub/endangered_species/cetaceans/threats/climate_change/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">whales</a>, <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2018/09/dress-like-a-polar-bear-learning-to-love-muskoxen-at-15-below-zero/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">musk ox</a> and other cold climate mammals.</p><p>In Siberia, <a href="http://climate.org/archive/topics/climate-change/reindeer-climate-change.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reindeer</a> are starving in wintertime. "<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/weather-whiplash-record-heat-snow-colorado-wyoming-typhoons/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Weather whiplash</a>" is bringing rain, in what should be the frigid dead of polar night. The falling rain freezes atop the snowpack, forming a layer of thick ice that makes it impossible for reindeer to dig down to grass and plants below; many now die of hunger. These once-rare Arctic warm spells are now commonplace.</p><p><a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/09/arctic-thaws-indigenous-alaskans-demand-voice-climate-change-research" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Indigenous people</a> are <a href="https://nsidc.org/cryosphere/seaice/environment/indigenous_impacts.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">also suffering</a>. Without proper ice platforms, it's growing harder for them to hunt for the walrus and whales that sustain them. Coastlines are eroding as sediments held together by permafrost become unglued. And rising seas are inundating coastal villages.</p><p>Worse, rapidly escalating climate change in the Far North is being exported to the rest of the world: The Earth's biomes are interconnected. "You can't alter one system without affecting others," explained <a href="https://www.colorado.edu/geography/mark-serreze-0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mark Serreze</a>, a research scientist for the NSIDC. "What happens in the Arctic doesn't stay in the Arctic, and the changes are unfolding faster than our ability to keep up with them." Serreze, in his 2018 book framing the problem, dubbed the north polar region as, "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Brave-New-Arctic-Melting-Essentials/dp/0691173990" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Brave New Arctic</a>."</p><p>Serreze notes that the Arctic covers a massive area; it's the size of the lower 48 U.S. states combined. <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2020/01/melting-arctic-sea-ice-may-be-altering-winds-weather-at-equator-study/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Amplified Arctic warming alters global weather</a>, and impacts the rest of the planet, changing weather, ocean patterns and the jet stream.</p><p>Intense storms, droughts and heat waves — once every 100- or 500-year extreme weather events — are now occurring regularly around the globe, with devastating impacts on people, economies, and ecosystems. This year alone, for example, saw massive record wildfires in <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2020/10/25/california-wildfires-winds-power-cuts/" target="_blank">California</a>, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/3-largest-wildfires-colorado-history-have-occurred-2020-n1244525" target="_blank">Colorado</a>, <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2020/07/photos-show-scale-of-massive-fires-tearing-through-siberian-forests/" target="_blank">Siberia</a>, and <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/list/amazon-fire-beat/" target="_blank">Brazil</a>, and no one yet knows how this autumn's delayed Arctic re-freeze might impact the planet's upcoming weather.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDYyNjYzNS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1ODQ2Njg5Nn0.4Wo1cYXxGqf_k1sKhmmP0BR7L2vz25xSw7oV40K8QX8/img.jpg?width=980" id="f964c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4ccb27ee442373429ccf6f0ec973031e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
A fire burning through northern forest in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, in July 2020. Greenpeace International
<p><a href="https://nsidc.org/research/bios/stroeve.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Julienne Stroeve</a>, who specializes in sea ice research at NSIDC, adds another potential serious impact to the list: threats to our food supply. "What's predicted to happen in <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/abs/10.1098/rstb.2005.1744" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">agricultural sectors</a> is not good news ... We're going to be living on a very different planet if we keep adding greenhouse gases to the atmosphere," she said. "We're conducting this blind experiment, and we don't yet know the real implications.</p><p>Stroeve is desperate to inform people of the urgency: "How do you sell climate change to be as much of an emergency as COVID-19? Except that it will kill a lot more people."</p><p>She believes we can rally. If we can produce a COVID-19 vaccine in record time, and heal the ozone layer through the <a href="https://www.state.gov/key-topics-office-of-environmental-quality-and-transboundary-issues/the-montreal-protocol-on-substances-that-deplete-the-ozone-layer/" target="_blank">Montreal Protocol,</a> Stroeve thinks "we have the ability to change the course of this train."</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2020/10/brave-new-arctic-sea-ice-has-yet-to-form-off-of-siberia-worrying-scientists/" target="_blank">Mongabay</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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A large loggerhead with other injuries washed ashore during the latest cold-stunning event and was treated at New England Aquarium. New England Aquarium
Hundreds of endangered sea turtles were stranded on beaches after suffering "cold stunning" in the waters off Cape Cod, Mass. Local rescuers and wildlife rehabilitators stabilized the turtles at the New England Aquarium (NEAQ) and National Marine Life Center and began treatment. Many of the sea turtles were transported by land or air to partner facilities around the Eastern Seaboard for longer-term care to make room for more incoming, cold-stunned animals.
<p>"Cold stunning" is a hypothermic reaction that occurs when sea turtles are exposed to cold water for a prolonged time, explained Connie Merigo, NEAQ's Director of the Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Department. The dangerous condition typically develops in sea turtles when water temperatures reach 50 degrees F and cause the animals to stop eating and swimming, she said. They float, unable to eat or dive, exposed constantly to wind and waves. When winds shift onshore after storms, they work with surface currents and high tides to push stunned turtles onto the shore, where beach walkers find and rescue them.</p><p>"Sea turtles are ectothermic, meaning they take on the temperature of the water or air around them," Bette Zirkelbach told EcoWatch. "They are not able to regulate their body temperature, so cold water temperatures become dangerous for these turtles. A lower body temperature slows the turtles' heart rate and circulation, lowering oxygen levels and leading to severe lethargy. If left untreated, cold-stunning can progress to shock, pneumonia and even death."</p><p>Zirkelbach is the manager at <a href="https://www.turtlehospital.org/" target="_blank">The Turtle Hospital</a> in Marathon, Florida, a facility that received 40 critically endangered Kemp's ridley sea turtles last week from NEAQ for longer-term care.</p><p>"When turtles are cold-stunned, they appear dead. There is no movement and very little reflex," Merigo told EcoWatch. "Sometimes we need a Doppler and an ultrasound to even detect a heartbeat because a turtle's heart slows so much when it is cold-stunned. It can slow to just three beats a minute even, but you can usually still save that turtle."</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg2NzIyOC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MTk2NTkxM30.uPQ4mM8LmDGvoiUdYSTwmJQVKL35MUGjLJoI1N3Uabg/img.jpg?width=980" id="a364f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="952b9deffdc016a498dc630a2ba3029a" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Rehabilitators at The Turtle Hospital in the Florida Keys assess critically endangered, cold-stunned Kemp's ridley sea turtles flown in after rescue in New England. The Turtle Hospital
<p>NEAQ and local rescuers begin seeing turtles every fall when water temperatures drop to that 50 degrees F threshold, and typically expect to find them into early January. After that, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/sea-turtle-cape-cod-weather-2621527394.html" target="_self">temperatures are so cold that any animals found are usually no longer alive</a>.</p><p>Merigo estimated that this year's cold season "looks very busy" and noted that local rescue efforts had already surpassed 400 turtles.</p><p>"It is a lot of animals. They're still coming in," she told EcoWatch as she surveyed 39 rescued turtles that day and 20 the day prior. "So far, this is a huge year."</p><p>At NEAQ, the turtles are gradually warmed up about five to 10 degrees F a day. More aggressive warming can cause serious damage and the turtle might not survive, Merigo said. Emergency treatments also include providing replacement fluids, balancing electrolytes and addressing pneumonia. Assessments take place for other serious problems too, such as shell or limb fractures, frostbite, emaciation and eye damage.<span></span></p><p>As local aquariums don't have the capacity to care for all the injured turtles, a group of private pilots called <a href="https://www.turtlesflytoo.org/" target="_blank">"Turtles Fly Too"</a> donated planes, fuel and time to transport some to various partner facilities around the country. Other turtles were driven to closer care facilities.</p><p>"We have a huge network of really great partners working with us, so if we can spread out the care, we can give better care to all the animals," Merigo said.</p><p>The 40 Kemp's ridley sea turtles recovering in The Turtle Hospital will continue to be treated and rehabilitated anywhere from 30 days to a year, depending on the severity of injuries, Zirkelbach said.</p><p>The turtle expert noted that while she's treated cold-stunned turtles from the north before, the newest arrivals were the most cold-stunned Kemp's ridleys ever received at one time.</p><p>Kemp's ridleys are the most endangered species of sea turtle in the world, Zirkelbach and Merigo confirmed. They are also the smallest species of sea turtle, according to <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/kemps-ridley-turtle" target="_blank">NOAA</a>.</p><p>The majority of cold-stunned animals are juvenile Kemp's ridley sea turtles, estimated to be between one and five years old, Zirkelbach said. Merigo hypothesized that their smaller size contributes to cold-stunning sooner than other species, and are also washing up on beaches earlier.</p><p>Merigo noted that sea turtles are really resilient, making the entire rescue and rehabilitation program worth it. Once warm, fully rehabilitated and healthy, the turtles recovering at The Turtle Hospital will go to another part of Florida where juvenile Kemp's ridley sea turtles will return to the ocean, Zirkelbach said.</p><p>"Sea turtles have a built-in GPS, so <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/sea-turtles-navigation-science-2646450308.html" target="_self">they will get back on track</a>," she assured.</p><p>Both experts noted a potential connection with the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_self">climate crisis</a>, and a 2019 <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0211503" target="_blank">study</a> found that warming seas increase cold-stunning events for Kemp's ridley sea turtles in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean. Warmer global temperatures do not cause the cold-stunning, but could explain why the turtles are in the area in the first place.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg2NzIzMy9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxMTgxOTg1OH0.QWKoy52CB5H4y1YyzsYY8HOHJx_T4X8Fw4bluAOBjdc/img.jpg?width=980" id="663d1" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="02cad25916148ea692ea1914462dad64" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
<p><br/></p>After rescue, cold-stunned sea turtles received immediate emergency care and assessments at the New England Aquarium. Caitlin Cunningham / New England Aquarium
<p>In the past decade, the Gulf of Maine, which spans from Cape Cod to Nova Scotia, has warmed 99 percent faster than the rest of the ocean, Zirkelbach said. The warm water encourages turtles that migrate north along the Gulf Stream in warmer months to stay in the bay longer.</p><p>"Turtles that fail to migrate south get stuck in the unique horseshoe-shaped topography of the Cape Cod peninsula, and when temperatures drop, the bay becomes a death trap," she added.</p><p>Before ocean temperatures warmed, the waters of Maine were too cold for many of these sea turtles, Merigo echoed. Now, with warming sea surface temperatures, Maine can reach the high 70s to low 80s, which is "perfect turtle temperature," she said. The potential for more turtles getting trapped in the bay and then cold-stunned is nerve-racking for Merigo.</p><p>In addition to shifting habitats as waters warm, warming global temperatures also disrupt natural gender balance in sea turtles, Merigo warned. Gender is determined by the temperature of eggs in nests, and as the planet warms, it will result in all females at some point, she said.</p><p>"The turtles we work with are all endangered and threatened," Merigo said. "For sea turtles in general, the future is a little grim. Climate change is real; it does impact them."</p>From Your Site Articles
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NHC Director Ken Graham provides an update on Hurricane Delta. NOAA
Hurricane Delta is set to batter southwest Louisiana later today, as residents there prepare to be hit once again by a storm that has rapidly intensified, experts say, largely because of global warming.
<p>Hurricane Delta, the sixth storm so far to meet scientists' threshold for <a href="https://newsletter.climatenexus.org/e2t/tc/VVqc7S3kg3BlW4l2r149fYKkyW15bp5B4gZtmDN6TZ7st3p_97V1-WJV7CgH_wW7x651w8fYJ6WW3BmKKh5Y9TlZW6gk1MG8zwY45VB_Kqm4qF5cGV6HmBz8CnvZZW75DQSQ3bg5NbW17SFnZ2DDh1fW5dzkM37bKNZgW6swNLK7K9hb7VV_fcP5WCBwxW1vWh7m5VxbqVW824V6V1kSHtWW4l3Qcs5sXdJ1W6QY_z95fGp9cVpc04z263hv2W16HRh-54z8F2N5c0_KJlwG9vW14z4zn1BCYNhM152SpXQflwV4g3Wx134hZ_W655DbX4HG_3hW4byG5Q8yJ8hhW7sT63X7PC5-tW3B3_0V3vv-nL3k9K1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">rapid intensification</a>, exploded from an unnamed storm into a 140 mph monster in just 36 hours. </p><p>"It's more likely that a storm will rapidly intensify now than it did in the 1980s," NOAA climate and hurricane scientist Jim Kossin told the AP. </p><p>The proportion of storms rapidly intensifying in the Atlantic has nearly doubled since 1982, according to a study published last year by Kossin and Princeton climate scientist Gabriel Vecchi, who both told the AP climate change, caused by burning gas, oil, and coal, is clearly playing a major role. </p><p>The increase in storms' rapid acceleration is fueled by oceans heated by climate change.</p>
<p>For Louisiana residents, the danger — and trauma — of repeated storms in such close succession is visceral. </p><p>Hurricane Laura slammed two trees through Janice Duren's Lake Charles home less than two months ago, "And we're fixing to get hit again. You might as well hang it up," Duren told the New York Times from the New Orleans hotel to which she evacuated. </p><p>"It looks like somebody put a bomb off down there [in Lake Charles]," she said. "And you turn around and put another hurricane on top of that? … It'll be double the trouble, but we don't have half the help we need." </p>
<p><strong>For a deeper dive:</strong></p><p><a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-climate-change-oceans-storms-weather-108ee106d20ab2ab4880011b78e71981?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=97053490&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9rfPWaJ6Nsgh39ouOfPSVKLef_r_36cgDAWETlEjtp8tpqk44rnqrSGV2cUhMxE6r-Bx_aNmAc_sHwmpEd7T1u6OVYZAxEDfqVNZe5bQKwL7iONB0&utm_content=97053490&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">AP,</a> <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/08/us/hurricane-delta-gulf-coast.html?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=97053490&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9L8dBGijtdmosL7fZ-AhP8JzCMAsoEo3Hg5Cx2BT9hQIeEt-UeZ9n11ZEcI-A6jtpa7KshrW1hcQjCrTjgMqC6-u9r_Lf_kZ13472yV_R_acUPuWA&utm_content=97053490&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">New York Times</a>, <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hurricane-delta-gulf-coast-atlantic-hurricane-season/?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=97053490&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--gu8ZAhbKFXA8RN9r7lvrxdNKwmCrKnZUBg-sMIhlFJvBBj_yuAb8vf_Ibcsf8VaBHNWUuV_Mv7LXMVE_2rxxjazB6d7QRikhy1BReEtFy5tuPIns&utm_content=97053490&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">CBS</a>, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/09/weather/hurricane-delta-friday/index.html?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=97053490&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8AbL2KE9vKkKCAyqPtu1p0hQl44_aarTg85BTDEme8YR6ds5rqA-LIarZ7ePPoXpfvWt4_QD_ADpJH5rDtYwn76fvYyjgOXQhaJnwdc71esCA3us0&utm_content=97053490&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">CNN</a>, <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/10/still-reeling-louisiana-braces-for-hurricane-delta/?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=97053490&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8vR9mG-ez9w7Ze3HSVTmqUDczekLhL90YZLf4xc4MC6VKVAgOYIeBTUgu9gyYI8qh0z4w7wCFiHbgZMVcRf3-KSiTPOJQBYBlBUfZmK9hUS-syqWU&utm_content=97053490&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">National Geographic</a>, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/oct/08/hurricane-delta-louisiana-winds-flooding?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=97053490&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8DeglbJVv7uGemAVvk6k0hsPUK-Iioud-Jb_5Y6T98nSH3GzqZhz-AlhApt1zn4BqjCPUamv_6GkT7RMPiOtc9dpcmc8h0tIkiw0v40jxPgNDeIkI&utm_content=97053490&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>, <a href="https://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2020/10/09/stories/1063715877?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=97053490&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-93N8qM3j32oSXm8jaOZhFBgdHQOvSCLbcT7RX9kTCMTlCXtrwvIC1ZL-_CpqSvhLfRlFDMJHU7YDswb7OzBqkTP-HnyNHOy_ZuxoxP96dERjGHe70&utm_content=97053490&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">E&E</a>; Climate Signals background: <a href="https://www.climatesignals.org/climate-change-hurricanes?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=97053490&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9flwzQxQkArxXK_2x651Pu8knSQrQ82oA9N7AFLNBNm9UdggkNJau51twuNiFMRw0DRomvxXLrEy30ePcbmSVCqALnrM_27o3Ywwjysx_wTKy1po0&utm_content=97053490&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Hurricanes</a>; <a href="https://www.climatesignals.org/events/atlantic-hurricane-season-2020?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=97053490&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8r-WjyhSE8jWLf0B3BsLjKv9L6sQyj6liBIqlu7WIVX7i58XG6-ik4pCXrvDbk4n7gkPPGpXhZOTgpSpuAHEZzLE2aJzd9zXSrOoHAjvP6bFtQBk0&utm_content=97053490&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season</a><br/></p><p><em>For more </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/climate-change-news/" target="_blank"><em>climate change</em></a><em> and </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/business/renewables/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>clean energy</em></a><em> news, you can follow Climate Nexus on </em><a href="https://twitter.com/ClimateNexus" target="_blank"><em>Twitter</em></a><em> and </em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ClimateNexus/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Facebook</em></a><em>, and sign up for daily </em><a href="http://climatenexus.us4.list-manage1.com/subscribe?u=d1f5797e59060083034310930&id=7c84c08aaa" target="_blank"><em>Hot News</em></a><em>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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Scientists at Work: Sloshing Through Marshes To See How Birds Survive Hurricanes
10 November
Science
A clapper rail with a fiddler crab in its bill. Michael Gray / CC BY-ND
By Scott Rush and Mark Woodrey
When storms like Huricane Zeta menace the Gulf Coast, residents know the drill: Board up windows, clear storm drains, gas up the car and stock up on water, batteries and canned goods.
But how does wildlife ride out a hurricane? Animals that live along coastlines have evolved to deal with a world where conditions can change radically. This year, however, the places they inhabit have borne the brunt of 10 named storms, some just a few weeks apart.
<p>As <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=jJytBnoAAAAJ&hl=en" target="_blank">wildlife</a> <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mark_Woodrey" target="_blank">ecologists</a>, we are interested in how species respond to stresses in their environment. We are currently studying how marsh birds such as <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Clapper_Rail/overview" target="_blank">clapper rails</a> (<em>Rallus crepitans</em>) have adapted to tropical storms along the Alabama and Mississippi Gulf coast. Understanding how they do this entails wading into marshes and thinking like a small, secretive bird.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDc2Nzk0Ni9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MTUxNjcwNn0.g8m9gc2ifd5GeO_6pY-l9KUiJIag_SO5-8F2bGAHFmw/img.jpg?width=980" id="4866c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3a63608ba4a16c0f0557063c227490d9" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
A least bittern, one of the smallest species of heron. Michael Gray / CC BY-ND
<h2>Mucky and Full of Life</h2><p>Coastal wetlands are <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/habitat-conservation/coastal-wetlands-too-valuable-lose" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">critically important ecosystems</a>. They harbor fish, shellfish and wading birds, filter water as it flows through and buffer coastlines against flooding.</p><p>You wouldn't choose a Gulf Coast salt marsh for a casual stroll. There are sharp-pointed plants, such as <a href="https://plants.usda.gov/factsheet/pdf/fs_juro.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">black needlerush</a>, and sucking mud. In summer and early fall the marshes are oppressively hot and humid. Bacteria and fungi in the mud break down dead material, generating sulfurous-smelling gases. But once you get used to the conditions, you realize how productive these places are, with a myriad of organisms moving about.</p><p>Marsh birds are adept at hiding in dense grasses, so it's more common to hear them than to see them. That's why we use a process known as a callback survey to monitor for them.</p><p>First we play a prerecorded set of calls to elicit responses from birds in the marsh. Then we determine where we think the birds are calling from and visually estimate the distance from the observer to that spot, often using tools such as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser_rangefinder" target="_blank">laser range finders</a>. We also note the type of ecosystem where we detect the birds – for example, whether they're in a tidal marsh with emergent vegetation or out in the open on mud flats.</p>
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="5c78b1d2edf432fbf43e2f4fdbfb2f66"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/y3b9fOUrdzQ?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
<p>Through this process we've been able to estimate the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1672/08-174.1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">distributions of several species</a> in tidal marshes, including clapper rails, <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Least_Bittern/overview" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">least bitterns</a> (<em>Ixobrychus exilis</em>) and <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/seaside_sparrow" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">seaside sparrows</a> (<em>Ammospiza maritima</em>). We've also plotted trends in their abundance and identified how their numbers can change with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-018-1082-x" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">characteristics of the marsh</a>.</p><p>We've walked hundreds of miles through marshes to locate nests and to record data such as nest height, density of surrounding vegetation and proximity to standing water, which provides increased foraging opportunities for rails. Then we revisit the nests to document whether they produce young that hatch and eventually leave. Success isn't guaranteed: Predators may eat the eggs, or flooding could wash them out of the nest and kill the developing embryos inside.</p>
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<h2>Rails in the Grass</h2><p>Our research currently focuses on clapper rails, which look like slender chickens with grayish-brown feathers and short tails. Like many other marsh birds, they have longish legs and toes for walking across soft mud, and long bills for probing the marsh surface in search of food. They are found year-round along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts.</p><p>Clapper rails typically live in tidal marshes where there is vegetation to hide in and plenty of fiddler crabs, among <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12237-010-9281-6" target="_blank">their frequent foods</a>. Because they are generally common and rely on coastal marshes, they are a good indicator of the health of these coastal areas.</p>
<p>Water levels in tidal marshes change daily, and clapper rails have some adaptations that help them thrive there. They often build nests in areas with particularly tall vegetation to hide them from predators. And they can raise the height of the nest bowl to protect it against flooding during <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/cond.2010.090078" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">extra-high or "king" tides and storms</a>. The embryos inside their eggs can survive even if the eggs are submerged for several hours.</p><p>When a tropical storm strikes, many factors – including wind speed, flooding and the storm's position – influence how severely it will affect marsh birds. Typically birds ride out storms by moving to higher areas of the marsh. However, if a storm generates extensive flooding, birds in affected areas may swim or be blown to other locations. We saw this in early June when Hurricane Cristobal <a href="https://www.wlox.com/2020/06/09/marsh-birds-blown-by-cristobal-out-place-beach/" target="_blank">blew hundreds of clapper rails onto beaches</a> in parts of coastal Mississippi.</p>
<p>In coastal areas immediately to the east of the eye of a tropical cyclone we typically see a drop in clapper rail populations in the following spring and summer. This happens because the counterclockwise rotation of the storms results in the highest winds and storm surge to the north and east of the eye of the storm.</p><p>But typically there's a strong bout of breeding and a population rebound within a year or so – evidence that these birds are quick to adapt. After Hurricane Katrina devastated the Mississippi Gulf Coast in 2005, however, depending on the type of marsh, it took several years for rail populations to return to their pre-Katrina levels.</p><p>Now we're radio-tagging clapper rails and collecting data that allow us to determine the birds' life spans. This information helps us estimate when large numbers of birds have died – information that we can correlate with events like coastal hurricanes.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDc2Nzk2NC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxOTA2MjE1OX0.WBEB0vWEKzJxNnRzhxRULCW_ctDBDuvUWUjtf4R-C9A/img.png?width=980" id="9e588" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="dda243a614981e79dccf845c20dd6a8b" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Summary map of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, updated Oct. 27. Master0Garfield / Wikipedia
<h2>Losing Parts</h2><p>Tropical storms have shaped coastal ecosystems since long before recorded history. But over the past 150 years humans have complicated the picture. Coastal development – draining marshes, building roads and reinforcing shorelines – is altering natural places that support marsh birds.</p><p>Clapper rails and other species have evolved traits that help them offset population losses due to natural disasters. But they can do so only if the ecosystems where they live keep providing them with food, breeding habitat and protection from predators. Coastal development, in combination with <a href="https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/climate-change-global-sea-level" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">rising sea levels</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1920849117" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">larger tropical storms</a>, can act like a one-two punch, making it increasingly hard for marshes and the species that live in them to recover.</p><p>Biologist Paul Ehrlich has compared species at risk to <a href="https://doi.org/10.2307/1313377" target="_blank">rivets on an airplane</a>. You might not need every rivet in place for the airplane to fly, but would you fly it through a cyclone if you knew that 10% of its rivets were missing? What about 20%, or 30%? At some point, Ehrlich asserts, nature could lose so many species that it becomes unable to provide valuable services that humans take for granted.<br></p><p>We see coastal marshes as an airplane that humans are piloting through storms. As species and ecosystem services are pummeled, rivets are failing. No one knows where or how the aircraft will land. But we believe that preserving marshes instead of weakening them can improve the chance of a smooth landing.</p>
<p>
<em>Scott Rush is an assistant professor of wildlife ecology and management at Mississippi State University.<br/>
</em><em>Mark Woodrey is an assistant research professor at Mississippi State University.</em>
</p><p>
<em>Disclosure statements: Scott Rush receives funding from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Mark Woodrey receives funding from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station.</em>
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<em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://theconversation.com/scientists-at-work-sloshing-through-marshes-to-see-how-birds-survive-hurricanes-146067" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.</em>
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