Microplastics — tiny fragments of plastic products and industrial waste — are now so pervasive in Earth’s environment that they are found everywhere from the highest mountain peaks to the deepest parts of the ocean. According to a new report, all aquatic species in the mouths of rivers that flow into the Atlantic Ocean and […]
Oysters are essential for ocean health, filtering and cleaning the water and providing habitat and sustenance. Oyster reefs can also serve as storm and tidal barriers, prevent erosion and protect estuaries. One conservationist group, the UK’s Wild Oysters Project, has released 10,000 native oysters onto a human-made reef off the North East Coast of England […]
The Chumash people, a Tribe of Native Americans, have lived along the California coast for thousands of years. Until the arrival of Europeans in 1769, their population thrived in 150 towns and villages that encompassed 7,500 square miles, from Malibu to Paso Robles and inland to the border of the San Joaquin Valley. After the […]
The Australian lungfish is a river fish native to southeastern Queensland. According to fossil records, the ancestors of this ancient fish appeared about 380 million years ago. As their name suggests, lungfish don’t just breathe with their gills, but also have a lung to supplement oxygen intake during unusual circumstances, such as when there is […]
More than 80 percent of the world is affected by light pollution. Humans have become so accustomed to not seeing stars in the city that, following a blackout caused by a 1984 earthquake in Los Angeles, people reported seeing a “giant silvery cloud,” which was in fact our own Milky Way galaxy showing up in […]
Water is the most overused natural resource on Earth, but the second most might surprise you: sand. Approximately six billion tons of sand is extracted from the planet’s oceans annually, which the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) says is unsustainable and poses a serious threat to marine life. “The amount of sand we are withdrawing […]
Quick Key Facts What Is Oil? Crude oil or petroleum is a liquid fossil fuel. We use it to generate electricity, heat our homes, and fuel our cars. Petroleum products supply about 35% of energy in the U.S., with transportation accounting for the largest portion. Burning fossil fuels like oil releases greenhouse gases into the […]
The first tribally nominated marine sanctuary has been proposed by the Biden administration in collaboration with the Chumash tribe. The Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary would span 5,600 square miles off the coast of central California. The project is now undergoing a public comment period. The sanctuary would include an area off a 156-mile stretch […]
Japan announced Tuesday that it would begin releasing treated, diluted radioactive water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant as early as Aug. 24. The plan is to release the water into the Pacific Ocean over the course of 30 years. As Reuters reported, the first release set for Thursday will include about 7,800 cubic […]
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