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ocean health

05/18/2018 / By Janine Acero

Seaweed could save California’s coastline by reducing ocean acidification

Researchers from the California State University (CSU) found that marine vegetation could play a significant role in minimizing ocean acidification (OA), a phenomenon wherein the ocean waters become too acidic due to higher concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere. Ocean acidification is a chemical reaction brought about by a significant reduction of pH levels in ocean […]

05/15/2018 / By Edsel Cook

Study: Deep-sea trawling is extremely destructive for fish populations and has little economic benefit

Deep-sea trawling is not worth the fish hauled back to port. In an article from Mongabay, U.K. researchers said the technique did far too damage to the seafloor and populations of slow-breeding fish in exchange for meager amounts of consumable catch. In addition, the fishermen who practice this technique often under-report their actual catches. A lot of what they capture […]

05/15/2018 / By David Williams

A sperm whale was found dead on a Spanish coast after consuming 29 kilos of plastic pollution

Our problem with plastic pollution has become so widespread that it’s taking a huge toll on the world’s oceans. Unfortunately, a painful reminder of how bad the problem is for marine animals appears now and then, like in the case of a full-size sperm whale that died after ingesting plastic waste and drifted to the coast […]

05/07/2018 / By Vicki Batts

Hawaii bans sunscreen chemicals that destroy coral reefs

Just how toxic is your sunscreen? Many of the chemicals used to “protect” you from the sun are so hazardous that they actually threaten the well-being of some of the world’s most beautiful natural wonders, like coral reefs. In fact, the state of Hawaii just passed a bill banning the sale of sunscreens that contain […]

05/02/2018 / By Edsel Cook

Drums of hydrochloric acid were found dumped in the ocean, at a location with sensitive biodiversity

On the lookout for killer whales in the famous Bremer Canyon area of Western Australia, marine wildlife researcher Rebecca Wellard stumbled across an appalling sight: A trio of plastic drums used for hydrochloric acid storage, bobbing in the bio-diverse waters of the marine reserve, reported The West Australian. The drums were still intact when Wellard […]

04/27/2018 / By David Williams

Researchers create robot fish that can swim right next to real ones in coral reefs

There are plenty of unexplored areas in Earth’s seas and oceans, and scientists are always looking for ways to observe these places better in the name of science. Now a team of researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have reportedly developed a soft robot fish that could make it easier to do just […]

04/24/2018 / By Ralph Flores

Scientists are “farming” coral reefs in an effort to increase their survival

There are a lot of factors that can contribute to the current decline of coral reefs all over the world: This includes pollution, sedimentation, disease outbreaks, destructive fishing practices, and even careless scuba diving, to name a few. However, scientists are taking up the cudgels in the fight to save coral reefs. In the Mote Marine […]

04/17/2018 / By Lance D Johnson

Experts warn that the amount of plastic pollution in our oceans will triple in just 7 years

The amount of plastic pollution in our oceans is set to triple over the next seven years, according to a report from the U.K. Government Office for Science titled Future of the Sea, Plastic consumption is only expected to grow as recycling efforts fail to keep up with the problem. The report states: Plastic in […]

03/09/2018 / By Edsel Cook

Microplastics found in 73 percent of fish in the Northwest Atlantic, according to latest research

By now toxic microplastics are everywhere. Their victims include seabirds, aquatic mammals, and mega-fauna. Now, they’re also in three out of every four mesopelagic fish caught in the Northwest Atlantic, warned a Science Daily article. The 73 percent contamination rate is one of the highest levels in the world. The unique feeding behavior of mesopelagic […]

02/07/2018 / By Jhoanna Robinson

Plastic pollution is devastating ocean ecosystems, turning them into “toxic repositories;” documentary spurs action

Sir David Attenborough, an English veteran broadcaster and naturalist who recently made a documentary on plastic and its harmful effects on the environment, said that the Earth’s oceans are slowly becoming a toxic depository due to the evil deeds of the planet’s dwellers. Describing one scene from the documentary, Attenborough said, “In it, as snowflakes […]

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