A major increase in maximum ocean wave heights off the Pacific Northwest in recent decades has forced scientists to re-evaluate how high a “100-year event” … Extreme wavesRead more
Ocean
Posted inOil / Pollution / Spill
The oil spill’s toxic trade-off
Susan Shaw talking: I am a marine toxicologist, and I’ve been very, very concerned about the Gulf, particularly about the massive applications of the toxic … The oil spill’s toxic trade-offRead more
Posted inCO2 / Pollution
The oceans are getting louder
Here is another consequence of rising carbon dioxide emissions: the oceans are getting louder. It has long been known that chemical compounds in seawater, including … The oceans are getting louderRead more
Posted inBiodiversity / Pollution / Whale
The Pitch of Blue Whale Songs is Declining Around the World
The sound level of songs blue whales sing across the vast expanses of the ocean to attract potential mates has been steadily creeping downward for … The Pitch of Blue Whale Songs is Declining Around the WorldRead more
Posted inEnergy / Osmotic Power
World’s First Osmotic Power Plant Opens in Norway
Norway’s Statkraft has been researching the technology — which generates power by exploiting the hydrostatic pressure created when fresh water passes through a special membrane … World’s First Osmotic Power Plant Opens in NorwayRead more
Posted inEnergy / Osmotic Power
Salt power plant
In the hunt for alternatives to polluting and climate-warming fossil fuels, attention has turned to where rivers meet the sea. Here, freshwater and saltwater naturally … Salt power plantRead more
Posted inPollution
Shipwreck killing whales
Toxic waste from a ship which went down off the coast in southern Madagascar in August has had severe impacts on the health of local … Shipwreck killing whalesRead more
Posted inGlobal Warming
Warmest ocean surface temperature
The world’s ocean surface temperature was the warmest for any August on record, and the warmest on record averaged for any June-August (Northern Hemisphere summer/Southern … Warmest ocean surface temperatureRead more
Posted inPollution
Study on Ocean Acidification
Germany launched the BIOACID—Biological Impacts of Ocean ACIDification—research project. The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is funding this focus in the marine … Study on Ocean AcidificationRead more
Posted inPollution
Ocean acidification
Man-made pollution is raising ocean acidity at least 10 times faster than previously thought, a study says. Researchers say carbon dioxide levels are having a … Ocean acidificationRead more