A piece of plastic debris that’s been colonized by both costal barnacles (pink and striped) and a gooseneck barnacle from the open ocean. (Linsey Haram/SERC Marine Invasions Lab)

This floating ocean garbage is home to a surprising amount of life from the coasts

5/15/2023 - By Nell Greenfieldboyce. Scientists studying a giant collection of plastic trash floating in the middle of the open ocean have found some unexpected inhabitants: dozens of marine species that usually stick close to the coast. Among the plastic debris, the researchers found all kinds of nonnative species, from anemones to… SEE MORE
Tuxyso / Wikimedia Commons

Beach Time, Learning Time

5/14/2023 - By Jennifer Brett. Having a beach day? Why not add some marine science to it? With these four fun games and activities, kids can learn about the shoreline habitats, beach ecology and the animals that call the coast home – and they probably won’t even realize it’s “educational.” Win-win! All… SEE MORE
Maxim Massalitin, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Shorting the Circuit

5/13/2023 - By tradeonlytoday.com The idea of zero emissions that comes with electric vehicles and boats has an almost romantic allure. If we all just parked our internal-combustion cars, trucks and boats, we would be saving the environment and all of mankind. Or would we? “You can’t automatically assume that electrification is… SEE MORE
kees torn, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

California, LA and Japan Sign Agreements for Green Shipping Initiative

5/10/2023 - By maritime-executive.com Representatives from the state of California and the government of Japan signed agreements to collaborate on clean ports and shipping including establishing green shipping corridors during a trade mission to Japan. The initiative was followed with a second agreement between the ports of Los Angeles, Tokyo, and Yokohama… SEE MORE
Derivative work: McSush CO2 pump via WikkiCommons

Scientists Want to Dump Iron Nanoparticles into the Oceans to save the Planet

5/9/2023 - By bigthink.com Ocean fertilization is extremely controversial, but if done correctly, it just might work. KEY TAKEAWAYS: Reducing carbon emissions may not be enough to reverse the worst effects of climate change. Capturing and burying carbon dioxide may be necessary. One idea is to "fertilize" the ocean with iron nanoparticles,… SEE MORE