Category: Environment

Plate Tectonics Has a Surprise Silver Lining

6/11/2024 - By Robin George Andrews. Without this restless geologic process, which triggers destructive earthquakes, Earth would not be habitable. I IMAGINE THAT EXCEEDINGLY FEW people like to be unexpectedly jostled about by an earthquake. Whether you’re in an area known to be frequented by modestly powerful temblors, or whether you’re chilling out… SEE MORE

Passaic River, New Jersey. Contamination is found in sediment from the Dundee Dam to the mouth of the river, throughout Newark Bay, and other portions of the New York/New Jersey Harbor. (Credit: NOAA)

Restoration for Fish, Wildlife, and Communities Coming to Seven Polluted Waterways

6/10/2024 - By oceanservice.noaa.gov. Good news for a new year! In 2023, NOAA and partners helped to recover over $92.8 million from polluters to restore seven waterways in six states following oil spill and industrial pollution incidents. These restoration efforts will benefit fish, wildlife, and disadvantaged communities disproportionately impacted by pollution. NOAA… SEE MORE

Map of eastern Lake Ontario showing Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary's boundaries, which encompasses 1,722 square miles/ noaa.gov

Lake Ontario Designated as New Marine Sanctuary

6/7/2024 - By noaa.gov. Designated in 2024, Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary is a historically rich area where the long interactions between human activity and the maritime environment has fostered a deep sense of meaning and place. The lake shores and bottomlands of Lake Ontario offer an intriguing window into the history… SEE MORE

New York Finalizes Contracts for Two Massive Offshore Wind Projects

6/6/2024 - By Mike Schuler. New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced the finalization of contracts for two major offshore wind projects, Empire Wind 1 and Sunrise Wind, as part of the state’s fourth offshore wind solicitation. Empire Wind 1, a 810-megawatt project developed by Equinor, and Sunrise Wind, a 924-megawatt project developed by… SEE MORE

‘Knight in Spiny Armor’: Could Cobsters Help Save Florida’s Dying Corals?

6/5/2024 - By Richard Luscombe. A three-year study found that the spiny lobsters’ urine scared off predatory worms and snails who snack on the delicate organisms. An unexpected champion has emerged in the increasingly grave battle to save Florida’s imperiled coral reefs: spiny lobsters that urinate in the water and scare off… SEE MORE

Image Credit: www.stockholmresilience.org

Sea off New England had One of its Hottest Years in 2023, Part of a Worldwide Trend

5/28/2024 - By PATRICK WHITTLE. The sea off New England, already warming faster than most of the world’s oceans, had one of its hottest years on record in 2023. The Gulf of Maine, which abuts New England and Canada, had an annual sea surface temperature nearly 2 degrees Fahrenheit above normal last year, scientists… SEE MORE

Letting go of a Balloon Could Soon be Illegal in Florida: Balloon Release Bans Explained

5/26/2024 - By Elizabeth Weise. Intentionally releasing a balloon into the sky in Florida could soon lead to a fine, if the state successfully tightens its littering laws. Its part of an effort spanning laws in at least eight other states aimed at protecting turtles, dolphins, birds and other wildlife from the… SEE MORE

The Complex Dynamics of Coastal Flooding Along the US Atlantic Coast

5/17/2024 - By ecomagazine.com. Research led by Deltares, USGS, and USACE investigates the interplay between tropical and extratropical cyclones in driving coastal flooding along the subtropical Southeast Atlantic Coast of the United States. The research presents a comprehensive flood hazard and impact assessment spanning from Virginia to Florida, offering critical insights into… SEE MORE

Field of chamomile flowers with storm clouds in the distance. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Nothing to Sneeze at: New Research Shows Pollen can Change the Weather

5/16/2024 - By noaa.gov. Experimental model explores connection between air quality and weather. More than 80 million Americans suffer from seasonal allergies due to airborne pollen, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Associated medical costs exceed $3 billion every year, with nearly half of those costs linked… SEE MORE

Image Credits: MARIO DE MOYA F/ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES PLUS

Swarms of Miniature Robots Simultaneously Clean Up Microplastics and Microbes

5/15/2024 - By ecomagazine.com. When old food packaging, discarded children's toys and other mismanaged plastic waste break down into microplastics, they become even harder to clean up from oceans and waterways. These tiny bits of plastic also attract bacteria, including those that cause disease. In a study in ACS Nano, researchers describe swarms… SEE MORE