Category: Environment

Spring Outlook: Warmer for most of U.S., wetter in the Southeast

4/3/2024 - By noaa.gov. Forecasters at NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center — a division of the National Weather Service — predict above-average temperatures for most of the Continental U.S. and Alaska, as part of NOAA’s Spring Outlook released today for April through June.Meanwhile, NOAA’s National Water Center predicts a lower-than-average flood risk across the entire country, due… SEE MORE

https://www.newsnationnow.com/us-news/southeast/sawfish-deaths-florida-keys-scientists/

Emergency Response Effort for Endangered Sawfish

3/31/2024 - By fisheries.noaa.gov. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is documenting reports of abnormal fish behavior, including spinning and whirling, in the Lower Florida Keys. Along with this abnormal behavior, there have also been reports of fish deaths in these areas, including more than 28 smalltooth sawfish as of March 24. The… SEE MORE

https://edition.cnn.com/interactive/2019/05/world/tuvalu-climate-change-cnnphotos/

When Were Sea Levels Highest?

3/30/2024 - By Meg Duff. Sea levels are rising as climate change rapidly melts glaciers and ice sheets and the water within the oceans expands in a warming world. But have sea levels ever been higher than they are today? And when were they the highest? In short, sea levels have easily been… SEE MORE

From Urchin Crushing to Lab-Grown Kelp, Efforts to save California’s Kelp Forests Show Promise

3/29/2024 - By Julie Watson. CASPAR BEACH, Calif. (AP) — A welding hammer strapped to her wrist, Joy Hollenback slipped on blue fins and swam into the churning, chilly Pacific surf one fall morning to do her part to save Northern California’s vanishing kelp forests. Hollenback floated on the swaying surface to… SEE MORE

https://www.sciencetimes.com/articles/49242/20240315/critically-endangered-sawfish-wash-up-dead-dying-florida-shores-baffling.htm

Bizarre fish behavior baffles experts in Lower Florida Keys

3/23/2024 - By Louis Aguirre. BIG PINE KEY, Fla. – A marine mystery has researchers searching for answers in the Lower Florida Keys. Since December, 20 critically endangered smalltooth sawfish have been reported dead, according to the latest numbers from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. “This is a very large species… SEE MORE

North Atlantic right whale Pediddle (#1012) and calf. This species was hunted nearly to extinction by commercial whalers in the 1800s, and continues to face threats from vessel strikes and entanglement in fishing gear. Credit: NOAA Fisheries

Whales and Carbon Sequestration: Can Whales Store Carbon?

3/18/2024 - By fisheries.noaa.gov. The ocean captures about 31 percent of all carbon dioxide emissions, removing carbon from the atmosphere that would otherwise continue to trap heat and increase temperatures. Blue carbon, or carbon captured by ocean ecosystems includes: Carbon absorbed by aquatic plants, algae, and phytoplankton Carbon stored in the bodies of living animals… SEE MORE

The land between lagoon and beach in Funafuti, Tuvalu. The highest point on Tuvalu is 4.6 metres above sea level. With five millimetres per year of regional sea level rise (above the global average), the small nation could be inundated within a century. Credit: Mario Tama / Getty Images

Rising Sea Levels Increase Threat Of Arsenic In Drinking Water

3/17/2024 - By Kendra Pierre-Louis. (Bloomberg) —Rising seas due to climate change could exacerbate the threat of arsenic in drinking water, according to a study published in PLOS ONE in January. Researchers focused on arsenic in well water in Bangladesh, where up to 97% of the population relies on such water for drinking. Arsenic occurs naturally… SEE MORE

NOAA's National Geodetic Survey defines and manages the National Spatial Reference System — a consistent coordinate system that defines latitude, longitude, height, scale, gravity, and orientation throughout the United States. In addition to a network of continuously operating reference stations supporting three-dimensional positioning activities (shown here), the reference system includes a network of permanently marked points; a consistent, accurate, and up-to-date national shoreline; and a set of accurate models describing dynamic, geophysical processes that affect spatial measurements.

NOAA Scientists are Revolutionizing How Heights & Elevations are Measured

3/15/2024 - By oceanservice.noaa.gov. Suppose you are buying a new home that is located near a river that routinely floods. During the buying process, you learn that you are required to have flood insurance. A step in the process of obtaining this insurance is to get a certified elevation of your new… SEE MORE

https://wwmt.com/news/local/ice-on-the-great-lakes-sets-record-low-for-mid-february

Great Lakes Ice Reaches Historic Low

3/10/2024 - By nesdis.noaa.gov. For the second consecutive year, ice cover on the Great Lakes remains significantly below average for this time of year, which typically sees the peak of ice cover at levels around 53 percent. As of February 11, total ice coverage across all lakes measured a mere 2.7 percent.… SEE MORE

https://lailluminator.com/2023/06/06/coastal-restoration-louisiana/

$4.3 Million Will Support Habitat Restoration in Coastal Louisiana

3/7/2024 - By ecomagazine.com. The Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection, and Restoration Act Program has approved more than $4.3 million in funding for the NOAA-sponsored South Delacroix Marsh Creation Project. NOAA works through CWPPRA to restore habitat and support resilient communities and sustainable fisheries along the Louisiana coast. Funding will support engineering and design of… SEE MORE