Category: Environment

How Sharks Keep the Ocean Healthy

4/23/2025 - By Claire Mullin, NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries Sharks have long been portrayed as terrifying predators of the deep, but really, they are essential guardians of the ocean. Despite their fearsome reputation, these apex predators play a crucial role in maintaining the delicate balance of marine ecosystems. Sharks contribute… SEE MORE

Don’t Drain the Swamps: Tidal Wetlands Store Huge Amounts of Carbon

4/19/2025 - By tula.org. Research just published by the American Geophysical Union digs deeper into the carbon-storing power of wetlands along North America’s Pacific coast. A new paper featuring Hakai Institute researchers and led by Oregon State University reveals that the forested tidal swamps of the Pacific Northwest, alongside mangroves in Mexico, stash away… SEE MORE

Will Shrinking Glaciers Mean More Harmful Algal Blooms?

4/15/2025 - By tula.org. Marine algae known as phytoplankton form the essential foundation of marine food webs. Some are dangerous to marine mammals and humans, and researchers are exploring how the diversity and abundance of certain phytoplankton are linked to fresh water—which may be bad news in a changing climate. Toxic algal… SEE MORE

Assessing the Global Climate in March 2025

4/13/2025 - By ncei.noaa.gov. Above-average temperatures cover much of the globe; lowest sea ice extent March Highlights: Temperatures were above average over much of the globe, particularly in the Arctic, but much below average over central Canada and eastern Asia. Global sea ice extent ranked second lowest on record for March; Arctic… SEE MORE

Assessing the U.S. Climate in March 2025

4/11/2025 - By ncei.noaa.gov. Tornadoes in March were more than double the monthly average and three separate outbreaks produced more than 200 tornadoes Key Points: A multi-day severe weather outbreak in the middle of March caused significant damage across several states from Texas to Tennessee, resulting in multiple fatalities. Two EF-4 tornadoes… SEE MORE

Cooking Emissions Rival Fossil Fuels as an Ozone Pollution Source in Los Angeles

4/9/2025 - By research.noaa.gov. As the adoption of cleaner-burning engines and electric vehicles drives fossil fuel emissions lower, scientists have discovered that a surprising pollution source is playing a significant role in cooking up ozone in the air over Los Angeles. According to new research from NOAA, the potent and often pungent… SEE MORE

The NOAA Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Buoy Team performs maintenance on boundary buoys for Carysfort Reef Sanctuary Preservation Area. Photo: Brittany Torres/NOAA

Buoyed by the Mission: The People and Work Behind Your Florida Keys Mooring Buoys

4/1/2025 - By sanctuaries.noaa.gov. A program in Hawai‘i is trying to increase food security and reduce food waste by using every part of the fish, from bone marrow to blood lines—even making the skin into leather! One thing all Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Buoy Team members have in common is a love of… SEE MORE

Gelatinous sea creature photographed using the ROV Deep Discoverer in 2015. Credit: NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research

Diving into Creatures of the Deep

3/30/2025 - By fisheries.noaa.gov. Dive in and learn about creatures of the deep. These mysterious species live way below the surface of the ocean. Ever wonder what lurks beneath the surface? One million species live in the sea—but we’ve only discovered about one-third of them, because they live in deep parts of… SEE MORE

Coastal marsh within the Sandy Hook Bay estuary. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Jessie Murray

Marsh Madness: Protecting Wetlands & Coastal Habitats

3/28/2025 - By fisheries.noaa.gov. While players duel it out on the court, we’re keeping score of all the ways marsh habitat plays an important role in the protection and restoration work we do for communities, fish, and wildlife. Through early April, NOAA is taking a court-side look at how we protect and… SEE MORE

Nesting east Pacific green turtle in Galapagos - sandy head shot. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Boyd Lyon

Most Sea Turtles Rebounding Worldwide as Conservation Efforts Protect Nests and Habitat, Analysis Finds

3/26/2025 - By fisheries.noaa.gov. Turtle populations still face unpredictable effects of climate change. Once hammered by overhunting and habitat loss, sea turtles have persevered with new protections and conservation efforts. Their populations are now rebounding even as oceans change, a new review has found. “Sea turtles are a shining light of marine… SEE MORE