Category: Environment

Portrait of Emperor Penguins with research vessel, Nathaniel B Palmer near Thwaites Glacier.

Melting Ice Imperils 98% of Emperor Penguin Colonies by 2100

8/8/2021 - By Christina Larson. WASHINGTON (AP) — With climate change threatening the sea ice habitat of Emperor penguins, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced a proposal to list the species as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. “The lifecycle of Emperor penguins is tied to having stable sea ice, which… SEE MORE

climate change

NOAA Announces 2022 Grant Opportunity for Marine Debris Removal

8/5/2021 - The NOAA Marine Debris Program recently announced their FY 2022 Marine Debris Removal notice of funding opportunity. Projects awarded through the removal grant competition will create long-term, quantifiable ecological habitat improvements for NOAA trust resources, with priority consideration for efforts targeting derelict fishing gear, abandoned and derelict vessels, and other… SEE MORE

Largest US Quake in Half-century Causes Alaska Little Damage

7/31/2021 - By Mark Thiessen. ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — The largest earthquake in the United States in the last half century produced a lot of shaking but spared Alaska any major damage in a sparsely populated region, officials said Thursday. The magnitude 8.2 earthquake was reported about 10:15 p.m. Wednesday, and it… SEE MORE

https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/news/high-tide-bulletin/spring-2020/

U.S. High-tide Flooding Breaks Records

7/28/2021 - Coastal communities across the U.S. saw record-setting high-tide flooding last year, forcing residents to deal with flooded shorelines, streets, and basements — a trend that is expected to continue into 2022 and beyond without improved flood defenses, according to a new NOAA report. High waters are affecting coastal economies and… SEE MORE

Warming Rivers in US West Killing Fish, Imperiling Industry

7/27/2021 - By Daisy Nguyen. SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Baby salmon are dying by the thousands in one California river, and an entire run of endangered salmon could be wiped out in another. Fishermen who make their living off adult salmon, once they enter the Pacific Ocean, are sounding the alarm as… SEE MORE

The bright Perseids are perhaps the most popular meteor shower of the year.

Catch the Best Shooting Stars of 2021

7/22/2021 - By Rachel Chang. Every year in August, the night sky grows even more wondrous when the Perseid meteor shower takes place. In fact, NASA considers the annual event "the best meteor shower of the year," since the fast and vibrant space rocks often leave long streaks of light and color behind. Though the meteor shower already… SEE MORE

Meteor Shower

Photo Courtesy of AP Photo/Los Angeles Times, Mel Melcon

Massive Wildfires in US West Bring Haze to East Coast

7/21/2021 - By Gillian Flaccus. PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Wildfires in the American West, including one burning in Oregon that’s currently the largest in the U.S., are creating hazy skies as far away as New York as the massive infernos spew smoke and ash into the air in columns up to six… SEE MORE

Maine Ocean Lab to get $2M to Study Deep Ocean Resiliency

7/19/2021 - EAST BOOTHBAY, Maine (AP) — A Maine marine science lab is set to receive about $2 million to study the resiliency of deep sea ecosystems in the era of climate change. Democratic Rep. Chellie Pingree said the National Science Foundation is giving the grant to Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences… SEE MORE

https://apnews.com/article/science-fires-environment-and-nature-oregon-wildfires-3255d07c698462a9221c090f212ac98e/gallery/cadcfa0ac4e64fa6ad729b944b0e8500

Oregon Wildfire Forms ‘Fire Clouds’ that Pose Danger Below

7/18/2021 - By Gillian Flaccus. PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Smoke and heat from a massive wildfire in southeastern Oregon are creating giant “fire clouds” over the blaze — dangerous columns of smoke and ash that can reach up to 6 miles (10 kilometers) in the sky and are visible from more than… SEE MORE

oastline of the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge, Alabama Credit: Mike Reynolds Uploaded by mrjohncummings, Public Domain,

AP Interview: EPA Water Chief on Clean Water Protections

7/15/2021 - By Suman Naishadham. WASHINGTON (AP) — To finally determine a lasting definition of waterways that qualify for federal protection under the Clean Water Act, the Environmental Protection Agency’s new water director says everyone with a stake in the issue will need to be engaged. Radhika Fox recently spoke to The… SEE MORE