Category: Environment

Arctic Tundra Becoming Source of Carbon Dioxide Emissions

1/31/2025 - By noaa.gov. 2024 Arctic Report Card tracks rapid, complex Arctic change. After storing carbon dioxide in frozen soil for millennia, the Arctic tundra is being transformed by frequent wildfires into an overall source of carbon to the atmosphere, which is already absorbing record levels of heat-trapping fossil fuel pollution. The… SEE MORE

The Canoe in the Forest

1/28/2025 - By Joshua Hunt. An unfinished boat hidden on a remote island in Alaska illuminates a missing chapter in the history of traditional Haida and Tlingit canoe building. When I first see the canoe, in May, it takes a moment to distinguish the long, shapely slab of cedar from the patch… SEE MORE

Grading the Groundhogs: The Weather Predicting Rodents

1/26/2025 - By noaa.gov. In honor of Groundhog Day and in the spirit of fun, we pitted groundhogs from all over the United States against each other — and data from NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information — to see who’s the most accurate. Groundhog Day has been celebrated in the United States since… SEE MORE

Biden-Harris Administration, NOAA Designate 18th National Marine Sanctuary

1/23/2025 - By noaa.gov. Papahānaumokuākea sanctuary status to bring strengthened conservation, management to area. NOAA is designating the marine portions of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, a 582,570 square-mile area in the Pacific Ocean, as America’s 18th national marine sanctuary. Papahānaumokuākea National Marine Sanctuary will be the largest sanctuary in the National Marine Sanctuary System, and is one… SEE MORE

Cleaning scallops at a commercial fishing dock

Fishermen Brace for Challenges as Scallop Framework is Reviewed

1/19/2025 - By Adam Goldstein. New England scallopers are looking at another tough year in 2025, as they prepare for a set of federal regulations to protect both their livelihoods and the Atlantic Ocean’s scallop populations. If approved by NOAA Fisheries, the new rules, called Scallop Framework 39, will reduce the number… SEE MORE

Endangered Species: One Man’s Fight for the Sea

1/17/2025 - By Carli Stewart. David Goethel has lived a life that many only read about in adventure novels. As a small boat fisherman, he has faced the harshest conditions the ocean can dish out, while navigating a world that grows increasingly indifferent to the struggles of those who work the sea.… SEE MORE

North Atlantic Right Whale off the coast of Massachusetts

NOAA Withdraws Proposed Speed Restrictions on Boats 35-65ft.

1/16/2025 - The proposed rule, intended to protect North Atlantic Right Whales, would have extended current restrictions to recreational boats ranging from 35 to 65 feet to a speed of 10 knots along much of the Eastern Seaboard for up to seven months of the year. In a significant development for the… SEE MORE

Image Credits: SEPTEMBER 29, 2024. Gentoo penguins and seals make their return to Palmer Station in Antarctica. Antarctic sea ice coverage in 2024 was the second lowest on record. (Image credit: Evan Quinter/ U.S. National Science Foundation/Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

2024 was the World’s Warmest Year on Record

1/13/2025 - By noaa.gov. Antarctic sea ice coverage is the second lowest on record, behind 2023. It’s official: 2024 was the planet’s warmest year on record, according to an analysis by scientists from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI). Along with historic heat, Antarctic sea ice coverage dropped to its second-lowest… SEE MORE

Battling Ghost Gear to Protect Marine Ecosystems and Economies

1/9/2025 - By nationalfisherman.com. The commercial fishing industry battles an ever-present threat: derelict fishing gear. These "ghost" pots and traps, lost to storms or boat traffic, continue fishing long after they're discarded, ensnaring marine life and disrupting ecosystems and economies. Addressing this issue requires a multifaceted approach, as recent initiatives and studies… SEE MORE

Energy-Efficient salmon Gurdies

1/6/2025 - By Paul Molyneaux. Chandler Kemp, owner of Kempy Energetics of Dillingham, Alaska, has been experimenting with hybrid electric boats – primarily salmon trollers in Southeast Alaska – for several years. With grants from various sources, he worked with the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association (ALFA), hybrid gear manufacturer Transfluid, and others. Kempy, formerly of Sitka, is… SEE MORE