Category: Ocean Awareness

The Hurricane Analysis and Forecast System (HAFS) “moving nest" Model. Global map showcasing land mass in green and water in black, clouds in white and tropical storms outlined in a green boxes representing the moving nest model. (Image credit: NOAA)

Earth just had its Hottest June on Record

7/29/2023 - By noaa.gov. NOAA’s National Hurricane Center — a division of the National Weather Service — has a new model to help produce hurricane forecasts this season. The Hurricane Analysis and Forecast System (HAFS) was put into operations on June 27 and will run alongside existing models for the 2023 season before replacing them as NOAA’s premier… SEE MORE

Shark Facts, Tips, and Other Weird Things About Selachimorpha

7/28/2023 - By US Harbors. It's the last day of "Shark Week" for the 2023 season, but that doesn't mean there is nothing more to see or learn about these compelling--and sometimes--maligned creatures. As a vital part of the ocean food chain, sharks are vulnerable to all the changes happening in the… SEE MORE

A map of the world plotted with some of the most significant climate events that occurred during June 2023. Please see the story below as well as more details in the report summary from NOAA NCEI at http://bit.ly/Global202306offsite link. (Image credit: NOAA/NCEI)

Earth just had its Hottest June on Record

7/28/2023 - By noaa.gov. The world just sweltered through its hottest June in the 174-year global climate record. Additionally, Earth’s ocean surface temperature anomaly — which indicates how much warmer or cooler temperatures are from the long-term average — were the highest ever recorded, according to scientists from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information. Here’s… SEE MORE

Worldwide Shark Attack Summary for 2022

7/27/2023 - **Update (January 2026):** For the latest shark attack statistics and trends read here: Shark Attack Statistics: Understanding Coastal Safety Risks. By The Florida Museum of Natural History. The Florida Museum of Natural History’s International Shark Attack File investigated 108 alleged shark-human interactions worldwide in 2022. ISAF confirmed 57 unprovoked shark… SEE MORE

Ocean Climate Action Plan Information

7/15/2023 - By noaa.gov. In the face of climate change, the ocean can be a source of climate adaptation and mitigation solutions that provide co-benefits such as good-paying jobs, sustainable livelihoods and communities, and healthier ocean ecosystems. Ocean-based solutions include, but are not limited to: green shipping, blue carbon, biodiversity conservation and… SEE MORE

Scientists Discover New Deep-sea Octopus Nursery in Costa Rica

7/14/2023 - By ecomagazine.com. A team of international scientists have discovered a new deep-sea octopus nursery at a low-temperature hydrothermal vent offshore of Costa Rica. The discovery of the brooding site brings the world’s known octopus nurseries to three. The team also proved that the first known aggregation of deep-sea octopus, the… SEE MORE

Marine Sanctuary

Northern bluefin tuna - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Microscopic Monsters of the Ocean: Tuna

7/13/2023 - By saltwatersportsman.com. The life history of most game fishes is pretty amazing. Although some species may grow to more than 1,000 pounds, all begin life as one of millions of eggs the size of a small grain of sand floating about an ocean full of tiny predators, following a full-moon… SEE MORE

Plankton

Overlooked Algae Toxin Widespread in Southern Indian River Lagoon

7/9/2023 - By ecomagazine.com. Spanning about one-third of Florida’s East coast, the Indian River Lagoon has faced frequent harmful algal blooms in recent years. Among them, Pseudo-nitzschia spp., algae that produces the neurotoxin domoic acid. Domoic acid can bioaccumulate within food webs, causing sickness and death in higher trophic level organisms such as… SEE MORE

Radiance of the Seas pictured before the contact in St. Thomas. (Source: NTSB)

Cruise Ship Crew Relied on Outdated Chart Before Striking Pier in Alaska

7/8/2023 - By Mike Schuler. Overreliance on an electronic chart, miscommunication and an outdated navigational chart were all factors in a cruise ship damaging a cruise terminal pier last year near Sitka, Alaska, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Tuesday. The incident occurred on May 9, 2022, when the cruise ship Radiance… SEE MORE

Deceased dolphin as a result of domoic acid poisoning. Credit: Channel Islands Marine & Wildlife Institute by NOAA

Toxic Algal Bloom Suspected in Dolphin and Sea Lion Deaths in Southern California

6/27/2023 - By fisheries.noaa.gov. The rapid growth of harmful algae along parts of the Southern California Coast is believed to have killed hundreds of California sea lions and close to 60 dolphins in the first weeks of June. The Channel Islands Marine & Wildlife Institute has fielded more than 1,000 reports of sick and… SEE MORE