Category: Ocean Awareness

Image Credits: A gorgonian coral (Muricea pendula). (Image credit: UNC National Undersea Research Center)

From Threat to Threatened: A Brief History of Coral Reef Research

1/21/2025 - By noaa.gov. Alexander Dallas Bache was the second Superintendent of the U.S. Coast Survey. He was dedicated to charting our coastlines and improving the safety and effectiveness of marine navigation. In 1851, seeing coral reefs as a threat to the safety of ships traveling our coasts, he commissioned controversial American… 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

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

The Science Behind Tsunamis

12/30/2024 - By noaa.gov. A tsunami is a series of waves generated by a large and sudden displacement of the ocean. Large earthquakes below or near the ocean floor are the most common cause, but landslides, volcanic activity, certain types of weather and meteorites can also cause tsunamis. Tsunamis radiate outward in… SEE MORE

NOAA Releases Final Restoration Blueprint for Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

12/29/2024 - By noaa.gov. After years of devastating impacts to the marine environment in the Florida Keys, the long-awaited Restoration Blueprint for Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary will be published as a final rule in January, following today's release of the final environmental impact statement and management plan. The documents outline NOAA's regulatory… SEE MORE

How, Exactly, Could Deep-Sea Mining Benefit All of Humanity?

12/24/2024 - By Elham Shabahat. A tiny working group within the International Seabed Authority is wrestling with a daunting question. When Arvid Pardo, a Maltese diplomat, took the floor at the United Nations General Assembly in New York in 1967 and began speaking at length on international law, the room was sparsely populated. Pardo… SEE MORE

Fishermen at the Helm of Clean Energy Future for Vessels

12/11/2024 - By Sarah Schumann. Commercial fishermen harbor a range of feelings about an eventual phaseout of petroleum-based marine fuels: excitement, skepticism, anxiety, bewilderment, and curiosity, to name a few. But there are two areas where we broadly agree. First, fishermen must take the lead in designing a low-carbon future for our… SEE MORE

AI to Combat Illegal Fishing and Enhance Vessel Tracking

12/2/2024 - By Paul Molyneaux. In the past, when a fishing vessel disappeared over the horizon, that was it. Only the captain and crew knew what happened as gear was set and hauled. But as global landings have flatlined, illegal fishing has increased, sparking a need to track fishing vessels in an… SEE MORE

2024 a Tough Year for Kodiak Salmon Fleet

12/1/2024 - By nationalfisherman.com Hundreds of commercial salmon fishermen around Kodiak Island opted not to fish this past summer. That’s according to data released by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game earlier this month on Nov. 5. Limited participation, a lack of salmon, and additional market factors created one of the lowest valued… SEE MORE

Commentary: Is Long Island Sound the future for Cape Cod Bay lobsters?

11/29/2024 - By nationalfisherman.com Cape Cod and lobster are as much a match as peanut butter and jelly. It’s hard to imagine a summer without lobster rolls or that quintessential Cape Cod food adventure, a clambake, with lobsters steamed under layers of seaweed. Catches in Cape Cod Bay were good for many… SEE MORE