GOMAEEN News Archive
We have recently changed RSS Feed Generators and these stories reflect Gulf news from June & July, as well as GOMA press. It will continued to be updated from this point forth.
 | Feds, farmers create habitats for migrating birds Across eight states, farmers such as Gautreaux are inundating fallow fields to provide an alternative for some of the tens of millions of ducks, geese and shorebirds that are beginning to make their way south on a flyway that stretches as far north as Alaska and Iceland. more info |
| For 'oiled' marshlands, time may be the only balm "It is important to remember that even though this spill is not a natural event, oil is a natural part of the ecosystem, especially in the Gulf, and there are bacteria that have evolved to break down petroleum hydrocarbons," said MDEQ spokesman Robbie Wilbur. "So if we can limit the penetration of oil into these areas, Mother Nature will help us clean it up." more info |
| NOAA Announces Gulf Surface Oil NOT a threat to S FL, KEYS OR EAST COAST The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced today that a new analysis shows Southern Florida, the Florida Keys, and the East Coast are unlikely to experience any effects from the remaining oil on the surface of the Gulf as a result of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. No new oil has leaked from the Deepwater Horizon well in 15 days and the surface oil that remains is hundreds of miles away from the loop current and in the process of degrading. more info |
| Gulf Wildlife Still at Risk As the oil slick continues to dissolve, it reduces the risk of more animals being harmed or killed, but serious concern for these creatures remains. Rebecca Dmytryk, search-and-capture specialist for International Bird Rescue, said: "We have to see what the food chain does. Is there enough fish out there still alive for the pelicans and other birds to eat? It's not just the birds being affected. It's the chain of life out there in the Gulf." more info |
| Student gets first-hand look at oil spill Ryan Baldwin, a freshman at The Kinkaid School, didn’t realize when he agreed to participate in the Dauphin Island Sea Lab in Alabama that he would be studying an important piece of the Gulf history. more info |
| Update on NOAA’s Oil Spill Research and Response Missions NOAA Ship Pisces has been supporting the Unified Command in its Deepwater Horizon/BP wellhead integrity testing effort since July 14. The ship has been using sophisticated acoustic echo-sounders and water column profiling instruments to monitor for oil and gas releases in the immediate vicinity of, and directly over, the well head. Data from the mission are currently being analyzed by the National Incident Command, NOAA and the University of New Hampshire daily as they monitor the cap on the wellhead. The 209-ft. vessel is based in Pascagoula, Miss. more info |
| Fla. Audubon Helps Wildlife Affected By Oil Spill It doesn't have to be crude to affect the animals and trees; all bits of oil can be harmful to the eco-system. And though it doesn't look like South Florida will be struck, the Florida Audubon is helping support the animals that have been covered in the crude. more info |
| 4 Oil Firms Commit $1 Billion for Gulf Rapid-Response Plan The initiative is the first product of a larger discussion within the industry on how to improve safety in the gulf. Oil companies have set up an industrywide task force to consider new safety standards for offshore drilling, more frequent rig inspections, new requirements and certification for blowout preventers and improvements in well design. more info |
| BP Tries to Limit Release of Oil Spill Research Faced with hundreds of lawsuits and a deep need for experts, BP has been offering some Gulf Coast scientists lucrative consulting contracts that bar them from releasing their findings on the company's massive oil spill for three years. more info |
| Oil Spill Dispersants Shifting Ecosystem Impacts in Gulf, Scientists Warn The Obama administration sought this week to temper premature celebration of the shrinking surface oil. "What we have yet to determine is the full impact that the oil will have on not just the shorelines, not just the wildlife, but beneath the surface," National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration chief Jane Lubchenco told reporters. "And we have a very aggressive research effort under way to determine exactly that." more info |
| How the Gulf of Mexico became the nation's 'toilet bowl' When Nazia Dardar looks at the seemingly endless lake of water behind her stilted bayou home, the 76-year-old sees what once was a farm. more info |
| Health officials lift swim advisories on Alabama coast Read more: Anniston Star - Health officials lift swim advisories on Alabama coast "With the improving beach situation, the department feels that we can lift our swimming advisories," Dr. Donald Williamson, state health officer, said. "However, we recognize that even in the absence of visible oil, oil products may still be present in the sand or in the water. The department will replace red swimming advisory signs with yellow signs that outline several precautions for beachgoers." more info |
| Wake Up and See the Dead Zones! With the Gulf of Mexico's oil gusher dominating the headlines since April, it's been easy to forget that agricultural runoff infused with fertilizers, and sewage from many treatment plants, has continued to wind its way through small streams and into the Mississippi River, then ultimately reaching the gulf. more info |
| Bacteria Help Clean Gulf Oil Spill Oil-consuming bacteria naturally help break down the oil spilling into the Gulf of Mexico. Now, scientists are studying how to encourage the microbes to work faster. more info |
| Scientists: BP dispersants have made spill more toxic Most recent scientific research has found that combining dispersants with oil makes the oil even more toxic. A review of more than 400 studies since 1997 showed that 75 percent of them found that the combination of oil and dispersant actually increased the toxic effects of the oil. more info |
| Sea Turtle Eggs Picked By Hand, Moved Away From Gulf To Clean Water VIDEO-The Sea Turtle Conservancy (STC) did the only thing they could: carefully lift out of the sand each unhatched egg by hand. The eggs are carefully transported in coolers (in a slow-moving truck) across Florida to be released into the Atlantic Ocean. Fed Ex has provided the trucks to STC free of charge. more info |
| Louisiana reopens fishing grounds after spill closure FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg said the agency was "confident all appropriate steps have been taken to ensure that seafood harvested from the waters being opened today is safe." more info |
| Island's Recovery May Set Example For Gulf Residents For Galveston, Texas, this is nothing new. On June 3, 1979, an exploratory drilling rig off the coast of Mexico, owned by the Mexican government, blew out, caught fire, keeled over and plunged below into the wellhead area. The rig damaged the drill pipe as it sank, pouring oil into the sea. more info |
| Crews work to cap new La. oil leak near Gulf Oil, natural gas and water are still spewing from an abandoned well hit by a barge on a Louisiana waterway near the Gulf of Mexico. more info |
| Lawsuit targets BP's use of Corexit dispersant; attorney alleges chemical used in off-limits areas In the lawsuit, which also names Corexit manufacturer Nalco Co., Janille Turner and Glynis H. Wright seek to represent all Gulf Coast residents who live, travel or work in the area who "will suffer and have suffered the deleterious effects" of the dispersant. more info |
| Gulf Oil Spill: BP Says Time For 'Scaleback' Of Cleanup Efforts BP's incoming CEO said Friday that it's time for a "scaleback" of the massive effort to clean up the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, but stressed the commitment to make things right is the same as ever. more info |
| Dauphin Island Sea Lab's Skimmer Newsletter for July 2010 Dr. Tina Miller-Way, a scientist and educator with the Dauphin Island Sea Lab and Principal Investigator for the Northern Gulf Institute (NGI) recently had the opportunity to fly over the Deepwater Horizon oil spill site and affected coastlines of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, courtesy of the Mississippi National Guard more info |
| Watershed News-EPA's Aug. Issue Watershed News is a publication of EPA's Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds. It is designed to provide timely information to groups working at the watershed level. more info |
| Crews in Gulf reconnect to underwater equipment through relief well Meanwhile, as crews continue their work in the Gulf, the oil is getting harder and harder to find from the air. The federal on-scene coordinator, Rear Adm. Paul Zukunft, went looking for it in two flights over the weekend, finding only a large patch about 12 miles off Grand Isle, Louisiana. more info |
| Dispersant Discussion: Living on Earth Podcast Nearly 2 million gallons of chemical dispersants have been applied to the Gulf of Mexico in the wake of the BP oil leak. Host Jeff Young reports that many of the country's leading marine scientists have signed a consensus statement against the use of dispersants on that scale. more info |
| The effects of the oil spill on human health The purpose of the workshop was to explore the potential short-term and long-term health impact of the oil spill, identify major concerns and appropriate ways to monitor and address the potential risks. more info |
| Where Oysters Grew on Trees Key to the gulf’s productivity are its marshes, the nurseries of the sea. Fed by the regular supply of sediment washed over them by the Mississippi and its distributaries, the marshes have built up over 5,000 years into the vast network of estuaries we know today. Tucked safely into its marshes, sea-grass meadows, oyster reefs and other critical habitats form the base of the marine food chain. more info |
| Smithsonian holdings to aid researchers in Gulf Smithsonian scientists began putting their collection to use just days after the oil spill, creating a digital map showing where each specimen was collected in the Gulf. Information from the collection could help settle conflicts about how much damage the spill caused, said Jonathan Coddington, head of research and collections at the National Museum of Natural History. more info |
| Full-featured Facebook game plans to increase environmental action and awareness Greenopolis, a subsidiary of Waste Management, a provider of environmental services and the largest recycler in North America, today at Casual Connect officially announced the opening of Oceanopolis, a new game that combines social gaming with real world calls-to-action for recycling and conservation of natural resources. The game, currently in beta, will receive a full launch in the coming weeks. more info |
| Students Selected for 2010 NOAA Scholarships Honoring Dr. Nancy Foster NOAA has selected seven graduate students as national recipients of the Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarships, representing graduate-level scholars in marine biology, coastal resource management, and maritime archeology. more info |
| From Oprah to Al Jazeera: Plastiki Got Its Message Out, Even in Stormiest of Seas With the job of bringing attention to the plastic bottle issue made a bit more difficult by the fact that the crew was bobbing around in the middle of the Pacific Ocean on a boat made of puffed-up plastic soda bottles, I asked de Rothschild about the technical hurdles of running a wired environmental campaign in such a challenging work setting. more info |
| Oil Dispersants Used In Gulf Of Mexico Unlikely To Be Endocrine Disrupters With an urgent need for such information in the Deepwater Horizon spill, the scientists applied a rapid screening method using mammalian cells to determine the eight dispersants’ potential to act as endocrine disrupters and relative toxicity to living cells. The dispersants included a type widely being used to treat the Gulf oil spill. None of the substances showed significant endocrine disruption activity and cytotoxicity was not seen until dispersants were tested at concentrations above 10 parts per million, the scientists said. However, they note that “there are other routes by which chemicals can cause endocrine disruption, as well as other types of toxicity that have not been tested for here.” more info |
| Oil dispersants a threat to Gulf breeding grounds, fishery experts say The dispersed oil makes matters worse, because when it sinks to the ocean floor, bottom-dwelling organisms eat it and may in turn be eaten by larger organisms. Along the coast, droplets of oil are being found in the shells of young crabs that are a mainstay in the diet of fish, turtles and shorebirds. more info |
| How oil-damaged marsh grasses recovery could affect gulf's rebound The real proof of the grasses' success, scientists say, won't come until next spring. If oiled plants such as these survive, boaters in the marsh will see another waving expanse of green shoots. more info |
| FWC: 2 red lionfish collected from Gulf of Mexico Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission researchers say two juvenile red lionfish were collected from the Gulf of Mexico more info |
| Scientists check deep water reefs for damage from oil spill They use small submarines to reach the ocean floor. Water samples are collected, analyzed for oxygen levels and any evidence of oil or dispersants. more info |
| Progress continues after Bonnie blows over Q4000 is inspecting the yellow pad, which is the control device that's placed below sea level to operate hydraulics. Its valve was replaced and will be installed later today and then will begin preparations for the static kill operations. more info |
| Scientists Confirm Underwater Plumes Are From Spill The announcement by the Florida researchers came as federal scientists released their own report on the oil formations. The multiagency report describes the presence of large plumes of microscopic oil droplets within several miles of the wellhead at a depth of 3,280 to 4,265 feet. Oil concentrations there are as high as 10 parts per million, or the equivalent of one tablespoon of oil in 130 gallons of water. more info |
| Taking a dive in a research sub in the Gulf of Mexico A mini-submarine stationed on the Research Vessel Seward Johnson is looking at the effect on the coral reefs 200 miles from the source of the spill. more info |
| Foundation's grant to give a push to science and math The money will also enable schools to work with local businesses to provide internships for students, and some will be able to earn college scholarships to go on and study the sciences. Local businesses and professional groups, including Tervis Tumbler, Mote Marine Laboratory and area hospitals, have already offered their support in helping students earn experience in the sciences. more info |
| Important Insights to Gulf Oil Spill Gleaned From Modeling Past Hurricanes Clint Dawson and collaborators Joannes Westerink at the University of Notre Dame and Rick Luettich at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill are using the ADCIRC (ADvanced CIRCulation Model for Coastal Ocean Hydrodynamics) code on the Ranger supercomputer at the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) to model past hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav and Ike to see how a hurricane could affect the region. Dawson is head of the Computational Hydraulics Group at ICES and a professor of aerospace engineering and engineering mechanics. more info |
| LSU researchers study impacts of oil spill The studies, funded by the National Science Foundation, seek to determine how people affected by the disaster cope with it and what effect the oil will have on bacteria that naturally grow in oyster beds. The two studies are among numerous projects involving researchers across the country. more info |
| oil spill events from Tuesday, July 20, 2010 Oil from BP's blown out well is again seeping into the Gulf of Mexico, but this time more slowly, and scientists aren't convinced the cap that stopped the flow last week is making things worse. The government said Monday that oil was seeping into the Gulf after days of warning that the experimental cap on the oil well could cause more leaks. Despite what at first seemed a setback, though, the federal government declared the development insignificant and forged ahead with BP's plan for finally sealing the hole in the ocean floor. At a Monday afternoon briefing in Washington, the retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen said BP could keep the cap closed at least another 24 hours, as long as the company remained alert for leaks. more info |
| Women of the Storm Launch Campaign to Restore the Gulf "The Gulf Coast is an American treasure and its deterioration affects us all," said Sandra Bullock. "The solution begins with each American demanding the restoration of the Gulf of Mexico, its coastlines and its wetlands for ourselves and for future generations." more info |
| BP's $cience Project Even as it struggled to cap its damaged oil well, BP lawyers picked out scientists at the region's public universities -- including the University of South Alabama and the University of Southern Mississippi -- who study such topics as marine invertebrates, plankton, marsh environments, oceanography and sharks, to name a few, the Press-Register has reported. more info |
| Shrinking Coast, Expanding Oil: Shrimpers Clean Spill David Chauvin reminds his wife, Kim, to pick up some extra life jackets as she's rushing out the kitchen door to attend a BP safety meeting. Instead of selling shrimp from the dock behind their house, the former high school sweethearts are now running a fleet of 25 shrimp boats that have been converted to skimmers. more info |
| BP dispersant use makes 'A Whale' super skimmer ineffective in the Gulf Jonsson also quoted TMT Offshore spokesman, Bob Grantham, “This ship demonstrated that it can bring substantial volumes of capacity to bear in addressing oil spills quickly and with great maneuverability. That said, the particular conditions present in the Macondo spill did not afford the vessel to recover a significant amount of oil…..due to the highly dispersed nature of the oil in the Gulf.” more info |
| Planning for Our Oceans’ Future The Obama administration released the final recommendations of an Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force yesterday, and the president immediately turned around and signed it into an executive order. The recommendations call for the establishment of a new national policy to protect and restore our oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes. Ocean conservation and industry groups have long identified a comprehensive national ocean policy as a priority. There is urgent need for more coordination between the multiple federal agencies with ocean management responsibilities and greater coherency between the numerous laws addressing ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources. The United States has now taken a major step forward in achieving that goal. more info |
| Before They Hatch: Moving Sea Turtle Eggs From Gulf In all, the government plans to move 700 to 800 clutches of eggs — by far the largest turtle nest relocation ever. Ingram says it's a big experiment dictated by extraordinary circumstances. more info |
| Oil spill produces educational experience? “Luckily, our oceanography teacher, Monty Graham, was very into getting us involved in the actual research processes involved with the oil spill,” she said. “In addition to our normal course work we learned a great deal about the properties of oil and its potential effects on the Gulf of Mexico.” more info |
| Camp explores the marine ecosystem There may be tar balls on the Coast shores but the students at the new Ocean Expo Summer Camp on Tuesday were merrily using seine and dip nets to catch fish and crabs in the back bay areas and marshes. more info |
| Balloons gathering data above gulf spill U.S. researchers are using weather balloons to take air samples above the gulf oil spill and improve weather forecasting in the affected region, officials say. more info |
| Dead zone in Gulf linked to oil The researchers measured low oxygen levels along the entire 40-mile stretch they sampled around Dauphin Island, Ala., from about 40 miles offshore to within a mile or two of the shoreline. The bottom layer of water was oxygen-depleted at depths of about 30 feet close to shore to 100 feet further out, along the continental shelf — a rim of shallow water tracing the coast from Mississippi to Florida. more info |
| Internet2 and NOAA Partner To Provide New High Capacity National Research Network Climate scientists around the country leverage these HPC resources to understand, predict, and explain changes in climate. This is accomplished by developing and applying state-of-the-art, computationally intensive coupled climate models for advancing climate research, predicting climate from weeks to decades, and projecting future climate out to several centuries. These climate predictions and projections are expected to generate approximately 80 terabytes of data per day to support decision makers regionally to globally with timely and authoritative information. NWave provides the critical high capacity network links that can support these large data flows between sites as well as provide the capabilities to allow NOAA scientists the ability to easily share computational resources with the U.S. Department of Energy and other U.S. government agencies. more info |
| Listening for Whales Amid Undersea Oil Clouds Out of sight, whales cruise the Gulf of Mexico depths -- their hidden world threatened by huge clots of drifting oil from the ruptured Deepwater Horizon well. At the same time, there is almost no data available to measure changes to the Gulf's ecosystem -- including whale populations -- caused by the massive leak. more info |
| Corals and Water Column Study for Gulf Oil Spill A science team on the research vessel Seward Johnson departed Fort Pierce, FL, USA, Friday for the eastern Gulf of Mexico to gather baseline data against which to measure change if oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill reaches the area. The expedition will use a submersible, a ROV and other technology to assess and record conditions in the water column and on the seafloor. more info |
| Online games at school and on holiday – how to keep students ticking over till next term In the few days left before the summer break, teachers seeking to keep their students occupied have a chance to introduce them to the ever-growing list of sophisticated and enjoyable online games and activities, designed to blend play with education and provide a fun experience in class and at home. more info |
| SW Florida beaches protected from oil spill by continental shelf Recent projections by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) confirm the sentiments of a leading local expert that there is a minimal likelihood of oil from the Deepwater Horizon/BP oil spill impacting the Beaches of Fort Myers and Sanibel in Southwest Florida. more info |
| The 3-minute interview: Brian Day Day is executive director of the North American Association for Environmental Education, a professional nonprofit association made up of professionals, students and volunteers who work to promote environmental education. more info |
| National Aquarium Initiates Natural Resource Damage Assessment (Nrda) For Sarasota Bay Ecosystem The National Aquarium, in collaboration with Mote Marine Laboratory and Johns Hopkins University, is conducting a comprehensive study designed to ensure that pre- and post- Deepwater Horizon oil spill impact status of Sarasota Bay is documented as rigorously as possible. This will enable scientists to demonstrate causality between the release of oil and injured resources and/or lost human use of those resources and services. The first phase of this research will provide vital information needed to evaluate the status of this sensitive aquatic environment before potential contamination by the Deepwater Horizon Gulf of Mexico oil spill. more info |
| Fishers asked to help save turtles Fisheries biologist Carrie Horton talked to local fishermen Tuesday about the different species of sea turtles and their life histories, and techniques fishermen can use to minimize their chances of catching a sea turtle. more info |
| NASA Rescues Sea Turtles Endangered by Oil Spill Biologists dug up about 700 turtle nests near Panama City and Apalachicola, and brought them to KSC. While the nests were transported, they were buried in damp sand inside Styrofoam coolers and transported via a temperature-controlled truck to KSC. The turtles are being monitored until they hatch, and once they hatch are quickly brought to the ocean, where they feed exclusively along the line of Sargassum seaweed at the edge of the current. Most of the nests are made by the threatened loggerhead sea turtle, but other species include Kemp's ridley, leatherback, and green sea turtles. Each nest has 100-120 eggs. more info |
| Scientist Says Oxygen-Depletion Problem in Gulf Is Real Samantha Joye, an oceanographer at the University of Georgia who is studying the oil spill's potential effects on Gulf marine life, said water samples that she and colleagues have taken show a more worrisome drop in oxygen levels than was reported recently by a separate group of federal researchers aboard a different ship. more info |
| Animal Autopsies in Gulf Reveal Only a Mystery Despite an obvious suspect, oil, the answer is far from clear. The vast majority of the dead animals that have been found — 1,866 birds, 463 turtles, 59 dolphins and one sperm whale — show no visible signs of oil contamination. Much of the evidence in the turtle cases points, in fact, to shrimping or other commercial fishing, but other suspects include oil fumes, oiled food, the dispersants used to break up the oil or even disease. more info |
| BP oil spill has already altered the food web, putting future of Gulf marine life in jeopardy "You change the base of the food web, it's going to ripple through the entire food web," Rob Condon, a marine scientist, told The Associated Press. "Ultimately, it's going to impact fishing and introduce a lot of contaminants into the food web." more info |
| BP will begin testing new cap over Gulf oil leak The test involves slowly closing the valves of the cap, ultimately blocking the flow of oil entirely. High pressure is a good sign, because it means there's a single leak. more info |
| Vero Beach scientist listens to the rhythms of fish One of Gilmore’s colleagues, University of South Florida research scientist Jim Locascio, hopes to apply the science of fish sounds to damage assessment from the spreading Deepwater Horizon oil spill. more info |
| Hazelwood teacher learns lessons about oil spill firsthand She got that and more aboard the ship Pisces in the Gulf of Mexico. When students return to class next month, she'll be able to give them her insight into the disaster they've watched on the news. more info |
| Tar balls reveal the biological legacy of Gulf's early life Tar balls carry a biological legacy of the algae, plants and marine life that died and, over millions of years, formed oil. And this particular oil has much to tell us about the hot, dry and salty origins of the Gulf. more info |
| La Nina developing, could mean more hurricanes La Nina is marked by an unusual cooling of the sea surface in the tropical Pacific Ocean. Water temperatures in that area can affect air pressure and winds, resulting in changes in the weather in many parts of the world. more info |
| Perry forms team to fight oil spills NASA, the University of Houston and Rice University will be part of a coalition of scientists, policy experts, oil and gas engineers and state officials focused on preventing future oil spill disasters, Gov. Rick Perry said Tuesday in Houston. more info |
| Researchers Predict Oil Spill's Long Term Travel Plans Researchers Axel Timmermann and Fabian Schloesser from the University of Hawaii at Manoa developed an ocean model that predicts how the oil spill’s surface flows could disperse over the year. more info |
| Dozens more pelicans affected by Gulf oil spill released in Florida The birds are from an area around Houma. They arrived at Fort De Soto Park on Wednesday afternoon and were released shortly thereafter. more info |
| Niko Ciglio's mural 'Heart Wisdom' speaks to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill "The time is now, " Ciglio wrote in the center of the mural. "This is our land. We must stand up for ourselves, hold ourselves personally accountable and take our power back peacefully." more info |
| Florida Releases July 8, 2010 Gulf Oil Spill Situation Update NOAA trajectory forecasts show portions of the oil plume slowly expanding back to the east through Saturday, but no direct coastal impacts to beaches are forecast. more info |
| Agency Agreed Wildlife Risk From Oil Was ‘Low’ Deborah Fuller, the endangered species program coordinator for the Fish and Wildlife Service’s office in Lafayette, La., led the team that reviewed the minerals service’s biological assessment. She said that her office recognized that a big spill would be disastrous to wildlife and that it made suggestions for increasing preparedness for the cleanup of a spill as part of an informal consultation on the biological review. more info |
| Tar Balls Found On Florida's East Coast The Coast Guard found the balls along Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral. They have sent it to a lab to see if the Tar came from the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. more info |
| New legislation announcement to help oceans Rhode Island environmental leaders at Save The Bay headquarters in Providence to announce new legislation establishing a “National Endowment for the Oceans.” Much like the National Endowments for the Arts, which was established by Rhode Island Senator Claiborne Pell, Whitehouse’s legislation would create a reliable stream of revenue to fund projects aimed at protecting and preserving our oceans and coastal areas. more info |
| More Texas tar balls identified as coming from BP spill Tar balls continue to wash up along the Texas coast, and all of the testing since the weekend points to a single source: the gushing Macondo well. more info |
| Enviro groups stunned that govt ignoring 27K wells Leading environmental groups and a U.S. senator on Wednesday called on the government to pay closer attention to more than 27,000 abandoned oil and gas wells in the Gulf of Mexico and take action to keep them from leaking even more crude into water already tainted by the massive BP spill. more info |
| Allen: Relief well timing depends on oil's spread A relief well being drilled deep into the seafloor of the Gulf of Mexico to shut down the gushing well could be completed ahead of a long-set deadline of mid-August only if conditions are ideal, government and BP officials said Thursday. more info |
| EPA Takes 33% of US Refining Capacity Offline The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday officially overturned a 16-year-old Texas air permitting program it says violates the Clean Air Act, leaving some of the country's largest refineries in a state of limbo. more info |
| Fish Found Walking in Gulf Spill Two new species of pancake batfish, which walk using their arm-like fins, have been found at the site of the Gulf oil spill, according to a study published in the Journal of Fish Biology. more info |
| How Soon Can Gulf of Mexico Recover? Scientist Says Maybe 2-3 Years The workers trying to clean up the Gulf have several natural allies. The hot southern sun helps -- it causes some of the most toxic components of the oil slick, such as benzene and toluene, to evaporate. Wave action breaks the oil down as well. And microorganisms in the water slowly consume oil. more info |
| Costs, questions for Gulf promise Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, however, was concerned from the minute he heard “plan” in the President's Oval Office address. Citing the 2004 creation of the Gulf of Mexico Alliance, a partnership between the Gulf Coast states meant to “enhance the ecological and economic health of the Gulf of Mexico," Barbour said he and other local leaders already have a blueprint for restoring the ecosystem. more info |
| Taking Science Lessons Home When it comes to understanding basic science, kids in the United States lag behind kids in other countries. Teachers have made science education a priority in the classroom, but there are things parents can do too, even when school isn`t in session. more info |
| Studying oil's hidden dangers The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has been going on for 77 days, and a huge network of ships and equipment is in place trying to stop the leak and clean up the worst oil spill in the nation's history. But there are also many ships in the gulf doing scientific research to figure out how the oil is affecting animals, marine life and the water itself in ways we can't see. more info |
| BP gives Gulf of Mexico Corexit overdose Louisiana State University scientist, Ed Overton has been analyzing the submerged oil for federal officials since April, when the Deepwater Horizon exploded and fell to the ocean floor. He said, “The biggest threat posed by the submerged oil was the inability to contain it.” more info |
| Educating for Democracy: Is "Green Education" Possible? Begin structuring curricula that would encourage students to do gardening, develop healthy nutritional habits including low-fat cooking, basic energy-conscious hygiene, and socializing activities that don't focus on consumption. more info |
| How ethnoscience has been impacted by the Gulf of Mexico oil spill The people who have lived in the Gulf oil spill region have centuries worth of experience and knowledge that will have to be respected and mined as scientists seek to fully understand the impact of the BP oil spill on man and nature. The plants, animals and humans of the region are only fully understood by the plants, animals and humans who have lived and who will live in the region, and only the humans are able to do the talking. more info |
| Crying over spilt oil:Did BP sacrifice the future on the grave of the present? "As long as it is in the summer season, it (the oil) is going to keep going north and south with the net result moving north. That’s inevitable. We are going to be exposed to it. Nothing will change it till Mother Nature changes. Nothing will clean it but Mother Nature." more info |
| An overlooked success story at Piscataway Park The pair worked with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Restoration Center and got $1.1 million in federal stimulus money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act through the National Park Service. The Alice Ferguson Foundation then worked with the Chesapeake Bay Trust and the Keith Campbell Foundation to design a new "living shoreline." This shoreline features a self-sustaining ecosystem equipped with new natural wetlands, forests and beaches. more info |
| Scientists To Study Oil Spill Effect On Whales In their research and study, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration research ship Gordon Gunter will be placing listening buoys on the sea floor, which would remain there for months together, letting the researchers know what are the changes found in the animals around the affected area, and what is their response to the oil spill. more info |
| Rodeo looks to future The Mississippi Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo survived the massive ongoing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and has now turned its sights on the 2011 event. more info |
| From .com to .gov for oil spill response website The Obama administration is expected to take over control of the central information website on the Gulf oil spill response that has been run jointly by various agencies and BP for the 2½ months since the rig explosion. more info |
| Navarre Beach needs oil response volunteers to keep eye on beach Shoreline Users Resource Force, or SURF volunteers, will be stationed on Navarre Beach to help watch and report changing beach conditions. They'll also provide information and answer questions from beach visitors and residents about beach and water safety, coastal habitats, wildlife, cleanup response, beach conditions, seafood safety and the Navarre Beach “Leave No Trace Behind” ordinance. Volunteers will not participate in cleanup activities. more info |
| EPA Releases First Round of Toxicity Testing Data for Eight Oil Dispersants While all eight dispersants alone – not mixed with oil – showed roughly the same effects, JD-2000 and Corexit 9500 proved to be the least toxic to small fish, and JD-2000 and SAF-RON GOLD were the least toxic to the mysid shrimp. more info |
| Deep-sea mysteries: Why drilling in 'inner space' tests human limits "Every time we go, we discover something new and astonishing: Fluorescent sharks, new types of bioluminescence, new types of animals -- you name it," says Edie Widder, CEO and senior scientist at the Ocean Research & Conservation Association, a nonprofit based in Florida. "It's pretty incredible and beautiful really." more info |
| Dead zone in gulf linked to ethanol production The gulf dead zone is the second-largest in the world, after one in the Baltic Sea. Scientists say the biggest culprit is industrial-scale corn production. Corn growers are heavy users of both nitrogen and pesticides. Vast monocultures of corn and soybeans, both subsidized by the federal government, have displaced diversified farms and grasslands throughout the Mississippi Basin. more info |
| New Orleans seeing oil come in via back door For New Orleans, oil in the lake threatens the second major disaster to sweep in from the Gulf in five years. On Aug. 29, 2005, a massive storm surge driven by Hurricane Katrina swept into Lake Pontchartrain, contributing to the destruction of levees. An estimated 80 percent of the city flooded. more info |
| A wounded Gulf of Mexico, an elusive prognosis But, with key gaps remaining in their data, there is wide disagreement about the big picture. Some researchers have concluded that the gulf is being spared an ecological disaster. Others think ecosystems that were already in trouble before the spill are now being pushed toward a brink. more info |
| Naval blimp to help track oil flow in gulf U.S. Coast Guard officials said the blimp, known as the MX-3A, can carry as many as 10 crew members as it flies slowly over the region to track the direction of the oil flow and how it is washing ashore, CNN reported. more info |
| Weather Inhibiting Full Capacity of Superskimmer Though the total amount of oil and water mix in the Gulf remains unknown, the ship's capacity would vastly increase what is currently being skimmed by smaller vessels. more info |
| Gulf oil spill reaches Texas as tar balls wash ashore Tests identified the small amount of tar found on the Bolivar Peninsula, north-east of Galveston, as coming from BP's blown-out well off Louisiana. more info |
| USM, Tulane scientists find oil in Crab Larvae Harriet Perry, director of the Center for Fisheries Research and Development at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, has found droplets of hydrocarbons or oil, in blue crab and fiddler crab larvae. According to Perry, the oil appears to be trapped between the hard, outer shell of the crab and its inner skin. more info |
| Scientists dispel oil rig disaster myths "The idea that there could be a catastrophic cave in, or a methane gas explosion, that's not a reasonable worry," said Gary Byerly, a professor of geology at Louisiana State University. "The rock formations on top of this oil deposit have enough strength that nothing like that is going to happen." more info |
| Federal agencies, Gulf state officials unite to ensure seafood safety "Together, they will implement a comprehensive, coordinated, multi-agency program to ensure that seafood from the Gulf of Mexico is safe to eat," NOAA and the FDA said in a joint news release. "This is important not only for consumers who need to know their food is safe to eat, but also for fishermen who need to be able to sell their products with confidence." more info |
| World's largest oil skimmer heads to Gulf spill The ship looks like a typical tanker, but it takes in contaminated water through 12 vents on either side of the bow. The oil is then supposed to be separated from the water and transferred to another vessel. The water is channeled back into the sea. more info |
| Gulf Dispatch: Gulf oil disaster proves reform is needed now This spill reminds us we are in desperate need of a policy that recognizes that in our ocean environment, everything is connected - from industrial uses to the health of our ocean and the health of the coastal economy. more info |
| Wildlife rescue under way as oil gushes into Gulf "Typically with other spills, you have an acute release, and oil hits the shoreline fairly quickly. You have animals affected in the first week, and you have an end date," he explained. "With this spill, because the release is still going on, because it's so far offshore, we're not exactly sure where the oil is going to head, what shorelines are going to be affected, so it's been very difficult to plan to do searches and collections, where to establish facilities, how many people we need on-site, and which species are going to be affected." more info |
| Another 70-plus pelicans heading to Georgia A second group of more than 70 brown pelicans heads to Georgia after being cleaned of oil from the Gulf of Mexico spill. more info |
| Biden Visits Gulf, Discusses Seafood Safety "These vessels are providing a variety of seafood and water samples from locations throughout the Gulf--nearshore and offshore, shallow water and deep, oiled and unoiled," said Steven Murawski, who is leading NOAA's science response to the spillhttp://www.foodsafetynews.com/2010/07/vice-president-biden-visits-gulf-discusses-seafood-safety/, in a statement. "This is baseline information we need to measure any effects on seafood attributable to the spilled oil and to make sure our fishery closures are effective and in place for as long as they need to be, but no longer." more info |
| Pepsi's Refresh Project to help oil spill region The soft drink and snack maker said Thursday it will give an additional $1.3 million in grants next month to projects that will help communities in the five-state region — Texas, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama. more info |
| Threatened whale sharks seen in Gulf oil spill Hoffmayer said three of the sharks, the world's largest fish, were spotted within four miles of the spill site on Monday. They migrate north in late spring from waters near the Yucatan to feed off the mouth of the Mississippi River. The Deepwater Horizon site is about 40 miles southeast of the river. more info |
| Dispersants appear to break up in Gulf, EPA says Paul Anastas, the agency's assistant administrator for research and development, told reporters Wednesday the agency is making no new recommendations until further tests are conducted. But he said there is no sign that dispersants are remaining in the water or settling to the bottom, and that the Corexit 9500 being used by oil company BP is among the least toxic to small fish and mysid shrimp of the eight products tested, Anastas said. more info |
| Tropical Storm Alex Batters Mexico, Texas It is expected to weaken to a tropical depression later in the day as it moves farther inland across Mexico. The storm flooded coastal towns in Mexico and forced thousands to evacuate. It also spawned two tornadoes in Texas. more info |
| Ala. Raycom stations hold statewide report on oil crisis Reporters from WSFA 12 News in Montgomery, WBRC Fox 6 in Birmingham, WAFF 48 News in Huntsville and WTVM Newsleader 9 in Columbus, Georgia gathered on the beaches of Gulf Shores for the report. Numerous other Raycom stations along the Southeastern Gulf Coast carried the report as well. more info |
| Oil spill brings push for wetlands habitat The conservation service said up to $20 million is available through three existing programs for farmers, ranchers and other landowners in eight states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Texas. more info |
| Gulf's coastal wetlands surviving despite oil For now, there has been nothing approaching wholesale saturation of Louisiana's estuaries, nesting grounds for brown pelicans, ducks and endangered least terns and a buffer that protects population centers from tidal surges during severe storms. more info |
| Gulf Coast beaches update The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has coastal states and visitors bureaus working hard to keep the public updated and reassure beach-bound travelers. more info |
| Thousands of Sea Turtle Eggs To Be Moved Out of Oil's Way For the tens of thousands of sea turtle eggs incubating in the sands of the northern Gulf of Mexico—and dangerously near the oil—it's come to this: Officials are planning to dig up the approximately 700 nests on Alabama and the Florida panhandle beaches, pack the eggs in Styrofoam boxes, and fly them to a facility in eastern Florida where they can mature. Once the eggs have hatched, the young turtles will be released in darkness on Florida's Atlantic beaches into oil-free water. Translocation of nests on this scale has never been attempted before. more info |
| Will Floating Seaweed Be Another Oil Casualty? Sean Powers, a marine scientist at the University of South Alabama in Mobile and Dauphin Island Sea Lab on Dauphin Island, Alabama, tracks sargassum spread out across the gulf by airplane. He studies how reducing the size of algae mats in a specific area, which can occur for reasons including exposure to pollutants and changes in temperature, affects the surrounding marine life. Now Powers has received a National Science Foundation RAPID grant to study how sargassum fares in oiled waters. ScienceInsider spoke with Powers about his research. more info |
| Proposed U.S. Policy for Ocean, Coast, and Great Lakes Stewardship The Deepwater Horizon–BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is a stark reminder of the intimate dependence of coastal communities on healthy coastal and oceanic ecosystems and of the urgent need to revise policies to ensure wise stewardship of coasts, oceans, and Great Lakes. In the Gulf, and around the world, scientific evidence indicates that coastal and oceanic ecosystems are being disrupted and depleted, with serious consequences for human well-being (1, 2). Oil spills are but one threat. Overfishing, destructive fishing gear, nutrient and chemical pollution, habitat loss, and introduction of nonnative species threaten the health of these ecosystems. Climate change and ocean acidification interact with and exacerbate the impacts of these stressors. The result is the loss of many benefits that humans want and need from these ecosystems, including healthy seafood, clean beaches, resilient economies and jobs, cultural and recreational opportunities, vibrant coastal communities, protection against hurricanes, abundant wildlife, provision of drinking water, and the oxygen that we breathe (2). more info |
| Jellyfish infiltrate New Smyrna Beach Scientists aren't the only ones interested in jellyfish. St. Petersburg resident David McRee, who runs the Florida beach website known as blogthebeach.com, said he gets e-mails almost daily from people wanting to know more about jellyfish or sending in photos for identification. more info |
| Gulf oil spill: Air pollution a new health concern So far, air samples from about 400 canisters the group collected on a recent trip to the oil spill do not show levels above government safety thresholds. But the concentrations are higher than those found over heavily polluted urban areas, such as Los Angeles, Mexico City or Oklahoma oil tank farms. more info |
| Above Average Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone Forecast by NOAA Scientists Scientists from the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium, Louisiana State University, and the University of Michigan predict that the Gulf Dead Zone is likely to measure between 6,500 and 7,800 square miles this summer--or about the size of New Jersey. For the past five years the average has been roughly 6,000 sq. miles, with the record area of 8,484 sq. miles set back in 2002. The standing goal is to reduce the area to 1,900 sq. miles. more info |
| Environmental anthropologist sees climate change impacts ahead “Education and regulation are definitely needed, but there is no silver bullet,” he said. “We can’t wait for the next generation. We better fix the current threats that we are certain about if we want any hope.” more info |
| City records its history in a new museum The archives are set up to tell more than 100 stories of the past, highlighting old families, the beginnings of the turpentine industry, 17th century discoveries and Native American artifacts. more info |
| How to get a job in marine conservation In 2007, Cohen began the program, a one-year full time intensive led by Scripps Institution of Oceanography and other UC San Diego faculty, designed to teach professionals about the science, economy and social aspects of oceanography while letting them shape a degree specific to their goals, be it public affairs for an oceanographic institution or scientists from other disciplines more info |
| RAE Systems Posts Educational Resource for Gulf of Mexico Spill Recovery Workers RAE Systems Inc. a leader in delivering innovative sensor solutions to serve industrial, energy, environmental, and government safety markets worldwide, announced the launch of new web content at www.raesystems.com to assist the more than 20,000 people deployed in various aspects of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. The site provides information to understand the potential risks from the toxic and flammable Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) being released in both the spilled and burned oil in the Gulf of Mexico. more info |
| Fish and Wildlife Service releases migratory bird update in face of BP spill The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service this afternoon released the following statement intended to portray its thinking and planning regarding the fall migration of waterfowl and other birds in light of the ongoing BP spill in the Gulf of Mexico. more info |
| A floating city springs up to contain gulf oil spill This waterworld is hot, noisy and dangerous. Two flares create hypnotic focal points for the flotilla. The drill ship Discoverer Enterprise, parked directly on top of the well that exploded on April 20, is capturing oil from the well and burning gas separately. The other flare, larger, brighter, looking like an umbrella of fire turned on its side, shoots from a pipe on the well-servicing rig Q4000, which is burning both oil and gas. more info |
| Florida Tech students scout Gulf for oil, answers The more than three dozen students will monitor the three "Lagrangian drifters"-- as long as they stay afloat and maintain power -- and learn whether satellite-tracked devices go where federal models predict they will. more info |
| Scientists become celebrities in oil spill story Louisiana State University's Edward Overton once published a research article with the tongue-tangling title, "Effectiveness of Phytoremediation and Bioremediation of n-Alknaes as a Function of the length of the Carbon Chain in Wetland Environments." But recently the professor emeritus reached another milestone: He appeared on David Letterman's "Late Show" to talk in plain language about oil. more info |
| House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans And Wildlife Oversight Hearing The Gulf of Mexico Alliance is well positioned to play a significant role in the current oil event in the Gulf. The Gulf Alliance presently has teams of qualified people working together in the Gulf working on the projects outlined in Action Plan II. These folks have been working together now for almost nine years, and they are in place to respond to the research, monitoring, and remediation needs brought on by the Deepwater Horizon explosion and resulting continuing oil spill. more info |
| Storm Could Disrupt Effort in Gulf Together with BP, the company responsible for cleaning up the oil spill, Coast Guard officials are preparing contingency plans that would suspend the oil collection operation and delay the drilling of relief wells until the storm passes, steps that would allow even more oil to gush into the gulf. more info |
| It's their job to spot the oil To answer that question, you have to know where the oil is now. And that job falls to crews with the U.S. Coast Guard. Their helicopters and planes have been busy making daily flights from bases around the Gulf, probing the edges of the spill and turning that data over to NOAA for use in the forecasts. more info |
| Worry Underwater: Oxygen Levels Drop as Oil Continues to Flow Marine biologists say the sea animals flee the spill zone the way others would flee a forest fire. With thousands of gallons of oil contaminating their natural habitats, marine creatures press into oil-free waters. more info |
| Natural Disasters Happen. Will Your Home Be Ready? THE oil spill wreaking havoc in the Gulf of Mexico may be capturing your attention at the moment. But the odds are far greater that a natural disaster — a hurricane, wildfire or windstorm, for instance — will affect you. more info |
| NASA Radar To Study Gulf Oil Spill The same technology used to detect the effect of a Mexican earthquake on the earth's surface will help determine how oil has penetrated ecological zones in the Gulf of Mexico. more info |
| BP says Gulf relief well on target for mid-August Tests show BP is on target for mid-August completion of a relief well in the Gulf of Mexico, the best hope of stopping the oil that's been gushing since April, the company said Friday. more info |
| Panel to address Gulf oil spill The Pier Aquarium and the Marine Technology Society Florida Chapter are sponsoring a panel discussion to address the BP oil spill and local response efforts. more info |
| STEM Education Can Help Prevent the Next Disaster The oil spill is providing just such an opportunity, and educators have only to stretch out their hands and seize this potential gold mine of “real-world problems.” “Students may be hearing their families talk about the oil spill … and they’ll have some awareness of it, so the opportunities in the classroom are pretty extensive,” says Francis Eberle, executive director of the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA). Eberle notes the numerous issues to tackle in the classroom: the biological life affected, both plant and animal; the chemical components involved with cleaning up the mess; and the scientific vocabulary associated with this particular type of disaster. And most importantly, this is a chance to make science relevant, to show students why fields like engineering are so important. “Science doesn’t always have all the answers,” Eberle admits, “and part of the reason to pursue science is to answer questions and solve problems.” more info |
| Three Florida Sea Grant rapid-response projects target oil spill’s effects on Gulf As Floridians brace for more crude oil on the state’s coasts, University of Florida researchers are racing to complete several newly funded projects that will help assess the magnitude of damage done by the spill. more info |
| Missouri Teacher Sails in Gulf of Mexico Aboard NOAA Ship Pisces A teacher from Northwest Middle School in a suburb of St. Louis, von der Heyde boarded the research vessel in Pascagoula, Miss., on June 14 for the 19-day mission. She is writing logs that include information about research activities, life at sea, interviews with scientists, and photos. Her logs are being posted on NOAA’s Teacher at Sea website. more info |
| Baby Turtles Seize the Day I focused on Turtle No. 15, nicknamed Thelma by a National Park Service employee. (Thelma is a survivor in her own right: her mother laid her eggs on a beach that was covered by oil during the 1979 Ixtoc I spill in the Gulf of Mexico, and the eggs were airlifted to safety.) more info |
| USF researchers continue to study loop current The crew of six aboard USF's Weatherbird II will deploy current and wind instruments to track the movement of the oil during their four-day trip. more info |
| Is the Oil Dispersant Helping? Official Says Yes If oxygen levels drop too low, dispersant injection would be suspended for fear of causing more environmental damage, the official said. The oxygen readings amount to “a gross indication of whether the bacteria are multiplying and eating,’’ the official said, but are not precise. “We’re not talking about fine bench-top science here,’’ the official said. more info |
| Dark Ecosystems Nurtured by Oil Natural seeps turned out to account for 600 kilotons annually, or 47 percent of the total. Consumption — from such activities as boating, urban runoff and industrial wastes — came in second at 480 kilotons, or 38 percent of the total. In third place were releases from such transportation-related activities as leaky pipes, tanker spills and cargo-hold washings. They amounted to 160 kilotons annually, or 12 percent of the total. more info |
| Dauphin Island Sea Lab's Skimmer Newsletter for June 2010 The National Science Foundation is awarding Rapid Response Grants in an effort to study the biological impacts of BP's Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Several DISL marine scientists have received these grants thus far. more info |
| Oil threatens key Gulf algae, its ecosystem The algae mats are critical habitats for marine life. Tuna, Mahi-mahi, dolphin fish, Billfish, shrimp, crabs and sea turtles use the algae to spawn, sunbathe or hide from predators, often while noshing on it, the story says. more info |
| Wildlife officials take aerial photos of oil spill Specialists with Florida Fish and Wildlife are flying over the gulf with the Florida Army National Guard in an attempt to document the spread of oil as it gushes from the leaking well. So far they've spotted oil floating on top of the water off the coast of the Panhandle. more info |
| Add fundraising to list of challenges presented by gulf oil spill After Erin Allweiss saw thick, black oil sludging up on the coast near her native New Orleans, she decided to do something. The 27-year-old Capitol Hill staffer scooped some of the sand, like melting fudge, into a Ziploc bag to take back to Washington, and she started organizing a fundraiser with friends. more info |
| On board a Gulf oil spill science ship The researchers are hoping to answer some basic questions about how much crude is flowing and where it is going. Although usually referred to as an "oil spill", the leak also contains large quantities of natural gas. more info |
| Hypoxia occuring in Gulf of Mexico as result of BP oil disaster According to scientists, if the spill is not contained and hypoxia (oxygen depletion) continues to occur, dead zones could be created that would prevent any life from inhabiting the area where those zones would occur. A report by Reuters puts methane pollution from the Deepwater Horizon disaster at up to 1 million times higher than “normal levels”. more info |
| We can give survivors of the spill a place in which to recover We know it can be done, because we’ve already started the process in Mobile Bay with great success. A team — including the best scientists at The Nature Conservancy, Dauphin Island Sea Lab, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, NOAA and the state of Alabama — has been developing these oyster reef and marsh/seagrass systems as quickly as funding allows, at the rate of about a mile a year. more info |
| Science funding: Science for the masses The US National Science Foundation's insistence that every research project addresses 'broader impacts' leaves many researchers baffled. Corie Lok takes a looks at the system. more info |
| National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium is Opening a $40 Million Expansion Dubuque, IA — The National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium is opening a $40 million expansion, the Diamond Jo National River Center, on June 26, 2010. The expansion will include a new Gulf of Mexico exhibit. However, the Gulf exhibit will not open as a celebration of a vibrant, life-filled Gulf, but will open empty, completely devoid of life. more info |
| Oil plumes invade a dark, mysterious world at Gulf's floor At the dark and cold bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, rich and strange forms of deepwater life proliferate -- and may be vulnerable to oil plumes from the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe. more info |
| Gulf Coast beach closings, oil slick and fishing ban map As the oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico moves along the shoreline, check back to see beach closings, how the wildlife is affected and the spread of the fishing ban. more info |
| How a relief well works Typically, it is drilled parallel to the problem well through multiple layers of rock and sometimes salt. Then the drillbit curves to intersect with the problem well. This is how BP's relief wells are being drilled. more info |
| Young turtles swarm around oil spill Thousands of endangered Kemp's ridley sea turtle hatchlings are congregating in areas near the BP oil blowout as predicted — with deadly consequences, a Florida researcher said Thursday. more info |
| Along the Texas coast, they’ve lived this before Amos is 72, but he remembers Ixtoc sharply. The year before, he had begun making detailed surveys of a 7-mile stretch of Mustang Island beach. Every other day, he recorded each bird, each patch of seaweed. On the day Ixtoc oil coated that beach, his notebook shows, he cried. more info |
| Obama names investigation panel President Obama named five panelists to a commission tasked with finding ways to avoid a repeat of the Deepwater Horizon disaster, which killed 11 men and started the nation's worst oil spill. They will be led by a former Florida governor and U.S. senator, Bob Graham, and a former administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency, William K. Reilly. more info |
| A Texas transfer for oiled pelicans ARANSAS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE — Tentative wing-flapping led to graceful soaring and convivial preening Sunday as 38 brown pelicans rescued from the worst oil mess in U.S. history explored new digs in the blue-green waters of San Antonio Bay. more info |
| Gulf oil spill: A hole in the world The experience of following the oil's progress through the ecosystem is a kind of crash course in deep ecology. Every day we learn more about how what seems to be a terrible problem in one isolated part of the world actually radiates out in ways most of us could never have imagined. One day we learn that the oil could reach Cuba – then Europe. Next we hear that fishermen all the way up the Atlantic in Prince Edward Island, Canada, are worried because the Bluefin tuna they catch off their shores are born thousands of miles away in those oil-stained Gulf waters. And we learn, too, that for birds, the Gulf coast wetlands are the equivalent of a busy airport hub – everyone seems to have a stopover: 110 species of migratory songbirds and 75% of all migratory US waterfowl. more info |
| Want to know more about the Dispersant Corexit? Dr. William Sawyer presented a worst-case analysis of the risks associated with Corexit. He claims that Corexit is known as deodorized kerosene, "a substance with health risks to humans as well as sea turtles, dolphins, breathing reptiles, birds, and any species that need to surface for air exchanges." The article also discusses why these dispersants bare the name. It is because, simply, the chemicals cause the oil to form globules and then those globules disperse via wind and wave action. "So instead of having the oil collect at the surface, dispersed droplets of oil can spread more quickly and in more directions. This means the droplets linger longer in the water, collecting on the seabed and harming the ecosystem offshore." more info |
| 'This is not the death of the Gulf,' biologist says of oil spill "It is going to be the economic death of a lot of human endeavor that is tied to the resource base of the Gulf," Crozier said. "Beaches next year should be just fine, but they may be serving pot roast instead of Gulf snapper. ... The ecosystem is a lot healthier and more resilient than the human system." more info |
| Monitoring the Manatee for Oil Ills Until recently, biologists believed that manatees rarely ventured west of peninsular Florida, where, so far, no oil has appeared. But in 2007, Ruth Carmichael, who leads the Dauphin Island team, began documenting a relatively large summer migration of manatees to Mobile Bay, Ala. — leading them directly into and through the path of the oil from the Deepwater Horizon leak. From a couple of dozen to as many as 100 come to Mobile Bay for the summer, out of a total North American population of 5,000, she said. more info |
| Submerged oil at Bon Secour shoreline The Press-Register found a number of patches of submerged oil 40 to 100 feet off the beach, apparently collecting along rip currents and sandbars. The carcasses of sand fleas, speckled crabs, ghost crabs and leopard crabs were spread throughout the oil, a thick layer of the material caking the bodies of the larger crabs. Their claws looked as if they been turned into clubs made of oil. more info |
| Gulf states’ economies devastated by BP spill The oil eruption in the Gulf of Mexico—the worst environmental disaster in US history—is devastating local economies. Tens of thousands of fishermen, tourist-industry and oil workers are directly affected. The indirect ramifications are incalculable. more info |
| For The Record Special: Gulf Oil Spill & its Impact on Alabama's Coast For The Record presents a special report on the largest oil spill in American history and the repercussions of this environmental disaster for Alabama and neighboring Gulf states. Broadcast live from Gulf Shores, the one-hour “For the Record” program hosted by APT’s Jon Beans and Lori Cummings will feature interviews with representatives from: Alabama Department of Emergency Management U.S. Coast Guard Alabama Department of Public Health Alabama Department of Conservation Dauphin Island SeaLab (discussing impact of oil leak on Alabama Gulf Coast ecosystem) Santa Rose Island Authority more info |
| Hundreds of jobs available in oil spill clean up effort Check out a new state website, www.floridagulfrecoveryjobs.com and you'll see dozens of job openings listed. The jobs range in pay from $10 to $32 an hour. Understandably, most of opportunities are in the panhandle where the oil spill has had the most impact. The positions include working on clean up crews, hazardous material removal, and bulldozer operators. more info |
| Transcript of Adm. Thad Allen's Thursday BP oil leak briefing To that end, we are doing a national inventory of skimming equipment. And right now in addition to the boom, which has always been a critical resource for us, the availability of skimmers is critical. We are in touch with the Department of Defense using skimming capability they have at naval installations. And we also put out a call for the various states and the on call response equipment they have to the extent we can bring that to the Gulf, we will as well. With that I’d be glad to go into any questions you may have for me this morning. more info |
| Local Boats to Be Added to Oil Spill Clean Up Efforts Allen said there are more than 2,000 boats ready to participate, reflecting the "willingness and passion of the local people." Allen said boats will work in the region between the shoreline and 50 miles offshore to keep oil from hitting beaches along the coast. He said that his team has placed orders for more boom and skimming equipment to assist with the effort. more info |
| Gulf oil full of methane, adding new concerns Representatives of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration acknowledged that so much methane in the water could draw down oxygen levels and slow the breakdown of oil in the Gulf, but cautioned that research was still under way to understand the ramifications. more info |
| USF model projects oil spill will expand further southward toward loop current The University of South Florida's College of Marine Science and the Ocean Circulation Group and jointly produce a computer model that predicts the path of the oil spill. The latest run clearly shows the oil moving southeastward and pushing up against the current. This could lead to more oil entering the current over the next few days. more info |
| BP's 'war' against Gulf of Mexico oil leak As BP comes under increasing criticism over its management of the Gulf of Mexico leak, attempts to stop the oil flowing continue. more info |
| Oil spill causes concern for turtles on US Gulf coast In this First Person account, the Gulf Shores's "turtle tsar" Mike Reynolds says he is "concerned" at the initial numbers of turtles reaching Alabama's beaches to lay their eggs. more info |
| Gulf Oil Spill: Is There a Cure? But before you bet the clean-up on canned bacteria, you should know that the Gulf of Mexico already houses and feeds what must certainly be one of the world’s largest and most diverse populations of oil-eating microbes. There are oil-eating microbes in the marshes, oil-eating microbes in the water column, oil-eating microbes hovering around natural hydrocarbon vents in the deepest sections of the Gulf. more info |
| Scientists struggle to pin down scope of Gulf oil spill The group this week addressed whether it's possible for Mississippi to dodge the bullet that is this mega spill, what a hurricane west of Mississippi would do, why the sinking oil is important and what currents in the Gulf are doing and why they have concerns about whale sharks, large fish and birds. more info |
| BP Announces $25M in university research grants It says $10 million each will go to the Northern Gulf Institute led by Mississippi State University and the Florida Institute of Oceanography hosted by the University of South Florida. Louisiana State University will get $5 million. more info |
| Weathering the Oil Spill: Tar Balls, Streamers, and Eddies While it didn't make any headlines, a far more informative story played itself out yesterday for me in Washington, where I, along with a group of about 30 scientists, was briefed by Jane Lubchenco, the administrator of NOAA, the "leading scientific resource for oil spills, ... providing coordinated scientific weather and biological response services to federal, state and local organizations." more info |
| Remarks by the President to the Nation on the BP Oil Spill Already, this oil spill is the worst environmental disaster America has ever faced. And unlike an earthquake or a hurricane, it’s not a single event that does its damage in a matter of minutes or days. The millions of gallons of oil that have spilled into the Gulf of Mexico are more like an epidemic, one that we will be fighting for months and even years. more info |
| Obama Announced Gulf Coast Restoration Plan He said he has asked former Mississippi Governor Ray Mabus to develop a long-term Gulf Coast Restoration Plan--to be funded by BP PLC. But he offered no specific details on short term action to stop the flow of oil and gas into the Gulf. more info |
| USGS Director Quietly Wages 'Fearless' War on Oil Spill McNutt is overseeing six teams of scientists who are trying to estimate the size of the leak -- a number that will be vital as the federal government seeks recompense from BP PLC based on how much oil it releases. New estimates released last night from the teams found that the well could be leaking 35,000 to 60,000 barrels of oil a day -- twice as much as some previous estimates. more info |
| Gulf Oil Spill: Animals at Risk One of the greatest costs of the oil spill may also be the most invisible. Plankton are the basis of the marine food web. The word encompasses everything from algae to animal larvae. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, oil affects algae in different ways. Some species may die, while others may bloom to excess. The loss of some species could leave fish and other ocean dwellers without a meal to eat, while the proliferation of others could use up all of the oxygen in certain water layers. more info |
| Alabama: What This Spill Could Do to Coastal Marshes The marsh’s productivity, its growth, its survival as the rough ocean daily gnaws on the shoreline depends on the trapping efficiency of these grasses. Everything in the marsh, the bacteria, the fungi, the fish, the young shrimp, the nesting birds, depends on the marsh’s great catch. more info |
| Fairhope High School teacher Megan O'Neill wins national award "I want to show my students how many things are possible in the sciences," she said. "I want to show them how important marine science and aquascience are to all of us." more info |
| 'Da' spill': Gulf oil crisis inspires Louisiana's Excel students to create The 30 students in the four-week summer program at the Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts, called Excel, were inspired by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico to write and perform an original play. more info |
| NOAA Announces Funding to Support Ocean & Coastal Observation Technologies A $4 million NOAA grant will help a university consortium evaluate the readiness of marine forecasts, such as flooding from storm surge or seasonal dead zones, along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts and improve those forecasts for use by emergency managers, scientific researchers and the general public. more info |
| Gulf oil spill: Sea turtle swims through oil to nest on Alabama beach One of the vehicles ran over the nest, said Mike Reynolds of Share the Beach, whose volunteers patrol the 47 miles of sandy beach west of the Florida border to find and protect new turtle nests. Then came the good news: Volunteers were able to find the nest, safely dig up the 127 new ping-pong-ball-sized eggs and rebury them in a safe location. The nest, which is the first to be laid in the area since the oil spill began, will be fenced off to protect the eggs until they hatch in about two months. more info |
| Coast teacher receives Presidential Award Ocean Springs High School chemistry teacher Linda Parrott is one of the 103 mathematics and science teachers President Barack Obama named Monday as recipients of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. more info |
| Oceanography library enters the digital era A pioneering project by Scripps and Google Books has figuratively unlocked the gate and made the institution’s vast resources available online. Over the past 1½ years, they have digitized an estimated 100,000 volumes from the La Jolla library as part of a broader effort to put texts online. more info |
| Scientists warn of oil spill kill zone in the deep Suspended in ocean water, oil pollution poses a serious threat to floating plankton, as well as to marine plants and animals living at the bottom, including deep-sea corals, said scientists from University of Miami (UM) Division of Marine Geology and Geophysics. more info |
| Alabama health department expands no-swimming areas Health officials now say people should avoid swimming in Alabama's coastal waters west of the Dauphin Island Bridge and in Bayou St. John, Cotton Bayou and Old River in Baldwin County. more info |
| Ban calls for greater awareness of the value of oceans to humanity Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today urged governments and citizens across the global to acknowledge the enormous value of the world’s oceans to humanity and ensure that pollution of the bodies of water by human activity is brought under control. more info |
| Gulf oil spill may cloud the future of Gulf state's public schools In Alabama, the spill's impact on tourism and fishing is hurting tax collections; especially the sales, income, and utilities taxes that fund public education. State Superintendent of Education Joe Morton said in a news conference that he intends to bill BP for the loss of education funding caused by the spill, and he will sue the company if it doesn't pay. more info |
| Many Ways to Dive Into Jacques Cousteau's 100th Fundraising, congressional honors and a reworked Google logo were just a few of the ways the world celebrated today's 100th anniversary of the birth of the late Jacques Cousteau, pioneering sea explorer and moviemaker. more info |
| Oil Plume Extending Toward Dry Tortugas "The good news is that the various approaches we are using to project its pathway seem to be yielding similar answers and guiding us properly. We need to maintain our vigilance and expand our efforts to determine the degree of risk to unique downstream resources like the Dry Tortugas and Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, which are vital natural environments that we need to protect," said Peter Ortner, UM Marine Biology and Fisheries professor and director of CIMAS. more info |
| Emerging Ocean Concern: Tiny Plastic Particles While scientists have documented the effects of large plastic flotsam in the oceans for decades — turtles trapped in fishing nets, albatrosses swallowing plastic cigarette lighters — very little research has focused on what happens when those bigger pieces break down into tiny specks, called microplastics. more info |
| Researchers Sail to the Spill Site The scientists will study issues like how the vast oil spill has affected the oxygen content of the gulf’s waters, an issue of crucial importance for sea life, and what is happening to the methane gas released by the leak. Because methane dissolves uniformly in seawater, scientists are hoping they can use methane measurements to arrive at a better estimate of the size of the spill. more info |
| No time to lose in researching the oil spill Two of the many perplexing issues about the disastrous gulf oil spill involve tracking the changing directions of the oil in the ocean currents and gauging its impact on the shoreline and in the water. A coalition of 21 Florida schools and marine science organizations has proposed a sophisticated monitoring plan to provide those answers, and BP should move swiftly to grant the $100 million request. The sooner this important research begins, the quicker Florida and the nation can respond and limit the damage. more info |
| Gulf Disaster Spawns Lab for Scientists The oil spill offers a potentially easier way to study this complex food web. Oil from the Deepwater rig has a carbon-isotope signature different from the signature usually seen in naturally occurring organic matter. When bacteria eat the spilt oil, they retain this signature, as do all the creatures up the food chain. The journey of the isotope can be traced from prey to predator along the food chain. more info |
| New spill estimate doubles oil flow rate into Gulf The government panel's new calculation shows an amount of oil equivalent to the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill could be flowing every 8 to 10 days, the New York Times reports. more info |
| BP gives $75M to 3 Gulf states for spill efforts BP COO Doug Suttles said in a statement Thursday that the energy giant was making the funds available at the request of the governors in each of the three Gulf states. more info |
| The Gulf Spill and the Limits of Science Only by openly and properly exposing the state of current knowledge for dealing with potential disasters can the public and politicians do reasonable risk assessment in deciding costs versus benefits. The job of scientists and engineers is not to make policy but to ensure that the state of current knowledge is known to all those involved in decision-making, including the public at large. more info |
| An SOS on World Oceans Day: Save our seas, save ourselves Oceanographer Sylvia Earle believes we can save our seas and ourselves with an intelligent attitude to the Earth's blue life-support system. Here she expresses her opinion for CNN. more info |
| Scientist Proposes Unleashing Mississippi River to Flush Oil From Delta G. Paul Kemp, a former marine science professor at Louisiana State University who works now with the National Audubon Society's coastal initiative, is proposing turning loose the mighty Mississippi River to flush oil out of the river's marshy delta. Kemp said in an interview that he has given his plan to U.S. EPA and has been assured that it is being reviewed at the "highest levels." more info |
| No Progress on Better Chemicals for Oil Disaster Cleanup Many questions surround dispersant use. They’re toxins on their own, their effects on sea life are largely unquantified, and whether they’d work in the gulf as elsewhere is unknown. Nor had dispersants been previously deployed in the volumes needed in the gulf. Their injection directly into the wellhead, a mile beneath the sea, is also unprecedented. Depth and pressure and temperature might alter the interaction of dispersant and oil in unanticipated ways. more info |
| BP oil spill Corexit dispersants suspected in widespread crop damage A mysterious "disease" has caused widespread damage to plants from weeds to farmed organic and conventionally grown crops. There is very strong suspicion that ocean winds have blown Corexit aerosol plumes or droplets and that dispersants have caused the unexplained widespread damage or "disease". more info |
| Low oxygen levels found off Ala. coast The discovery made by marine biologists at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab is one that most people would never even notice, but it's one they said could potentially make a huge impact on all marine life in the Gulf. more info |
| How bad could BP oil spill get for the Gulf and the nation? Now, 50 days after the BP rig in the gulf exploded, the range of scenarios for the toll of the environmental disaster are coming into focus: more info |
| State of the Coast Conference-Video Conference organizers agree. They're hoping this week's conference will bring the diverse group of people that live and work in the wetlands together. The conference runs through Thursday at the River Center in Baton Rouge. more info |
| Scientists mobilize to create new disaster response science With the highly accurate descriptions of the Gulf of Mexico’s coastline Dawson and his colleagues previously used for hurricane simulations, they hope to model the spread of oil into the complex maze of coastal marshes and wetlands – something other existing models simply cannot do. more info |
| Shining in the Dark: Finding Some Good in the Tragedy of the Oil Spill When facing fear and tragedy we can make a plan. We can make a difference. Because what the poet and the star -- and this oil spill -- are asking of us, is to rise up to a certain height, to witness and keep watch, to shine in the dark. more info |
| Ocean research funding gap Yesterday was World Ocean Day, marking the beginning of Capitol Hill Oceans Week. The disaster spreading in the Gulf should be a wake up call for Washington. If we want to operate in the deep-sea and continue to rely on our precious marine resources, we need to better balance use with conservation and safety, and recommit to investment in undersea technology, science, and related education. more info |
| Well near Deepwater Horizon has leaked since at least April 30 While the leak is decidedly smaller than the Deepwater Horizon spill, a 10-mile-long slick emanating from the Ocean Saratoga is visible from space in multiple images gathered by Skytruth.org, which monitors environmental problems using satellites. more info |
| Underwater oil plumes confirmed in Gulf by scientists "There's always a risk with oil in the water and it depends on the species we're talking about and their life stages," Murawski said. "What we know is that eggs and larvae of animals are much more susceptible to even relatively low concentrations." more info |
| Is it possible to make lemonade out the Gulf of Mexico oil spill? He suggests we make lemonade out of BP oil by using BP money, taxes and other economic incentives to turn this place we love so much into an "international campus for oil spill prevention, cleanup and recovery." more info |
| Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill, Federal Management Witnesses testified about the circumstances surrounding the ongoing spill of crude oil from the well site in the Gulf of Mexico. Federal officials and others talked about the federal response to the oil spill, the scope of the environmental threat, regulatory oversight issues, and continuing efforts to investigate the causes and threat. Start Video at 4:20 to hear Sylvia Earle's talk. more info |
| National Seafood Impact from Gulf Oil Fisherman in the Gulf are scrabbling to harvest before oil reaches further, effecting delicate wetlands and bays where oysters and shrimp are nestled. more info |
| UA scientists get grant for oil cleanup research Two University of Alabama scientists will use a federal grant to conduct research into using organic materials to help clean up the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. more info |
| Gulf oil spill threatens sargassum, a vital floating habitat The same forces that push sargassum patches around in the Gulf are now pushing oil slicks and emulsified goop the consistency of Hershey's syrup. It is inevitable that the two will meet. When they do, scientists say, the sargassum will die. more info |
| Twelve (Imperfect) Ways to Clean the Gulf The chart below summarizes the various cleanup efforts being undertaken or proposed in the gulf and along the coast. more info |
| Coast Guard: Gulf oil spill response growing more complex Speaking from the White House, Allen said that response teams are no longer battling one monolithic spill but ``hundreds of thousands of patches of oil going in lots of different directions.'' more info |
| Gulf Wildlife Rescue Efforts Only Just Beginning "This really is the tip of the iceberg. They don't know how many animals will be affected," said Bell. "When they get the animals clean and they're rehabilitated and go back into wild, now the question is, where do you release them? If you put them back out here, they can come right back in covered with oil." more info |
| New oil plume evidence uncovered The University of South Florida recently discovered a second oil plume in the northeastern Gulf. The first plume was found by Mississippi universities in early May. more info |
| Coast Guard investigates 'oily substance' reports in Florida Keys as models show loop current taking spill to East Coast Meanwhile, computer models today showed that oil from the damaged Gulf well could wind up on the East Coast and even get carried on currents across the Atlantic Ocean toward Europe. more info |
| Gulf oil spill: Pilot fencing set in Ocean Springs A shield of hydrophilic oil absorbing fabric was placed at the beach outfall at the foot of Washington Avenue and Front Beach Road Wednesday as marshland protection against the Gulf oil spill. more info |
| Oil Spill Answers from Bird Conservation Expert on the Ground That human instinct to rush in to rescue can put more pressure on areas and birds and well-intentioned efforts can cause harm, so we’re trying to help direct volunteers so that their impact is beneficial. more info |
| Consolidated Fish and Wildlife Collection Report: Wildlife Impacted By Spill June 3rd PDF-These are the consolidated numbers of collected fish and wildlife that have been reported to the Unified Area Command from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), incident area commands, rehabilitation centers and other authorized sources operating within the Deepwater Horizon/BP incident impact area. more info |
| Dauphin Island battles with oil spill "The governor had a real aggressive plan. That material was not available in that quantity so we could do that. Now we have to go back and boom off every nook and cranny which is a detailed and time consuming situation," said Collier. more info |
| Oil Spill Wildlife Spotlight: Sperm Whales Deepwater Horizon oil has killed birds along a 100-mile stretch of Louisiana coast and led to fisheries closures near Florida but there is an endangered species known to feed in the murky depths right where oil is leaking: sperm whales. A 2004 count estimated there were 1,665 sperm whales in the northern Gulf of Mexico. They are slightly smaller than typical sperm whales and have a distinct dialect. Overall, very little is known about the population. With oil still spewing, they may be at risk. more info |
| From Kigali to Haiti - People around the planet gear up for World Environment Day From Hollywood stars to schoolchildren, millions of people on every continent will take action for the planet on 5 June for World Environment Day. Under the theme 'Many Species. One Planet. One Future', this year’s event will celebrate the incredible diversity of life on Earth as part of the 2010 International Year of Biodiversity. more info |
| View from the Gulf: The Dangers of Hidden Oil A supply vessel passes through the oil slick near the site of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico Jae C. Hong / AP CommentPrintEmailDigg FacebookTwitterMORE Add to my:del.icio.usTechnoratiredditGoogle BookmarksMixxStumbleUponBlog this on:TypePadLiveJournalBloggerMySpace.. 0 diggs digg Think of an oil spill and you picture a black tide engulfing beaches and drowning shorebirds and sea turtles in crude. These are the images of the Exxon Valdez accident, which spilled nearly 11 million gal. of oil into Alaska's Prince William Sound in 1989. The oil that escaped from the tanker eventually coated 1,300 miles (2,100 km) of pristine Alaskan coastline and covered 11,000 sq. mi. (28,000 sq km) of ocean in an inky slick. The Valdez disaster was the biggest spill in American history — until now. Since April 20, when the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded and triggered an underwater well blowout, at least 20 million bbl. of crude — and counting — have poured into the Gulf of Mexico. And, yet, where is all the oil? (See the 50 worst inventions of all time.) On Sunday, I took a boat trip from the fishing port of Venice in the southeastern reaches of Louisiana, where the road ends and the marshlands begin. Traveling with Angelina Freeman, a coast scientist with the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), we saw no Valdez-style wave of crude drenching the bayou. We did see some oil ringing the tall wetland grasses near Pass a Loutre, La., by the mouth of the Mississippi River — the grasses looked as if they had been dipped in chocolate. I could smell the tang of hydrocarbons. But if this is really the "oilpocalypse," as some observers have dubbed the Deepwater catastrophe, it is not apparent on the surface. That is what makes the Gulf of Mexico spill so much more insidious than that of the Valdez in Alaska, and potentially much more destructive. The oil leaking from the broken well at the bottom of the ocean is everywhere — but nowhere you can see. While a tanker spills the entirety of its contents on the surface of the ocean at once, creating an avalanche of crude — and immediate and horrific photographic images — the Gulf spill gushes continuously, out of sight, from 5,000 ft. (1,500 m) below the ocean's surface. The busted well is a fountain that the Obama Administration recently admitted could flow uninterrupted until August. Think of it less as an acute trauma than a chronic, progressive disease that doctors can diagnose but cannot cure. (Watch the video "Portraits from the Oil Spill.") So where is the oil hiding? Scientists say some of it is spreading underwater, in plumes that extend thousands of feet below the surface. But BP CEO Tony Hayward disputes those claims. "The oil is on the surface," Hayward said on Sunday while touring a staging area for cleanup workers in Louisiana. He said there was "no evidence" that enormous reservoirs of oil were suspended undersea. (Comment on this story.) However, two independent university research teams — from the University of South Florida and the University of Georgia (UGA) — have reported direct evidence of underwater oil. Samantha Joye, a marine scientist at UGA, has been aboard the university's ongoing research voyage in the Gulf and blogging from the ship; she reported on Monday that the team could see oil in water samples collected from plumes nearly 1,000 ft. (300 m) below the surface. "Seeing is believing," she blogged, and after nearly a month of continual obfuscation by BP on the technical details of the spill, Joye's words carry a lot more weight than Hayward's. But seeing is exactly what will be hard to do with the Gulf spill, now and in the months ahead. The oil underwater will do untold amounts of damage, even if it's invisible. "It's out of sight and out of mind, but it will have a huge effect on the marine life that oscillates in that zone," says Doug Rader, the chief ocean scientist for the EDF. more info |
| Gulf Oil Spill: New Plumes EXPOSED In Video ABC News has new video showing oil plumes 40 miles out in the ocean, just southwest of the Deepwater Horizon. So far, three large underwater islands of oil have been discovered, some 20 miles long by 6 miles wide. The new found plumes will surely increase the outrage against BP as the company tries for the seventh time to stop the leaking oil. more info |
| Environmental, Economic Costs of Gulf Oil Spill The flow of oil into the Gulf of Mexico continues unabated, after the failure of BP's latest attempt to cap the blown-out well. more info |
| Hello, Hurricane Season I suppose it’s normal to feel slight angst at the beginning of hurricane season because it can go either way: It can be a mild year, or it can be one that produces 10 to 20 named storms, according to Greg Holland of the National Center for Atmospheric Research. There’s just no way of knowing what will happen. more info |
| Oil Nears Florida as Effort to Contain Well Hits Snag The oil sheen appeared to be a small breakaway piece from a larger sheen measuring 50 feet by 20 feet that was still 46 miles off the coast of Pensacola on Tuesday afternoon, according to a spokeswoman at the unified command center in Mobile, Ala., that is tracking the spill. more info |
| Oil effects on marsh grass -informative video In this 10-min video, Dr Irv Mendelssohn, Louisiana State University School of the Coast and Environment, describes oil impacts on salt marshes. He describes factors that determine whether the marsh will die and factors to consider when deciding what action, if any, should be taken to decontaminate marshes. This is a must see for anyone who would like to know how to respond when asked what the oil spill will do to the marsh. more info |
| Oil 'Everywhere' On Alabama Beach John Zarrella is first on the beach in the early morning in Dauphin Island, Alabama, showing the blobs of oil that are washing up all along the shoreline. more info |
| Fears grow over oil spill's long-term effects on food chain As oil continues gushing from the ocean floor into the Gulf of Mexico, with no sign of stopping until a new well is finished this August, scientists, environmentalists and local residents are beginning to reckon with the reality of a massive annihilation of sea creatures and wildlife. more info |
| Obama orders more manpower to spill cleanup President Obama said Tuesday that he has directed federal authorities to triple manpower in the Gulf of Mexico in places where oil from a ruptured underwater pipe has hit shore or is close to impact. more info |
| Obama heads to Gulf Coast a second time as oil spill's impact grows Allen said on ABC's "Good Morning America" program: "They have been able to stop the hydrocarbons from coming up the well bore. I think the real challenge today is going to be to sustain the mud on top of the hydrocarbons and reduce the pressure to the point where they could actually put a cement plug in." He added: "We're very encouraged by the fact that they were able to push the mud down. The real question is can we sustain it. And that will be the critical issue going through the next 12 to 18 hours." more info |
| The Gulf's silent environmental crisis If scientists' worst fears are realized, the oil plume in the Gulf could choke off and kill coastal marshes in the productive Mississippi Delta and barrier islands, turning these verdant tufts of life -- which look like hairy putting greens floating out on the water -- into open ocean. That would snap the region's marine food chain, exposing and starving all kinds of organisms. more info |
| Oil spill notebook: Parks, Refuges at Risk Several state parks and wildlife refuges in Alabama and Mississippi are on the list of 15 places most threatened by the BP oil spill, according to a new report from the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Rocky Mountain Climate Organization. more info |
| Scientists find evidence of large underwater oil plume in gulf Scientists have found evidence of a large underwater "plume" of oil in the Gulf of Mexico, adding to fears that much of the BP oil spill's impact is hidden beneath the surface. more info |
| Obama denies government botched oil spill response "When you see birds flying around with oil all over their feathers and turtles dying ... that doesn't just speak to the immediate economic consequences of this -- this speaks to ... how are we caring for this incredible bounty that we have?" President Obama more info |
| Flow Rate Group Provides Preliminary Best Estimate Of Oil Flowing from BP Oil Well Based on three separate methodologies, outlined below, the independent analysis of the Flow Rate Technical Group has determined that the overall best initial estimate for the lower and upper boundaries of flow rates of oil is in the range of 12,000 and 19,000 barrels per day. more info |
| Gulf of Mexico 'Poisoned' Millions of gallons of British Petroleum oil have spilled into the Gulf of Mexico. As Mark Strassmann reports, countless wildlife have already been threatened or killed as a result. more info |
| Oil spill is boon to bacteria The boon to bacteria most likely has ramifications that will ripple throughout marine food webs in the Gulf, especially at prominent nodes where commercially important species such as fish, crabs, and shrimp, reside. What those ramifications are, however, remain as murky as the huge plumes of oil recently discovered hovering just below the surface of Gulf waters. more info |
| It’s Official: A Fisheries Disaster Commerce Secretary Gary Locke declared the Gulf of Mexico a national fisheries disaster area this week, citing the havoc wrought on the region’s multibillion-dollar fishing industry by the Deepwater Horizon blowout. The fisheries of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama are covered by the disaster declaration, making them eligible for federal relief funds. more info |
| In Louisiana, wildlife shows effects of gulf oil spill GRAND ISLE, LA. -- In the Louisiana marsh, oil-coated pelicans flap their wings in a futile attempt to dry them. A shorebird repeatedly dunks its face in a puddle, unable to wash off. Lines of dead jellyfish float in the gulf, traces of oil visible in their clear "bells." more info |
| Cousteau Jr.: 'This Is a Nightmare... a Nightmare' Philippe Cousteau Jr. and Sam Champion take hazmat dive into Gulf's oily waters. more info |
| Louisiana Fishermen Helping in Spill Cleanup Report Getting Sick Some Louisiana fishermen affected by the massive oil spill in the Gulf — including some hired by BP to help in the cleanup — are reporting cases of debilitating headaches, burning eyes and nausea, and some industry and public officials are pointing the finger at chemical dispersants as the cause. more info |
| Oil reaches Louisiana shores: The Big Picture Over one month after the initial explosion and sinking of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, crude oil continues to flow into the Gulf of Mexico, and oil slicks have slowly reached as far as 12 miles into Louisiana's marshes. According to Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, more than 65 miles of Louisiana's shoreline has now been oiled. BP said it will be at least Wednesday before they will try using heavy mud and cement to plug the leak, a maneuver called a "top kill" that represents their best hope of stopping the oil after several failed attempts. Based on low estimates, at least 6 million gallons of crude have spewed into the Gulf so far - though some scientists have said they believe the spill already surpasses the 11 million-gallon 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill off Alaska as the worst in U.S. history. (39 photos total) more info |
| Mexico's Ixtoc 1 oil spill a distant mirror to BP disaster In terms of blowouts, Ixtoc 1 was a monster — until the BP leak, the largest accidental spill in history. Some 3.3 million barrels of oil gushed over nearly 10 months, spreading an oil slick as far north as Texas, where gooey tar balls washed up on beaches. more info |
| What are tar balls and what is their impact? "There is no magic trick to making tar balls disappear. Once tar balls hit the beaches, they may be picked up by hand or by beach-cleaning machinery. If the impact is severe, the top layer of sand containing the tar balls may be removed and replaced with clean sand," NOAA said. more info |
| BP pledges $500 million for oil spill research LONDON (MarketWatch) -- BP said it's pledging up to $500 million to an open research program studying the impact of the Deepwater Horizon incident, and its associated response, on the marine and shoreline environment of the Gulf of Mexico. A first grant of an unspecified amount was made to Louisiana State University. BP said it will appoint an independent advisory panel to construct the long-term research program more info |
| Mobile scientists' warnings about oil dispersants ignored by BP, Coast Guard Dispersant chemicals are used to break oil into tiny drops that become suspended in the water column. At least some of the water quality testing recently conducted by the EPA around the spill site suggests dispersed oil may have begun to impact oxygen levels in the water. more info |
| Oil Mars More Than 50 Miles of Louisiana Shore But they warn an aggressive cleanup could ruin the marshes and do more harm than good. The only viable option for many impacted areas is to do nothing and let nature break down the spill. more info |
| Gulf oil spill has 'perfect precedence' in 1979 disaster With top BP executives, scientists and Obama administration officials searching for a solution to capping the Deepwater Horizon blowout off the Louisiana coast, perhaps they could find a blueprint in the Ixtoc I experience, observers say. They also may find lessons from the Montara oil spill last August off the northern coast of Australia, where it took five tries and nearly three months to stop the flow of as many as 84,000 gallons a day into the Timor Sea. more info |
| DISL's Role in the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Faced with what could become the worst oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the Dauphin Island Sea Lab (DISL) through several State and federally funded programs of the Richard C. Shelby Center for Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management, is sending a series of cruises out to sample several critical conditions in the path of the massive oil spill threatening the central Gulf coast. more info |
| Scientists brace for oil impact Jim Franks, a fisheries biologist at the University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (GCRL), is heading out soon on a sampling trip to collect blue fin tuna larvae, his sixth data-collecting trip in as many years. "All of us who are going on the trip just concluded two days of hazmat training," he told The Scientist. "It was a requirement of all people here who are going to be involved with spilled oil in the coastal area." more info |
| Scientists Measure Fish Populations Before Oil Spill Hits Just off the Alabama coast, on Dauphin Island, researchers are hurrying to take fishing population samples, train people to help de-oil birds and ask hard questions about the containment operation and its effect on the environment. more info |
| Federal task force assembled to measure volume of Gulf of Mexico oil spill The agency is tracking the oil with helicopters and a research aircraft, typically used to track hurricanes. Probes that transmit data about the temperature and salinity of the current on the surface and subsurface are being dropped into the water, Lubchenco said. more info |
| Spill's impact on wildlife is like a "train wreck," scientist says One needs to think about these impacts in terms of not just lethal impacts but sub-lethal that can affect the capacity of species to successfully reproduce. more info |
| Oil Spill: One Month Later A light sheen of oil has entered the loop current in the Gulf while heavy, thick oil is washing ashore in La. Kelly Cobiella reports. more info |
| Pictures: Heavy Oil Seeping Into Louisiana Marshes When oil gets trapped underground in coastal sediments, it can stay there for decades, according to Gregory Stone, director of Louisiana State University's Coastal Studies Unit. In addition to killing seabirds, the oil spill is likely harming other animals less visible to the public, John "Wes" Tunnell, associate director of the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M University in Corpus Christi, said by email in early May. more info |
| Leaking Gulf Oil 'Washes Ashore On Marshland' And as a new Nasa satellite image shows the widening extent of the slick, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says a "small portion" of oil sheen has entered the powerful Loop Current, which could carry it down to the Florida Keys and even up the US east coast. more info |
| Oil Arrives on La. Shore, Edges Into Key Current "This is the heavy oil that everyone's been fearing that is here now," Gov. Bobby Jindal said during a boat tour Wednesday in southeastern Louisiana. The wetlands at the mouth of the Mississippi River are home to rare birds, mammals and a wide variety of marine life. more info |
| Photo Gallery: Gulf oil spill May 20th Here's a gallery of the best photos this week highlighting the Gulf oil leak's affect on the southern coast of the United States. more info |
| Governor Jindal Joins Officials for Flyover and On-The-Ground Assessment of Coastal Protection Plan Governor Jindal said, “DEQ reports as of this morning confirmed oil impact at Whiskey and Raccoon Islands in Terrebonne Parish – which further stresses the importance of our western coastal parishes getting the resources they need to be proactive and boom their coast to help protect their shoreline. more info |
| Governor Riley on the Scene and in Contact Throughout Gulf Crisis Governor Bob Riley and members of his administration have spent much of the past two weeks in Mobile and Baldwin counties and remained in frequent and regular contact with federal, state and local officials throughout the oil spill crisis in the gulf. On April 30, Governor Riley declared a state of emergency and directed state agencies to assist communities affected by the oil spill. He also directed the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, the lead state agency for this event, and the Alabama Emergency Management Agency to make appropriate assessments of damage and seek the necessary state, private and federal assistance for affected areas. more info |
| FLORIDA DEEPWATER HORIZON RESPONSE MAY 17, 2010 Under the leadership of Governor Charlie Crist, the State Emergency Response Team and the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) are actively coordinating and responding to the Deepwater Horizon incident. more info |
| MS STATE AGENCIES UPDATE: OIL SPILL RESPONSE ACTIONS Sixty tar balls have been recovered along the Mississippi coastline by the Department of Environmental Quality. The latest reports indicate that the tar balls were located in Harrison and Hancock counties but none found in Jackson County. According to MDEQ, there is no apparent public health risk related to the recovered tar balls or the oil spill at this time. Teams reported no oil or sheen in Mississippi waters, and reported no fish kills. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration satellite imagery indicated that the main oil slick from the BP Deepwater Horizon oil leak is approximately 57 miles from Mississippi beaches. more info |
| Worry that Gulf of Mexico oil spreading into major current Meanwhile, scientists warned of the effects of the oil that has already leaked into the Gulf. Researchers said miles-long underwater plumes of oil discovered in recent days could poison and suffocate sea life across the food chain, with damage that could endure for a decade or more. more info |
| Signs of oil spill pollution might be hiding underwater Even as the spill breaks into separate strands, a nasty environmental storm is brewing below the surface, in deep columns of water teeming with life, from shrimp and fish eggs to dolphins and whales. more info |
| President Obama on the Ongoing Response to the Deepwater BP Oil Spill The President speaks about the Administration’s commitment to help protect the Gulf Coast and the livelihoods of the people who live and work there from the effects of the Deepwater BP Oil Spill and calls on the companies involved to stop pointing fingers and take responsibility. Public Domain more info |
| Where's the oil? Model suggests much may be gone About 35 percent of a spill the size of the one in the Gulf, consisting of the same light Louisiana crude, released in weather conditions and water temperatures similar to those found in the Gulf now would simply evaporate, according to data that The Associated Press entered into the program. more info |
| Major US fishery takes a beating after oil spill One of the biggest victims of the huge oil spill slamming Louisiana's economy is the region's largest fishery, which has seen its catch drop 50 percent at a critical time in the season. more info |
| State releases photos of oiled brown pelican, tar balls on Fourchon beach The Governor's Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) released its most recent photos documenting the encroaching oil spill this morning. Shoreline Cleanup and Assessment Teams inspecting Fourchon beach yesterday found it littered with tar balls, some up to eight inches in diameter, according to the press release. SCAT teams are made up of representatives of federal and state agencies, including Louisiana's Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and Department of Environmental Quality. LDWF biologists documented approximately 25 nickel sized tar balls per square foot from the southwestern end of Fourchon beach to the midpoint of the beach. One biologist documented more than a dozen tar balls on the far western end of Elmer's Island. more info |
| La. wildlife spokesman: 13 oiled bird deaths Louisiana's Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says at least 13 oiled birds have died since the start of the Gulf of Mexico spill. Seven others that were recovered are still alive. more info |
| 600 Species Of Animals And 20 Wildlife Refuges Threatened By Gulf Of Mexico Oil Spill The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have issued verbal concerns for the fragile wildlife of the Gulf coast. As many as 20 National Wildlife refuges threatened by the oil spill, and rare and endangered species such as sea turtles, manatee, sea birds and Gulf sturgeon all in danger. The dangers to the birds of the area are so great because they are now nesting and turtles are starting to come ashore to lay eggs. more info |
| Louisiana wildlife authorities hope to reopen some fishing areas east of Mississippi River soon DHH officials have said early closings are necessary to protect both human health and the seafood industry because of the five-day lag time between sample collections and lab results. If closing were ordered only after a positive result, contaminated seafood could have been consumed for four days. more info |
| Oil spill threatens birds throughout the Gulf You've likely seen the heartbreaking pictures of birds covered in oil from the calamitous April 20 rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico. But as the oil threatens coastal marshes, the long-term effect could be more devastating. more info |
| The Call in the Middle of the Night As I reported in Friday’s paper, serious questions are being raised about the government’s estimate of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The estimate of 5,000 barrels per day has not changed since April 28, and many scientists and environmental groups argue that it cannot be right, given the seemingly rapid flow from the undersea well, as seen in this video of the gushing fluid released on Wednesday. more info |
| Students Get First Hand Look at Oil Spill's Impact On Nature Close to 70 students from Maplewood-Richmond Heights Middle School were right in the middle of the disaster response in the Gulf of Mexico Tuesday. Fox 2 connected with the students through YouTube Tuesday night. They were on the their long-awaited "Expedition" trip: a tradition at their school. more info |
| The science of dispersants Massive use of surfactant chemicals turns Gulf of Mexico into a giant experiment. more info |
| On the Gulf Coast, Waiting for a Hurricane The last few days on the Gulf of Mexico's coast have been waiting for a hurricane's arrival. Take it from the mayor of Dauphin Island, Alabama, Jeff Collier. Usually at this time of year, the high-rise condos, hotels and docks that line Collier's island, are bracing for the arrival of summer eco-tourists. Last week, however, tar the dimension of golf balls — possibly products of the oil spill — appeared on the island's white-sand beaches. Now, Dauphin Island (pop. 1,300) reflects the region's angst. Everyone, it seems, is worried about when the oil will make "landfall," a term typically reserved for hurricanes. "You're watching the oil's progression, keeping your fingers crossed that it won't come," Collier says. more info |
| Oil spill science: Where’s the oil? This morning, while still several kilometres out from the spill site, we saw the largest concentrations of oil we've yet come across. Most of the water had an oily sheen, and there were large bands of dispersed oil thick enough that you could smell them as we passed through. more info |
| Middle-schoolers get up-close lessons on spill Amid one of the nation's worst oil spills, eighth-graders at Maplewood Richmond Heights Middle School are off the coast of Alabama this week studying ecology near the Gulf of Mexico. more info |
| Oil Spill preparations continue with focus on resource assessments The Superintendent for Gulf Islands National Seashore and Refuge Manager for Bonsecour National Wildlife Refuge were also on hand to answer questions. The press conference focused on the role of the Department of the Interior in responding to the oil spill by providing expertise to the unified command in evaluating public health risks, planning shoreline cleanup and wildlife recovery. As outlined in the May 10th Examiner article, Director Jarvis is now acting as incident commander for the DOI. more info |
| The Gulf Oil Spill Wildlife Edition All along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, rescue and rehabilitation groups are working to search for and clean wildlife fouled by oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill, and to prepare for additional animals that may be rescued in the coming days, weeks, and months. more info |
| National Wildlife Refuge system, National Park Service responding to oil spill The Deepwater Horizon rig accident and ensuing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico happened during peak bird breeding and nesting season on coastal National Wildlife Refuges, some of which are on barrier islands. Oil was confirmed on the Chandeleur Islands chain off Louisiana, home to Breton National Wildlife Refuge, which has been closed to the public. more info |
| ASMS students star in film for Mobile Bay National Estuary Program The 20-minute film was produced with a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency and the Gulf of Mexico Alliance. It will be distributed as an educational film on nutrient loading and pollution. more info |
| Louisiana Oil Spill 2010 PHOTOS: Gulf Of Mexico Leak Reaches Land Here are the first photos of the preparations for the oil hitting coastlines, which pose a serious threat to fishermen's livelihoods, marine habitats, beaches, wildlife and human health. more info |
| Hundreds comb Alabama beaches for tar balls Hundreds of people are combing Alabama's primary tourist beaches for tar balls after the discovery of a few dozen of them in Baldwin County. more info |
| Tuttle Elementary 'Turtles' launch Save the Animals Oil Spill Relief project The students and staff of Tuttle Elementary School want to save turtles and other sea life from the possible effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. more info |
| Photographs document early damage done by Gulf oil spill Thanks to a few lucky breaks on the weather and currents, most of the oil spilled from the Deepwater Horizon tragedy has yet to make its way to shore. Mankind, the cause of the calamity, is also responding. NOAA reports that an estimated 10,000 people are already working to disperse the oil, halt its spread or mitigate the harm it does. more info |
| Texas braces for 'tar ball event' from gulf oil spill With a broken well spewing thousands of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico — and with no immediate relief in sight, state officials say it now seems almost inevitable that residue will begin reaching Texas waters, probably in the form of tar balls or a frothy substance resembling chocolate mousse. more info |
| Gulf oil spill: Where things stand, what comes next The undersea oil well, following a drilling rig's April 20 explosion 50 miles off Louisiana's coast, is spewing up to 210,000 gallons of light sweet crude a day into the Gulf, officials say, and so far there's no answer in sight on how to fix it. more info |
| UN fears 'irreversible' damage to natural environment The third "Global Biodiversity Outlook" found that deforestation, pollution or overexploitation were damaging the productive capacity of the most vulnerable environments, including the Amazon rainforest, lakes and coral reefs. more info |
| Oil Spill Threatens Louisiana's Fragile Wetlands The oil spill is a tense day-by-day waiting game for environmentalists in Louisiana tracking how badly the state's wetlands and a small set of barrier islands, the first line of defense against hurricanes, are affected. Their continued erosion is considered just as catastrophic as the spill. more info |
| Massive oil spill threatens the Gulf of Mexico (PHOTOS) Los Angeles Times photographers Carolyn Cole and Rick Loomis document the disaster. more info |
| BP to hold oil spill clean-up classes MOBILE, Alabama Classes will be held at Mobile Civic Center. May 6, 2010 - May 21, 2010 more info |
| 40 percent of US coastal wetlands in Louisiana, right in Gulf oil spill's path About 40 percent of the nation's coastal wetlands are clumped along southern Louisiana, directly in the path of oil that was still gushing today from a ruptured underwater well. "No question we will see some widespread impacts," Garret Graves, chairman of the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana, said after an observation flight. "If we allow this oil to get into our coastal areas and fundamentally change the ecosystem, the consequences are profound." more info |
| Gulf of Mexico Alliance Govenors Coordinate The Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA) recognizes the ongoing and potential impact the current oil spill brings to the region. Each Gulf state is implementing an emergency response plan, and due to the strong Gulf States alliance, agencies are coordinating to address uncertainties the region faces in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The Gulf of Mexico Alliance—Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas—was formalized in 2004 as the result of a shared vision for a healthy and resilient Gulf of Mexico region. more info |
| Chemical dispersants an unknown quantity in addressing oil spill The decision on whether to use chemical dispersants deep below the sea's surface to break up the Gulf of Mexico oil spill boils down to two central questions: Is it worth taking this unprecedented step to protect the region's sensitive and ecologically valuable wetlands, even at the potential expense of its marine life? And should federal officials conduct extensive new research before making the leap, since the scientific literature on this question is so sparse? more info |
| BP starts spraying chemicals on main oil leak A BP official is telling The Associated Press that the company has received federal approval to continuously spray chemicals underwater on the massive oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico. more info |
| Louisiana to bulk-up islands ahead of Gulf slick Estimates of how much oil is leaking from the well range from 5,000 to 26,500 barrels per day. Although chemical dispersants have kept any large oil slicks from hitting shore, oil globules and an oil sheen have come up on some of the barrier islands, and Nungesser said some have even moved beyond the barriers and closer to the marshes. more info |
| Resilience From the sky, the Earth’s water courses harken the human circulatory system. The resemblance is both troubling and appropriate as they serve much the same purpose: they carry liquids and nutrients to vital systems in both bodies, but they can also carry poisons. When a human being ingests poison, some is absorbed in the stomach, and much is distributed to the vital organs by the blood vessels. For the Earth, the constant motion of water through its passageways can take oil and chemical dispersants to its most vulnerable and essential systems. more info |
| Marine Science Review-Oil and oil spills: the Gulf of Mexico In order to support the response efforts to the ongoing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico SeaWeb has assembled relevant literature from the last three decades which provide insights not only to the impact of oil on the marine and coastal environment in the Gulf of Mexico, but highlights experiences, issues and research from similar oil spills in other regions of the world. more info |
| Nature loss 'to damage economies' An ongoing project known as The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) is attempting to quantify the monetary value of various services that nature provides for us. more info |
| Coastal Businesses Feel The Pain Of Gulf Oil Leak As oil company BP fights a leak deep in the Gulf of Mexico, cleanup is under way on some of Louisiana's uninhabited barrier islands, where oil began washing ashore Thursday, threatening wildlife and fragile marshes. more info |
| Giant box above oil leak site A spokesman for oil giant BP LPC, which is in charge of the cleanup, said the box was suspended over the main leak just after noon EDT Friday and was being moved into position. more info |
| Marine Food Chain Seen at Risk After Oil Spill Associated Press - As Americans anxiously wait for a slick in the Gulf of Mexico to wash up along the coast, globules of oil are already falling to the bottom of the sea, where they threaten virtually every link in the ocean food chain, from plankton to fish on dinner tables everywhere. more info |
| Napolitano talks spill clean-up efforts BILOXI, Mississippi (WALA) - Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano was in Biloxi Thursday.Secretary Napolitano, along with Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour, Department of Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco, talked about the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. more info |
| Fishing Industry Hammered by Gulf Oil Spill The petroleum and fishing industries have a long and uneasy intertwined history in the Gulf of Mexico. more info |
| Crews prepare to lower containment box Workers hope to have the device down at the seabed by Thursday evening, but it will likely be Sunday or Monday before it's fully operational and they know if it's working. more info |
| Americans face a choice: wetlands or greed? Rachel Maddow emphasizes the significance and necessity of the Gulf coast wetlands and the damage done to that vital ecosystem by greed and consumption. more info |
| Gulf Oil Spill a "Dead Zone in the Making"? That's because 5,000 barrels of oil (210,000 gallons, or 794,937 liters) a day are thought to be bleeding from a damaged wellhead at the nearby site of the Deepwater Horizon rig disaster. All that oil is poisoning the less photogenic creatures—plankton, sand crabs, and fish larvae, among others—at the base of the region's food web, Schweiger noted. more info |
| Oil burn set as huge cap ships out NEW ORLEANS - Favorable weather will allow for a controlled burn of part of the massive Gulf Coast oil slick on Wednesday, officials said, as a 100-ton chamber designed to temporarily siphon oil was being moved out to the accident site. more info |
| Does the oil spill put seafood restaurants at risk? STORY HIGHLIGHTS : 1. NOAA is restricting commercial and recreational fishing along the Gulf 2. Coast Restaurant owners who depend on seafood are worried about the oil slick impacts 3. About 40 percent of the U.S. seafood is harvested from the Gulf Coast 4. Louisiana's economy and culture relies heavily on the availability of seafood more info |
| Offshore Drilling Loses Support After Gulf Oil Spill May 4, 2010 Days into the oil spill, President Obama said he still supports offshore drilling so long as it's done responsibly and doesn't damage the environment. That view is becoming increasingly unpopular. more info |
| Gulf Coast Awaits Results Of Efforts To Break Up Slick May 4, 2010 Calm seas along the Gulf Coast on Tuesday allowed cleanup crews working to fight the oil gushing from the well a mile below the surface to put out more containment equipment and repair some booms damaged in rough weather over the weekend. more info |
| 1. Coast Guard gets ready for controlled burn of oil (with video) – AP story May 5, 2010 ROBERT, La. -- The Coast Guard is preparing for a controlled burn of some of the oil spilled in the Gulf of Mexico now that weather conditions are more favorable. more info |
| Oil Spill's Potential Effect on Gulf's Wildlife As the massive oil slick continues its approach toward the shores along the Gulf coast, there's growing concern about the danger posed to local wildlife and its habitats. more info |
| Gulf oil spill: Oil may reach Loop Current within 24 hours Scientists say the Gulf oil spill could get into the what’s called the Loop Current within a day, eventually carrying oil south along the Florida coast and into the Florida Keys. more info |
| Gulf Coast states brace for nightmare cleanup from oil spill The official forecast track from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration kept the oil off the Panhandle for at least 72 hours, but Allen warned winds were shifting and state emergency managers considered the weather merely a postponement, not a reprieve. They predicted some impacts by Wednesday. It could affect South Florida if the oil gets swept imto the Gulf's powerful Loop Current, which could steer it into the Florida Keys and then north up the East Coast. more info |
| Environmental experts describe worst secnario The magnitude of the problem for fish and wildlife depends on how much of the spill gets close to shore and how long it stays. more info |
| Florida's Gulf Coast braces for oil spill's impact On one of the westernmost patches of Florida earth, the people of this beach community plucked litter from impossibly white sand -- lipstick-stained cigarette butts, bottle caps, straws, plastic cups -- in a frantic effort to protect the shoreline from an oil spill gushing in the Gulf of Mexico that is likely to arrive in days. more info |
| Gulf spill taints 'Mediterranean of the Americas' The gigantic Gulf of Mexico oil spill is the latest blow to a unique marine environment already fragile after decades of human encroachment and natural upheavals - at a time of year when some of its most vulnerable species are nurturing their young. more info |
| Crews attack Gulf Coast oil spill with old techniques The Coast Guard's Web site says, "Natural recovery is often misunderstood; in sensitive environments active cleanup activity may cause more harm than allowing the oil to slowly degrade naturally, as disturbance by activity can drive oil below the surface causing significant damage." more info |
| Oil Spill Threatens Marine Life A massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico continued to grow on Monday, creating an environmental disaster along the coast. more info |
| Ecological calamity grows The growing oil slick is moving toward fragile wetlands, threatening fisheries, wildlife, the environment and businesses along the Gulf Coast. more info |
| Oil spill has little impact on human health While the rapidly expanding Gulf oil spill presents a serious danger to the local ecosystem, the oil itself poses little harm to the public, according to scientists and numerous government organizations. Oil can cause a rash if it contacts the skin, but oil by itself cannot kill or seriously harm a human. more info |
| Urgency increases as oil spill grows The industry of shrimpers, fishermen and oyster harvesters absorbed more than $1 billion of damage from Hurricanes Katrina, Gustav and Ike, he said. The industry generates about $2.4 billion a year, producing one-third of the domestic seafood consumed in the continental USA. more info |
| Gulf oil spill could impact non-coastal songbirds Even though they don't stop over in the Gulf of Mexico, many migrating songbirds could be impacted by the catastrophic oil spill in the area, warns the American Bird Conservancy (ABC). Of 500 Globally Important Bird Areas in the US, nearly 30 percent (149 in total) lie on coastlines which could be vulnerable to this or future oil spills from off-shore drilling. more info |
| Oil spill poses major threat to seafood industry, environment As oil from a massive spill caused by an oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico continued to pour into Louisiana's ecologically rich wetlands Friday, elected officials and experts wondered about the long-term ecological and economic effects the accident will have on the state and its inhabitants. more info |
| No oil contamination evidence found in 5 turtles Necropsies completed on five of the 25 dead sea turtles found along Mississippi beaches in the past few days show no evidence of oil killing the reptiles. more info |
| NOAA closes fishing in oil-affected portions of Gulf of Mexico The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has closed fishing to both recreational and commercial anglers for a minimum of 10 days, effective immediately, in more than 6,800 square miles of federal waters most affected by the BP oil spill -- largely between Louisiana state waters at the mouth of the Mississippi River to waters off Florida's Pensacola Bay. more info |
| BP Says Crews Make Progress Stemming Oil Leaks BP reported some glimmers of progress on Monday in its efforts to stem oil leaks from an undersea well off the Louisiana coast that have created what President Obama called a “potentially unprecedented environmental disaster.” more info |
| Alabama's 'Turtle Tsar' ready to help with Gulf oil spill clean-up As oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill continues to threaten the Alabama shoreline, Reynolds and his 300 Share the Beach volunteers are looking for other ways to help the beaches and the wildlife. more info |
| Gulf oil spill's wide environmental reach includes harm to animals, marshland Experts say it's not clear yet how much the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico will harm the environment along the coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi and other gulf states. But they say it is clear the harm will be great. more info |
| Towns Scramble To Protect Gulf Coast From Oil Spill Fishermen and oystermen in south Louisiana were preparing to thread miles of oil-absorbing boom through fragile marsh and wetlands Friday, as coastal communities in four states scrambled to protect shorebirds, marine life and sugar-white beaches from the massive oil spill headed for the Gulf Coast. more info |
| Government fears Deepwater Horizon well could become unchecked gusher "The following is not public," reads the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Emergency Ops document dated April 28. "Two additional release points were found today. If the riser pipe deteriorates further, the flow could become unchecked resulting in a release volume an order of magnitude higher than previously thought." more info |
| Oil spill will affect spawning NOAA forecasts have the spill coming ashore over most of coastal Mississippi, including the barrier islands, on Saturday, and spreading east to the Alabama coast Sunday into Monday. more info |
| Gulf Islands National Seashore Officials Ready To Deal With Oil Spill ... If It Washes Ashore While officials monitor the forecast, they're also updating the seashore's "oil response pre-plans and tailoring them based on the specifics of this situation, should we need to implement them," he added. more info |
| Audubon Fears Imperiled Birds Will be Next Victims of Gulf Oil Disaster Audubon experts across the Gulf Coast are monitoring the spread of thousands of gallons of oil that threaten to turn last week's drilling platform explosion into a growing environmental disaster. more info |
| Alabama groups seeking oil spill volunteers The Mobile Bay National Estuary Program, Mobile BayKeeper and the Alabama Coastal Foundation are collecting contact information from individuals who are interested in assisting with cleanup efforts along the Alabama coast should oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill reach the state's shores. more info |
| Congress investigating oil rig explosion Lawmakers on Tuesday asked the owner and operator of the oil rig that exploded last week in the Gulf of Mexico for documents as part of a congressional investigation into the accident. more info |
| Oil to reach Louisiana coast by Friday Winds will shift as early as today to the south, which will push the expanding sheen toward Louisiana estuaries and potentially toward eastern Gulf beaches in Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. more info |
| Obama calls Miss. governor after deadly storms The White House says Obama assured the governor that every effort is being made to minimize the environmental impact of the leak, which began last week after the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded and sank. Eleven workers who were aboard the rig are missing. more info |
| Miss. provides air monitors for oil spill response State agencies in Mississippi are working with federal authorities to "forcefully, aggressively" respond to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, an official from the state Department of Environmental Quality said Wednesday. more info |
| Alabama Coast Braces For Oil Spill Alabama’s coastline is bracing for what could become the worst oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, according to the Dauphin Island Sea Lab. more info |
| Oil spill burn-off may affect Florida's west coast If a growing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is left to drift toward shore, birds and other wildlife will suffer, in addition to tourism and businesses that make their living off the water. If the spill is set afire in a giant blaze designed to burn off much of the oil, the shore will be spared the brunt, but the air quality will suffer. more info |
| Crews to Set Fire to Oil Leaking in Gulf of Mexico Crews geared up to set fire to oil leaking from the site of an exploded drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday, a last-ditch effort to get rid of it before it reaches environmentally sensitive marshlands on the coast. more info |
| New study says oceans' chemistry changing rapidly The chemistry of the oceans is changing faster than it has in hundreds of thousands of years because of the carbon dioxide being absorbed from the atmosphere, the National Research Council reported Thursday.The current rate of change "exceeds any known change in ocean chemistry for at least 800,000 years," the report said. more info |
| Nation's science students in Tampa for ocean bowl igh school science students from across the country are exploring the Tampa Bay area today, learning about Florida marine systems as they prepare for the National Ocean Sciences Bowl in St. Petersburg this weekend. more info |
| Alabama's Coast Impacted by Oil Rig Explosion? Dr. John Dindo, Senior Marine Scientist at Dauphin Island Sea Lab, says the oil does not appear to be threatening Alabama's coastline. "It is always something to be of concern about, but I think in this day and age these professionals are ready to deal with it right away," said Dindo, who insists the primary concern is wildlife that could be impacted. "The most important thing is critical habitats," said Dindo. "They know where the critical habitats are and what they have to do to make sure that never ends up in critical habitats." more info |
| Which fish to eat? Study finds low mercury in most top-selling seafood The reanalysis of the government-collected data could provide consumers in the United States with an easier method to evaluate dietary exposure to mercury through the fish they eat, making it more likely they will choose the types and amounts of seafood that are safest to eat. In particular, the calculation of a “mercury input factor” weights both the amount of a particular fish sold and its mercury content. more info |
| Underwater inventory Heyward Mathews knows the Gulf of Mexico like most people know their back yards. Mathews, the 69-year-old professor of oceanography at St. Petersburg College's Clearwater campus, has been diving local waters for nearly 50 years. The legendary father of the Pinellas County artificial reef program, Mathews has watched the fish and coral weather hurricanes, oil spills and more than one Red Tide. more info |
| Gulf Coast Research Laboratory still rebuilding from Hurricane Katrina Plans are under way to rebuild the J.L. Scott Marine Education Center and Aquarium that was lost at Point Cadet in Biloxi during Hurricane Katrina, he said. The facility would be relocated to the Ocean Springs site, he said. more info |
| Sea turtle survivors return to the wild The last two dozen or so turtles which survived a cold-stun event in St. Joseph Bay in January were returned to the warmer waters of the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday morning. more info |
| Gulfport marine rescuers prepare to respond to oil rig disaster When the Deepwater Horizon started to sink Thursday, crude oil spilled across the Gulf of Mexico. Dr. Moby Solangi immediately worried about the marine animals living in that area. more info |
| Only the strongest songbirds survive arduous trek to Texas For the birds to reach the Texas coast requires an arduous, exhausting journey. Some come from Ecuador and Venezuela, others from Costa Rica and southern Mexico. Most wind their way to the Yucatán Peninsula only to fly another 400 to 600 miles across the Gulf of Mexico to make landfall at High Island or other coastal points. more info |
| Wetlands restoration urged in wake of MR-GO damage The coalition is publishing its recommendations Tuesday in a new report titled, "Mister Go Isn't Gone Yet: Creating Community and Environmental Resiliency in the Wake of a Man-Made Catastrophe." more info |
| Cold spring could mean a 'jelly year' for jellyfish on the Gulf Coast Turns out they like cool springs and warm summers. That simple, seasonal recipe may be all that's required to send the Gulf's jelly population into overdrive, suggests research conducted by a pair of graduate students at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab. more info |
| Gulf Of Mexico Oil Rig Sinking Increases Environmental Fears Officials previously had said the environmental damage appeared minimal, but when the rig sank Thursday that changed. The Coast Guard says the Deepwater Horizon carried 700,000 gallons of diesel fuel and could spill as much as 8,000 barrels of crude a day... more info |
| Giant deep sea jellyfish filmed in Gulf of Mexico Remarkable footage of a rarely seen giant deep sea jellyfish has been recorded by scientists. more info |
| Scientist awarded $595,626 grant to study coastal waters University of Texas professor Ed Buskey and his colleagues hope to figure out how much fertilizer and treated wastewater runoff is too much. more info |
| Are We Destroying the Oceans? Now imagine this destruction submerged deep under the ocean — perhaps off the coast of South America, near the remote Galapagos Islands. Flying over the open water, all you would see is clear, blue sea, untouched, not a boat on the horizon. You wouldn't know that beneath the surface, the ocean was hurting — or that humans were the cause. more info |
| Oil slick spreads from sunken rig "Obviously, our first priority remains the health and safety of our people," Jindal said. "We will work aggressively to mitigate any negative impact this incident could have on our land, air and water." more info |
| How to Win the War on Global Warming But for a country that rightly cites patriotism as one of its core values, we're taking a pass on what might be the most patriotic struggle of all. It's hard to imagine a bigger fight than one for the survival of the country's coasts and farms, the health of its people and the stability of its economy—and for those of the world at large as well. more info |
| DEP Awarded $535,294 To Increase Waves Of Ocean Literacy The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will receive a $535,294 grant for the project Gulf Alliance Partnership: Building Cultural Competency in Experiential Environmental Education from the Gulf of Mexico Program. more info |
| System aims to protect coastal Tri-parishes But what exactly is the Morganza-to-the-Gulf project? According to Morganza project manager and T. Baker Smith employee Mitchell Marmande, the answer is simple: "It's a risk-reduction, flood protection project to protect the citizens of Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes." more info |
| Carbon, nitrogen link may provide new ways to mitigate pollution problems A new study exploring the growing worldwide problem of nitrogen pollution from soils to the sea shows that global ratios of nitrogen and carbon in the environment are inexorably linked, a finding that may lead to new strategies to help mitigate regional problems ranging from contaminated waterways to human health. more info |
| Studies Aim to Resolve Confusion Over Mercury Risks From Fish The way it boosts neural development in babies and protects the hearts and minds of adults, fish could be considered a health food. Yet the methylmercury pollution that taints fish worldwide can erase these advantages and even trigger profound mental and cardiovascular harm. Several new papers now suggest strategies by which American diners can negotiate the mercury minefield to tap dietary benefits in fish. more info |
| Coastal restoration project is ill-advised, St. Bernard residents say Plans by the Army Corps of Engineers to build a freshwater diversion across an open stretch of land in St. Bernard Parish to restore wetlands and cypress forest areas in New Orleans, along the closed Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet and Lake Borgne ran into criticism from St. Bernard residents at a public hearing Tuesday night. more info |
| Gulf of Mexico fish farming pros and cons aired at New Orleans meeting As the federal government continues developing a national policy for fish farming, more than two dozen people from across the Gulf Coast showed up to weigh in Monday night in New Orleans. more info |
| SchoolMessenger Announces Sponsorship of Ocean Voices; Launches Nationwide Classroom Contest "The Ocean Voices project is designed to bring together a global community to emphasize the importance of ocean conservation as a global issue," said Dr. Nichols. "By focusing on the individual, and his or her thoughts about the ocean, we hope to make our message both personal and impactful. We appreciate the support SchoolMessenger has given and look forward to helping teachers and students lend their voices to a very worthy cause." more info |
| Why We Need A National Ocean Policy, Jane Lubchenco The task force that President Obama set up, called the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force, recognizes that we have a responsibility to protect our oceans and coasts and Great Lakes, both for current generations but also for future generations. The president made it very clear in the memorandum that set up the task force that one of its charges is to recommend a National Ocean Policy. In September we delivered an interim report to the president that sets recommendations for a National Ocean Policy and it sends a very clear signal that as far as the administration is concerned, healthy oceans matter and they matter because they are vital to our health, to our prosperity, to our security, and also to our ability to adapt to climate change. They matter because they affect the quality of our life. From that policy should flow a way in which we think differently about the variety of practices and policies on land and in the ocean that affect the health of the ocean. I think it's a fortuitous opportunity for the government to take stock of what's happening in the oceans, why it matters, and how we can begin to turn things around so that we can protect and restore them so that they can provide the wealth of benefits that we want and need from them. more info |
| Close to a billion species: ocean exploration reveals shocking diversity Biologists worldwide may have to start re-evaluating their estimates of the number of species on Earth, since expeditions documenting the oceans' tiniest species have revealed shocking diversity: in the tens of millions of species, at least, and according to one researcher "closer to a billion". more info |
| Agricultural runoff has harsh impact on environment At the dawn of the environmental movement 40 years ago, “water pollution” brought to mind images of industrial chemicals flowing out of a factory drainage pipe directly into a waterway. Today, experts say, a large percentage of water pollution should conjure up a more pastoral image: that of a soaking rain pounding a farm field and sending rivulets of storm water snaking into ditches, creeks, rivers and lakes. more info |
| Report confirms Hudson Beach park is icky, so now it's time to act More than two decades ago, Pasco County reopened its newly renovated Hudson Beach park amid lingering concerns about the pollution that frequently closed the swimming spot because of high bacteria counts. more info |
| Crews still cleaning oil spill at wildlife refuge The Coast Guard says crews have laid more than two miles of floats to keep spilled oil out of sensitive marshlands in and near a remote national wildlife refuge. more info |
| Aveda walks to raise awareness of water-quality issues Tallahassee's walk, which circled Cascades Park, was only 2 miles, but there were plenty of other fundraising activities, including massages, raffles, an auction and more, all helping to raise money for the Gulf Restoration Network, a New Orleans-based nonprofit working to protect the Gulf of Mexico from pollution. more info |
| Mike deGruy: Hooked by an Octopus Underwater filmmaker Mike deGruy has spent decades looking intimately at the ocean. A consummate storyteller, he takes the stage at Mission Blue to share his awe and excitement -- and his fears -- about the blue heart of our planet. more info |
| Saving the great outdoors from the grass roots up It is the stories of these places, of these cooperative efforts, that I hope people will bring to Washington this week. From what we hear about the White House meeting, it is mostly about listening — about the leaders of the federal government’s natural resource and environmental agencies paying attention to the voices of citizens who know about the land. This can be a first step in finding a path to create new, more effective ways of using federal, state and private resources to help Americans restore and protect the places they value and which, in turn, are valuable in so many ways to all of us. more info |
| NOAA’s New “Hurricane Eye in the Sky” NOAA’s GOES-13 spacecraft today became the official GOES-EAST satellite, perched 22,300 miles above the equator in a prime location to spot potentially life-threatening weather affecting the eastern half of the nation, including tropical storm activity in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. more info |
| EPA Studies Emissions from Houston-Bound Cargo Ship With next week’s arrival of an ocean-going cargo vessel at the Port of Houston Authority, the Environmental Protection Agency will conclude the data-gathering phase of a study on using lower sulfur marine fuels to reduce air pollution in the Gulf of Mexico. The study will collect stack emissions monitoring data before, after and during the use of lower sulfur fuels on the vessel. more info |
| Gulf’s Bounty Fills Birds Bellies At the far end of Whitney Beach on Longboat Key, Florida, are 80 shorebirds: 25 ruddy turnstones and almost all of the rest are red knots. While I’m used to seeing the knots in large numbers, I’ve never seen so many turnstones in one place. Scurrying along the sand as waves from the Gulf of Mexico recede, the birds plunge their small, dark bills deeply into the wet sand, which come up glistening. They feed on mollusks, crustaceans, tiny shells and other aquatic life brought in by the waves. more info |
| Obama launches 'Great Outdoors initiative President Barack Obama launched a new initiative Friday to conserve cherished land and encourage more Americans to enjoy the outdoors. more info |
| Marine Science Institute Receives $595,626 to Study Mission-Aransas NERR Nutrients The Gulf of Mexico Program recently announced that the Marine Science Institute will receive a $595,626 cooperative agreement for the project “Development of Pilot Nutrient Criteria for an estuary in the Western Gulf of Mexico.” more info |
| Texas Proposes $10 Billion ‘Ike Dike’ for Storm-Surge Shield The elected leaders of six coastal Texas counties are forming a public corporation to seek as much as $10 billion for a 100-mile (160-kilometer) network of levees, seawalls and football-field-sized floodgates that can protect the region from hurricane storm surges. more info |
| Ocean Conservancy Report: Trash in Our Ocean has Become One of the Worst Pollution Problems Today, Ocean Conservancy releases Trash Travels: From Our Hands to the Sea, Around the Globe, and Through Time – the only global snapshot of the marine debris problem facing wildlife, economies and marine ecosystems. Nearly 500,000 volunteers around the world combed their local beaches and waterways collecting trash and recording the data during the 24th annual International Coastal Cleanup – the largest volunteer effort of its kind. Volunteers removed and recorded 7.4 million pounds of trash in 108 countries and locations, 45 US states and the District of Columbia. The report features Ocean Conservancy’sannual Marine Debris Index – the world’s only country-by-country, state-by-state analysis of trash in our ocean and waterways. Trash Travels also shines a spotlight on the growing threat of marine debris – one of our greatest global pollution problems. more info |
| Oceans, The Book Oceans: Threats to the Sea and What You Can Do To Turn the Tide is being officially released on Earth Day (April 22) as a companion book to the new DisneyNature film Oceans. The book is an anthology of new essays by thirty of the most intriguing ocean thinkers and doers out there compiled by Jon Bowermaster. Jon is a six-time grantee of the National Geographic Expeditions Council and has a passion for the sea. more info |
| Coca-Cola Dives into New Social Media Campaign During Earth Month oca-Cola North America wants everyone to join "fins" in a new Facebook campaign to raise awareness of Earth Month and help support Ocean Conservancy, the nation's oldest and largest marine conservation organization. Through a new Facebook application, users can "oceanize" themselves into a playful underwater photo. For every person who dives into this new app, Coca-Cola will donate $1, up to a total of $200,000, to support Ocean Conservancy's marine debris program identifying policies and solutions to preventing trash from reaching our ocean and waterways. Also, through the Company's MyCokeRewards points program and a direct donation-matching program through LivePositively.com, Coca-Cola will contribute up to an additional $50,000. more info |
| New Sand Bag Design Used in Training Exercise, A New Advance for an Old Bag For three hours, firefighters from the Carrabelle, Lanark and Apalachicola, Florida, filled sand bags to build a forty-five foot long storm surge wall. The training exercise was conducted using newly developed bright blue and yellow high tech sand bags. more info |
| Active 2010 Atlantic Hurricane Season Likely, Gulf Coasts Vulnerable Impacts from a decade of extreme storms on the coastline of the northern Gulf of Mexico have left many coastal areas vulnerable to future storm events, scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey warned today. more info |
| Rio Grande Activists Call for Moratorium on Water Plan As it is, according to American Rivers, the Rio Grande-Rio Bravo is one of the most endangered rivers in North America. According the World Wildlife Fund, the Rio Grande-Rio Bravo is the seventh most endangered river in the world. more info |
| Work to start on maritime museum Site preparation will begin this week on GulfQuest, the $52 million interactive maritime museum scheduled to open in 2011 on the waterfront at the foot of Government Street. more info |
| Hurricane warnings to go beyond wind speed Storms will still be categorized from 1 through 5 based on their maximum winds. But as soon as a hurricane watch goes out anywhere on the coastal Atlantic or Gulf of Mexico, local forecasters with the National Weather Service will pinpoint the biggest hazards and post specific threat maps and scales on their Web sites. more info |
| Louisiana Oil Spill Highlights Continued Safety Concerns Early Tuesday morning, 18000 gallons of oil spilled from a Chevron-operated pipeline into a sensitive wildlife refuge on the coast of Louisiana. The oil has so far spread to an area of about 160 square miles, covering wetlands of the Delta National Wildlife Refuge, and the Gulf of Mexico. The refuge is the wintering home to hundreds of thousands of migratory birds as well as many other critters, including already threatened species such as the America alligator and the brown pelican. more info |
| Marine education festival returns to Pass Christian "We try to get kids to come down, and we try to get kids to bring their parents. Together they can learn the importance of keeping our Gulf of Mexico clean and healthy," says Jennifer Buchanan, Department of Marine Resources. more info |
| Supporters mark start of construction on Infinity Science Center "They can actually fly one of the satellites and go to moon or go to Mars, or they can go in one of those submarines and go to the bottom of ocean," Schloegel told a crowd of state dignitaries and supporters. more info |
| Why Are Children Rejecting Science? Scientific organizations for years have raised the alarm over the appallingly low level of scientific literacy in the United States, but efforts to correct the situation have achieved only minimal success. Why aren't young Americans more interested in science, and why don't more of them wish to become scientists? It's obvious that science has transformed their lives -- all those smartphones, video games, PCs and TVs. Why aren't youngsters as dazzled as their elders about these contributions? Why don't they find the scientific report card more compelling? Science advocates pull their hair out over these questions. more info |
| 21 critical future NASA missions Watching the ocean: Aquarius has been delayed over 12 months but when it launches this year it will have as its mission to measure global sea surface salinity. The satellite will provide a global view of salinity needed for climate studies, NASA said. The Aquarius / SAC-D mission being developed by NASA and the Space Agency of Argentina. more info |
| New EPA water quality rules But the nitrogen and phosphorus so effective at nourishing lawns is, at elevated levels, toxic for organisms living in and relying on natural water bodies. more info |
| See what's in the sea with new South Padre boat trip As it turns out, we saw plenty of sea creatures and learned a good bit about the ecology of the coast. more info |
| NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson to Map Ocean Floor in Gulf of Mexico NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson, one of the most technologically advanced hydrographic survey vessels in the world, will depart its Norfolk, Va. homeport on April 6 to conduct a five-month long effort to map the seafloor and look for hazards to navigation off the Gulf coast. more info |
| Set out the feeders: Hummingbird migration is here The most familiar hummer is the Ruby-throated Hummingbird. In spring, this little bird, weighing no more than 3 paper clips, puts on a little weight (a half of a paperclip’s worth) and then uses that fuel to fly nonstop over the Gulf of Mexico. This trans-Gulf flight from Central America to the coast of the United States is some 600 miles long! You can be sure that that extra dab of fat is long gone by the time a Ruby-throat makes landfall in Texas. They really need quick energy, fast! You may save their lives by providing nectar in a feeder! more info |
| Up close with Fla.'s marine life On Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute will present MarineQuest, its annual open house where people of all ages will get to experience science through more than 60 exhibits and discussions with biologists. The free open house takes place at the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, 100 Eighth Ave. SE in St. Petersburg, and will feature both indoor and outdoor activities. more info |
| Port of Iberia Prepares for Massive Dredging Project Imagine having to dredge nearly 50 miles of waterway. Officials in Iberia Parish are trying to do just that, and some in Vermilion Parish are hoping to benefit.The massive project is expected to take place sometime next year starting at the Port of Iberia and ending at the Gulf of Mexico. But, a compromise that was made back in 2007 may not be on the table any longer. more info |
| Amnesty says rights of Katrina victims violated Amnesty International has questioned the efforts of US government and US States along the Gulf of Mexico regarding the victims of Hurricane Katrina, reporting that the human rights of those affected by the natural disaster were violated. more info |
| Louisiana oil spill highlights need to protect Gulf from drilling After being noticed early on Tuesday morning, the US Coast Guard, State of Louisiana and the Cypress Pipeline Company have been working for days to contain a pipeline leak that has seen 18,000 gallons of oil released. more info |
| University of Alabama scientists study climate clues that could come from old shells Shells left in Peruvian tombs centuries ago as offerings to the dead are providing clues to understanding the weird weather experienced this year in the Southeastern United States. more info |
| Let's head off disaster in the Gulf “A watershed problem, like the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico, requires a watershed approach, and watersheds pay no attention to political lines,” said Whitney Broussard, a researcher at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. more info |
| Gulf region remains critical For decades, the states of Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi and Alabama have hosted the nation’s offshore oil and gas exploration and production and will continue to play a critical role in U.S. energy security for years to come. In spite of the region’s vulnerability to storms, sea-level rise and subsidence, the infrastructure along this coast and the ability of its communities to support production and transport of energy to the rest of the nation is critical to the economic well being of our country. more info |
| Volunteers sought to monitor turtle nests The kick-off meeting for volunteers will be held 6 p.m. Thursday at the Gulf Shores First Baptist Church, across the street from the post office. Volunteers are needed for the following sections of beach: Fort Morgan, Laguna Key, West Beach, Gulf Shores, Gulf State Park, Orange Beach, Alabama Point, and Dauphin Island. more info |
| We need a permanent solution The National Flood Insurance Program — which had been temporarily renewed through Sunday, lapsed when Congress took no action to again extend it. more info |
| Songbirds make a wondrous journey Every time I fly over the Gulf of Mexico between the Texas coast and South America, I'm amazed that small migratory songbirds make the same journey. more info |
| Giant, deep-sea bug surfaces in Gulf of Mexico Huge isopod hauled from the ocean darkness after it attached itself to a remote-controlled submarine at around 8,500 feet. more info |
| Male pipefish play the field, get pregnant In experiments with a species of pipefish native to the Gulf of Mexico, the researchers found that the pregnant males carefully nurture the eggs of the preferred larger females, but destroy the eggs of the less attractive females. The males either refuse to nourish those unwanted eggs and let them die of neglect or absorb their bodies as nutrients for themselves to build up strength for another mating encounter, the scientists found. more info |
| Lab takes on red snapper production A 5,260-square-foot building under construction on the University of Southern Mississippi's Cedar Point site is designed to play a vital role in red snapper stock enhancement. more info |
| A prescription for the ocean's ailing health The ocean is a beautiful, mystical world that covers more than 70 percent of our planet and supports a mind-bending array of life below the surface and above. But it's also a fragile ecosystem that is vulnerable to the strains placed upon it, which include pollution, increased acidification, and the warming of the water, all of which can harm the life supported by the oceans. more info |
| State of the Oceans Health: In Crisis Alison Barratt, from the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch program discusses the health of the oceans in relation to native fish populations, and the decline of their ecosystems. In the last 50 years, industrial fishing practices have severely lowered fish populations, altering the balance of species diversity within ecosystems. Fishing practices have also led to destruction of native habitats, and increased collateral damage to unintended fish caught by accident (bycatch). Nitrogen pollution from agricultural runoff, sewage, and automobile and factory emissions, have created more than 150 different "dead zones," areas of water--under a one-mile square radius to as large as 45,000 square miles in size containing such depleted levels of oxygen--within each, no fish can survive. more info |
| Obama Proposes Opening Vast Offshore Areas to Drilling President Obama today proposed allowing oil and gas drilling for the first time in large swaths of water off the East Coast, in the eastern Gulf of Mexico and potentially off Alaska. more info |
| Environmental groups seek fix for Gulf dead zone The Environmental Law and Policy Center and the Mississippi River Collaborative released a joint report this week called “Cultivating Clean Water.” The report examines the effectiveness of state regulatory programs that control agricultural pollution and recommends policies the groups say will result in cleaner water. more info |
| NOAA seeks comments on proposal to increase the red snapper quotas in the Gulf of Mexico NOAA Fisheries Service is seeking public comment on a proposed rule that would increase the commercial and recreational quotas of red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico. A recent red snapper assessment update projected overfishing ended in 2009, and therefore, the total allowable catch (TAC) can be increased. As evaluated in a regulatory amendment to the Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico, this increase would be from the existing 5.0 million pounds (MP) to 6.945 MP. more info |
| Report: Iowa needs to improve control of runoff Authors suggest improving regulations by leveling the playing field for all farmers; sufficiently funding agencies to oversee compliance; creating significant penalties to deter non-compliance; and having states develop monitoring programs to document improvements. more info |
| White House Releases Details Of 'Comprehensive Energy Strategy' The Administration's strategy calls for developing oil and gas resources in new areas, such as the Eastern Gulf of Mexico; increasing oil and gas exploration in frontier areas, such as parts of the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans; and protecting ocean areas that are simply too special to drill, such as Alaska's Bristol Bay. The strategy will guide the current 2007-2012 offshore oil and gas leasing program, as well as the new 2012-2017 program that this administration will propose. more info |
| Mexican Eco-Blogging - How You Can Save Coral In The Ocean Sadly, coral is dying all along the Riviera Maya coast in Mexico because of over fertilization. Do something good for the earth - stop using chemical fertilizers!! more info |
| Cities slap fees on storm runoff The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has started issuing a series of limits on storm water pollution that will require local governments to spend large amounts of money on water quality and soon start slowly reshaping America's roads, housing developments and even the traditional lawn. more info |
| Whoopers work to survive One of the icons of Texas is in trouble. The whooping crane has been a symbol of Texans' love of the wild for many years. more info |
| Coral Reefs Face Extinction Within Century Coral reefs are dying, and scientists and governments around the world are contemplating what will happen if they disappear altogether. more info |
| 9 Problems Destroying Our Oceans In the fight for the environment, the health of our oceans should be a top priority. We've put together 9 of the biggest issues that threaten our oceans more info |
| Who will protect ocean coral? While this CITES conference was disappointing for marine species, the delegates should know that the world was watching. I hope that people will realize that owning a coral necklace or eating shark fin soup is not necessary but that protecting these species is vital to the health of all of us who live on this ocean planet. more info |
| Louisiana Oysters Recalled After Norovirus Outbreak Another recall of oysters over concerns regarding norovirus has been announced, Louisiana is recalling oysters harvested in part of Plaquemines Parish area following 11 illnesses in people who attended a seafood conference on March 1 in Mississippi, writes New Orleans City Business. more info |
| New Study: Ocean Currents Doing Fine For Now NASA scientist builds a bigger data set, and finds that the globe's heat transferring oceanic currents appear to be in good shape, and may be more stable than we previously thought. more info |
| Local wetlands project receives grant The state will provide $70,000 to continue a Terrebonne land-building project to keep the shoreline separating Lake Mechant and Raccouri Bay intact and slow the Gulf of Mexico’s march into interior parish wetlands. more info |
| As ocean life goes, so goes life on Earth The fundamental problem in the ocean, says Mitchell, is human behavior. Can we, will we, change our relationship with the ocean — a relationship, we are only beginning to understand? more info |
| Heart vs. brain: round 1 Isle de Jean Charles now amounts to a sandbar in the Gulf of Mexico, the front line in Louisiana’s battle to save its eroding coast from becoming the next Atlantis. Successive hurricanes and tropical storms have flooded the tiny community of mostly poor Native Americans, robbing them of almost everything they own. more info |
| Ecosystem Services HRI's Executive Director Dr. Larry Mckinney, Endowed Chairs Dr. Paul Montagna and Dr. David Yoskowitz, and research specialist Carlota Santos attended the first Gulf of Mexico Ecosystem Services Collaboratory (GOMESC) workshop at the EPA’s Gulf Ecology Division in Gulf Breeze, Florida, held January 14-15. more info |
| Seagrass Beds Declining The Gulf of Mexico is losing sea grass beds at an alarming rate. According to a new aerial survey, Mobile Bay has lost nearly 14-hundred acres of sea grass beds in the last few years. And as Tanya Ott reports, that could affect your dinner plate: more info |
| Students nurse mini-marshlands in project More than 280 students in Galveston County are nursing mini-marshlands in a unique project teaching hands-on wetland restoration. The children, in 14 classes in four schools, will end their lessons by wading into shallow waters on Nassau Bay Peninsula this spring to transplant cultured marsh grass. more info |
| Pew to Launch Urgent Effort to Protect Bluefin Tuna in Gulf of Mexico On Thursday, March 25 at 1 p.m. EDT, the Pew Environment Group will host a Web-based tele-press conference to detail its new campaign to protect bluefin tuna in its only known spawning area in the western Atlantic Ocean by prohibiting surface long-lining in the Gulf of Mexico. more info |
| Mexican Eco-Blogging - An Adventure To Learn About The Environment In just a few days my family and I will be taking a fantastic journey to the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. I'm flying you with me to experience this cool green eco-adventure. more info |
| EPA seeks carbon data from oil, natural gas sectors Most of the large U.S. oil and gas production platforms in the Gulf of Mexico would have to report their emissions under the EPA rules, according to Karen Ritter, spokeswoman for the American Petroleum Institute. more info |
| Texas A&M host annual sea camps in Galveston From wiggling their toes in marsh mud to harvesting oysters from Galveston Bay reefs, Sea Camp at Texas A&M University at Galveston (TAMUG) offers students 10-18 years old some of the most memorable days of their lives. more info |
| Structure generates great fishing, but few wetlands benefits Over the past decade, Terrebonne taxpayers have spent at least $750,000 to install and remove a system on Bayou Sale Road meant to monitor and control salinity levels in and around Lake Boudreaux. more info |
| A Stake in the Sand The sands found Destin first. They started off eons ago, from the Appalachian Mountains, washing their way down the rivers that flow into the Gulf of Mexico. Winnowed to pure, hardy quartz, the sediment moved with the gulf’s currents and gathered into the necklace of narrow barrier islands that buffer Florida’s Panhandle. more info |
| CITES Conference Fails to Widen Shark Protection On Tuesday, the Convention of the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, or CITES, turned down U.S.-sponsored proposals to protect dwindling numbers of scalloped hammerhead and oceanic whitetip sharks. more info |
| Discovering Our Humanity at the Bottom of the Sea Guggenheim played a lead role in building the recently-formed Gulf of Mexico Alliance, a partnership among the U.S. Gulf states and 13 federal agencies and Mexico. Guggenheim is also working to introduce cutting-edge technologies for sustainable aquaculture practices to the Americas to reduce pressure on overfished wild fish stocks. more info |
| Information essential for planning There are massive amounts of preparation going on for Louisiana’s coastal future. The federal government is contemplating flood protection and coastal restoration even as it continues to examine the risks involved in living and working in our corner of the world. more info |
| Sarasota County considers work to improve beach access An Old Florida-style, cypress cottage with a stone chimney at a public beach access may be preserved and used for community groups, such as the Audubon Society. Also, a broken-down boardwalk over the site's dunes is to be repaired and made accessible for disabled people who want to view the Gulf of Mexico. more info |
| Texan wind energy protects wildlife using radar A California-based wind energy developer has acquired a 283 MW wildlife-friendly wind farm along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico in southern Texas. more info |
| Progress is Being Made to Rebuild & Sustain Fisheries & Ocean Ecosystems Other areas of concern include the low populations of reef fishes— which grow slowly and reproduce late—in the South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico, where fishing has increased as human populations have grown. more info |
| Fact: Texas Coal-Fired Power Plants Release More Mercury It's not just Texans who are exposed to Texas power plant-emitted mercury. Some of the nearly 12 tons released each year ends up in other states, in fish of the Gulf of Mexico, and so on. more info |
| Study: Link found between hurricanes in Atlantic & Pacific Oceans Based on data that goes back to the late 1940s, the researchers found that when tropical cyclone activity in the Atlantic basin increases, tropical cyclone activity in the eastern Pacific basin decreases, and vice versa. more info |
| The Secret of Sea Level Rise: It Will Vary Greatly by Region As the world warms, sea levels could easily rise three to six feet this century. But increases will vary widely by region, with prevailing winds, powerful ocean currents, and even the gravitational pull of the polar ice sheets determining whether some coastal areas will be inundated while others stay dry. more info |
| NOAA to Use New Way to Predict Hurricane's Punch This hurricane season, researchers with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration say they will use Global Positioning System technology to measure the dynamics of moisture far offshore in the Gulf of Mexico. more info |
| Survey shows lack of confidence in national hurricane response planninG According to a study recently completed by an LSU group charged with conducting studies on improving hurricane crisis communication in coastal communities, many families have a well-developed hurricane response plan of their own but have little faith in the preparation developed at higher government levels. more info |
| Climate Change Imperils All Ocean Bird Species, Threatens Many More, New Report Finds “Accelerated climate change as a result of human activities is altering the natural world as we know it, diminishing the quality of our environment. This report calls attention to the collective efforts needed to protect nature’s resources for the benefit of people and wildlife,” the authors write. more info |
| Jimmy Buffet Visits Gulf Specimen Marine Lab “Most humans are said to be composed of 90% water, but for those of us who grew up on the Gulf of Mexico, I think that the other 10% must be shrimp. The Rudloes leave the Living Dock behind for a voyage to the land of Pink Crustaceans, and I for one am happy to be aboard for that voyage.” more info |
| High schoolers visit the Big Easy to help Habitat for Humanity Over 135 students, parents, community and staff members are taking a different tack for spring break by boarding two charter buses Friday morning bond for New Orleans as part of the district’s Spring Break Senior Service project. The students left around 5:45 a.m. Friday and will return home about 8:30 p.m. Friday, March 19. more info |
| Too Much Mercury in Canned Tuna -- Or Is There? The researchers called on federal regulators to require canned tuna producers to provide detailed information to consumers about the mercury content and to disclose tuna harvest locations. more info |
| Atlantic bluefin tuna: the sushi king Atlantic bluefin tuna, the international trade in which Europe wants banned during a key UN meeting on endangered species that opens on Saturday, may be prized by sushi and sashimi lovers but given its sky-high price is practically only ever now found on high-end restaurant menus. more info |
| MAST Academy Wins East Florida Regional National Ocean Sciences Bowl Hollywood could not have scripted a more thrilling finish to the Finals of the 13th Annual National Ocean Science Bowl (NOSB) East Florida Regional Competition on March 6, 2010. MAST Team A won in the final second of the game to advance to the NOSB National Competition from April 23-25, 2010 in St. Petersburg, Florida. more info |
| Scientists say asteroid in Gulf of Mexico caused dinosaurs' extinction It's official: The extinction of the dinosaurs and a bunch of other species 65.5 million years ago was caused by a massive asteroid that crashed into the Gulf of Mexico, an international team of researchers said last week. more info |
| Partnership Protects “America’s Sea” In 2004, recognizing that the economies and quality of life of the citizens in their states were linked to the ecological health of the Gulf of Mexico, the governors of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas joined forces to form the Gulf of Mexico Alliance. This partnership, supported by thirteen federal agencies, was the beginning of a regional collaborative effort to improve the health of the Gulf of Mexico. more info |
| Watching The Water From the Gulf of Alaska, to the Gulf of Mexico, buoys monitor important weather and wave information. The National Data and Buoy Center builds, deploys, and monitors information from buoys around the world. more info |
| At White House: 14 senators discuss climate-energy legislation The fate of President Obama's plan to shift America toward renewable energy and away from fossil fuels may depend on the outcome of a crucial White House meeting Tuesday with 14 key senators, many from coal- and oil-producing states, who have long opposed curbs on carbon emissions. more info |
| Cash prizes flow for watershed protection Anyone who's ever popped open a cold beer probably has good reason to be concerned about water quality. The folks at MillerCoors certainly share this awareness, which is why they have partnered with the River Network, a national organization partnering with water conservation groups, to offer $50,000 toward watershed protection programs nationwide. Eight projects have been selected as finalists and the sponsors now put it to the public to decide which efforts get the funding. more info |
| Coast Guard begins hearing on Texas oil spill Audio recordings apparently show that the pilots of a tugboat and tanker that collided in a Gulf of Mexico waterway in Texas were aware their vessels were close but unaware they were about to collide. more info |
| wild file: Lemon shark This shark is a member of the family Carcharhinidae (also known as requiem sharks) one of the largest shark families - Jose Castro lists 22 requiem shark species in "The Sharks of North American Waters." more info |
| Chemical spill slows Port Fourchon An overturned 18-wheeler spilled 1,500 gallons of hazardous chemicals on a side street near Fourchon Road Monday morning, causing traffic on the port's main road to be limited for hours as emergency officials worked to clean the site. more info |
| Obama Administration Plan to Restore Coastal Louisiana Wetlands Praised by Conservation Groups Six local and national environmental groups praised the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) for unveiling the Obama administration's 18-month plan this afternoon to expedite construction of near-term projects, while creating a long-term vision and governance structure for restoring coastal wetlands in Louisiana. CEQ and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) are leading an interagency working group created by President Obama last August to step up the federal response to catastrophic wetland loss in the Gulf Coast region that worsened the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina. more info |
| PBS documentary homes in on the avian world’s ballerinas: hummingbirds If you honk for hummers—winged, not wheeled—Hummingbirds: Magic in the Air, a recent addition to PBS’s Nature series, doesn’t disappoint. For 60 minutes hummingbirds hold center stage, flitting around the screen like shiny-feathered ballerinas. more info |
| Naples asks DEP to allow beach pipes to stay The city of Naples has asked Florida environmental regulators to drop a requirement for a plan to remove drainage pipes from the beach. more info |
| Big Shell Beach Cleanup is in its 15th year This is the Big Shell Beach Cleanup. It is in its 15th year and it is nearing 2 million pounds of trash collected. Remarkable. Big Shell Beach is only a portion of the 70-mile National Seashore, but it is deep into the island where only 4-wheel drive vehicles and dedicated fishermen generally wander. It is also a place where the gulf currents converge to deposit debris from all over the Gulf of Mexico. Last year, workers brought out 800,000 pounds of debris from Big Shell; most of that turned out to be from Hurricane Ike, hundreds of miles to the north. more info |
| U.S. supports ban on popular sushi fish, the Atlantic bluefin tuna In a decision that had many in the conservation world holding their breaths, the United States on Wednesday announced it is supporting an effort to ban the international trade in Atlantic bluefin tuna, a species whose population has plummeted because of its extreme popularity among consumers of sushi and sashimi. more info |
| Scientists study Gulf's largest mammals, the sperm whales Sperm whales may be the largest mammals in the Gulf of Mexico, but little is known about the endangered species including its food source, said scientists aboard the NOAA ship Pisces. more info |
| Growing low-oxygen zones in oceans worry scientists Lower levels of oxygen in the Earth's oceans, particularly off the United States' Pacific Northwest coast, could be another sign of fundamental changes linked to global climate change, scientists say. more info |
| Mercurial tuna: Study explores sources of mercury to ocean fish With concern over mercury contamination of tuna on the rise and growing information about the health effects of eating contaminated fish, scientists would like to know exactly where the pollutant is coming from and how it's getting into open-ocean fish species. A new study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology uses chemical signatures of nitrogen, carbon and mercury to get at the question. The work also paves the way to new means of tracking sources of mercury poisoning in people. more info |
| Director of Marine Mammal Studies named Gulf marine educator Dr. Sharon Walker, who headed the J.L. Scott Marine Education Center and Aquarium in Biloxi until it was destroyed by Katrina in 2005, starts work April 1 as director of education and outreach programs at the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies in Gulfport. more info |
| 2010 Central Gulf of Mexico Hurricane Conference, Baton Rouge, March 16-17 NOAA and Louisiana State University will host the first-ever Central Gulf of Mexico Hurricane Conference on March 16-17, 2010 in Baton Rouge, La. The meeting will bring together 300-500 experts and officials from all levels – including federal and state emergency managers, local public safety personnel, forecasters, university officials – to discuss key issues of concern prior to the June 1 start of the 2010 Atlantic hurricane season. more info |
| MMS and NOAA scientists study prey of Gulf of Mexico sperm whales Minerals Management Service (MMS) and National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries Service biologists have set sail to learn more about the prey of sperm whales in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The first of the research cruise's three legs was completed on February 10, 2010 and the second is underway. The first and second legs of the cruise departed from the NOAA Fisheries Service's Southeast Fisheries Science Center laboratory in Pascagoula, Mississippi. more info |
| helium-filled balloons are dangerous Let’s not purposely add to this problem by releasing balloons that come down in our rivers and bays and that eventually end up in the Gulf of Mexico. more info |
| Greenpeace activists in St. Pete Beach to push whaling moratorium Through an unusual set of circumstances, the activists protested an International Whaling Commission meeting, which happened to be taking place inside the TradeWinds Island Resort. more info |
| Dauphin Island Sea Lab's Skimmer Newsletter for Feb. 2010 There's always something happening here at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, and we hope to bring you frequent updates of the latest activities. more info |
| Preparing for the worst A recent survey of the attitudes of coastal Louisiana residents toward hurricane preparation turned up some great reasons for optimism even as well-founded skepticism over official storm response lingers. more info |
| Legumes could reduce fertilizer use Escalating use of nitrogen fertilizer is increasing algal blooms and global warming, but a discovery by Stanford researchers could begin to reverse that. They have revealed a key step in how symbiotic bacteria living in legumes turn nitrogen into plant food, which could be used to improve the process in some plants, reducing the need for chemical fertilizers. more info |
| Grant will help protect Deer Island shoreline The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources received a grant from the Gulf of Mexico Community–based Restoration Partnership to help with the Deer Island Restoration Project. more info |
| Bonnet Carre Spillway needs to be put to work for wetlands restoration From LaPlace south the river will flow past communities dying of a disease I'll call SDC - Starving Delta Complex. We're sinking below sea level because the deltas we're built on have been starved of the river-borne sediment that created and maintained them. The medicine to treat that disease -- silt -- is always right there in the river, and in the next few months it will be arriving in volumes large enough to extend the lives of many of those communities. more info |
| Learn more about the Gray triggerfish Like all its kin in the Balistidae family, the gray triggerfish has three spines on its first dorsal fin. When threatened, the fish erects the first spine, which is locked in place by the second spine. Then the fish depresses the second spine, which acts as a trigger and unlocks the first spine, hence, triggerfish. more info |
| Dolphins' Health Shed Light on Human and Ocean Health A panel of governmental, academic and non-profit scientists speaking at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) unveiled research suggesting that diseases found in dolphins are similar to human diseases and can provide clues into how human health might be affected by exposure to contaminated coastal water or seafood. more info |
| Marine Census of Bizarre Sea Creatures Near Completion From pole to pole, surface to frigid depths, researchers have discovered thousands of new ocean creatures in a decade-long effort now nearing completion, and there may still be several times more strange creatures to be found, leaders of the Census of Marine Life reported Thursday. more info |
| Statement of Lisa P. Jackson Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Environmentalism is a conversation that we all must have because it is about protecting people in the places they live, work and raise families. In FY 2011, the Agency is focused on expanding the conversation to include new stakeholders and involve communities in more direct ways. Over the years, EPA has worked to prevent pollution at the source and promoted the principles of responsible environmental stewardship, sustainability, and innovation. EPA works to improve and encourage sustainable practices and help businesses and communities move beyond compliance to become partners in protecting natural resources, managing materials more wisely, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and improving the environment and public health. more info |
| Coral reefs form on 'ancient template' Their distinctive appearance can be seen clearly in satellite images of the region and has its origin in seabed erosion thousands of years ago. The scientists say the corals have simply adopted and accentuated the pattern created in once-exposed rock moulded by heavy rains. more info |
| Sound maps reveal whales and noise pollution Land areas are not the only places getting busier: so too are the oceans, says a Cornell researcher who uses underwater recorders to create animated maps of the oceans' noise. more info |
| Nasty, nurturing nitrogen When fixed nitrogen seeps into groundwater or is leached away by runoff, it can pollute large water bodies, producing vast blooms of algae stimulated by the nutrient surplus. As bacteria devour sinking, dying algae, they also use up the water column’s oxygen supply. Without oxygen, fish and crustaceans cannot survive, and the food web collapses. In the Gulf of Mexico, agricultural runoff draining through the Mississippi River has produced a “dead zone” the size of Connecticut, destroying fisheries and livelihoods more info |
| Climate Change Drives Rare Turtles From Breeding Grounds Loggerhead turtles, named after their large head and powerful jaws, are also found in the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico and along the southeastern coast of North America and the Mediterranean Sea. more info |
| Missouri River management discussion exposes rival priorities The Missouri River should continue to be managed to ensure the free flow of barge traffic down its length and along the Mississippi River to New Orleans, officials representing towboat operators said at a public hearing in Kenner Tuesday night. But the Army Corps of Engineers also should take steps to liberate sediment caught behind six major dams along the Missouri so it can flow downstream and be used to rebuild Louisiana's rapidly disappearing wetlands, said a Louisiana state official and several environmentalists. And it also should assist in reducing nutrients, especially agricultural nitrogen and phosphorus, that enter the Mississippi and then the Gulf of Mexico, creating an annual springtime low-oxygen dead zone off Louisiana's coast, they said. more info |
| Dead Pigs Shed Light on Ocean Dead Zones Pig cadavers dumped on the ocean floor are helping researchers understand how animals can cope in low-oxygen zones. more info |
| Sperm Whales Team Up To Corral Squid Evidence showed that the whales stayed close together over several months in and around the Gulf of Mexico. But when the animals made their dives to hunt for food their behavior varied with each dive. more info |
| Levees are a difficult priority The ongoing effort to build the Morganza-to-the-Gulf hurricane-protection system is both a victim of coastal erosion and a critical reminder that protection means much more than levees. more info |
| Research reminds us to be ready The controversial scheme for setting carbon emission limits for point-source polluters, and allowing polluters to trade any unused room under the cap, is predicted to work mischief on Louisiana's petrochemical industry. If the panel of experts is right, the Louisiana coast won't have as many hurricanes to worry about. But those that do reach the coast are likely to be doozies. more info |
| Marine Scientist Finds 'Little Ice Age' Had Dramatic Effect on Gulf Using deep-sea sediment samples pulled from below the gulf floor, climate change researcher Julie Richey has been able to reconstruct what happened to temperatures on the gulf’s surface. Her discovery: the Gulf of Mexico cooled 2 to 3-degrees during the Little Ice Age, a much more dramatic effect that suggests the region may be more sensitive to climate change than scientists expected. more info |
| Beware red-tide remedies A better approach for now is to encourage local, state and federal controls on fertilizer use and storm-water runoff, both of which have been shown to fuel the growth of red tide blooms. more info |
| Levee director showcases fading coast Barrier islands are disappearing and levees are more exposed to open water and the Gulf of Mexico as Terrebonne’s coast rapidly deteriorates. more info |
| BIG RIVER: Sequel to award-winning documentary, "King Corn" debuts The floods of 2008 brought the creators of "King Corn" back to Iowa -- curious about where the waters would carry all the additives they had sprayed on their crop. They trace them from country streams, all the way to the Big River itself. The results are disturbing -- a giant "dead zone" in the Gulf of Mexico caused by fertilizer run-off -- much of it from Iowa farms. more info |
| Church group taking 10th Gulf Coast service mission Eleven people are scheduled for the week-long trip. As many as 20 people have gone in the past to Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi. One trip was to Bayou Le Batre, Ala., where the fictional character Forrest Gump had his shrimp boat. Unfortunately, the destruction there was very real. more info |
| Decision to list loggerheads as endangered delayed until March A decision on whether to move forward with listing loggerhead sea turtles in the Gulf of Mexico as an endangered species has been postponed until March. more info |
| FWC Wraps Up Two-Day Meeting In Apalachicola The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) waded through numerous high-profile issues during its meeting in Apalachicola Wednesday and Thursday. more info |
| Missouri River dams affect Louisiana wetlands When bad things happen along the Mississippi River in Louisiana, experts sometimes blame poor management of the Missouri River, which contributes as much as 47 percent of the Mississippi's water during flood periods. more info |
| In South Padre, a beach full o’ jellyfish Update: Monday morning, jellyfish were still washing up, but the surf had calmed and there weren’t nearly as many of them. A 15-foot tree had washed up the night before, too, minus its limbs. Things are calmer now. more info |
| New levees will be tested by encroaching Gulf As land in lower Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes washes into the Gulf of Mexico, the levee systems that are planned to protect bayou communities will have to fight their own war against erosion. more info |
| The vaquita, an endangered species According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the rate of species extinction is 100-1,000 times higher than natural due to human activities. Read more: http://www.economicvoice.com/the-vaquita-an-endangered-species/5007032#ixzz0gJItBY90 more info |
| ‘Serpent’ footage captured by LSU LSU’s Mark Benfield has spent much time the last few years in the Gulf of Mexico recording rare and often unprecedented footage of deep-sea biology such as sea-serpentlike fish to giant jellyfish. more info |
| Statement From Dr. Jane Lubchenco on the Death of Sam D. Hamilton Sam was, above all, a true champion of wildlife conservation. Those of us who worked with Sam on restoration efforts in the Florida Everglades and the Gulf of Mexico greatly appreciated his passion, integrity, knowledge and devotion to conservation issues and to people. His unique ability to work across agencies and with diverse stakeholders to craft meaningful solutions to challenging problems was legendary. It will surely be a part of his legacy and a model for all of us. more info |
| Dauphin Island Sea Lab announces summer programs The Dauphin Island Sea Lab (DISL) is offering an extensive array of summer marine science programs. Middle and high school students, college and graduate students and K-12 teachers are encouraged to enroll in one of the programs they say offers excellence in education with an ideal location for studying and interacting with marine life. more info |
| Studying storm surge risks Even without rising sea levels, a quarter of the population could be in the flooded areas if a Category 3 hurricane hit during high tide. more info |
| Cold snap killing Florida's coral reefs The unusually chilly weather so far this year has seen sea temperatures plummet in southern Florida -- a fatal development for the coral, which dies when exposed for an extended time to temperatures below 15 degrees Celsius (59 degrees Fahrenheit). more info |
| Finding red tide answers After years of study, scientists may finally be nearing breakthroughs on remedies for noxious red tides, with the potential to save manatees, detoxify shellfish beds and protect the tourism industry. more info |
| Treaty signed to protect endangered sharks More than 100 nations signed a U.N.-supported wildlife treaty Tuesday designed to protect shark species threatened with extinction. Environmental studies show shark populations collapsed in the Gulf of Mexico and the Mediterranean Sea by 90 percent and by 75 percent in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean during a 15-year span. more info |
| 1,000 strong at ‘Hands Across the Sand’ on St. Pete Beach Our experience with the three ‘Hands Across the Sand’ locations on St. Pete Beach, from the public beach to the Sirata Beach Resort and past the Tradewinds Resort, was thrilling. Hundreds of participants at both the Sirata and Tradewinds were able to link. We reached out to the public beach to the south, and could have stretched down to the public beach site with a few bullhorns to stretch the crowd apart more info |
| The Carbon Cycle Before Humans Geoengineering -- deliberate manipulation of the Earth's climate to slow or reverse global warming -- has gained a foothold in the climate change discussion. But before effective action can be taken, the Earth's natural biogeochemical cycles must be better understood. more info |
| Bayou Lafourche, ‘the longest Main Street in the world’ It’s an apt nickname when you consider the 65 miles of communities stretching along the bayou from Donaldsonville to Leeville. Most of Lafourche and Assumption parishes’ communities settled primarily along the bayou for its transportation possibilities, fishing, farming and fresh water. more info |
| Overfishing Threatens Key Species in Mexico MEXICO CITY – The species of fish and shellfish most consumed in Mexico “are at risk” due to overfishing, according to Greenpeace, which presented Tuesday a list of the ones that are most endangered. Red snapper, shrimp, sardines, sharks, rays, tuna and groupers from the Gulf of Mexico, salmon from the Atlantic and grey mullet are all on the Red List prepared by the environmental organization. more info |
| Sea Levels Erratic During Latest Ice Age Studies at a handful of sites worldwide have noted that sea level reached an exceedingly brief and similarly enigmatic high point around 81,000 years ago, says Dorale. Those results have been controversial and, for the most part, have been “politely ignored because they don’t fit the presumed pattern” of how ice ages develop and progress, he says. more info |
| Snorkelers could get place to kick their fins A proposal to install three near-shore snorkeling reefs is in the works, according to W.A. "Buck" Lee, executive director of the Santa Rosa Island Authority, and Robert Turpin, manager of Escambia's Marine Resources Division. more info |
| Maimed sharks show up on national seashore Six dead, mutilated sharks found with their fins cut off on the Padre Island National Seashore likely were caught illegally by offshore commercial fishermen, maimed and dumped overboard to die, a local conservationist said. more info |
| 'Hands Across The Sand' Event Open To Everyone This Saturday On Saturday, Feb. 13th the Citizens of Florida will have an opportunity to show their opposition to oil drilling as close as 3 to 10 miles off our coast. This movement will be made of people of all walks of life and will cross political affiliations. This movement is not about politics; it is about protection of our shoreline, our tourism, our valuable properties and our way of life. Let us share our knowledge, energies and passion for protecting our waterways and beaches from the devastating effects of oil drilling. more info |
| Mobile classroom features sea creatures The Dauphin Island Sea Lab visited Russellville this week to teach the landlocked students about marine biology. more info |
| Excessive Rain Brings Attention to Mobile’s Drainage Problems When District 2 City Councilman William Carroll drove to St. Dominic’s School on Burma Road about a week ago, he noticed one particular leg of the Spencer Branch drainage ditch was overwhelmingly deteriorated. more info |
| 5 Questions on Engagement Nutrients: Ray will work closely with the NOAA Gulf of Mexico Regional Collaboration Team. She also will work with the Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA) and Master Gardeners to implement a social marketing plan about residential fertilizer application. Along with the GOMA Nutrients Team, she will help develop an exchange program involving NOAA constituents in the Corn Belt states. more info |
| Ocean Pollutants May Be Cause of Increasing Cancers of Ocean Mammals It is thought that toxins absorb into algae blooms, which then move through the food chain through phytoplankton and on to a copepod, which may eat an extremely high population of polluted phytoplankton. Algae blooms themselves are, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “vitally important to marine and fresh-water ecosystems and most species of algae are not harmful.” However, when algal blooms become harmful algal blooms (HABs) they can “negatively impact organisms in a variety of ways that can range from cell and tissue damage to organism death,” according to a study from the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences. more info |
| Vancleave students represent spirit of Ocean Sciences Bowl "We're looking at (the participants) to be our future ocean scientists," said regional coordinator Sam Clardy, a graduate student at the Gulf Coast Research Lab who coordinates the undergraduate field courses held each summer. more info |
| Obama knows wetlands threat The announcement by the White House that funds to restore America's WETLAND in coastal Louisiana are included in the president's proposed 2011 budget is historically significant. more info |
| 20,000 striped bass released along coast About 20,000 striped bass have been released along the coast as part of program to study and restore the fish to the coastal waters.The fish are native to the Gulf of Mexico and inland rivers, said Dave Rose, interim hatchery manager at the Lyman Fish Hatchery. more info |
| Watershed group hears of new federal initiative The Mississippi River Basin Healthy Waters Initiative involves 41 watersheds in 12 states to help landowners start projects to avoid, control, and trap nutrient runoff, improve wildlife habitat while maintaining farm productivity. more info |
| Environmental concerns slow Tarpon Springs’ water project Concerns about the environment have stalled Tarpon Springs’ $45 million water project, the St. Petersburg Times reported. more info |
| Tall ships sail into Ingleside July 1-5 Four tall ships from South America, Mexico and the U.S. will converge at Naval Station Ingleside during Fourth of July weekend. A five-day festival to celebrate Latin and North American independence is being planned. more info |
| Photography Times: Seagull in Flight It was Thanksgiving, and I was visiting South Padre Island, strolling on the beaches of the Gulf of Mexico. The beach wasn’t crowded, but the hundreds of Seagulls made up for it. Camera in hand, I walked across the waters looking for the best position to catch shots of the Seagulls. more info |
| Learning What's Under The Sea The Dauphin Island Sea Lab is taking kids 20,000 leagues under the sea. Giving students the opportunity to meet some unusual creatures. more info |
| Students Explore Marine Life and Career Possibilities Ashford High School students traveled into the depths of the ocean this morning with a little help from the Dauphin Island Sea Lab. The BayMobile and Touch Lab visited campus to open the children's eyes to the benefits of marine life. more info |
| DISL Researcher Conducts Shark Dissection Marcus Drymon conducted a shark dissection at Carrolton High (WTVY – CBS) more info |
| Baymobile visits Sycamore Elementary On Thursday Sycamore Elementary School received a visit by Dauphin Island Sea Lab’s traveling touch lab, the Baymobile. For two weeks per month, the Baymobile visits various schools in Alabama to teach students about ocean life and environmental issues more info |
| Environmental programs present updates at GCRC&D meeting Lee Yokel, who has been working with the Gulf of Mexico Alliance, a partnership of the states of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, that aims at enhancing the ecological and economic health of the Gulf of Mexico. more info |
| New Federal Climate Change Agency Forming Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and Jane Lubchenco, head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, planned to announce Monday that NOAA will set up the new Climate Service to operate in tandem with NOAA's National Weather Service and National Ocean Service. more info |
| Ocean Science Gets Big Boost in 2011 Budget But now Lubchenco has made her move, and the agency is poised for a huge investment in science. Yesterday's proposed 14% increase, to $5.5 billion, for the agency as a whole would be the largest increase in NOAA's budget in a decade. Research efforts at the agency get a 7% increase overall, to $522 million; big winners include earth-system modeling, research on marine pathogens, and studies related to ocean acidification. Each reflects priorities that go beyond the agency's bread-and-butter work of regulating fisheries and monitoring weather. Overall, climate work at the Department of Commerce, most of which is at NOAA, would rise by 21% under the new budget. more info |
| Hurricane Bowl inspires high school students to become scientists OCEAN SPRINGS, MS (WLOX) - On Saturday, dozens of teenagers put their brains to the test. High school students from Mississippi, Alabama, Florida and Louisiana were in Ocean Springs for the 2010 Hurricane Bowl. more info |
| NOAA Grant Proposal Could Launch Marine Zoning The White House released a fiscal 2011 budget proposal this week that includes $20 million in grants for regional ocean partnerships. The competitive grants would support planning for marine zoning. more info |
| What can Oceans Gain from Freshwater WQT Schemes? Water quality trading (WQT) schemes have helped reduce pollution in rivers and lakes by paying farmers to adopt sustainable land-use practices, but no such schemes exist in oceans. Ecosystem Marketplace examines the potential for expanding freshwater WQT schemes to the ocean – and the challenges such expansion would face. more info |
| Rescued baby dolphin to get new home A baby dolphin rescued from the Gulf of Mexico is about to have a new home. Donley the dolphin has been living in Galveston while being nursed back to health. He will soon head to SeaWorld in San Antonio. Though his rehab was a success, Donley lacks survival skills his mother would have taught him, so he is now deemed non-releasable and will soon be adopted by SeaWorld of Texas in San Antonio. While there are no plans for Donley to be on display, his caretakers say he'll enjoy making new friends. more info |
| Join hands to prevent Gulf drilling On Feb. 13, at 1:30 p.m., thousands of Florida citizens, business people and activists plan to unite under the banner of "Hands Across the Sand" to demonstrate their objection to oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. Participants in this statewide coastal event, stretching from Pensacola to Key West, will stand up for Florida's coastal environment and tourist economy by literally joining hands around the Sunshine State. more info |
| Bald Eagle Hurt After Crashing Into Gulf of Mexico Southwest Florida beachgoers helped save a bald eagle that crashed into the Gulf of Mexico. more info |
| Giant bizarre deep sea fish filmed in Gulf of Mexico Using a remotely operated vehicle, they caught a rare glimpse of the huge oarfish, perhaps the first sighting of the fish in its natural setting. "(It) provides a wonderful opportunity to learn more about life in the depths of the Gulf of Mexico. That we found an oarfish while doing so was a fantastic bonus," said Professor Benfield. more info |
| Students from around Alabama watch teacher dissect shark Students from across Alabama watched intently Wednesday afternoon as a teacher at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab cut into a bonnet head shark. more info |
| Major coastal restoration financing starts, slowly, in Barack Obama's 2011 budget plan President Barack Obama's proposed fiscal year 2011 budget includes the first $35.6 million for the Army Corps of Engineers to construct larger coastal Louisiana restoration projects, but falls far short of the money allocated to similar major environmental restoration projects elsewhere in the country. more info |
| NOAA’s Sea Grant Awards Eight ‘Climate Engagement’ Mini-Grants Gulf of Mexico Region – To present a week-long training session for local government, Sea Grant and NOAA staff on how local communities can adapt to impacts of climate change such as sea level rise, increased flooding and more extreme weather events. Following the workshop, participants will be able to continue collaborations through a discussion forum on the NOAA Coastal Storms Web site. Principal investigators: Buck Sutter, NOAA Gulf of Mexico Regional Team leader; Karl Havens, Florida Sea Grant College Program at the University of Florida; and LaDon Swann, Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium. more info |
| Program to offer certification for nature-tourism professionals Today’s wildlife enthusiasts are traveling the Gulf Coast and experiencing the natural history and culture of coastal and ocean environments. Wildlife viewing activities hold tremendous potential for stimulating local economies while celebrating natural wonders and cultural heritage. To be successful, nature-tourism experiences should provide quality opportunities to engage the public with natural resources in ways that lead to greater understanding and appreciation, while protecting and preserving the wildlife populations they are viewing. more info |
| From land to sea: Research in the Gulf of Mexico Dr. John Dunbar, an associate professor of geology at Baylor, was awarded a $115,000 grant in December from the Department of Energy to further his research on methane hydrates in the deep sea floor of the Gulf of Mexico. more info |
| Waterway museum to note 25th anniversary Exhibits will include the history of the waterway, archaeological and environmental displays and current tourism and economic development activities. more info |
| Falling oxygen levels could increase the ocean dead zone Localised dead zones are one thing. When fertilisers are used on intensively farmed land they eventually leach from the soil, into rivers and then the sea. In the Gulf of Mexico, dead zones are created by the subsequent bloom and bust cycle. Similar situations have created more than 400 dead zones around the world. more info |
| County will help fund beach restoration on Holiday Isle County commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to contribute up to $415,000 from Tourist Development Council reserve funds for the project. more info |
| ‘Safe’ Water-Based Drill Cuttings Affect Seafloor Animals Oil and gas extraction is pervasive among the coasts of the world. In many areas, such as the Gulf of Mexico and off the coast of west Africa, resource exploration companies have been moving into pretty deep waters. Many rigs use water-based muds in the drilling process. It is considered to the best alternative because effects on the benthic community have been detected no further than 100 meters from a source (as to 500 and 1000 meters for synthetic and oil based muds, respectively). Drill mud is important as it keeps water pressure down, brings up drill cuttings and prevents the oil or gas from bursting up the pipes and causing damage to the rig or the workers. more info |
| Researchers warn of drilling dangers at symposium Seismic testing associated with offshore oil and gas drilling could harm Florida's $6 billion commercial and recreational fishing industry, a Florida State University researcher warned on Monday. more info |
| GREEN EDUCATION FOUNDATION AND NATIONAL GRID LAUNCH “GREEN ENERGY CHALLENGE" The Green Education Foundation (GEF), with support from National Grid, is launching its Green Energy Challenge as part of National Green Week 2010 (Feb. 1 -5, 2010). More than two million students are expected to participate in this history-making Pre K-12 environmental education campaign that couples standards based lessons with hands-on eco-challenge programs. more info |
| Gov't told to cut own greenhouse gases 28 percent Saying he wants to lead by example on global warming, President Barack Obama on Friday directed the federal government to reduce its emissions of heat-trapping gases by 28 percent in the next decade - a goal that exceeds targets for the country as a whole. more info |
| Pharmaceuticals in the Environment One of the most extensive studies of medications in streams, lakes, and rivers was conducted in 2001 by the U.S. Geological Survey. A network of 25 groundwater and 49 surface-water sources of public drinking water in 25 states and Puerto Rico was sampled and analyzed for 124 emerging contaminants. At least one emerging contaminant—including acetaminophen, steroids, hormones, codeine, antibiotics, antimicrobials, and ibuprofen—was detected in 96 percent of the samples more info |
| Coastal restoration and levees would share $600 million Louisiana expects to spend $600 million of state money on levee, coastal restoration and coastal infrastructure projects in fiscal year 2011, according to the draft coastal restoration and hurricane protection plan released Wednesday. more info |
| Crews begin debris removal, beach repair A state regulator’s $5.3 million plan to replenish the beachfront started this week when crews began pulling old septic tanks, bulkheads and other large objects from the sand. more info |
| News from the Dauphin Island Sea Lab Carbon, carbon - where goes the carbon? DISL scientist helps refine the process to track its path. more info |
| Dead Manatee Washes Up In Orange Beach A property owner living on Wolf Bay near Harrison Park in Orange Beach found a dead manatee floating near a fishing pier. The man called city officials who then contacted marine biologists with the Dauphin Island Sea Lab to investigate and determine the cause of death. more info |
| Obama, Biden to direct $8 bln into high-speed rail President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden will on Thursday direct $8 billion in economic stimulus funding toward a long-awaited US high-speed rail system. more info |
| Slowdown in Warming Linked to Water Vapor The study, appearing in the journal Science, points out that the concentration of water vapor in the stratosphere has dropped about 10% in the past decade, triggered by unexplained cooler temperatures at certain high altitudes above the tropics. The study concludes that in the last decade the decline in water vapor slowed the rate of rising temperatures by about 25%, thus partly negating the heat-trapping effect of increasing greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane. more info |
| High school students to compete in Hurricane Bowl in Ocean Springs High school students and teachers with a strong interest in marine science soon will compete in an annual regional ocean sciences bowl. About 2,000 students from more than 300 high schools in Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Florida and Tennessee will participate. more info |
| Breathing life into wetlands The destruction of environmentally sensitive wetlands during one of the most recent and largest residential construction projects on Galveston Island galvanized Alice Anne O'Donell. She is one of a half dozen members of a Galveston Recovery Committee subcommittee that helped shape a proposed city wetlands ordinance, the latest flash point between pro-development and property rights advocates and those seeking to preserve what remains of the island's natural environment. more info |
| e-Sci for All Students with an interest in nature can attend environmentally themed classes from kindergarten through graduation in the Lafayette Parish School System’s environmental science academies. more info |
| Manatee deaths from cold a record A record 77 manatees have died statewide from cold stress through Jan. 23. The previous record of 56 was set last year. The cold has killed eight manatees in Lee County. more info |
| Research Recommends Diversified Water Portfolios for Urban Water Planning The current study is looking at how diversifying a water portfolio influences costs in the Lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas. Their research found that cities there that purchased only permanent right saw costs around $13 million, and that they often end up needing to buy more water when drought occurs. Other cities using a mix of permanent rights, options and leases spent only $10 million a year and increased their use efficiency. Computer modeling of their suggested water portfolio diversification against the worst drought in the Lower Rio Grande Valley showed significant savings and avoided shortages. more info |
| Seagrass Comeback: a Race Against Time and Boat Propellers One of the dangers to ocean coastlines is due to loss of seagrass meadows. This results in a loss of fish and marine life habitat, a decrease in food supply and eliminates some of the ocean's carbon storage, among other problems that lead to global warming. Polluted water kills seagrass and loss of seagrass leads to lousy water quality. Then there's the trenches ripped by grounded boats and propellers in a patchwork of scars. How can we stop the destruction of this key and fragile ecosytem more info |
| Gulf of Mexico Disaster Response Center NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco was on hand today to mark the start of construction on NOAA’s Gulf of Mexico Disaster Response Center in Mobile, Ala. The facility will be the regional home to the agency’s Office of Response and Restoration - the NOAA organization charged with responding to oil spills, hazardous material releases, and marine debris. more info |
| Picture This: NOAA, Google Join Forces to Visualize Scientific Data NOAA’s Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research and Google have signed a cooperative research and development agreement outlining how they will work together to create state-of-the-art visualizations of scientific data to illustrate how our planet works. more info |
| Port Arthur Tanker Crash-Oil Spill As much as 450,000 gallons of crude oil may have spilled at the Port of Port Arthur when two vessels collided Saturday, a U.S. Coast Guard official said, but the amount that leaked was in dispute. more info |
| USF Study Shows First Direct Evidence of Ocean Acidification The implications for sea life and the world’s food web are serious, Byrne said. When seawater becomes more acidic, lower concentrations of carbonate result. Because the protective shells of sea organisms are made of calcium and carbonate, more acidic waters make it more difficult for many organisms to make their shells and thrive. more info |
| Studies Predict Fewer but Stronger Hurricanes While the Science paper looked at hurricane activity and strength, the second paper looked at an entirely different question. Much of a hurricane's destructive power comes not from winds or rain but from the bulge of seawater it pushes ahead of it and crashes into shore. If sea level rises, these so-called storm surges become more damaging. In order to put a dollar figure on how much more damaging, a group of scientists looked at climate models, hurricane databases and so-called catastrophe models that evaluate the potential destruction of storms in specific places. Then the researchers wove the information together to project what hurricane-driven storm surges might cost Americans 20 years from now. Read more: http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1955838,00.html#ixzz0de7j0ldi more info |
| Geoscientists Drill Deepest Hole in Ocean Crust For eight weeks beginning in November 2009, off the coast of New Zealand, an international team of 34 scientists and 92 support staff and crew on board the scientific drilling vessel JOIDES Resolution (JR) were at work investigating sea-level change in a region called the Canterbury Basin. It proved to be a record-breaking trip for the research team. more info |
| NOAA may prohibit Navy sonar testing at marine mammal 'hot spots' "The big question now," he added, "is whether the Obama administration has the will to actually bring about a proper balance between national security and environmental protection." more info |
| 'Living driveway' adds a natural look With environmental concerns becoming a priority, grass in the driveway is making a comeback. This time around, it's high fashion. more info |
| Rare sea turtle saved from cold on Dauphin Island With 37-degree water pouring into the bay from the Mobile River during January's big chill, a small, critically endangered Kemp's Ridley sea turtle washed ashore on Dauphin Island. more info |
| NOAA Gives Navy Marine Mammal Protection Measures NOAA’s Fisheries Service has issued regulations and a letter of authorization to the U.S. Navy that includes measures to protect marine mammals while conducting naval exercises off the Gulf of Mexico coast. The regulations require the Navy to implement measures designed to protect and minimize effects to marine mammals. more info |
| Beach renourishment debate enters another decade One of the biggest objections to the proposed Fort Myers Beach nourishment project is that nourished beaches don’t last forever. more info |
| Florida Nonprofits Received Nearly $1.9 Million in 2009 From the Verizon Foundation •The Florida Aquarium, Tampa -- $24,500 to support SEAS (Science Education at Sea), a multipronged approach to promote excellence in science education. The grant provides K-12 teachers with increased content knowledge and dynamic curriculum, and also enhances the classroom experience. The project includes one-day workshops on marine science (60 teachers total); a week-long summer institute for elementary teachers on marine sciences, with an emphasis on fieldwork; and an integration of Thinkfinity's resources into Aquarium programs for more than 500 teachers. The curriculum focuses on the Florida water story and incorporates the learning objectives of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT). The elementary, middle and high school teachers are able to participate at no cost to them or to their school districts. more info |
| The socioeconomic costs of ocean acidification “We’re working on ways to put a dollar value on the potential losses that could occur due to ocean acidification, so we can go to policy-makers and say, ‘It’s going to cost X many dollars in lost jobs and lost fishing revenues, but if we do Y money’s worth of planning now, we’ll be in good shape,’ ” she said. more info |
| Coastal conservation group set for raffle Tickets now are available for the Brazoria County Chapter of the Coastal Conservation Association 2010 banquet boat raffle. more info |
| Coastal restoration effort moves into higher gear Embarking on its 20th year of building small to moderate-sized coastal restoration projects, the Breaux Act Task Force on Wednesday added four new projects to its list of 144 active projects and moved five more from design into construction. more info |
| Isle de Jean Charles Indians fight over heritage As Isle de Jean Charles slowly disintegrates into the Gulf of Mexico, residents have struggled with the decision to stay or go. Each incoming hurricane rips roofs off of homes and peels families that are unwilling or unable to rebuild away from the ancestral homeland. The ongoing diaspora has forced the leaders of the community to figure out a way to maintain both a community and an identity for the Native Americans that inhabit the island. more info |
| Lecture on shifts in ecosystems The University of Iowa Museum of Natural History will begin its spring semester UI Explorers Lecture Series at 7 p.m. today with a free presentation by Nandita Basu titled "Exploring Emergent Hydrologic and Biogeochemical Patterns in Catchments Across Scales." more info |
| Red grouper revealed to be an architect of the ocean floor The study was led by Felicia C. Coleman, who is director of Florida State University's Coastal and Marine Laboratory. According to Dr. Coleman, “the red grouper's sandy architecture is a monument to the interconnectedness of species and the vital role such connections play in the structural and functional diversity of the ocean.” Further, Dr. Coleman suggests the structures the red groupers create attract beneficial parasitic species, as well as a variety of prey species for the red grouper. more info |
| Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council to Meet in Mobile, Alabama A report on the Gulf of Mexico Alliance Activities will be presented from 1:45 – 2:15, followed by Public testimony. Testimony will be accepted on Exempted Fishing Permits (if any) and a Final Regulatory Amendment for Reef Fish Total Allowable Catch. The Council will also hold an open public comment session to give members of the public an opportunity to address the Council on fishery issues that may not be on the agenda. Open public comment will be taken immediately following public testimony until 4:15 p.m. Comment cards must be completed before the start of public testimony. more info |
| Attending Special Conservation Meeting Could Be Worth Your Time Federal officials hope that improving the conservation ethic within the watersheds feeding the Mississippi River Basin will cut down on the amount of sediments and nutrients that reach the Gulf of Mexico each year. For many years, environmentalists have warned about the dangers of what's called hypoxia. In layman's terms, it's a condition whereby waters have more nutrients than desired, and a shortage of oxygen develops, affecting aquatic life within the watershed. Some claim that nutrients, particularly nitrogen, entering in tributaries in the Midwest and northern reaches of the Mississippi Basin contribute to the problem. Meetings are slated for Thursday, Jan 21 at the Wabash REMC in Wabash and Tuesday, Jan 26 at the Bartholomew County Extension Office in Columbus. Both meetings are slated to run form 9 a.m. to noon EST more info |
| Boardwalks to provide new looks for beaches Contractors started work on the $375,000 boardwalk projects last week. Both are part of Sarasota County's economic stimulus program of fast-track projects funded with the 1 percent sales surtax. more info |
| Navy Helps Release Sea Turtles Another 60 sea turtles are back in the Gulf of Mexico thanks to Naval Support Activity's Naval Surface Warfare program at Panama City Beach. more info |
| Fish: Health Benefits and Dangers In conclusion, if you are a health-conscious pescatarian or fish lover, it is essential to keep up with the changing seafood recommendations, sustainable seafood sources and shifting seafood restaurants with catches of day near you. more info |
| Sea turtles returned to gulf After nearly a week at Florida’s Gulfarium, 80 green sea turtles were returned to Gulf of Mexico on Friday. more info |
| Hi-Tech, Satellite-Controlled Robot 'Gliders' to Scour Ocean Depths Up to 3,280 Ft The payload of the two-metre-long yellow diving robots consists of modern electronics, sensors and high-performance batteries. With these devices the marine scientists can collect selective measurements from the ocean interior while staying ashore themselves. Moreover, the gliders not only transmit the data in real time, but they can be reached by the scientists via satellite telephone and programmed with new mission parameters. more info |
| NOAA Satellites Help Rescue 195 People in 2009 NOAA’s fleet of satellites played a vital role in the rescues of 195 people during life-threatening situations throughout the United States and its surrounding waters in 2009. In each incident, NOAA satellites pinpointed these downed pilots, shipwrecked mariners, or stranded hikers by detecting a distress signal from an emergency beacon and relaying the information to first responders on the ground. more info |
| Gordon Pass dredging project underway A big dig is underway at boaters’ main access point to Naples Bay from the Gulf of Mexico. more info |
| Protecting Clean Water from Nutrient Pollution – New Standard in Florida Excess phosphorus and nitrogen is a leading cause of pollution of streams and rivers nationwide. This sort of nutrient pollution comes from a variety of sources but in many cases is unregulated and leads to major problems like the Dead Zone in the Gulf of Mexico. Global warming will intensify the effect of nutrients in many places as warmer water will enhance algal blooms that cause such dead zones. more info |
| Texas State Aquarium cares for sea turtles stunned by cold weather Nine sea turtles rescued from the cold along the Gulf of Mexico have died as dozens of others are cared for at the Texas State Aquarium and a rehab site. more info |
| Cold Kills More Than 100 Birds Biologists with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are investigating the deaths of at least 100 birds. more info |
| Coral Reefs Breed New Species, Fossil Record Shows A new study out this week highlights the role that coral reefs play in evolution, adding another reason to preserve these delicate, diverse, and often beautiful ecosystems. more info |
| New Method of Measuring Ocean Carbon Dioxide Uptake An international team of scientists led by the University of East Anglia (UEA) has developed a new method of measuring the absorption of CO2 by the oceans and mapped for the first time CO2 uptake for the entire North Atlantic. more info |
| Lake O floodgates open to recharge Gulf Coast estuary The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will open floodgates on western side of Lake Okeechobee to release enough lake water into the Caloosahatchee Estuary over the next 11 days to keep the estuary healthy, officials said. more info |
| 9 rescued turtles die after Texas cold snap Nine sea turtles rescued from the cold along the Gulf of Mexico have died as dozens of others are cared for at the Texas State Aquarium and a rehab site. more info |
| Series of freezing days kills fish across Florida Fish are taking a beating, especially species more suited to tropical water temperatures, said Gary Morse, spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. more info |
| 'Rare' Microbes Await Their Turn for Domination Hydrothermal vents are some of the most peculiar structures in the world today, in the sense that they are the last places you'd expect to find life in. However, this is almost always the case. Naturally, no larger, more complex creature could withstand the heat and the harsh chemicals that are emitted from the oceanic crust, but microbes thrive in this environment. In fact, they even create complex structures that can reach towering heights. Inside these mega-colonies, countless types of the microorganisms, some common, and some more exotic, live together. more info |
| Register for Science Day At Putnam by Friday Science Day is from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Putnam Museum and IMAX Theater, Davenport. Students will learn about food webs in oceanic and Mississippi River ecosystems, do hands-on, take-home activities, tour exhibit halls including Ocean Experience featuring live aquatic specimens and see the IMAX film “Wild Ocean.” more info |
| Gulf observation system has a full year of data The credible data that is collected comes from satellites, tide gauges, ocean buoys, fishermen reports and other sources. Often, the information collected on water levels, salinity, temperatures, winds and waves isn’t compatible. That’s because there has long been a need for specialized research in the Gulf of Mexico, but the demand for a more holistic approach, along with big-picture data, is only just beginning to peak. This demand was also the catalyst to the new Integrated Ocean Observing System, which mariners, coastal managers, universities and the general public can now access for free. more info |
| Wave energy demonstration pumps being built Fabrication has begun on the large pumps that will become a wave energy demonstration off the Bryan Beach coastline, and Texas Natural Resources LLC officials expect the pilot project to come online by Earth Day. more info |
| Everglades Coalition expands its focus After the extremely wet years of 2004 and 2005, the Caloosahatchee River estuary suffered massive algal blooms caused by excess nutrients, the result of releases from Okeechobee and runoff from the land between the lake and the Gulf of Mexico. more info |
| State's birthplace is home to diverse flocks It's fair to say that the bird-rich state of Texas was founded in of one of the most bird-rich areas of the country, the Columbia Bottomlands. more info |
| County must seize this golden opportunity for a beach park Time is running out for county government to give its people a sparkling beach while visitors are crammed blanket-to-towel when the bitter winter winds drive tourists to our sunny shores. This precious gift is in the heart of the Fort Myers Beach business district. more info |
| THE FUTURE OF FISHERIES? Petro said he’s possibly six months away from securing the many state and federal approvals he needs for his fish pen, a below-surface 1,000-foot diameter net surrounding an artificial reef two to three miles off-shore in the Gulf of Mexico in 60- to 70-foot depths. more info |
| Weather puts big chill on Fla. tourism The cold snap has put a major chill on Florida's biggest industry, as tourists are staying away in droves, business owners say. more info |
| Seawall repairs should be done by April Repairs to the hurricane-damaged seawall and rock groins should be finished by April 1 — more than 18 months after Hurricane Ike struck Galveston, officials with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said. more info |
| Fla.'s big chill: Manatees huddle, turtles stunned More than 200 manatees are wintering in a balmy canal outside a power plant, the latest exotic Florida animals seeking refuge from the state's frigid temperatures. more info |
| Why We Find It So Hard to Act Against Climate Change It should be easy to deal with climate change. There is a strong scientific consensus supported by very sound data; consensus across much of the religious and political spectrum and among businesses including the largest corporations in the world. The vast majority of people claim to be concerned. The targets are challenging, but they are achievable with existing technologies, and there would be plentiful profits and employment available for those who took up the challenge. more info |
| Oceans forum set Thursday in Naples A Florida Ocean Forum is planned for 7 p.m. Thursday at the La Playa Beach and Golf Resort in North Naples. more info |
| The geyser fields of Florida As the good citizens of Gulf Blvd ate their way through the holidays, there was a great assembly of 34 dolphins in John’s Pass doing the same thing. Their gathering was clearly about food this time, which is not always the case, as hordes of mysterious foodstuffs were swept from the Gulf of Mexico into the Intercoastal waters. more info |
| Lizzy the Leatherback returned to Gulf A rare leatherback turtle rescued in Southwest Florida slid from a boat into 66 feet of Gulf water Thursday, surfaced a couple of times for some good deep breaths and kept on going. more info |
| The cold is stressing them out The waters in the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic coast have gotten so cold, sea turtles are washing ashore, paralyzed by cold they are not used to. more info |
| State puts central sewer for island on hold Blitch said he allocated funds for the groundwater testing from a grant to ANERR by the Gulf of Mexico Alliance, a partnership of the states of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, that seeks to enhance the ecological and economic health of the Gulf. more info |
| Dead fish provoke alert around Gulf of Mexico Mexican officials issued a vigilance alert Tuesday after thousands of dead fish washed up on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Investigators were studying the fish to determine the cause of the deaths, said Aurora Parissi, director of Veracruz state public health laboratory. more info |
| MMS study probes mystery of loop current Dr. Lugo-Fernandez noted that a method to transmit significant energy in the form of heat to deep water in the GOM during the 2005 hurricane season was observed during this study. As sea levels rise near the center of tropical storms, the resulting higher pressure causes a small but measurable increase in temperature at all water depths. He explained that "Simply due to the large number of storm occurrences within the GOM, these findings represent an important process for transmitting energy to the deepwater." more info |
| Government forecaster to give earlier storm alerts The Miami-based hurricane center said the earlier watches and warnings for tropical storms and hurricanes would give the public and operators of oil rig platforms in the Gulf of Mexico more time to prepare for adverse weather conditions. more info |
| A Tale of Two Flagella They are the best of beings; they are the worst of beings. They are animals; they are plants. They are saviors; they are killers. They are predators; they are parasites. They are, in short, dinoflagellates — a large, diverse and eccentric group of (usually) single-celled organisms that are as celebrated as they are feared. And I hereby nominate them for Life-form of the Month: January. more info |
| Farmers fear fallout from film, activists Using flashbacks, they recall the herbicides and fertilizer they applied to that plot. They set off downstream to see what happens after chemicals run off the fields. Along the way, the filmmakers stop at a nitrate-removal plant in Des Moines that cleans the water for drinking. At the Gulf, a shrimper tells them that pollution from Iowa cornfields is partly to blame for reducing his catch. more info |
| Blessing of the Fleet brings hope for Tarpon Springs spongers The Blessing of the Fleet, which is part of this week's 104th Epiphany celebration, is said to keep sponge boats, fishermen and their crews safe while they are at sea. The blessing is also to help the sea merchants have prosperous journeys. more info |
| Can we save the Gulf of Mexico? There exist regional models of ocean governance that hold great potential to achieve the stated goals of a national ocean policy. The Gulf States Alliance is one such model that has been emulated in other coastal regions and is the ideal means to both craft and implement national policies into regionally effective ones. more info |
| Wildlife drama plays out on pristine Panhandle island The federal biologist came across the scene a few years ago in the Florida Panhandle, on an island where antlered creatures five times bigger than native deer spend their days munching lily pads — until they are devoured by a top predator once declared extinct. more info |
| 10 exciting ways to explore and experience the Gulf Coast in ’10 How can I experience the Gulf Coast in a new or exciting way? more info |
| Tarpon sets sights on first Manatee Celebration Day Tarpon Springs will pay homage to the gentle marine mammals who seek the warmer waters of Spring Bayou each winter during its first Manatee Celebration Day. more info |
| Scientists discover and capture images and video of erupting deep sea volcano An impressive display of the earth’s power was witnessed by scientists 4,000 feet below the surface of the Pacific Ocean. Scientists discovered the deepest erupting volcano yet and aided by the extreme pressure at that depth, they were able to send a remote controlled submersible within feet of it as it erupted. more info |
| Earth Top 10: No. 4 - Katrina & Hurricane Science Does global warming mean more Katrinas? This question spawned several new investigations into a line of research that was first suggested by MIT meteorologist Kerry Emanuel in a study published a month before Katrina. His data showed an increase in the strength of North Atlantic hurricanes in the past 30 years. more info |
| Bill banning use of offshore platforms for fish farms could affect Gulf aquaculture Many consider the presence of 4,000 such platforms the Gulf's primary advantage as an aquaculture destination. Proponents have touted them as perfect workstations, providing a place to secure fish cages, quarter crewmembers, and store fish food and medications. more info |
| Protect Florida's fish Florida's signature fish, red snapper, has been overharvested for years in the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. Grouper hasn't fared a whole lot better. But recent changes to the law governing federal fisheries have had the salutary effect of improving at least the red snapper's recovery. more info |
| $3M grant to help rebuild decimated coastal reefs When the former menhaden fishing vessel the Great Wicomico settled to the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico last month 13 miles south of Horn Island, it became part of an effort to rebuild Mississippi's artificial reefs devastated during Hurricane Katrina. more info |
| Hurricane Grants Target Gulf Marine, Rail The U.S. Commerce Department is sending grant money to port and rail projects in states around the Gulf of Mexico to help the region’s recovery efforts from two hurricanes in 2008. more info |
| Bill Gates backs 'Salter Sink,' an attempt to tame hurricanes Called the Salter Sink, the professor has designed a floating structure of used tires (to reduce cost) about the size of a football field. The giant raft would support a thin plastic tube 200 meters in length that would suck up cooler waters from deep in the ocean, mix it with the warm surface waters and, theoretically, lower the temperature of the ocean surface. more info |
| Chilly dip in Gulf $18K-plus for charity It was the second Shamrock Shiver Charity Plunge at noon on the first day of the year. Clancy’s Irish Pub and Grill, 6218 Cortez Road, organized the benefit for Caring for Children Charities. more info |
| Audubon Society considers allowing oil and gas drilling at sanctuary in Vermilion Parish But preservation efforts by groups such as Audubon have been no match for coastal erosion: Louisiana loses as much as 35 square miles of wetlands each year, an environmental crisis caused largely by the leveeing of the Mississippi River and the dredging of navigation canals to reach the state's bubbling oilfields and ports. That is why Audubon is considering a measure that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago: opening the sanctuary to oil and gas drilling. Profits would be used to pay for marsh restoration, multimillion-dollar land-building projects that Audubon cannot now afford. more info |
| Tropicalia Wildfile: Pink meanie jellyfish In September 2008, 30 miles off Sanibel, documentary filmmaker Pat Clyne of Key West and two The News-Press divers made the first documented observation of pink meanies in Southwest Florida waters - Clyne's video of the event appeared on dozens of newspaper and TV Web sites across the country. more info |
| Man on 5,000-mile kayak adventure encounters hardships Stachovak, 34, is going down the Mississippi River to New Orleans, plans to go east across the Gulf of Mexico, paddle around the Florida peninsula, then up the east coast to New York City where he will paddle canals to Lake Ontario, then follow the Great Lakes to Green Bay and return to his starting point. more info |
| Hundreds plunge in Gulf of Mexico for New Year's Polar Bear Dip About 1,500 people gathered at the edge of the Gulf at noon Friday for the 26th annual Polar Bear Dip at the Flora-Bama Lounge on the Alabama-Florida state line. more info |
| Panama Canal expansion plan has Gulf ports racing for potential new business With the recession showing signs of ebbing, Gulf of Mexico ports hope hundreds of millions of dollars in expansion projects proposed before the downturn will help them capture more trade as the world economy recovers. more info |
| North Deer Island Partners honored by presidential award On Dec. 2 the North Deer Island Protection Team received the Coastal America Partnership Award—the only environmental award of its kind given by the President of the United States—for their efforts to protect the most important colonial water bird rookery on the upper Texas coast: North Deer Island. more info |
| Family Interactive Center gets thumbs up from Pascagoula parents, students Glass' 9-year-old son, Johnovan Glass, however, was impressed with the wetlands room, where children can wear a life jacket and hop inside a boat, or they can stay on dry land and camp out in a tent. more info |
| Mary C. director reports year of growth Event highlights included a mass field trip for students to attend a puppet show at the center, prominent independent films, repeat performances from a world-class Irish band, the Saturday Art Market on the grounds and a week-long arts and science camp with field trips, which was free to 100 students. more info |
| The octopus: One of Earth's smartest Octopuses are so smart they tip-toe around awkwardly on the ocean floor hoarding coconut shells to later build themselves a fort to defend themselves from predators, a new Australian study has found. more info |
| Obama's Oceans Policy Emphasizes Science The new report lays out how regional planning bodies would develop and implement so-called “marine spatial plans” using an ecosystem-based approach that considers cumulative impacts. Nancy Sutley, who chairs the task force and the White House Council on Environmental Quality, said at a press conference yesterday that all the regional bodies should have the planning process in place within 5 years. NOC would review these plans and also try to resolve disputes between users. more info |
| Why is Crystal River green? Not so long ago, the fresh water estuary, where fish cast shadows onto pristine light-colored sand below, was aptly named for its six mile run to the Gulf of Mexico. Today, however, the water is neither “crystal” nor the flow anything like a “river,” more like a thick brownish dark green soup with slow moving floating algae. more info |
| Governors of Ala., Ga., Fla. predict water pact The governors of Georgia, Alabama and Florida predict that they will have a solution to their three-state water sharing dispute before they leave office in one year. Emerging from a private meeting Tuesday that lasted nearly two hours, they provided no details on what a solution might look like. But they all expressed optimism that after nearly two decades, a solution can be found. more info |
| Zoning the Ocean May Help Endangered Whales to Recover Scientists in Scotland, Canada and the US have proposed a new method to identify priority areas for whale conservation. The team's findings, published in Animal Conservation, suggest that even small protected areas, identified through feeding behaviour, can benefit highly mobile marine predators such as killer whales. more info |
| Report tells of ‘Intracoastal’ waterway project With no railroads or highways to move people and merchandise, early residents of coastal parishes like Terrebonne found ways to use natural waterways for transportation. more info |
| Alabama's environmental chief Trey Glenn resigns Trey Glenn today resigned as director of the Alabama Department of Environmental Management. more info |
| Drainage project targets large laterals, not neighborhoods The main county drain that carries floodwater to the Gulf of Mexico is just 2.5 miles north of the Delta. more info |
| Lawsuit over whooping crane deaths Texas has had a drought since 2007 and increased water removal, authorized by the TCEQ, has resulted in less fresh water and higher salinity levels, TAP claims. A lack of fresh water flowing into the bay where whooping cranes live means higher levels of salt water from the Gulf of Mexico. The high salinity levels mean blue crabs – the whooping cranes’ major food source – did not reproduce, leaving the cranes without food for much of the winter season. TAP wants a water management plan determining new priorities for water usage, setting flow standards and accounting for all water uses and needs in the basin. more info |
| Water Wars: Governors of Three States Meet Tuesday afternoon, Crist met with Alabama Gov. Bob Riley and Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue in Montgomery to discuss the 18-year water wars among the states. more info |
| Adaptable crabs lose a clubber, grow a pincher With strict fishery management, the crustaceans have managed to stay vibrant in the Gulf of Mexico despite consistently being pound-for-pound one of the most lucrative catches in Florida. Stone crabs are one of the few crustaceans from which the part we eat happens to be a part that naturally regenerates. more info |
| Red tide prompts warning for dogs Authorities are telling visitors to South Padre Island and other area beaches to keep their dogs out of the water. more info |
| Senate Climate Road Map Caters to Nuclear, Offshore Drilling Proponents Graham has said the senators should examine drilling provisions endorsed by the bipartisan "Gang of 10" -- which later grew to 20 -- last year. That plan called for shrinking the no-leasing buffer in the eastern Gulf of Mexico to 50 miles. It would also allow drilling greater than 50 miles off the coasts of Virginia, North and South Carolina, and Georgia if those states allowed it (E&E Daily, Oct. 9). more info |
| Jindal:?‘We don't need studies, we need... a partnership' In a move that marked a shift in statewide levee politics, Gov. Bobby Jindal and a wide-ranging consortium of local officials held a conference to tout recent and future coastal restoration efforts, and asked the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to expedite the stalled Morganza-to-the-Gulf levee system. more info |
| Local officials address key issues with Legislative Delegation Legislators were asked to consider a variety of issues at a meeting at Edison State College, from opposing unfunded state mandates in a tight budget year to protecting local waterways by standing against offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico more info |
| For oystermen, more summer harvest restrictions Heil stressed the new rules are a work in progress, still subject to final approval by state officials, and have nothing to do with the recent Food and Drug Administration actions to mandate, and then postpone, post-harvest processing of raw half-shell oysters from May to October. more info |
| New Standards, Designs For Protecting Coastal Houses From Storms Among the ideas being floated are a national building code, public grants to update older homes, and improved designs that can make homes more weather-resistant. more info |
| Student artwork featured in 2010 Coastal Resources calendar More than 1,600 students from Baldwin and Mobile county schools recently participated in the 7th annual Marine Resources calendar art contest held by the Marine Resources Division of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. more info |
| Treasure Island tries to calm hoteliers sick of weeds, rats City and state officials were scheduled to meet Tuesday in an attempt to head off a threatened lawsuit by beachfront hotel and motel owners who say poor beach maintenance is ruining their business. more info |
| Five facts about the Port of Houston The Port of Houston Authority operates the port's public facilities, including eight cargo terminals, and maintains the 50-mile (80-km) ship channel that connects the fourth-biggest U.S. city to the Gulf of Mexico and global markets for trade. The port is one of the largest industrial complexes in the nation and home to over 150 companies, including oil refineries, chemical plants and grain elevators. more info |
| Indian village in La. holds out against storms, rising sea, pleas to move inland The road to the island is caving in. Hurricanes are flooding homes more often. The Gulf gets closer every year. Isle de Jean Charles is at risk of disappearing under the Gulf of Mexico. more info |
| Sea shells beyond the sea shore The oceans are an integral part of Earth's carbon cycle, essential to moving carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into the rocks. Shell-builders are themselves an important part of the cycle. When they die, they sink to the bottom, “pumping” carbon far from the atmosphere, down into the depths. If shell-builders fail to thrive, the surface bottleneck will grow more intense, and surface waters will grow more acidic yet. more info |
| Gulf of Mexico Red Snapper Recovering A recent scientific update on Gulf of Mexico red snapper shows that fishermen may be able to catch more fish next year. This news shows that when fishermen follow management measures based on science, they lead to rebuilding of fish populations and increased opportunities to fish. more info |
| New Discoveries Could Improve Climate Projections New discoveries about the deep ocean’s temperature variability and circulation system could help improve projections of future climate conditions. more info |
| NOAA Spending Bill Orders New Study of National Climate Service The omnibus appropriations bill up for a vote today in the House directs the federal government to take another look at how it should organize a planned new National Climate Service. more info |
| GE wins $1.4 billion wind farm contract Of course, that comment depends on how you decide to calculate what constitutes a single farm and whether it matters if the wind farm is on land or in the ocean. In July, for example, Texas announced plans to host two 750-megawatt offshore wind farms in the Gulf of Mexico. more info |
| Climate change bill gets on a bipartisan path Senators negotiating a bipartisan climate change bill on Thursday unveiled the broad outlines of their plan to combine greenhouse gas limits with expanded offshore drilling, more nuclear power and protections for refiners in a bid to attract support from wary lawmakers. more info |
| Student Editorial Contest-Oil drilling off FL's Coast Florida is known for its stunning beaches and coastal attractions. However, some people think that it would be a good idea to drill for oil off its coast. This would put Florida's human population and marine species in danger. Both humans and animals are an important part of this world. Currently, discussions are being held to see whether offshore oil drilling should or should not be allowed. Oil drilling, off Florida's coast, should not be allowed. more info |
| Commerce Secretary tells Copenhagen audience the oil economy is over The world’s petroleum-based economy belongs to the past, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said here Friday. more info |
| Feds hope strategy boosts Gulf fishing The federal push for catch shares arises from concerns that traditional methods, including seasonal limits and buyouts of fishing boats, have brought only marginal recovery of fish stocks. More than 20 percent of U.S. fisheries have not been rebuilt, despite a mandate from Congress three years ago to end overfishing of all species by 2011. more info |
| HRI leadership in Gulf of Mexico regional governance The Harte Research Institute has taken a strong leadership role within GOMA. HRI's Executive Director Dr. Larry McKinney serves as the state lead to the Ecosystems Integration and Assessment (EIA) PIT. Several of HRI's Endowed Chairs including Dr. James Gibeaut, Dr. Paul Montagna, Dr. David Yoskowitz and more info |
| Public seashore possible for Lafourche A plan to open a 14-mile stretch of coast from Fourchon Beach to Grand Isle as a recreational site will go before the top state coastal board today for consideration. more info |
| LSU ichthyologist discovers new species of fish, grabs a grant "As soon as I started working here, I got on the first available research vessel that was going out to the gulf, and that turned out to be the R-V Pelican with the LUMCON Consortium that's part of the Louisiana state systems with a series of research vessels. So I went out with them. Just comparing what we knew about the variation of the fish from the gulf, we realized that it was pretty consistent. There was not one species of Pancake Batfish but three." more info |
| FDA Puts Raw Gulf Oysters Back on Summer Menus Federal officials announced Friday they would put an indefinite hold on a proposed ban on the sale of raw oysters harvested during the summer from the Gulf of Mexico. more info |
| Is Alabama the EPA's next target? A comparison of Maryland and Alabama shows very similar patterns of compliance with NPDES obligations. Neither state has filed an Approved Biosolids (Sludge) Program. Both states have met the 90% investigation regulation set in 1998. more info |
| New NOAA effort to connect agency with its customers The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Extension, Outreach and Education (EOE) Pilot Program officially began in October with the hiring of three project team members. more info |
| Losing Nemo: Is there time to save the seas? “Unless there’s a very major turnaround, carbon dioxide emissions will lead to utter destruction of reefs by mid-century at least,” he says. “I’m no Ancient Mariner. I’m just putting forward an amalgamation of all the best science on the planet. Coral reefs will be the first planetary ecosystem to go. There’s no doubt about this. Nothing is going to protect the Great Barrier Reef and others against the levels of CO2 being discussed.” more info |
| Obama scientist sees strong consensus on climate * Obama science aides defend climate change research * Hacked e-mails seized upon by global warming skeptics * Key Republican decries 'scientific fascism' more info |
| Ocean's CO2 Uptake is Not Constant Data gathered by cargo ships plying the North Atlantic between 2002 and 2007 show that the ability of surface waters there to sop up CO2 varies considerably but somewhat predictably from year to year. The finding may help scientists better estimate the future rate at which the planet-warming gas will build up in the atmosphere. more info |
| Marine Census Photo This undated photo released by Census of Marine Life and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution shows a transparent sea cucumber, Enypniastes, creeping forward on its many tentacles at about 2 cm per minute while sweeping detritus-rich sediment into its mouth at 2,750 meters in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. more info |
| Katrina was a natural disaster, made worse by man Katrina left us in doubt, exposing the fallacy that with technology and tenacity, we can anticipate and meet every contingency. If the storm taught us anything, it’s that nature, like evil, can never really be tamed. more info |
| Gulf State Park Pier all the way back Anyone who has witnessed a tropical storm of any variety along the Gulf Coast realizes the potential for destruction. Now imagine jutting 1,540 feet into the Gulf of Mexico and the impact on the Gulf State Park Pier when Ida came ashore on Nov. 9. more info |
| Local elected officials urge opposition to drilling in gulf In an effort to counter proposals to allow oil and gas drilling as close as three miles from shore, Manatee County commissioners have written a letter opposing drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, officials said. more info |
| Federal regulators say Gulf red snapper fishery on the rebound Federal officials said a new red snapper assessment suggests that overfishing in the Gulf of Mexico has ended ahead of a 2010 deadline. more info |
| Shark Fins Traced to Their Geographic Origin for First Time Using DNA Tools Millions of shark fins are sold at market each year to satisfy the demand for shark fin soup, a Chinese delicacy, but it has been impossible to pinpoint which sharks from which regions are most threatened by this trade. Now, groundbreaking new DNA research has, for the first time, traced scalloped hammerhead shark fins from the burgeoning Hong Kong market all the way back to the sharks' geographic origin. In some cases the fins were found to come from endangered populations thousands of miles away. more info |
| Manatees return to TECO center Snouts are already popping up in the waters near Tampa Electric Co.'s Manatee Viewing Center as winter approaches. more info |
| Feeling the Magic “She,” of course, is the Gulf of Mexico, with all her creeks, bays, rivers and tributaries. Few waterways on the planet can compete with the beauty and diversity of our personal section, from the pristine barrier islands anchored by Sanibel and Captiva to the north, and the mysterious Ten Thousand Islands that begin at Marco Island to the south. more info |
| ENVIRONMENT: New Pirate of the Caribbean Invades from Pacific The red lionfish (Pterois volitans), a venomous coral reef fish from the Indian and western Pacific Oceans, has invaded the waters of the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico, threatening to wreak havoc on ecosystems, native fish populations and popular underwater diving areas. more info |
| Manatee makes its suggestions for legislation The county opposes oil and gas drilling in state waters of the Gulf of Mexico. more info |
| High court hears Florida beach dispute The Supreme Court is weighing whether owners of beachfront homes in Florida must be compensated because a beach-widening project cost them their exclusive access to the Gulf of Mexico. more info |
| Deep-sea census aims to catalogue the abundant life 200 metres below The team of scientists from countries including Russia, Brazil, South Africa, the United States and Uruguay have made more than 210 expeditions over the past decade to remote undersea spots all over the world. more info |
| It's been rough, but give thanks for what we have outside in Tampa Bay It's easy to get discouraged these days. The economy is in shambles, unemployment is high, and there is even a new movie out that says civilization as we know it will end on Dec. 21, 2012. Makes you want to crawl under a rock and hide. Not this guy. When I look around, I see many things to be thankful for. more info |
| Streamlining commission suggesting coastal changes A special task force charged with saving the state money and restructuring government services has approved recommendations that could change the way coastal activities are carried out in future years. more info |
| It can be costly to push growth over environment That's how the Growth Machine works. Ignoring environmental warnings and promising great economic rewards, a small number of speculators push projects that usually don't help the economy and that, in the most severe cases, can actually destroy lives, costing billions of dollars. more info |
| Dead Fish and Gluttony The ecosystem in the Mississippi Delta is a lot like me at Thanksgiving, according to Nancy Rabalais, executive director of the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium. Granted, that wasn't the exact analogy she used when I saw her speak at the 2009 Nobel Conference at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minn. But the comparison is apt. Rabalais studies the effects of nitrogen and phosphorus on the Delta's aquatic life. more info |
| Will other coastal communities share Leeville's fate? For nearly a century, the homes and businesses between Golden Meadow and Fourchon have disappeared one by one, victims of sinking land, surging surf and the occasional hurricane. more info |
| Rebuilding reefs On March 24, the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources in Biloxi joined forces with the Mississippi Gulf Fishing Banks to sink a 176-foot vessel donated by Omega Protein to enhance Fish Haven 13, located 13 miles south of Horn Island in federal water. more info |
| The other battle of New Orleans November 23, 2009: Last week a federal district Court ruled that the Army Corps of Engineers was liable for some of the catastrophic flooding in New Orleans in August 2005 from Hurricane Katrina. The ruling against the Corps is based on its apparent failure to properly maintain a shipping channel linking New Orleans to the Gulf of Mexico. more info |
| County and town thankful for award The town of Magnolia Springs and the Baldwin County Commission have received a first-place finish in the multi-national "Gulf Guardian Award" contest for restoring the deteriorated waterway, which runs into the Magnolia River. more info |
| South Padre: Red tide waning Friday morning the city cleaned the beach, and although more dead fish, primarily mullet, continued to wash up, the red tide seemed to have left the air. more info |
| U.S. Supreme Court digs into Florida beach case Florida's beaches - the blindingly white shores of the Panhandle, the bikini-dotted sands of South Beach - are the state's signature attraction. more info |
| Panther wins against cabbage palm If you like your conservation efforts served with a nice dusting of irony, consider what’s happening at the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge near Naples, Fla. Workers there are about to start tearing down dense stands of the official Florida state tree, the cabbage palm, in order to benefit the official state animal, the endangered Florida panther, that lives in the refuge. more info |
| Photography Exhibit Showcases Vanishing Landscapes of the Louisiana Coast The Port of New Orleans (www.portno.com) will host an exhibit “The End of the Great River: Photographs of the Lower Mississippi River Delta” on December 1st through 18th featuring the work of New Orleans-based photographer Matthew White. Sponsored in part by Plaquemines Parish Economic Development, the exhibit is being held in conjunction with PhotoNOLA, an annual showcase of photography in New Orleans. The exhibit is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm in the lobby of the administrative building at the Port of New Orleans. A reception will be held on December 10, 2009 from 4:00 to 6:00 pm. more info |
| Hurricanes have helped artificial reef program The Louisiana Artificial Reef Program began in 1986 to make better use of the aging infrastructure used to pump fuel from the Gulf of Mexico. Resembling decks hovering over the water, offshore production platforms are held aloft by tons of metal pipes that stretch sometimes hundreds of miles below the surface. Fish and other aquatic life are drawn to the structures, called jackets, which over time become covered in algae and other plant growth. more info |
| Oyster taste test Having been acquainted with the political perils of trying to tell Louisianans how to eat, the Food and Drug Administration shelved its plans to ban the sale of raw, untreated Gulf of Mexico oysters during the warm months. But the prospect of having to make do with pasteurized oysters for half the year remains, and the furor that accompanied news that such a thing was even being considered left me wondering how terrible this really would be, culinarily speaking. more info |
| Corps could be helping rebuild coast Louisiana officials on Monday asked the secretary of the federal Department of Commerce to mediate the state's dispute with the Army Corps of Engineers over the agency's failure to use most of the sediment it dredges from the lower Mississippi River each year to rebuild wetlands. Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Chairman Garret Graves warned that limiting the use of the 60 million tons or more of dredged sediment for rebuilding wetlands seems to parallel the corps' mismanagement of the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet -- which a federal judge last week held directly responsible for flood damage in St. Bernard Parish and the Lower 9th Ward after Hurricane Katrina. more info |
| Scientists find 17,650 species between below ocean’s edge of darkness Scientists have found petroleum-feasting worms, primitive animals that flap their ears to swim and other strange, new creatures dwelling in the deepest part of the ocean. more info |
| Pros, cons debated for levee Effective planning of a southeast Louisiana hurricane protection system will require a balance between protecting people from flooding while protecting the coastal ecosystem from harm, a coastal official said Wednesday. more info |
| Gas storage won't harm seas species Regarding your recent article about gas storage on Cote Blanche Island, Henry Gas Storage has considered very carefully key features of its proposal to develop gas storage capacity in salt caverns on the island with the goal of minimizing the impact on the environment and the community while benefiting the business community. more info |
| Judge Rules in Favor of Homeowners Impacted by Hurricane Katrina Yesterday, a federal judge ruled in favor of Hurricane Katrina victims who claimed much of the worst flood damage was a result of negligence by the Army Corps of Engineers, an important victory for many of those impacted by the storm. The case was the first to find the government responsible for damages from the storm. more info |
| Plan to fill in Rollover Pass proceeding The Texas General Land Office next week is expected to submit its application to fill in Rollover Pass, the waterway that cuts through the Bolivar Peninsula from the Gulf of Mexico to Galveston Bay. more info |
| Texas plant won't burn Mexican hazardous materials Veolia Environmental Services' industrial incinerator in Port Arthur — which gained national attention in 2007 for importing and burning waste from a military nerve agent — was seeking an exemption to a federal rule prohibiting the import of the chemical waste. The company has been in the application process to burn imported polychlorinated byphenyls, or PCBs, since 2006. more info |
| Offshore Oil Drilling Debate Renewed in Senate Hearing “Claims that oil and gas development have had little effect on marine life in the Gulf of Mexico ring rather hollow because we do not have the information to compare the ecosystems over time and determine how exactly they have changed,” contended Short. “Decisions about development should be guided by a plan that prioritizes marine ecosystems and the services they provide.” more info |
| Judge: Katrina Flooding Due to Corps Negligence Federal Trial more info |
| County gets funding for artificial reef Matagorda County was recently listed as a recipient for federal funding of artificial reef designed to enhance marine life in the Gulf of Mexico. more info |
| Volunteers post ‘No Dumping’ signs on storm drains A brigade of more than 40 men, women and children fanned out one Saturday earlier this month on a storm drain mission for the environment. more info |
| Brown pelicans are holding their own Part of the success story here is Gaillard Island, a 1,300-acre island established in 1979 using spoil dredged to build the Theodore Ship Channel. The island was completed in 1981, and four brown pelicans were found nesting there just two years later. It marked one of the first such sightings along the Alabama coast in decades. more info |
| EPA keeping close eye on Louisiana, new chief Lisa Jackson says in N.O. "I think there are enormous opportunities in reconnecting Americans with the importance of clean water and a regulatory structure that's all about clean water," she said. more info |
| Change of mind: FDA won't ban Gulf oysters Facing fierce resistance, the Obama administration on Friday backed off a plan to ban sales of raw oysters from the Gulf of Mexico during warm-weather months. more info |
| Environmental connection: An editorial Ms. Jackson, who was in New Orleans Tuesday for a national brownfields conference, can speak with some authority on how people in this region think. She's a native New Orleanian who happened to be here visiting family as the storm approached in 2005, and on this matter, her observation is on target. Coastal wetlands loss has been a concern for many years, but that concern is not theoretical. Everyone who lives along our battered coast has experienced our increased vulnerability to storm surge because of the loss of our natural buffers. more info |
| Seagrass beds grow along Gulf coastline Seagrass in the 820 square miles of coastline between the Anclote River and Levy County appears to be holding its own, despite increasing pollution coming from springs and rivers. more info |
| Dirty beaches?: Geology, not drilling, causes the difference Louisiana and Texas are another matter. Most of their sands came from the U.S. heartland via the mighty, and muddy, Mississippi River. Their sands were washed from the gooey brown clay that is the Mississippi Delta. The Delta sticks out into the Gulf of Mexico, effectively blocking any westward transport of the Appalachian sand that makes the west Florida beaches white. more info |
| Hatchery-raised fish tagged and released into Bay St. Louis waters Metal tags, not much larger than a speck of dust, were implanted into one sea-trout at a time Thursday by workers at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory. more info |
| Why “Organic” Fertilizers are Not the Solution to the Dead Zone Over time, soil microbes convert those more complex forms into exactly the same nitrate ion that comes from a synthetic fertilizer - the nitrate that plants can use (and which can become a pollutant of the water or atmosphere). The problem is that the conversion process does not match the crop demand. To achieve good yields, Organic growers need to apply very high amounts of total nitrogen so that enough is available when the crop needs it. Much of this nitrogen continues to be turned into nitrate well after the crop is using it and so it is well documented that this form of fertilization leads to water pollution issues. more info |
| GulfQuest a stimulus for Mobile ON THE surface, a historic recession might not seem like the best time to start building a multimillion-dollar museum. But now is exactly the time to get the financing in place and get GulfQuest — the National Maritime Museum of the Gulf of Mexico — out of the ground. more info |
| Padre Island National Seashore: Wintering Grounds For Sandhill Cranes While Padre Island National Seashore doesn’t overflow with college students in spring as does its neighbor, South Padre Island, the national seashore nevertheless is a popular gathering spot for awkward-looking visitors. From November to early spring, the seashore becomes a temporary home to sandhill cranes more info |
| Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium Developing 5 Year Caribbean Conservation Plan Mote Marine Laboratory researchers joined Cuban, Mexican and U.S. colleagues to craft a five-year plan for marine science and conservation in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea at a recent workshop in Cuba, setting the stage for long-term marine research collaborations among all three nations. more info |
| Morristown native to helm research vessel The 39-year-old has assumed command of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ship Pisces, a new fisheries survey vessel that will travel the Gulf of Mexico, studying water quality and marine life such as shrimp, red snapper and flounder to monitor the health of marine protected areas. more info |
| Besieged in the Bayou, Shrimpers Fight Back For the past decade, the local shrimp industry has battled a rising tide of crustaceans imported from Thailand, Indonesia, Ecuador and elsewhere. The imports have pushed down wholesale prices for the largest domestic shrimp to about $1 a pound, the lowest level in decades. more info |
| Mexico Plans Big Gulf Tourism Center Near Texas The Fonatur agency that also created Cancun says its new Costa Lora development should eventually have 20,000 rooms for guests and create 115,000 jobs. It's based in the municipality of Soto la Marina, roughly 100 miles (160 kilometers) south of Brownsville, Texas. more info |
| FDA Bows To Pressure From Fans Of Raw Oysters Facing political pressure from the Gulf Coast oyster industry, the FDA has backed off a plan to require raw oysters from the Gulf of Mexico to be treated to rid them of Vibrio vulnificus, a potentially deadly bacteria found in warm-water oysters. Harvesters and politicians had warned that the plan could devastate the industry. more info |
| Investment in ecosystems will reap rewards: UNEP Nations that take into account natural resources in their investment strategies will have higher rates of return and stronger economies, a report backed by the United Nations' Environment Programme said on Friday. more info |
| Blueways and greenbacks One of the best examples is the Alabama Scenic River Trail, which originates in North Georgia and moves along the Coosa River south through Alabama to the Gulf of Mexico. Billed as the nation's longest one-state river trail, the nearly 2-year-old 630-mile blueway winds its way across nine lakes, through wildlife preserves and steep stone cliffs to the secluded creeks of the Delta region to the eastern shore of Mobile Bay and historic Fort Morgan. more info |
| Mississippi sees "catastrophic" crop losses Rain from Tropical Storm Ida further slowed the cotton, soybean and sweet potato harvest in Mississippi, where crop losses were devastating even before the storm hit, a state agriculture official said on Thursday. more info |
| EPA Cracking Down on Urban and Agricultural Runoff Blamed for Dead Zones The plan allows states to continue programs that have worked, but also holds them accountable for reducing nutrient pollution and sets up possible sanctions if they fail. In light of the slow pace of cleanup efforts thus far, it would usher in what EPA senior Chesapeake adviser J. Charles Fox has called “a new era of federal leadership” in those efforts. Congress is also currently considering bills to reauthorize the Chesapeake Bay and Gulf of Mexico Programs of the Clean Water Act. more info |
| Erosion, collapsing community concern Texas Ongoing concerns over erosion in the beachfront town of Surfside Beach intensified this week after the eleventh home in fourteen months was swallowed by the Gulf of Mexico. more info |
| Pelicans off threatened list THE brown pelican, once ''decimated'' by pesticide spraying, has been removed from the US list of endangered species. more info |
| Sediment in the Gulf of Mexico Seen from Space Clouds of sediment clouded the Gulf of Mexico on November 10, 2009, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this photo-like image. more info |
| Science Project Idea-Hurricanes Wanna do a REALLY COOL science fair project this year? Look no further than Mother Nature herself - she's been known to have some pretty bad days! This Amazing Natural Disaster project includes facts and info about hurricanes (aka cyclones or typhoons) and the science behind them, an experiment you can do yourself and helpful suggestions for other things to research, make, draw, create and include in your project! more info |
| "Students Saving the Ocean" Documentary "Students Saving the Ocean" is a documentary based on the book "50 Ways to Save the Ocean", written by David Helvarg, who is working with Outhink Media and UC Santa Barbara on promoting the DigitalOcean Network. "Students Saving the Ocean" highlights several chapters from Mr. Helvarg`s book, and is narrated by Bay Area students, aquarium officials and members of local and global organizations that are focused on the health of the bay and oceans, including the Bay Institute, California Academy of Science, and Environmental Justice for Bayview Hunters Point.A trailer for "Students Saving the Ocean" can be viewed at www.savetheocean.info/. more info |
| Hurricane Ida : Warmer oceans could mean longer hurricane seasons While global average air temperatures have leveled off since the warming peak in 1998, scientists have shown that a major contributing factor is that the oceans are absorbing much of the heat. In fact, 2009 is the hottest year on record for earth's oceans since scientists began keeping records nearly 130 years ago. more info |
| As oceans fall ill, Washington bureaucrats squabble In recommending the creation of a National Ocean Council, the White House task force noted the web of federal, state, tribal, local and international regulations and interests and found a need for "high-level direction and guidance from a clearly designated and identifiable authority." more info |
| Oceans face acid test As world leaders prepare for the UN's climate change conference in December, members of the InterAcademy Panel have warned ocean acidification must be on the agenda. McNeil warns global warming could even impair the ocean's ability to helpfully soak up CO2, leading to even more global warming. more info |
| House Ocean Caucus sponsors briefing on chemicals of concern in coastal waters, Nov. 17 This panel brings together leading NOAA scientists and community leaders to discuss research and monitoring of chemicals of concern that enter our coastal waters through run-off, discharge, and other means. With roughly 85,000 chemicals in commercial use in the United States, scientists face major challenges in trying to identify how pervasive these chemicals are in our waters or the potential health impacts they pose to marine wildlife and people. more info |
| Swarm of Autonomous Robots to Patrol Oceans In an effort to plug gaps in knowledge about key ocean processes, the National Science Foundation (NSF)'s division of ocean sciences has awarded nearly $1 million to scientists at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, Calif. The Scripps marine scientists will develop a new breed of ocean-probing instruments. Jules Jaffe and Peter Franks will spearhead an effort to design and deploy autonomous underwater explorers, or AUEs. AUEs will trace the fine details of oceanographic processes vital to tiny marine inhabitants. more info |
| Ocean 'dead zones' hard to predict Scientists have identified more than 400 “dead zones” in coastal areas of oceans around the world, but the phenomena remain unpredictable. more info |
| NCGA Pushes For Responsible & Responsive Watershed Legislation The Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Water and Wildlife held a hearing to consider legislation affecting the Chesapeake Bay and Gulf of Mexico S. 1816 would give expanded authority to EPA to regulate non-point source pollution in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. S. 1311 would establish a new watershed program for the Mississippi River Basin specifically to address nutrient loading and hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico. more info |
| Marine Scientists to Investigate Effect of Gulf Of Mexico 'Dead Zone' on Fish Populations Whether a large area of low oxygen water called the "dead zone" in the northern Gulf of Mexico could cause declines in environmentally and economically important fish populations is the subject of a new study by University of Texas at Austin marine scientist Peter Thomas. more info |
| Health Department warns against recreation in inland water bodies The Escambia County Health Department has issued health alerts for all inland swimming and water recreational areas in Escambia County, except those located on the Gulf of Mexico. more info |
| Proposed oyster regulations bring FDA, Gulf Coast lawmakers to closed-door session Federal regulators and Gulf Coast lawmakers said they'll keep talking following a closed-door meeting Tuesday over a bitterly contested plan to reduce the threat posed by the oyster-borne bacteria Vibrio vulnificus. more info |
| Gulf pier damaged by Ida The longest fishing pier on the Gulf of Mexico will be closed indefinitely after being damaged by waves from Tropical Storm Ida. more info |
| New fish found off Terrebonne’s coast ARTICLES Home > News Enlarge TextEmailPrintReprintCommentsShare You must fill in all fields WITH PHOTONO PHOTO FACEBOOKYahoo! Buzz YAHOONEWSVINEDEL.ICIO.US New fish found off Terrebonne’s coast Courtesy of Prosanta Chakrabarty Buy photo An LSU biologist believes he found a new species of pancake batfish off Terrebonne Parish. Jeremy Alford Capitol Correspondent Published: Thursday, November 5, 2009 at 12:26 p.m. Last Modified: Thursday, November 5, 2009 at 12:26 p.m. BATON ROUGE — When your parents told you there are plenty of fish in the sea, they knew what they were talking about. Related Links:Agriculture- and seafood-marketing program could boost fresh sales Effort aims to remove marine debris from local waterways Exotic shrimp species could threaten local waterways Black tigers invading Louisiana waters Just ask Prosanta Chakrabarty, a Louisiana State University biologist who has discovered what could be two new species of fish living seven miles off the coast of Terrebonne Parish. The new species are likely a variation of what’s known as pancake batfish, a tiny creature that goes largely unnoticed because it’s a bottom dweller and way too small for any angler to hook. Like the pancake batfish, this creature uses its fins to wobble around the ocean floor. It also sports a wide, rounded head and a long nose that can shoot out a small lure used to entice other critters near its mouth, but biologists are still learning exactly how it works. Chakrabarty’s samples are only a couple of inches long and can easily fit inside the hole created by touching thumb to index finger. “Not many fish are cute, but this one is,” he said. “It’s a fascinating species.” The species don’t have names yet. That comes early next year when Chakrabarty publishes his findings. The names will be revealed in print and officially recognized at that time, said John H. Caruso, a deep-sea biologist at Tulane University. Caruso, along with others, has been reviewing Chakrabarty’s work. Caruso said he has known for a couple of decades that there had to be different pancake batfish, but the “probability is high” that Chakrabarty is going to name a new species said Caruso, who has discovered eight fish species on his own in different parts of the world. The two Gulf species were found when Chakrabarty and a Taiwanese colleague, Hsuan-ching “Hans” Ho, looked through jars of batfish at the LSU Museum of Natural Sciences. Chakrabarty had been curator of ichthyology — the branch of zoology that deals with the scientific study of fish — for about a year when he realized that some fish categorized as pancake batfish were probably unique. “We realized that what was thought to be one widespread variable species was in fact three species,” Chakrabarty said. Chakrabarty, 30, made contact with officials at the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium in Cocodrie and hitched a ride on The Pelican, a 116-foot research vessel. Trawling just seven miles off Terrebonne Parish’s coast, Chakrabarty collected fresh specimens of what he believes to be the new species. For folks like Chakrabarty, it doesn’t get much better than that. “Most people in Louisiana probably don’t know that there are new species of fish right here in our state,” he said. Still, the discovery is not exactly a novelty, Caruso said, since such announcements are regularly made. But it does shed further light on just how much more there is to learn, he added. “Especially in the deeper waters,” Caruso said. “That’s where we’re really going to be unearthing exciting finds.” There’s no commercial value associated with the find. Aquarium lovers aren’t fans, and they are of little interest to anglers. Nonetheless, Chakrabarty said that it serves as a reminder that as well as Louisianans think they know the Gulf, there’s always something new waiting to be found. “The Gulf of Mexico is chocked full of things that need to be studied,” he said. “It’s pretty exciting. I’ve never lived anywhere with so much opportunity.” more info |
| Caribbean, Gulf spared widespread coral damage Lower-than-feared sea temperatures this summer gave a break to fragile coral reefs across the Caribbean and the central Gulf of Mexico that were damaged in recent years, scientists said Thursday. more info |
| La. lawmakers to meet with FDA over proposed oyster ban Louisiana members of Congress plan to meet Tuesday with FDA officials in hopes of persuading them to scrap a proposed ban on untreated Gulf of Mexico oysters during summer months. more info |
| Local coastal advocate receives regional award Longtime coastal advocate and director of the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program Kerry St. Pé will be honored with a 2009 Gulf Guardian Award for his decades of efforts fighting for south Louisiana. more info |
| Green Ink: Gas Glut, Climate Fights, and Black Liquor For what it’s worth, there’s a consensus among economists that global warming presents economic risks and that cap-and-trade is a good solution, at Green Inc. more info |
| FWC recognized at regional awards ceremony The Gulf of Mexico Program honored staff from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) at the Gulf Guardian Awards Thursday in Biloxi, Miss. Three FWC staff members received recognition for their outstanding conservation-oriented work. more info |
| Voters approve open-beaches amendment Texans voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to make the public’s right to free beach access part of the state constitution. more info |
| Stormwater drainage pipes on Naples beach may be here to stay The city of Naples has been unable to come up with a viable plan for removing stormwater drainage pipes that empty into the Gulf of Mexico. more info |
| Floods following days of rain force evacuation of 44,000 people along Mexico's Gulf Coast Tabasco state Gov. Andres Granier says several rivers jumped their banks, flooding homes in more than 90 communities. The federal government declared a state of emergency and troops were helping rescue people Tuesday. more info |
| Ship to be commissioned Friday; lab also will be dedicated Senior NOAA officials will commission NOAA Ship Pisces, the agency’s newest and most advanced fisheries survey vessel, and dedicate the agency’s new fisheries laboratory in Pascagoula on Friday. more info |
| Hurricane center is changing its storm advisories Officials at the National Hurricane Center say they're making their tropical storm advisories easier to read. more info |
| Pascagoula Officials to See Beach Construction Pascagoula officials are expected to visit a site Monday where sand is being pumped in along the Gulf of Mexico to build a new beach. more info |
| The real damage to our ocean, sea and gulf ecosystems Planning and managing the development and use of ocean resources is critical for our future. By developing an ocean-management plan, the state will have a blueprint for smarter and more responsible uses of our oceans and coasts. more info |
| Science Museum of Minnesota wins 'Gulf Guardian' award Never mind that the Science Museum of Minnesota is more than 1,000 miles from the Gulf of Mexico. It will be honored this week for helping to improve the Gulf’s environmental health. The museum has won a first-place award in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s “Gulf Guardian” program. more info |
| FSU, Duke partner to study impact of Gulf's 'dead zone' A team of researchers from The Florida State University, Duke University and the National Marine Fisheries Service will study the environmental and economic impacts of the vast "dead zone" in the northern Gulf of Mexico on shrimping in the region, home to one of the nation's most highly valued single-species fisheries. more info |
| MMS Approves $1 Million Grant for Louisiana Shoreline Protection The Interior Department’s Minerals Management Service (MMS) recently awarded a $1 million grant to Calcasieu Parish in Louisiana through the Coastal Impact Assistance Program (CIAP), for a shoreline protection project at the parish’s Intracoastal Park. more info |
| LUMCON, others getting $12M for dead zone research A team of scientists from the LUMCON marine-research center in Cocodrie and the University of Michigan are to get $766,600 this year and $4 million over the entire period to create computer models that can forecast the size and location of the "hypoxic" area. more info |
| Common ground, out at sea That appears to be the logic behind a growing partnership between scientists in the U.S., Cuba, and Mexico working on a multinational plan to protect the gulf’s underwater ecosystems. This week, a delegation of about 30 U.S. researchers and ocean advocates have been in Havana for meetings with their Cuban and Mexican counterparts, and trip organizers said they’re aiming to create a regional protection strategy that all three countries would enforce. more info |
| Floundering numbers lead to lower daily limits Clock arms weren't the only thing government mandated be dialed back as Nov. 1 arrived. As of today, and continuing throughout the month, Texas saltwater anglers are required to subtract three flounder from their possible daily bag limit. more info |
| NOAA Awards $2.4 Million to Refine Management Strategies for the Dead Zone Scientists researching the causes and impacts of the dead zone in the northern Gulf of Mexico have been awarded more than $2.4 million for the first year of an anticipated $12 million multi-year NOAA research investment. A total of five projects are funded through NOAA's Northern Gulf of Mexico Ecosystems and Hypoxia Assessment Program which supports coastal science research in support of the interagency Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force’s Action Plan. more info |
| Mississippi diary: Dead zone Only from above do you get an impression of the scale of man’s impact. Less than 70 kilometres from the Gulf of Mexico, huge plants flank the banks - there are vast chemical, gas and steel works, all making use of Mississippi water. more info |
| Moderate earthquake shakes Mexico's Gulf coast A 5.4 magnitude earthquake struck off Mexico's Gulf Coast on Thursday, shaking buildings in the coastal capital of Veracruz but there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries, public safety officials said. "At present we have no news of any damage," said a spokeswoman for the Veracruz state civil defense office. more info |
| Cargo ship leaks oil in Gulf of Mexico A hole in the hull of a cargo ship near the Mississippi River near Louisiana caused a 12,000-gallon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the U.S. Coast Guard said. more info |
| Oyster Ban Signals New Focus on Prevention Those 15 deaths are enough for the Food and Drug Administration to announce this month that starting in 2011, it will ban the sale of oysters harvested between April and October from the Gulf of Mexico that have not been treated -- essentially pasteurized -- to rid them of the vibrio bacteria. more info |
| Fishing Boat Sunk by Giant Jellyfish "Jellies have likely swum and swarmed in our seas for over 600 million years," says "jellyologist" Monty Graham of the Dauphin Island Sea Lab in Alabama. "When conditions are right, jelly swarms can form quickly. They appear to do this for sexual reproduction." more info |
| Marine scientists from around the world meet in Biloxi Marine scientists and researchers from around the world are meeting in Biloxi this week. More than 1,300 are attending the Oceans '09 conference at the coliseum convention center. more info |
| New program to help nature guide businesses “When I looked at the steady growth of businesses and what was going on here, I had many questions come to mind as to how we can make sure that future generations can enjoy these opportunities without endangering the wildlife,” McDonough said. “It is vital for the sake of our natural resources and coastal economies that tour operators lead by example and adopt and encourage behaviors that contribute to the sustainability of the Gulf Coast region’s natural ecosystems and resources.” more info |
| Plants Restore Galveston Bay Galveston Bay Foundation's "Get Hip to Habitat" Program featured on KIAH News Channel more info |
| Launch of New Campaign uses Power in Numbers to Oppose Off Shore Drilling The battle over off-shore oil and gas drilling in the Gulf is escalating. Citizens and business owners have kicked-off a new campaign called "Hands Across the Sand”. The group wants to let state legislators know they're against any changes to the current drilling regulations. more info |
| Student Studies Take a Dive ... to the Bottom of the Sea The 10-day research trip, which was sponsored by the National Science Foundation, included Thornhill's research cohorts from Auburn University, two Bowdoin students, and 11 graduate and undergraduate Auburn students. What they saw was exactly what his professor, Dan Thornhill, was hoping for: a thicket of annelid tubeworms growing along the muddy ocean floor. The Bowdoin Doherty Marine Biology Postdoctoral Scholar had brought Hatleberg to this exact spot off the coast of Louisiana in search of a lowly worm. more info |
| Oysters from Gulf of Mexico could be banned Raw oysters which are harvested from the Gulf of Mexico are in danger of getting banned by the FDA. Each year, about 15 people die from raw oysters infected with Vibrio vulnificus, a type of deadly bacteria typically found in warm coastal waters between April and October. The deaths caused by Vibrio vulnificus usually occur among people whose immune systems are weak. This low immune system could have been caused by liver or kidney disease, cancer, diabetes, or AIDS. more info |
| Expert to Discuss Phosphorus Impact on Dead Zone Richardson’s lecture, “Phosphorus Biogeochemistry and Wetland Function: The State of Our Understanding,” will translate phosphorus biogeochemistry research into realistic management techniques to improve wetland ecosystems while sustaining ecological functions of the landscape. It will be held Tuesday Nov. 3, from 9:55 to 11:00 am in the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Room 321. more info |
| Next step in vetting Florida offshore-drilling plan Just as oil companies drill down into the Earth with progressively narrower sections of pipe, both opponents and proponents of offshore rigs in Florida waters are steadily sharpening their arguments as they search for a payoff in public support. Tonight, pro- and anti-drilling forces will converge on the public television station in Tallahassee for a forum that will pit a panel of rig supporters against a panel of beach defenders. At issue is a proposal by state Rep. Dean Cannon, R- Winter Park to lift a ban on drilling in the state's portion of the Gulf of Mexico — extending from the edge of the beach to about 10 miles out — to generate cash, jobs and added petroleum. more info |
| U.S and Cuban scientists plan joint Gulf research The plan of action calls for shared projects to track marine animals and to study such things as the effects of pollutants and climate change on coral reefs. more info |
| Green? It's a family affair As the holiday season approaches, it is a good time to examine household energy use and create new ways to reduce our energy footprints. more info |
| LSU group studies Gulf for storm forecasting A team of researchers at LSU is studying how areas of cool water in the Gulf of Mexico affect hurricane energy and how that information could be used in forecasting storm intensity in the future. more info |
| Sea Turtle Nesting Numbers not looking good The past 10 years have seen a dramatic decline in turtle nests in Southwest Florida. In 1998, 1,098 sea turtle nests were reported in Collier County between May 1 and Oct. 31, Southwest Florida’s sea turtle nesting season. Through September 21 of this year, 510 nests were recorded in Collier County, according to the Collier County Parks and Recreation Web site. That’s down from last year’s total of 694 nests. more info |
| Scuba diving teens help researchers Morgan Liston popped up from below the Gulf of Mexico's shimmering surface and made a declaration. "This is actually a really good reef," Liston, a 17-year-old senior at Palm Harbor University High School, said from behind a diving mask. "It has nine different species of coral." more info |
| Cruising undersea - virtually From aboard a 200-foot research vessel in the Gulf of Mexico, GK-12 fellow Kira Triebergs posted her answer online. She listed squid, dolphins, a gigantic sea urchin with 9-inch spines, sea cucumbers, and a huge deep-sea black coral that is more than 2,000 years old, as some of her most interesting discoveries. more info |
| Scientists to study pollution in Rio Grande Federal scientists, environmentalists and Albuquerque high school students are embarking on a three-year comprehensive study that will catalog pollutants found in the Rio Grande, a major source of water for drinking and irrigation in New Mexico and elsewhere in the Southwest, according to an October 21 Associated Press (AP) report on mysanantonio.com.The Rio Grande originates in southern Colorado, flows south through New Mexico, and then forms the border between Mexico and Texas before emptying into the Gulf of Mexico. more info |
| Trio Kayaks the Mississippi River for Charity They're called team What About Blue? And with each stroke, they're trying to raise awareness about global water issues. more info |
| Multi-state water quality trading effort launched American Farmland Trust is teaming up with Electric Power Research Institute, the Ohio River Valley Sanitation Commission, Duke Energy, American Electric Power, Kieser and Associates, Hunton and Williams, The Miami Conservancy District, University of California at Santa Barbara, Ohio Farm Bureau, Hoosier Rural Electric Cooperative and Tennessee Valley Authority to establish a water quality trading market across the Ohio River Basin, an area that spans 14 states. more info |
| A&M researchers to study Gulf ‘dead zone’ Oceanographer Steve DiMarco of Texas A&M University has been awarded a five-year, $3.7 million grant to try to better predict the size and location of the Gulf of Mexico’s “dead zone.” “This year’s forecast, which did not do a very good job of predicting the actual size of the dead zone, underscores the importance of our research at Texas A&M,” DiMarco said. “Unraveling the complex system of processes that create dead zones will lead us in the direction of better predictions.” more info |
| First phase of new N.O. surge barrier done Contractors have finished the first phase of a massive barrier closing Mr. Go, the canal connecting New Orleans to the Gulf of Mexico. The Mississippi River Gulf Outlet Canal, MR-GO or Mr. Go for short, gave storm surge a shortcut during Hurricane Katrina, spurring calls to block the 44-year-old waterway. Contractors for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completed driving 1,271 140-foot concrete pilings into the mud and clay under Mr. Go, The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune reported Wednesday. more info |
| Obama promises New Orleans he's just getting Started Article can be found by clicking the link. more info |
| Panel: Gulf, river interdependent The health of the Gulf of Mexico depends on, and is interdependent with, the health and management of the Mississippi River Delta and coastal Louisiana, speakers told the federal Ocean Policy Task Force on Monday. Robert Twilley, professor with the department of oceanography and coastal sciences at LSU, said the aggressive loss of wetlands in Louisiana needs to be met with an equally aggressive adaptation of how the river is managed. more info |
| Mote scientists to travel to Cuba Seven scientists from Mote Marine Laboratory are meeting in Havana with Cuban and Mexican counterparts to discuss mutual environme |