In The News

Nature: Ocean Circulation Is Changing

April 12, 2018
Rising temperatures and melting polar ice influence the system of ocean currents that shift cold water from Greenland. “Since the 1950s, geologists and oceanographers have been gathering convincing evidence that alterations in ocean circulation are a key determinant of climate change,” notes an editorial from Nature, warning that abrupt shifts in the past have resulted in dramatic temperature...

The Balance: Economic Impact of Rising Sea Levels

Kimberly Amadeo April 5, 2018
Sea levels are rising, and 25 percent of the rise since 1880 has occurred during the last two decades. An increase of a few inches may not seem dramatic, but the economic impacts are expected to be immense. “Higher levels will affect the eight of the world's largest cities that are near a coast,” reports Kimberly Amadeo for the Balance. Millions in coastal communities, especially in emerging...

ScienceDaily: Antarctica Retreating Across the Sea Floor

April 3, 2018
The UK Centre for Polar Observation and Modelling at the University of Leeds has produced a map of how the Antarctic ice sheet's submarine edge, or "grounding line," is shifting. “Most Antarctic glaciers flow straight into the ocean in deep submarine troughs, the grounding line is the place where their base leaves the sea floor and begins to float,” explains Science Daily. The map...

Asia Sentinel: Plastics Makers Told to Clean Up Mess

Jed Alegado March 23, 2018
About 75 percent of all the billions of tons of plastics produced is waste that won't break down quickly. Several massive patches, the size of countries, move about in the ocean. The Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, an alliance of more than 800 grassroots organizations from more than 90 countries, questions why governments subsidize oil and plastic production yet do not require...

Diplomat: China-India Chess Match in the Maldives

Sunaina Kumar and Angela Stanzel March 16, 2018
The Maldives have been in a state of emergency since February 6 with an arrest order for a former president and Supreme Court chief justice. “The crisis may appear to be an internal power struggle between the Supreme Court and the government of the South Asian island country, but it has wider geopolitical ramifications, and has spiraled into a power struggle between India and China,” report...

Newcastle Herald: 20,000 “Ravenous” Kingfish Escape and Hit Marine Park

Donna Page and Sam Norris February 4, 2018
Rough seas allowed thousands of predatory kingfish to escape a fish farm north of Newcastle in Australia. Officials worry about the escapees destroying wild fish, especially those in a nearby marine park. “The future of the controversial joint NSW government and Tasmania-based Huon Aquaculture project, which is 18 months into a five-year research trial, is under a cloud following the loss of...

The Ecologist: Leaders Must Look to Pacific Islands to Understand the Need for Building Water Resilience

Mark Fletcher November 15, 2017
Water is among nature’s most destructive forces. “Too little or too much - climate change will be felt most through its impact on the water cycle,” writes Mark Fletcher for the Ecologist. “I'm at COP23 to work with colleagues from around the world to continue to push for water to become an even greater priority. Addressing water issues across the water cycle is key to adapting to climate...