Ocean Sentry
The biodiversity of the world is astonishing: scientists predict approximately 450,000 species of land plants exist, though 50,000 have yet to be discovered. In the animal kingdom, 1.9 million species have been identified, but roughly 5 to 11 million species are believed to exist…
May, 2014
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29 May
Mexico: 22,000 room mega-hotel threatens ‘biodiversity hotspot’
The planned 22,000-room hotel development on the Baja Californian coastline threatens not just the future of the coral reef, but also those species and habitats on land. Named ‘Cabo Dorado’, this is the third iteration for a mega-resort on the site…
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29 May
Melting Arctic sea ice opens new passages for invasive species, scientists say
According to a report from the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, researchers say that for the first time in two million years, the north Pacific and north Atlantic oceans have reconnected due to the melting Arctic sea ice. These opened passages now put both coasts and Arctic waters at risk of …
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28 May
Study reveals Hawaii as 3rd largest supplier of wildlife for aquariums
Examining U.S. import documents from 2005, the report revealed a snapshot of the U.S. appetite for reef fish, which accounts for 60% of the wildlife captured worldwide for saltwater aquarium hobbyists and for-profit and non-profit public display aquariums (e.g. Sea World, Disney/Epcot, New England Aquarium, Georgia Aquarium…)…
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26 May
Arctic sea ice littered with tiny bits of ‘microplastic’ pollution
Humans produced nearly 300 million tons of plastic in 2012, but where does it end up? A new study has found plastic debris in a surprising location: trapped in Arctic sea ice. As the ice melts, it could release a flood of floating plastic onto the world…
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20 May
Rate of Antarctic ice loss doubled in recent years, study finds
Antarctic ice is now melting at twice the rate it was in the years leading up to 2011, data from the last three years has shown, suggesting the polar continent will contribute more to global sea level rise than previously thought…
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20 May
Intensive Deep Sea Fish Trawling Is Creating Deserts On The Ocean Bottom: Study
An international study has found chronic bottom trawling removes organic carbon from sea floors and reduces biodiversity by 50 per cent. The results of the study in Spanish waters suggest that continued deep-sea trawling may lead to environmental effects similar to soil erosion on land…
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13 May
West Antarctic ice sheet collapse ‘unstoppable’
Ice is melting in the western Antarctic at an unstoppable pace, say NASA scientists. The discovery holds major consequences for global sea level rise in the coming decades, they warn…
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13 May
Phytoplankton and zooplankton biomass will decrease 6 and 11 percent due to climate change
It is estimated that ocean temperature warming will cause phytoplankton and zooplankton biomass to decrease by 6 percent and 11 percent respectively by the end of the century…
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6 May
The Latest Victims of Climate Change Are Snail Shells
Climate change has claimed its latest victim: Limacina helicina, a planktonic, predatory sea snail that’s a member of the taxonomic group more commonly known as sea butterflies…
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2 May
El aumento de los niveles de CO2 amenaza la cadena alimentaria marina
Según revela una investigación australiana-estadounidense, el aumento de las emisiones de CO2 hará que los peces pierdan su temor a los depredadores, afectando potencialmente a toda la cadena alimentaria.
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2 May
Latest Survey Shows That Our Ocean Floors Are Covered In Garbage
A major new survey of the seafloor has found a shocking amount of litter. This garbage, which consists of bottles, plastic bags, fishing nets, and whatever else you can think of, was found throughout the Mediterranean and reaching all the way to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge — a distance of over …