Oceans

Scientists Find Two Ways That Hurricanes Rapidly Intensify

Scientists Find Two Ways That Hurricanes Rapidly Intensify

Rapidly intensifying hurricanes are some of the most frightening and destructive types of extreme weather. Predicting them has been notoriously difficult for forecasters who have been unable to fully understand why some tropical storms or tropical depressions that seem commonplace can suddenly turn into major hurricanes with devastating winds and deadly storm surges. Now, researchers […]

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    Deepest Known Evidence of Coral Bleaching Discovered in Indian Ocean

    Deepest Known Evidence of Coral Bleaching Discovered in Indian Ocean

    Coral bleaching occurs when stressors such as changes in temperature, nutrients or light cause corals to expel the zooxanthellae algae living in their tissue, turning them white. The most common cause of coral bleaching is warming ocean temperatures due to climate change. Now, a new study by scientists from England’s University of Plymouth has found […]

    The Great Barrier Reef Is Being Polluted Largely by Groundwater, Study Finds

    The Great Barrier Reef Is Being Polluted Largely by Groundwater, Study Finds

    Groundwater is carrying a significant portion of the pollutants coming into the Great Barrier Reef, a recent study has found. According to the study, previously unquantified nitrogen and phosphorus have been discharging into and impacting the reef system, and researchers have now found that groundwater is responsible for about one-third of new nitrogen and two-thirds […]

    Global Heat Record for September ‘Shattered’ by Wide Margin

    Global Heat Record for September ‘Shattered’ by Wide Margin

    Earth’s average temperature has “shattered” the previous record for September by more than 0.9 degrees Fahrenheit, the biggest monthly margin ever recorded. According to separate analyses by climate scientists from Japan and Europe, last month temperatures all over the world were more like July, reported The Washington Post. “It’s astounding to see the previous record […]

    10,000 Wild Oysters Released Onto Human-Made Reef off Coast of England

    10,000 Wild Oysters Released Onto Human-Made Reef off Coast of England

    Oysters are essential for ocean health, filtering and cleaning the water and providing habitat and sustenance. Oyster reefs can also serve as storm and tidal barriers, prevent erosion and protect estuaries. One conservationist group, the UK’s Wild Oysters Project, has released 10,000 native oysters onto a human-made reef off the North East Coast of England […]

    Most Oceans Are Turning Greener, 20-Year Study Finds

    Most Oceans Are Turning Greener, 20-Year Study Finds

    After analyzing 20 years of ocean-color data from satellites, researchers in the UK and the U.S. have found that globally, 56% of oceans are becoming greener. The researchers believe this could be a climate change-driven shift. Researchers used data collected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) from NASA’s Aqua satellite, and reviewed images from […]

    5 of the World’s Most Spectacular National Parks

    5 of the World’s Most Spectacular National Parks

    The best way to experience what our planet was like before modern humans began to dramatically change the landscape is to go where the wilderness is. There are more than 200,000 protected areas across the globe that, as of mid-2021, covered 16.64 percent of the land and 7.74 percent of oceans. These national parks exemplify […]