Seahorses seized at Beijing airport
Chinese authorities capture an shipment of freeze-dried seahorses illegally imported from Egypt, apparently brought into Beijing to serve the burgeoning market in traditional medicine. Source: Reuters
Archive for the ‘Marine Environment’ Category
Oil spill coats Florida beaches
The Gulf of Mexico oil spill has coated 3 miles of northern Florida’s coastline in what is the worst impact of the spill there so far. Source: Reuters
Oil finds may threaten Falklands wildlife
Recent oil discoveries in the South Atlantic’s Falkland Islands have experts urging caution before any drilling begins, for fear of harming the region’s rich biodiversity. Source: Reuters
Scientists Assess Impact of Oil Spill
The world’s top scientists and engineers are trying to assess the short and long term environmental impacts of the Gulf oil spill. Clean Skies went to Woods Hole, Massachusetts, where some of the greatest minds in oceanography are studying the disaster to find out what happens when humans blunder in the still mysterious ecosystem of the ocean’s depths. Source: Clean Skies News
Clean-up crews assess Barrier Reef damage
Clean-up crews search Australia’s Great Barrier Reef for traces of fuel oil from the grounded Chinese ship Shen Neng 1 as two senior crew are charged with damaging the reef. Initial reports indicate that navigation errors resulted in the grounding of the ship on Douglas Shoal, part of the Great Barrier Reef about 50 miles north of the port of Gladstone, Queensland. Source: Reuters
Virginia Moving Quickly on Drilling Plan
Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell (R) is counting on revenue from oil and gas drilling off the mid-Atlantic coast, regions just unlocked by President Obama’s announcement, to help fix his state’s roads and fill budget shortfalls. Virginia expects up to $8 billion worth of investment in the state as oil and natural gas companies ramp up to begin exploratory drilling as early as next year. However, doubts remain about the future of the revenue-splitting proposal. Source: Clean Skies News
Secretary Salazar Announces Offshore Wind Plan
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and representatives from six mid-Atlantic states meet in Washington to lay the groundwork for wind development off the East coast. Salazar says he will streamline the permit process for offshore alternative energy. Source: Clean Skies News
Arctic ice melting faster than feared
Canadian experts in arctic oceanography say their latest research voyage on the Amundsen research vessel shows that the Arctic is heating up much faster than expected. Source: CBC News
Arctic Sea Ice status in 2009
NASA climate scientist Tom Wagner provides a look at the state of Arctic sea ice in 2009 and discusses NASA’s role in monitoring the cryosphere in the face of global climate change. Source: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
Whale freed from shark net
A humpback whale caught in a shark control net off an Australian beach is free after a frantic rescue effort. Source: Reuters
