San Diego, CA–Ahead of World Oceans Day this Wednesday, the City of San Diego is encouraging the public to learn about local coastal waters through a series of videos that describe the diverse work of its Ocean Monitoring Program in studying the effects of regional wastewater treatment processes on the marine environment. The videos look […]
Scientists uncover an additional threat to Antarctica’s floating ice shelves
Irvine, CA–Glaciologists at the University of California, Irvine and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory have examined the dynamics underlying the calving of the Delaware-sized iceberg A68 from Antarctica’s Larsen C ice shelf in July 2017, finding the likely cause to be a thinning of ice melange, a slushy concoction of windblown snow, iceberg debris and frozen […]
Microbes in ocean play important role in moderating Earth’s temperature
(Newswise)–Methane is a strong greenhouse gas that plays a key role in Earth’s climate. Anytime we use natural gas, whether we light up our kitchen stove or barbeque, we are using methane. Only three sources on Earth produce methane naturally: volcanoes, subsurface water-rock interactions, and microbes. Between these three sources, most is generated by microbes, […]
Warm oceans helped first human migration from Asia to North America
(Newswise)–New research reveals significant changes to the circulation of the North Pacific and its impact on the initial migration of humans from Asia to North America. The new international study led by the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of St Andrews and published Dec. 9 in Science Advances provides a new picture of […]
Birch Aquarium O-Fish-Ally opens
LA JOLLA–After three days of member previews, Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego officially reopened to the public. Those returning to the aquarium will notice a number of changes aimed at keeping guests — as well as staff and volunteers — safe and healthy. Guest capacity will be limited during this […]
Cardiff State Beach honored with the Best Restored Beach Award
ENCINITAS–The American Shore and Beach Preservation Association announced May 18 that the Cardiff State Beach Living Shoreline project in Encinitas won the top honor for the 2020 Best Restored Beach Award. By utilizing recovered and imported rock materials, dredged sand from the San Elijo Lagoon inlet and locally sourced coastal plants, this dune creation project […]
NASA, French space laser measures massive migration of ocean animals
Every night, under the cover of darkness, countless small sea creatures – from squid to krill – swim from the ocean depths to near the surface to feed. This vast animal migration – the largest on the planet and a critical part of Earth’s climate system – has been observed globally for the first time […]
New study reveals important yet unprotected global ocean areas
(Newswise)–The largest synthesis of important marine areas conducted to date reveals that a large portion of earth’s oceans are considered important and are good candidates for protection. A first of its kind, the study was conducted by a multidisciplinary team of researchers including Ellen Pikitch, PhD, and Christine Santora of Stony Brook University and Dr. […]
County uses test to check beach water quality
SAN DIEGO–This Labor Day weekend, local beachgoers can feel more confident about frolicking in the ocean, thanks to a couple of enhancements to the County’s beach water testing program. San Diego County’s Department of Environmental Health (DEH) now has a testing tool that allows officials to alert beachgoers faster than ever before when the water […]
County Board Of Supervisors Approve Water Testing Funding
SAN DIEGO–San Diego County’s Board of Supervisors voted Wednesday to authorize the County’s Department of Environmental Health to carry out an agreement with the state for $348,000 to help fund the County’s beach water quality program. The County’s beach water quality program protects residents and visitors year-round by testing and evaluating water conditions for harmful […]