Oceans / Public News Service

The annual value of terrestrial ecosystem services globally, including watersheds that filter and clean drinking water, is estimated to be roughly equivalent to the annual global Gross Domestic Product. (Adobe Stock)

Tuesday, May 24, 2022

State Lawmakers Press Biden to Create National Biodiversity Strategy

More than 350 state lawmakers from across the U.S. are urging President Joe Biden to create a national strategy to protect, restore and secure the …

Connecticut's National Estuarine Research Reserve is expected to provide economic benefits as well. Long Island Sound is responsible for about $9.4 billion annually in economic impact in the region, according to a study. (Adobe Stock)

CT to Commemorate Securing First National Estuarine Research Reserve

Connecticut is celebrating its first estuary reserve, which will help identify environmental threats to waterways and natural resources. …

Seals bring their pups to Coquille Point in Oregon and nurse them on the shore. (David/Adobe Stock)

New Protections Designated for 'Fragile' OR Shoreline Sites

Oregon has added new protections to unique areas along the southern coast teeming with life. The state Land Conservation and Development Commission …

Federal investments in the Pequea Creek Watershed in Lancaster and Chester counties will help keep soils and nutrients from becoming runoff, with such practices as cover crops, no-till farming and riparian buffers. (Brian Gish/Chesapeake Bay Foundation)

Federal Funds Coming to PA for Watershed Restoration

Pennsylvania is receiving more than $3 million in federal funding for watershed restoration projects. Conservation groups said it will help the …

Kelp abundance has dropped by 80% from its peak in Puget Sound. (Gina Lusardi/Adobe Stock)

WA Kelp Decline Bad News Culturally, Environmentally for Northwest

Kelp forests in Puget Sound play an integral role environmentally and culturally, but they're in steep decline. There are more than 20 species of …

A short-finned pilot whale is entangled in a drift gillnet. (NOAA, courtesy of Oceana)

Marine Protections in America COMPETES Act Praised

Marine-conservation groups are celebrating after the U.S. House passed the America COMPETES Act on Friday. The bill primarily boosts semiconductor …

Open windows in the dock house at Bowen's Island look out on the Folly River and surrounding marsh, on Aug. 11, 2021. (Jason Lee)

A Million Acres of ‘Priceless’ Marshes: At Risk from Rising Tides?

By Sammy Fretwell, Adam Wagner and Anita Lee for McClatchy News and The Raleigh News and Observer, with support fromthe Pulitzer Center on Crisis …

Connecticut's National Estuarine Research Reserve is expected to provide economic benefits too. Long Island Sound is responsible for about $9.4 billion annually in economic impact in the<br />region, according to a study. (Adobe Stock) — Connecticut's National Estuarine Research Reserve is expected to provide economic benefits too. Long Island Sound is responsible for about $9.4 billion annually in economic impact in the
region, according to a study. (Adobe Stock)

CT's Estuarine Research Reserve to Focus on Preserving Long Island Sound

Connecticut has secured its first National Estuarine Research Reserve along part of the state's Long Island Sound. Conservationists applaud the news …

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are investigating high numbers of manatee deaths along Florida's Atlantic coast. (Florida Fish and Wildlife/Flickr)

A Christmas Eve Memorial for Florida Manatees

A record number of manatees have died this year, more than a thousand, and conservation groups warn hundreds more will die from starvation and …

The salt marsh at the Marine Corps Air Station at Cherry Point, N.C., is part of the "natural infrastructure" that helps protect the local shoreline. (Lance Cpl. Aliannah Bartok/Wikimedia Commons)

NC Military Bases Use Living Shorelines to Boost Climate Resiliency

JACKSONVILLE, N.C. -- Military facilities in North Carolina are partnering with local coastal communities on natural infrastructure projects to …

Dr. Matt Costa from Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and intern Austin Lupo with WILDCOAST, collect soil samples at Brigantine Basin in Del Mar, Calif., to measure the stored carbon. (WILDCOAST)

Groups Urge CA to Harness Blue Carbon in Climate Strategy

SAN DIEGUITO LAGOO, Calif. - Coastal protection groups are pressing California to prioritize so-called "blue carbon" ecosystems in the fight against …

Experts at The Pew Charitable Trusts say the sounds, shorelines and marshes of North Carolina's coast form one of the largest estuary systems in the country. (Adobe Stock)<br /> — Experts at The Pew Charitable Trusts say the sounds, shorelines and marshes of North Carolina's coast form one of the largest estuary systems in the country. (Adobe Stock)

NC’s Updated Coastal Habitat Plan Focuses on Seagrass, Local Solutions

MOREHEAD CITY, N.C. -- North Carolina's Marine Fisheries Commission has approved an updated version of the state's Coastal Habitat Protection Plan…

Experts estimate the Gulf of Mexico lost between 4 billion and 8 billion oysters due to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and loss of reproduction in ensuing years. Places like Suwannee Sound in Florida and other Gulf states are tapping settlement money to help populations rebound. (macayran/Pixabay)

Settlement Funds from Oil Spill to Help Restore FL Oyster Reefs

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Storm damage, pollution and other factors - some related to climate change - are reducing the oyster population. But settlement …

Environmental advocates say drift gillnet fishing gear is a significant threat to the endangered Pacific leatherback sea turtle. (NOAA)

Report: Fishing Crews Greatly Under-report Endangered Bycatch

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -- California swordfishing crews failed to self-report any of the sea turtles and more than 98% of the marine mammals they …

Galveston Bay will receive settlement funds from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill to build oyster reefs made mostly from limestone, recycled oyster shells or concrete. (ancolek1998/Pixabay)

Deep Horizon Oil Spill Settlement Funds to Help Restore TX Oyster Reefs

HOUSTON -- Storm damage, pollution and other factors, some related to climate change, are reducing the oyster population, but settlement funds from …

Birders place artificial nesting platforms to aid endangered species in the Kendall-Frost Marsh in Mission Bay. (Craig Chaddock)

Report: California Wetlands Help Slow Climate Change

SAN DIEGO -- Ninety percent of California's wetlands are gone, and the movement to restore them has taken on added urgency in light of the climate …

Line 5 is just one of many oil and gas pipelines that environmental groups and Native American tribes contend are threats to sacred and biodiverse waterways. (Oil and Water Don't Mix Coalition)

Groups Urge White House to Support 'Line 5' Shutdown

MACKINAW CITY, Mich. - Environmental groups and tribal communities are asking the Biden administration to stand with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in her …

This, year the theme of Sea Otter Awareness Week is the species' key role in the mosaic of the ecosystem. (Wikimedia Commons)

Groups Push for Progress During Sea Otter Awareness Week

MONTEREY BAY, Calif. - This week, conservation groups are celebrating Sea Otter Awareness Week with online and in-person events across the state…

The Piney Point property has received 22 inches of rain since the start of June, according to the Florida Department of Environmental Protections' motion to request to transfer control of the troubled former phosphate plant from its owners, HRK Holdings. (Pixabay)

Piney Point Pollution Could Overflow with Storms, Hurricanes

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Due to the recent tropical weather systems threatening the region, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is …

The right whale population has decreased by more than 100 animals since 2010. (Stephen Meese/Adobe Stock)

Survey: Widespread Public Support for Protecting Right Whales

BOSTON -- A new survey finds widespread public support up and down the East Coast for protecting right whales from getting tangled up in fishing gear…

Trawl nets are responsible for the majority of fish and shrimp catches worldwide. (Adobe Stock)<br /> — Trawl nets are responsible for the majority of fish and shrimp catches worldwide. (Adobe Stock)

Commission Set to Change Rules on Shrimp Trawling

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission is expected to vote at its August meeting on a new amendment pertaining to shrimp …

Backers of a new initiative say nearly 9 million tons of plastic waste ends up in the world's oceans each year. (Raftography/Sustainable Coastlines)

Measure to Reduce Single-Use Plastic Qualifies for 2022 Ballot

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- A groundbreaking measure to reduce plastic waste has just qualified for the 2022 ballot. The proposal would give companies a …

Coastal Oregon communities like Yaquina Bay are in the process of updating their estuary management plans. (Jessica Miller/Oregon State University)

Eelgrass Research Could Help Guide OR Coastal Management

PORTLAND, Ore. -- A new study finds restoration of eelgrass, an important marine plant, depends mostly on where, rather than how. The findings could …

Virginia's new Coastal Adaptation and Resilience Master Plan is expected to use nature-based solutions, like wetlands restoration, to help absorb the impact of severe storms and flooding. (Adobe Stock)

Virginia Welcomes Public Input on Coastal Flooding Plan

RICHMOND, Va. -- As floods grow worse from sea-level rise and more frequent storms along Virginia's Atlantic coast, the state is encouraging …

It's estimated that sea levels could rise another 18 inches by mid-century in Virginia. (Sarah/Adobe Stock)

Infrastructure Package Must Include Coastal Restoration, Groups Say

RICHMOND, Va. -- Conservation groups are asking Congress to include $10 billion for coastal restoration projects in its infrastructure package…

According to Ocean Defense Initiative, 18 coastal states have already identified more than $6 billion worth of resiliency projects to undertake if they receive funding through the American Jobs Plan. (Adobe Stock)

Environmental Groups Seek Funding for NY Coastal Resilience

NEW YORK -- Environmental groups across the U.S. are asking Congress for money in the next infrastructure package to curb the negative effects of …

A new report looks eelgrass restoration projects on the West Coast, including 14 in Washington state. (Danita Delimont/Adobe Stock)

Report: Vital Seagrass Restoration Needs Real Estate to Thrive

EVERETT, Wash. -- Eelgrass plays a vital role in marine habitats, but along the West Coast, it's disappearing at alarming rates. A new study found …

Florida mangroves' natural ability to curb flooding protected over 626,000 people during Hurricane Irma in 2017, according to a University of California Santa Cruz report. (Adobe Stock)

Groups Say FL Coasts Need Federal Dollars to Mitigate Storm Impacts

TAMPA, Fla. -- Environmental groups are urging federal lawmakers to allocate $10 billion in the upcoming infrastructure package for coastal …

A new study says California's eelgrass beds have been decimated by pollution, dredging, development, sea level rise and other problems. (Kathyrn Beheshti/U.C. Santa Cruz)

Loss of CA Eelgrass Leads to Coastal Erosion, Hurts Marine Life

MISSION BAY, Calif. -- An important part of California's coastal ecosystem, eelgrass, is disappearing, with 90% gone since the 1950s. A report …

On Florida's northwestern Gulf coast, the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve supports 664 jobs and generates $46.4 million, including $15.1 million in labor income. (NOAA/Wikimedia Commons)

Report: Apalachicola, Other Estuarine Reserves Help Power Local Economies

APALACHICOLA, Fla. - A system of little-known public lands protecting sensitive coastal habitats generates significant economic impacts for local …

Conservation groups would like more funding to restore wetlands at the site of the former Hamilton Air Force Base in Novato. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)

Groups Call for $10 Billion to Bolster Shorelines Against Sea-Level Rise

SAN FRANCISCO - Sea levels in California are projected to rise up to 55 inches by the end of the century, so climate advocates are calling on …

Gov. Roy Cooper issued an executive order with an 8,000-megawatt target for offshore wind-energy generation by 2040. (agrarmotive/Adobe Stock)

Groups Say Expanding Offshore Wind Capacity Good for NC Economy

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Groups advocating for clean energy say Gov. Roy Cooper's recent commitment to expand North Carolina's offshore wind capacity will …

Forage fish are small, nutrient-rich species that serve as food for predators like saltwater fish, sharks, coastal birds and marine mammals. (Pexels/Milada Vigerova)

FL Researchers Study Links Between Prey Fish, Predators and Algal Blooms

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- For the most part, if you're a fish, you're either prey or predator, but Florida research is finding the symbiotic relationship …

New College Institute in Martinsville, Va., just started offering wind-turbine safety certification training to meet the need for clean-energy job openings. (Adobe stock)

A Year After Clean Economy Act, VA Sees Renewable Jobs Expand

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- One year after Virginia adopted its Clean Economy Act, workforce development and new jobs in clean energy are booming in the …

Florida's Blue-Green Algae Task Force outlined in 2019, "Increased delivery of nutrients to Florida's water bodies is widely recognized as the primary driver of algal proliferation and subsequent degradation of aquatic ecosystems." (lasaa/Pixabay)

As Toxic Algae, Other Issues Bloom, FL Environmental Secretary Resigns

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Today marks the last day on the job for Florida's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) secretary, who turned in his …

According to a 2017 National Renewable Energy Lab report, North Carolina's coast has more offshore wind potential than any other state along the Atlantic coast. (Adobe Stock)<br /> — According to a 2017 National Renewable Energy Lab report, North Carolina's coast has more offshore wind potential than any other state along the Atlantic coast. (Adobe Stock)

Biden Administration Greenlights Offshore Wind in NC

RALEIGH, N.C. - North Carolina is ramping up plans to lease offshore wind-energy areas to developers, as the Biden administration expresses support …

Rising severe weather patterns are causing more roadways in Maryland to flood, as in Ellicott City in 2016. (Wikimedia Commons)

Report: MD Road Flooding Costs Millions Each Year

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- With another extreme hurricane season about to start, a new study found roadway flooding in Maryland occurs not just on the coast …

This image depicts Piney Point's water management features. This year, a liner in the wastewater pond leaked again, causing Manatee County to declare a state of emergency. (FPWC)

Lawsuit Launched Over Piney Point Wastewater Leak

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Conservation groups say Florida's environmental regulators ignored a decade of warning signs - including advice from the U.S…

The last wild populations of Atlantic salmon in the United States are found in Maine's rivers, and groups say four hydroelectric dams on the Kennebec River need to be removed to help protect them. (Kevin/Adobe Stock)

Groups Say Kennebec River Dams Threaten Endangered Atlantic Salmon

AUGUSTA, Maine -- Maine conservationists say four dams on the Kennebec River are the biggest threat to Atlantic salmon populations, and groups intend …

Salt marshes have disappeared over the past two decades along the Eastern Seaboard and other coastlines because of development, polluted runoff and rising seas. (Adobe Stock)

Military, Government Groups Endorse NC Salt-Marsh Protection Plan

WILMINGTON, N.C. -- A group of military and government leaders has endorsed an initiative to protect the one million acres of salt marsh that …

The Interior Department's "America the Beautiful" report outlines key principles to guide the next decade of conservation efforts. (coachwood/Adobe Stock)

Fishing to Play Key Role in Next Decade of Conservation Efforts

BRUNSWICK, Maine -- Members of the Maine fishing industry are among those looking forward to having a seat at the table, to make progress toward the …

Sponge beds teeming with life, such as this one in Mendocino, can be destroyed by seabed mining. (Northwest Fisheries Science Center/NOAA)

As WA Bans Seabed Mining, Advocates Call on CA to Follow Suit

MENDOCINO COUNTY, Calif. -- Ocean advocates in California are calling for a preemptive ban on seabed mining, saying the Golden State is the weak link …

A study by the National Academy of Sciences reveals salt marsh provides an average of $695,000 per square mile a year in protective value to Southeast communities and military installations from storm-surge flooding. (Adobe Stock)

Million-Acre Southeast Salt Marsh Conservation Plan Gets Green Light

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- An initiative to conserve a million acres of salt marsh from Northeast Florida to North Carolina is in motion, following …

Supporters of the seabed mining ban say the practice would hurt sensitive habitats on Washington's coast. (Ferrous B�ller/Flickr)

Seabed Mining Opponents Off WA Coast Find Win in Legislature

OLYMPIA, Wash. -- Gov. Jay Inslee signed a seabed mining ban into law Monday. The measure prohibits mineral extraction within three miles of …

North Carolina's commercial oyster landings rake in millions of dollars in revenue each year. (Adobe Stock)

Ambitious Vision for NC’s Oysters Outlined in New 5-Year Plan

MOREHEAD CITY, N.C. -- Restoring oysters can boost water quality and offer shoreline protection from storms, and this week the North Carolina Coastal …

Dominion Energy plans a wind farm off of Virginia's east coast that experts say would provide 10,000 jobs during six years of construction. (Adobe stock)

Biden’s Climate Plans Could Bolster Virginia Clean-Energy Jobs

RICHMOND, Va. -- With President Joe Biden's virtual climate summit over, Virginia environmentalists say the president's clean-energy actions and …

The Biden administration says a thriving offshore wind industry will drive new jobs and economic opportunity, on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts and in the Gulf of Mexico. (Adobe Stock)

NC Poised for New Jobs, Major Investment in Wind Energy

WILMINGTON, N.C. - North Carolina is poised to be a major player in the wind-power industry, and the Biden administration says it has a $3 billion …

The most recent manatee population survey by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission shows 400 Florida manatees died in 2019. But 2021 could set a new mortality record, due to water pollution and loss of food and habitat. (Adobe Stock)

FL Manatees Face Greater Threats to Habitat, Health

TAMPA, Fla. -- Polluted wastewater released into Tampa Bay at Piney Point in the last two weeks is only one threat to Florida manatees, as an …

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Oceans