July 30, 2014
Ocean News: Climate Change Threatens Red Knots, Pacific Island Leaders Meet to Discuss Ocean Conservation, and More
– Scientists recently found two new coral communities in the Gulf of Mexico show signs of damage from the 2010 BP oil spill. The communities are over 13 miles from the spill, indicating that the spill is “deeper and broader” than thought. Salon
– Biologists say that climate change poses huge threats to red knots, a shorebird that completes a 9,300-mile biannual migration each year. These shorebirds time their migration with a stopover in Delaware to feast on horseshoe crab eggs—gaining nearly 10 pounds before they continue with their migration—but climate change is pushing horseshoe crab spawning earlier than when the birds arrive. NPR
– The 45th meeting of Pacific Island leaders is underway in Palau with a theme of protecting ocean life for the future. In the early stages of the meeting, Palau’s president called on all nations to work together to create sustainable fisheries. Radio New Zealand
Long Read:
– Tremendous advances in wildlife management have occurred thanks to satellite imagery, which allows scientists to look at population dispersions without having to go into the field and track them. Now, scientists are studying polar bears, emperor penguins, right whales, turtles, bats, and more from this technology. National Geographic
– If you’re concerned about your environmental footprint, one step you could take is to start choosing mackerel over shrimp. For example, catching 2,200 pounds of shrimp or lobster requires up to 2,600 gallons of fuel, while catching smaller fish like sardines and anchovies takes just five gallons. NPR