July 14, 2014
Ocean News: New Arctic Shipping Route Proposed, East Coast Sees Surge in Coastal Flooding Events, and More
– A new analysis focusing on sea level rise found that coastal flooding has dramatically increased in frequency along the Eastern Seaboard in recent years. The analysis found that flood levels met or exceeded NOAA’s flood thresholds more than 20 days a year in six coastal cities. Reuters
– The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has urged Pacific fishery managers to halve their bluefin tuna catch limits, since populations have declined by 96 percent from their pre-fished levels. The WWF will submit these recommendations at this week’s Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission meeting in Peru. ABC Australia
– Last week, shipping companies announced plans for a new Arctic shipping route to deliver natural gas from western Siberia to customers in Japan and China. This route would be the first to link Europe and Asia through the Arctic. Grist
– No-take zones in Belize could not only help overfished species like conch, lobster, and fish recover, but they could also help coral reefs recolonize, according to a new report by the Wildlife Conservation Society. Other no-take zones around the world show that recovery is possible within one to six years after protective measures are instated. Science Daily
– Documents obtained via Australia’s Freedom of Information Act revealed that there’s huge discrepancy over environmental offset costs for dredging in the Great Barrier Reef. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority estimated costs to be around $1 billion, while the project developer originally put them around $2 million but says they are still tallying costs. The Guardian