November 4, 2014
Ocean Roundup: California Sea Lions Eating Contaminated Mussels, Offshore Fracking Expanding in Gulf of Mexico, and More
– New research found that over half of vessels involved in the biggest oil spills over the past 30 years hail from nations that tend to not comply with international safety and environmental regulation standards. The researchers also found that about one-third of current oil tankers on the water are from these nations, too. ScienceDaily
– The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) released a revised environmental impact statement on an offshore oil lease sale in the Chukchi Sea, which was revised after a court found that BOEM severely underestimated ocean impacts from the sale. Multiple environmental groups have commented that the lease sale in the Chukchi Sea should not be occurring. Oil and Gas Journal
– Researchers have discovered potentially dangerous pathogens in fresh-water mussels that California sea lions consume, contaminated by fresh-water runoff sites. The researchers say the mussels pose a public health threat if people consume water from these sites or eat the shellfish. ScienceDaily
Long Read:
– Shark finning not only undermines shark conservation, but it’s a brutal practice that often removes sharks’ fins while they’re still alive, then dumped overboard and left to die at sea. Last week, the U.S. made significant progress towards combatting shark finning, where only one shark species still remains at the only species that can be finned at sea. Southern Fried Science
– Offshore fracking is expanding in the Gulf of Mexico, but many people are unaware that it’s a growing practice. The unknowns associated with the practice—such as fracking well locations not being fully disclosed and operations being allowed to dump some of the chemical waste overboard—are leaving many people concerned. Houma Today