News and Features by Year » 2012
Posted on December 20th, 2012 in Chemical Contaminants, Coastal Pollution, Forecasting, Harmful Algal Blooms, News Clips
Back in July, scientists from the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) issued the first-ever seasonal harmful algal bloom (HAB) forecast for western Lake Erie at a press event at Ohio State University’s Stone Laboratory. Now, with the 2012 HABs season over, Dr. Jeff Reutter reflects on the successful prediction and looks ahead [...]
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Posted on December 18th, 2012 in Harmful Algal Blooms, Human Health, Marine Biotoxin Impacts, Technology Transfer
NOAA Fisheries now allows clam harvests in an area of Georges Bank off limits for the last 22 years to protect people from getting ill from algae toxins. Their decision centers on a two-part testing protocol that commercial fishermen and labs will use before bringing a catch to market. Once the haul arrives at the dock, [...]
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Posted on December 13th, 2012 in Biogeographic Assessment, Coral, Ecosystem Management, Human Dimensions, Marine Spatial Planning, Protected Species, Seafloor Mapping
NOAA researchers recently published An Integrated Biogeographic Assessment of Reef Fish Populations and Fisheries in Dry Tortugas: Effects of No-take Reserves, an analysis of both biological and socioeconomic changes resulting from the remote Florida marine reserve during its first five years. The report indicates that there seemed to be an early increase in certain fish species within [...]
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Posted on December 12th, 2012 in Chemical Contaminants, Coastal Pollution
A recently published paper in the journal Tropical Conservation Science presents an environmental baseline of surface water nutrient conditions for lagoons and nearshore waters of Vieques, Puerto Rico. Researchers for the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science found that the lagoons on the island had higher levels of nutrients than water offshore. Somewhat unexpectedly, however, [...]
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Posted on December 11th, 2012 in Coastal Pollution, Ecological Forecasts & Tools, Forecasting, Harmful Algal Blooms, Human Health
On Nov 19, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) researchers met with local partners working on restoring Lake Erie’s ecosystem to review the unusual 2012 algal blooms, and assess the 2012 bloom forecast. This year there were unusual blooms along the center of the lake, both in late winter and in early summer. The [...]
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Posted on December 7th, 2012 in People and Infrastructure
The National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science’s Center for Coastal Environmental Health and Biomolecular Research (CCEHBR) recently repurposed one of its chemistry laboratories. Old copper tubing was dismantled and donated to Sea Island Habitat for Humanity. Instead of going to a landfill, the copper will be recycled, and the money will support home-building efforts. Sea [...]
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Posted on December 6th, 2012 in Biogeographic Assessment, Ecosystem Management, Human Dimensions, Marine Spatial Planning, Seafloor Mapping
Staff from the Connecticut Congressional delegation requested a visit from NOAA researchers from the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) to discuss recent seafloor mapping efforts and how they can be used in marine spatial planning, as well as general resource management, in Long Island Sound. They provided the delegation with details about NCCOS’s [...]
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Posted on December 2nd, 2012 in Coastal Pollution, Ecological Forecasts & Tools, Hypoxia & Eutrophication, News Clips
As a student in Port Aransas, Nancy Rabalais never had money, but she always had the sea. “Fish and oysters, crabs — whatever we needed we could always get something to eat somehow,” she said. “Plus it was fun to get them.” Her lifelong affinity and stewardship for the marine environment was recognized this fall [...]
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