Despite the vastness of Earth’s oceans, human plastic pollution overwhelms even remote corners.
marine debris
Mounting Litter Spotted on Arctic Seafloor
At one location near Greenland, the density of undersea trash leaped by a factor of 23 in a decade.
Oil Residues Accelerate Coastal Wetland Losses
Coastal wetland loss after an oil spill can be more extensive than after a hurricane.
Developing a Remote Sensing System to Track Marine Debris
Workshop on Mission Concepts for Marine Debris Sensing; Honolulu, Hawaii, 19–21 January 2016
Sargassum Watch Warns of Incoming Seaweed
The Sargassum Watch System processes satellite data and feeds results to a Web portal, giving decision makers timely information on seaweed location and warnings for potential beaching events.
Deepwater Horizon Oil Lingered and Sank, Stuck to "Marine Snow"
A new study may explain how supposedly buoyant oil from the huge 2010 oil spill coated corals and other organisms on the ocean floor.
Oil Dispersants Deadly to a Common Estuary Species
Research on two dispersants used to break up spilled oil suggests that the chemicals can kill or harm a widely–found shrimp important to estuary habitats. The toxicity increases in less salty water.
Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone Largest Since 2002
Downpours in June drove nutrients into the Mississippi River that ultimately deprived a much larger portion of the Gulf of oxygen than had been expected.
Connecticut-Sized Dead Zone Expected in Gulf of Mexico
An ensemble of four computer models evaluated river runoff, wind patterns, and other factors affecting the extent of oxygen-poor waters near the Mississippi River's mouth.
Humans Greatly Increase Mercury Levels in the Ocean
A study of the natural cycle of mercury reveals that humans are to blame for a five- to sixfold increase in the oceanic concentrations of the potentially toxic element.