News from Across the American Shoreline

A new book follows the scientists and explorers who are racing to map the seafloor

Some 290 shipwrecks lie in the Belgian part of the North Sea alone, with probably more than 1,000 in the entire North Sea, many of them silent witnesses to the two world wars.

MIT’s breakthrough underwater communication system uses minimal power to transmit signals over kilometer-scale distances. Leveraging underwater backscatter and innovative design principles, the technology has potential applications in aquaculture, climate modeling, and hurricane prediction.

With the financial and human costs of climate change-fueled natural disasters rising rapidly, a new book invites Californians to reimagine their relationship with the state’s glorious and ever-changing coastline.

Analysis from global reinsurance firm Swiss Re reveals that, while building code improvements in Florida have dramatically reduced the potential for insured losses from storms and hurricanes, that reduction is dwarfed by the huge gains in exposure in the state.

As the Mississippi River drops to one of its lowest levels in recent history, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said saltwater from the Gulf of Mexico could threaten drinking water as far north as New Orleans’ French Quarter if no action is taken.

MOREHEAD CITY — A study of the country’s two largest estuaries reveals that inshore coastal waters are not necessarily experiencing what scientists say is a worrisome global trend of increasingly acidic oceans.

Welcome to The Georgia Politics Podcast! On the show today we discuss another recent SCOTUS ruling that will have far reaching implications on environmental regulation, but didn’t get as much publicity as some of the higher profile rulings last term.

The tiny isles date back to the 1920s and they've unexpectedly contributed a positive impact on the area.

A water district best known for supplying the celebrity-studded enclaves of Calabasas and Hidden Hills could soon become famous for a very different reason.

Federal insurance program for people in high-risk areas could help future climate survivors

They claim the offshore wind is responsible for a spike in whale deaths. Experts don’t buy it, but interest groups backed by fossil fuel money are spreading false information.

A wave of insurance companies stopped covering Floridians this summer, saying the risk-exposure of hurricanes has grown too great. In the wake of storms like Lee, Mainers are wondering if they’re next.

A historic new international treaty, described as “a monumental win for the protection of the world’s oceans”, will be open for signature by member states beginning September 20 during the high-level meeting of world political leaders at the UN General Assembly (UNGA).

Ocean Power Technologies (OPT) announced the award of three separate Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Multiple-Award Contracts (MAC) from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Conservation groups welcome the canceled leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge but fear more could be on the way

A deep-sea expedition in Central America uncovers symbiotic bacteria and tube worm nurseries thriving below the seafloor.

The Santa Rosa County Land Development Code contains a whole set of guidelines governing the protection of trees, and a fairly extensive list of trees that are considered protected by county ordinance.

It's not just flamingos ― other creatures that call Florida home today have a history with hurricanes.

A decade after Hurricane Sandy, critics of a federal plan that allocates billions to protect the region from rising waters are calling it a ‘failure of imagination’

Through the summer, public works crews worked with lifeguards to keep the beach access open in front of the Upper Township Beach Patrol headquarters on Williams Avenue in Strathmere, even as high tides would pull sand from the beach side.

About one-third of forests across 80 drinking watersheds serving coastal cities have been cut during the last 20 years, NASA found

Governors of six Northeast states are asking the Biden administration to boost federal tax credits for offshore wind developers, give their states a share of revenue from offshore energy leases and hasten permitting for the projects.

The waters of Oregon's marine reserves are off-limits for anglers, but a select group got the chance to fish in the protected areas last week.

In 2018, Hurricane Florence made landfall near Wilmington, North Carolina, taking 42 lives and costing more than $16 billion in estimated damage. Now, five years later, many residents and communities are still reeling from the storm’s floodwaters. Blue tarps remain on unpatched roofs, businesses have not returned and communities have experienced disproportionate recoveries.

A delicate hand points heavenward on the carved headstone marking the grave of Sarah Ewen Stewart, “at rest” in her scenic island location on Florida’s Gulf Coast for more than 145 years.

Red tide in the water and in the air contribute to manatee deaths on Florida’s west coast, setting the region’s waterways apart from other troubled areas of manatee mortality in Florida, researchers say.

Tigertail lagoon and Sand Dollar Island had extensive damage and were changed during hurricanes Irma in 2017 and Ian in 2022

MOREHEAD CITY — In response to written questions from N.C. Environmental Management Commission (EMC) Chair Robin Smith, a state Department of Justice attorney confirmed Thursday that the state no longer has any jurisdiction over isolated wetlands.

TRENTON – The Department of Environmental Protection announced the launch of an online mapping tool that will help the public, stakeholders and government officials advance work that is needed to bolster the resilience of New Jersey’s coastal areas to climate change.

The oceans are still a largely an undiscovered resource. While there are ongoing efforts across government and the scientific community to improve our knowledge, we are still far from having a comprehensive understanding.

An initiative calling for stoping the industrialization of the Morro Bay waterfront will appear on the November ballot in the San Luis Obispo County city.

Noon, September 16, 2023 – An Associated Press headline this morning trumpeted “Climate change could bring more monster storms like Hurricane Lee to New England.” I immediately went to the National Hurricane Center (NHC) website to see the most current conditions. Lee had been downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone with 75 mph winds.

When Hurricane Idalia collided with the rural Big Bend region of Florida at 7:45 a.m. on Aug. 30, it heaved nearly 10 feet of storm surge into the two nearest coastal towns, Steinhatchee and Cedar Key.

The goliath grouper, a colossus of a fish that can weigh up to 360 kilograms (nearly 800 pounds), is the delight of divers in Florida, though scientists warn their numbers are down since the US state allowed fishing of the giants to resume.

The effects of Hurricane Lee, downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone Saturday, were less severe than feared in Seacoast New Hampshire and southern Maine.

City officials say they working with a specific list of properties, where the county requires a signed temporary construction easement to construct the project.

Pinellas County Officials express concern with the tactical beach renourishment plans by the Army Corps of Engineers.

Barmouth's current defences are in a poor condition and need to be upgraded

The sea-ice surrounding Antarctica is well below any previous recorded winter level, satellite data shows, a worrying new benchmark for a region that once seemed resistant to global warming.

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is working to build a clean energy economy that benefits all Americans. Learn about our work in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and sustainable transportation, and how you can become a Clean Energy Champion.

An international team of scientists has successfully conducted large-scale helicopter-based observations along the coast of East Antarctica and has identified pathways through which warm ocean water flows from the open ocean into ice shelf cavities for the first time.

Scientists uncovered that on average, most coastal areas worldwide will experience 100-year floods every nine to fifteen years until the end of the century.

The reimagining of the Los Angeles Waterfront has been in the works since the turn of the century. With construction on the redevelopment well underway, the Port of Los Angeles last week released the first draft of its plan to better connect the area to other San Pedro neighborhoods and the region at large.

Facebook group is leading the charge for access to the beach

Beachgoers in Seaside Heights who enter the ocean when no lifeguard is on duty, or when there are red flag conditions prohibiting swimming, are being put on notice they could face police summonses, the borough’s mayor said Thursday.

The skies were sunny Tuesday, with a moderate breeze of about 10 m.p.h. and temperatures in the 80s. The beach in Point Pleasant Beach, however, was fully devoid of – anybody.

Funding will help conserve or restore more than 106,600 acres of wetlands and associated uplands

August 2023 was Earth’s hottest August in NOAA’s 174-year climate record.

President Biden reversed the Trump administration executive order that would have permitted commercial fishing to continue in the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts National Monument. NOAA image.

Marinex Construction will be responsible for Wrightsville Beach’s renourishment this winter.

The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) says that daily transit limits and draught restrictions will remain in place until next year and warns it could make additional transit reductions if the drought persists.

PROVIDENCE – If Hurricane Lee starts heading towards Rhode Island, the crew at the Fox Point Hurricane Barrier is prepared.

A clean energy transition that doesn't prioritize Black life cannot sustain itself long term, says climate policy expert Rhiana Gunn-Wright.

(WO) – Transocean Ltd. announced a three-year award for the newbuild ultra-deepwater drillship Deepwater Aquila with a national oil company for work offshore Brazil. The contract is expected to commence in the third quarter of 2024 and represents approximately $486 million in firm backlog.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has identified two spots on the Oregon Coast, Brookings and Coos Bay, for floating wind farms. Some of the most powerful and consistent winds in the world are located off the southwest Oregon coast, according to the Oregon Department of Energy.

Maersk placed its first methanol-fueled container ship official into service with a naming ceremony in Copenhagen today of the Laura Maersk.

Florida’s Citizens Property Insurance Corp. has so far seen just about 2,000 claims from Hurricane Idalia, well below the threshold that would exhaust the carrier’s personal lines surplus and trigger a surcharge on policyholders, officials said this week.

Our system prioritizes expensive recovery rather than prudent risk reduction

As a string of last-minute deals surfaced this week before tonight’s end of the legislative session, one highly anticipated proposal was not among them — a plan to keep insurance companies in California even as the financial risk from wildfires grows.

MEXICO BEACH, Fla. — The scars are less visible now. Kimberly Shoaf recalls an unaware tourist recently asking her about the vacant lots along the beach. Ignorance may indeed be bliss, but it's something she'll never enjoy here.

VENICE, Italy (AP) — A scowling gondoliere ferrying sightseers 10 at a time across the mouth of Venice's Grand Canal scolds passengers to sit still and frets over being shorted the bargain 2-euro fare.

A red-hot visitor influx at the World’s Most Famous Beach over the past two summers continued to cool in July.

Holidays are making a comeback after several years of disruption caused by the COVID pandemic. Nearly 4 billion passengers boarded international flights in 2022, up from fewer than 2 billion in 2020. Recent research suggests that people are likely to continue travelling more in 2023 and beyond.

The energy from hotter oceans can enable hurricanes to grow more powerful.

Engineering teams have developed a repair design which will bring the roadway slightly inland as it passes in front of the Paul’s Slide complex. This design also allows for an enlarged catchment area between concrete barriers and fencing placed along the northbound lane and the toe of the slide. This will enhance safety for the traveling public as well as for construction and maintenance crews. (Caltrans)

Landscape studio Scape has won the Obel Award for 2023 for its "visionary" coastal defence system in New York City that will grow in efficiency as oysters inhabit it.

Images of orange groves and Spanish-themed hotels with palm tree gardens filled countless pamphlets and articles promoting Southern California and Florida in the late 19th century, promising escape from winter’s reach.

Province says current maximum of $100K is 'not a deterrent'

Parts of our region are missing out on federal funding to help communities prepare for disasters and build climate resilience.

The University of Southern Mississippi’s (USM) renowned expertise in ocean science research and technology provided the impetus for a $2.5 million grant awarded recently to the University by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA).

The southern end of the world-famous Seven Mile Beach was once a pristine stretch on Cayman’s biggest tourism attraction, but now much of the beloved beach in that section has disappeared.

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - It’s been nearly two weeks since Hurricane Idalia washed away a portion of Manasota Key Road.

The property cat market is still waiting to see how US insurers implement the new North Atlantic hurricane model from RMS into their underwriting, with the update pointing to increases of up to 30 percent in expected losses in Texas, the Gulf, Florida and Southeast states, which could drive incremental demand for limit.

Stamato: ‘Our warming climate is pushing the insurance industry to the brink; its experience–and risk projections–might prompt climate change deniers, finally, to face the facts’

A little over a year ago, Peter Gardner, a Louisiana developer, completed rehabbing an apartment building with 144 units and got a surprise so ugly it made him decide to move his business out of town.

The headlines on climate catastrophes are becoming more informative as they become more ominous. For years the media headlines have been describing record floods, droughts, wildfires, heatwaves, hurricanes and other fossil-fueled disasters of an abused Mother Nature. The immediate human casualties are devastating.

TALLAHASSEE — Florida and other states are trying to fend off an attempt by the Biden administration to end a lawsuit challenging changes to the National Flood Insurance Program that have led to higher premiums for many property owners.

Heavy rainfall has flooded parts of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, with one city declaring a state of emergency as water poured into homes, creating moats around their foundations and leading to boat rescues of residents. Concern about a dam listed in poor condition led to more evacuations.

Sea turtle nesting season is breaking records once again across the Treasure Coast.

New Bedford hasn’t experienced a damaging hurricane since Bob in 1991. But emergency managers say advances in technology, infrastructure, and emergency response mean the region is well-prepared.

An earnings preview and rating agency downgrade cast doubt on the Danish offshore wind developer’s long range plans.

The first confirmed Grey Gull for the United States has been discovered in western Florida.

MOREHEAD CITY — In what has turned out to be a bad year for many commercial shrimpers, a regional shrimpers’ association has sent governors of eight states, including North Carolina, a letter requesting emergency assistance for the watermen.

TOPLINE This year is already the worst year on record for billion-dollar climate disasters in the U.S., a report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said, as experts warn that extreme events are likely to become more frequent and intense unless drastic action is taken to curb human-driven climate change.

LEWES, Del. - At a Sept. 11 Lewes City Council meeting, councilmembers voted unanimously to send a letter to the Delaware State Congressional Delegation to request replenishment for Cape Shores Beach.

Virginia Tech researchers in the College of Natural Resources and Environment are assessing the efficacy of shark sanctuaries by developing a modeling system that utilizes publicly accessible fishing data to determine shark catch and mortality rates. Published in the journal Science Advances, their findings represent an important step in utilizing data science to tackle oceanic conservation challenges.

Orcas have developed a habit of playing with sailboats along the coast of Spain, to the annoyance of the European yachting community. Sometimes the encounter is remarkable but harmless; sometimes it results in real damage, as it did for the German-flagged sailboat Meu off the coast of Cape Touriñán last week.

At five o’clock in the morning, the skies begin to clear over the Los Órganos docks in northern Peru, less than 200 kilometres from the border with Ecuador. As dozens of boats loaded with fish begin to arrive at the port, pelicans, turtles, sea lions and seagulls congregate to gorge on any leftover catch.

Tons of sand sit behind the Camp Pendleton military harbor complex while San Diego’s sand-starved cities have to work decades with the Army Corps to nourish their beaches.

Biologists use whole-genome data to study two types of sea stars and find they are mating along the North Atlantic coast.

Water quality and seagrass health play a big role in marine mammals’ survival anywhere in the state.

Mary Peltola, one of the few pro-oil Democrats in Congress, spent months prodding President Joe Biden to approve the enormous Willow project on the North Slope of Alaska. She was the only Democrat this year to join the pro-fossil fuel Congressional Western Caucus. And when Biden reversed oil and gas leases in her state last week, she said she was “deeply frustrated.”

A shockingly small portion of the shoreline is truly available to the public.

A variety of Maine-based organizations are working hard to prepare for the drastic change caused by warming waters.

Last year's Tonga volcanic eruption produced the fastest underwater flows ever recorded, scientists say.

Community Disaster Resilience Zones will build disaster resilience across the nation by driving federal, public and private resources to the most at-risk and in-need jurisdictions.

Agency’s monitoring program records changes from erosion at various coastal locations since 2022

Dutch Slough tidal freshwater marsh providing safe home for juvenile salmon and other fish

As Hurricanes Franklin and Idalia strengthened in late August, NOAA scientists collected critical data from the air, sea surface, and underwater to enhance forecasts and increase scientific knowledge.