News from Across the American Shoreline

Next week the Department of Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) will hold the first-ever offshore wind lease sale on the U.S. west coast, which will also be the first U.S. sale to support potential commercial-scale, floating offshore wind energy development.

New program aims to support Tribal leadership on carbon pollution cleanup

Sea levels along U.S. coastlines could rise as much as 12 inches above today’s waterline by 2050, according to NASA researchers.

OFFSHORE WIND: The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has so far only approved two of the 16 offshore wind farms President Biden wants implemented during his first term — a goal that has become more urgent since Republicans took over the House. (E&E News)

Oysterman Tom Haward is taking ministers to court for failing to tackle water firms' sewage dumping

From charming lake towns to expedition cruises, there are many good reasons to explore the Greats.

This weekend, a vessel of the Japanese company ONE (Ocean Network Express) made its first port of call equipped with a new device: a wind deflector on the bow. One Trust is the only of a series of six 20,170 TEU container ships to be equipped with this device.

To uncover 'sea cow effect,' researchers developed a novel Past-Present-Future modeling approach that could inform more effective conservation strategies across ecosystems.

Winners from Tanzania, Spain and Portugal Each Claim $100,000 USD Prize

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has awarded Fugro two mapping projects on the US Gulf Coast to monitor and quantify shoreline change in this flood-prone region.

On November 29, 2022, officials from the Departments of Parks and Recreation, Design and Construction and NYC Economic Development Corporation joined elected officials and community representatives to celebrate the opening of the new recreational deck at Pier 42 in the Lower East Side.

Fourteen days and counting - that's the time between now and the end of the 2022 Atlantichurricane season. For many Floridians, Wednesday, Nov. 30, can't come soon enough.

Reinsurer Munich Re has estimated that, following the 2022 North Atlantic hurricane season, overall losses from all storms amounted to around US $110 billion, with insured losses in the magnitude of $65 billion.

The UN summit, taking place in Canada this December, aims to finalise a new global agreement to halt and reverse nature loss by mid-century.

Interior announces $115 million to relocation efforts or planning for tribal communities By

Plastic doesn’t decompose but degrades into smaller pieces that will remain in the environment for thousands of years

Sugarloaf Island, a small island off downtown Morehead City, NC serves as a protective barrier for the town. Yet with every passing storm, Sugarloaf's banks have rapidly eroded, causing grave concern over the island's ability to shield Morehead City from severe storm damage and flooding.

Current global investments in nature-based solutions $154 billion per year, needs to be $384 billion.

The rapid expansion and globalization of the seaweed production industry, combined with rising seawater temperatures and coastal eutrophication, has led to an increase in infectious diseases and pest outbreaks. Here, we propose a novel Progressive Management Pathway for improving Seaweed Biosecurity.

Weather and health officials continue to warn about the hazards of red tide as the harmful algae bloom worsened along the Southwest Florida coast this week, particularly in Sarasota County waters.

The largest active volcano in the world, Mauna Loa, has now been erupting for 24 hours. Initially contained in the volcano's summit crater, the eruption has now moved into the Northeast Rift Zone, where three eruptive fissures have burst open, spilling lava down the volcano's flanks.

Evidence from millennia of Atlantic storms is not good news for the coast. If you look back at the history of Atlantic hurricanes since the late 1800s, it might seem hurricane frequency is on the rise. The year 2020 had the most tropical cyclones in the Atlantic, with 31, and 2021 had the third-highest, after 2005. The past decade saw five of the six most destructive Atlantic hurricanes in modern history.

CNN — The world’s largest active volcano, Mauna Loa on Hawaii, is erupting for the first time in nearly 40 years.

In the midst of increased demand, the mining industry is looking for innovative ways to obtain rare metals such as nickel, cobalt, copper, and manganese for renewable energy systems and electronics.

Around 49% of the world's supply of fish, crustaceans and molluscs was farmed rather than caught in 2020, up from 13% in 1990.

How wildlife is fighting to thrive in the Mexican sea, which captured the hearts of Jacques Cousteau and John Steinbeck.

The State of Maine is expected to release the Maine Offshore Wind Roadmap in early 2023, and the global offshore wind industry should be watching.

With the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season ending next week, state officials are looking at potential changes after Florida got hit by its deadliest storm in nearly nine decades.

The way Philip Gravinese, Ph.D., sees it, research is important not just for what can be discovereThe way Philip Gravinese, Ph.D., sees it, research is important not just for what can be discovered but for how that information can be shared.d but for how that information can be shared.

They are the salt-tolerant shrubs that thrive in the toughest of conditions, but according to new UniSA research, mangroves are also avid coastal protectors, capable of surviving in heavy metal contaminated environments.

Lobster and snow crab fisheries are booming, but the bait used to catch them—herring and mackerel—is not, so the search for alternative baits is on.

In an effort to save manatees in Florida, environmental groups have filed a petition to get them back on the endangered species list.

Ørsted and Eversource, developers of Connecticut’s first offshore wind farm, Revolution Wind, have entered a multi-year research partnership with a nonprofit organisation Mystic Aquarium to conduct studies of the effects of offshore wind turbines on marine mammals and sea turtles.

The sea devours large tracts of land when storms wash sand out to sea from the coast. In a new study involving a researcher from the University of Gothenburg has shown that seagrass can reduce cliff erosion by up to 70% thanks to its root mats binding the sand.

This year's hurricane season — which ends Wednesday — has once again reminded us of the risk of living on Florida's shifting shorelines.

Build there, and you’re on your own

It hasn’t been made official by the governor’s office, but Florida legislative leaders have set a date for a second special session to tackle property insurance issues – Dec. 12 through Dec. 16.

The results, led by a team at Imperial College London and published today in eLife, have important implications for predicting the impact of global warming on ecosystems.

In a lightly populated area of northern Charleston County, developers are planning two major projects that could bring hundreds of new homes to the doorstep of the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge.

SURFSIDE BEACH — The Maritime Administration approved the Sea Port Oil Terminal project that’s been under the scrutiny of the Department of Transportation in a 94-page decision quietly released before the Thanksgiving holiday.

Back-to-back hurricanes left an unnerving scene on the Florida coast in November 2022: Several houses, and even swimming pools, were left dangling over the ocean as waves eroded the land beneath them. Dozens of homes and condo buildings in the Daytona Beach area were deemed unsafe.

DAYTONA, Fla. — Hurricane Ian slammed Florida in September. Nearly two months later, Hurricane Nicole devastated coastal communities in Volusia and Flagler counties.

Three federal leases have been granted for large-scale ocean wind farms off the coast of North Carolina, with two more potential sites now the subject of a monthlong public comment period.

In recent years, shipping’s emissions have come under more scrutiny than ever before. COP26 was a standout event for shipping, where it featured high on the agenda, and discussions resulted in strong pledges from many attendees.

Federal regulators this week approved a new oil terminal in the Gulf of Mexico off Texas over the objections of local activists, who argued the move contravenes the Biden administration’s stated climate goals.

A federal district court judge on November 17 granted federal regulators two years to come up with new rules to protect the endangered right whale.

The state of Louisiana will receive $82 million in Gulf of Mexicooffshore revenue in the next few months under the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act, representing the first large payment under the revenue sharing program created by Congress in 2006.

Coral reefs – indicators of overall ocean health – have fared better in the Flower Garden Banks Marine Sanctuary than many reefs elsewhere. But researchers have now concluded that could change as Gulf waters heat up.

It’s still unclear what factors have led to the dramatic decline in the number of dolphins, which were formerly commonly found across the entire Mediterranean

Lobster is a traditional holiday dish in the U.S., but this year, it will be slightly harder to find in the supermarket.

You might not have heard of the Blue Amazon, but it’s the part of the ocean owned by Brazil. Otherwise known as Brazil’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), it covers an area of 3.6 million square kilometers, equivalent to half of the Amazon rainforest.

The state Coastal Conservancy will vote next week on a strategic planto guide how hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars get spent over the next five years. The future of California's 1,100 coastline is at stake.

The Daytona Beach-area is famous for having beaches so wide drivers are invited to ride on the shore. Two storms in the span of six weeks have snatched away tons of sand. (Paywall may apply)

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which is leading the remediation effort, has been plagued by shoddy work and multiple regulatory disputes, according to an investigation by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser and ProPublica.

Many believe Florida conservatives are ideological incapable of effectively responding to water quality issues but complex issue allows denialism to flourish.

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- For researchers Martin Trinh and David Peterson, a break in the rain means a chance to measure the minute changes a passing storm may have brought to the San Francisco Bay.

For decades, the U.S. government has failed to test for dangerous chemicals and metals in fish. So, we did. What we found was alarming for tribes.

As cities around the world look to rid their waterways of remaining pollution, researchers are installing artificial islands brimming with grasses and sedges. The islands’ surfaces attract wildlife, while the underwater plant roots absorb contaminants and support aquatic life.

(BIVN) – The “first-ever coral reef insurance policy in the United States” has been purchased in Hawaiʻi, covering the cost to restore the reef in the event of a future damaging hurricane or tropical storm.

Hurricane Ian illustrated the challenges of protecting densely populated waterfront communities and exposed shortcomings in how local governments respond, an NBC News investigation found.

Scientists have found a new and better way to use remote sensing to understand where coastal dead zones are and predict changes.

More than a year after Hurricane Ida swept across Louisiana, the Category 4 storm is triggering a property-insurance crisis in the state that has bankrupted 11 insurance companies and will force some homeowners to pay annual premiums of nearly $18,000.

Findings of unexpected large numbers of fin and humpback whales in the previously ice infested waters of East Greenland now indicate a tipping point in the marine ecosystem from one regime to another that may be irreversible. Peer-Reviewed Publication

Scientists have found a new and better way to use remote sensing to understand where coastal dead zones are and predict changes.

Federal officials do not expect to award a contract for a beach renourishment program in Ocean County until after the new year.

In early November, Texas Parks and Wildlife permanently closed three bays on the Gulf Coast to oyster fishing.

SOUTH CAROLINA (WPDE) — For generations, families have visited South Carolina to enjoy its southern charm and historical coastal cities. But according to a new "State of the Beach" report, which grades how each state is maintaining its coastlines, South Carolina has earned a "C" grade, meaning their is some room for improvement.

DUCK — It was flashback to high school chemistry class for some, but Duck residents were up to the challenge last week at an information session about a carbon capture demonstration project proposed off their beach.

Red tide is blooming along coastlines from Sarasota to Collier counties, and while scientists have yet to discover what kick-starts a red tide blooms, research has proven heavy rains, storm surge, and flooding from tropical storms like Hurricane Ian on Sept. 28, 2022, wash nutrient-rich water back into the Gulf of Mexico, which can "feed" existing blooms and make them stronger, bigger, and last longer

Developers have had their eyes on the island for almost 200 years. Sanibel tried to kill me twice, once with riptides, the other with alligators. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, the island manages to occupy a place in my heart.

The DeFelice Marine Center sits on a strip of land that dangles into a bay. Staff is living, working, and adapting to the climate crisis in real time.

It’s an October morning at Point Reyes National Seashore and I’m scooting under barbed wire fences, wary of sliding into cow pies.

ROSH HANIKRA MARINE RESERVE, Israel (AP) — Between the cliffs and crags of Israel’s submerged prehistoric coastline, a Mediterranean ecosystem is surging back to life.

The future of North Carolina's coastal wetlands is uncertain due to rising sea levels

Coastal care groups and local government agencies are all repeating the same message – vehicles on beaches cause damage to the natural character of our coastline.

People in Wales believe that visits to the sea and coast support their mental and physical well-being, according to the findings of a survey focussed on people’s relationship and understanding of our oceans.

SEATTLE — Terry "Chop" Arnold Jr. remembers the first few times he climbed in his dad's 36-foot fishing boat at an old log boom, near the northernmost tip of Washington.

Herring all but disappeared from the shorelines around Sḵwx̱wú7mesh homelands in the past. Now volunteers are keeping careful tabs on the comeback efforts of a tiny fish with big cultural value

Advertising is an incredibly powerful tool for convincing us to buy things we don’t need with money we don’t have to impress people we don’t like.

With 230,135 visitors recorded in October, the Cape Hatteras National Seashore (CHNS) is on track to have another busy year in 2022, with total visitation close to record-breaking 2021.

The Coastal Communities Ocean Acidification Act of 2022 would require NOAA to collaborate with state, local, and tribal government entities on ocean acidification vulnerability assessments, research planning, and information sharing

Gov. Mike Dunleavy requested $287 million from the federal government last month for fishermen impacted by the Bering Sea snow crab and Bristol Bay red king crab fisheries closures.

American Offshore Energy (AOE) has this week announced novel patents in the floating wind turbine industry including a vertical axis wind turbine which, the company says, can be deployed quickly, and even submerged in the wake of a hurricane.

Our community was in the headlines all around the world last week as the National Weather Service reported that Hurricane Nicole made landfall in Florida just south of Vero Beach.

The four-dam teardown brings hope and uncertainty to residents in an area of Southern Oregon and Northern California where drought has made water a source of controversy.

Norilsk Nickel has eliminated the consequences of the 2020 disaster. But Taimyr still has many environmental problems

SEATTLE (AP) — Washington banned fish-farming with net pens in state waters on Friday, citing danger to struggling native salmon.

Ciona Ulbrich stood on a scenic beach in the small, coastal town of Brooksville, Maine, feeling grateful to be able to lawfully enjoy the warm sun and ocean breeze.The nonprofit Ulbrich works for, the Maine Coast Heritage Trust, purchased Bakeman Beach a few years ago and gave it to the town — with the stipulation that it remain open to all members of the public.

AMERICANS MAKE APPROXIMATELY 400 million visits to the beach each year, according to the United States Lifesaving Association. This summer, they arrived in droves up and down the coasts of the Atlantic and Pacific, the Gulf shores and Great Lakes, along bays, rivers, and offshore islands.

Chilmark’s select board learned Tuesday night that a local resident has offered to pay to replenish “renourish” sand at Squibnocket Beach through a project that would be run by the Woods Hole Group. Tara Marden, a senior project manager and coastal geologist at the Woods Hole Group, pitched the idea to the board.

As businesses and homeowners along the coast work to clean up the damage from Hurricanes Ian and Nicole, many who didn’t have protection from seawalls are now hoping to build them.

The Army Corps of Engineers’ planned gates, meant to protect against future Sandy-like storms could help reduce moon-cycle deluges in oceanside neighborhoods. But some worry that they are not meant for such tidal use.

There’s a swath of ocean just over the horizon off Oak Island, in the southeast corner of North Carolina, that one day could be home to hundreds of towering offshore wind turbines. The project, federal regulators say, could produce as much power as Duke Energy’s nearby Brunswick Nuclear plant.

The first digital nation? During a digital address to COP27 leaders, Tuvalu’s foreign minister said, “As our land disappears, we have no choice but to become the world’s first digital nation.”

With the first offshore wind lease sales impending off California, the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and commercial fishermen still have a chasm to gap before the new and old industries can reasonably co-exist, panelists said at the Pacific Marine Expo in Seattle Friday.

The Canadian miner, the Metals Company, has announced the completion of a controversial deep sea bed mining trial in the Pacific.

In October 2022, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced that the lucrative snow crab fishery in the Bering Sea would close for the first time, following a population decline of 80% between 2018 and 2022.

In a rare piece of good news in the marine world, scientists have found one place where reef manta rays are thriving.

New London ― If you’re standing on the northern end of the Connecticut College waterfront with your back to the freight railroad tracks, the view is of 150 wiffleball-shaped concrete balls in rows running parallel to the shore, with an unusual shift in the low-tide mark partway up the rows.