Natural Resources

Largest Deep-Sea Coral Reef To Date Mapped By Scientists Off Atlantic Coast

"Scientists have mapped the largest coral reef deep in the ocean, stretching hundreds of miles off the U.S. Atlantic coast. While researchers have known since the 1960s that some coral were present off the Atlantic, the reef’s size remained a mystery until new underwater mapping technology made it possible to construct 3D images of the ocean floor."

Source: AP, 01/19/2024

"Markets And Forests: 7 Takeaways From Our Series On The Forest Carbon Trade"

"Mongabay recently published a five-part series on the carbon trade and its use as a tool to address climate change. The exchange of carbon credits, typically used to offset emissions, bore unprecedented criticism in 2023."

Source: Mongabay, 01/18/2024

Analysis: "Bird Populations Are Declining. Some Are In Your Neighborhood."

"I’m on a Zoom call with a team of researchers from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, their gridded video feeds a sort of Hollywood Squares of bird nerds, and we’re discussing the decline and fall of North America’s bird population — a staggering loss of 3 billion breeding adults, or nearly 30 percent of the population, in just a half century — when all of a sudden Gus Axelson picks up his binoculars and peers out the window."

Source: Washington Post, 01/18/2024

"Earthlings Take Note: The Sun Will Be Its Most Active In Two Decades"

"Solar flares, eruptions on the sun’s surface and sunspots are expected to multiply and intensify throughout this year, as our yellow star enters its most active period in two decades. For Earthlings, that could lead to more beautiful dancing aurora far and wide, but also radio blackouts and satellite disruptions."

Source: Washington Post, 01/17/2024

First US Uranium Mines in Eight Years Begin Operations Near Grand Canyon

"The push for more nuclear energy and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has spiked uranium prices, leading mines for the element to begin operating again in the U.S. despite long-term environmental and health impacts."

Source: Inside Climate News, 01/17/2024

"Drought Touches a Quarter of Humanity, U.N. Says, Disrupting Lives Globally"

"The United Nations estimates that 1.84 billion people worldwide, or nearly a quarter of humanity, were living under drought in 2022 and 2023, the vast majority in low- and middle-income countries." "The crisis, worsened partly by climate change, has been accompanied by soaring food prices and could have consequences for hunger, elections and migration worldwide."

Source: NYTimes, 01/17/2024

"Maryland Hails ‘Remarkable’ Year For Young Oysters In The Chesapeake Bay"

"There’s still a long way to go, but oyster recovery efforts in Maryland’s portion of Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries continue to show promising results, state officials for the agency charged with monitoring the mollusk ecosystem said."

Source: Washington Post, 01/16/2024

"The Beleaguered Whitebark Pine Is in Trouble. Can It Be Saved?"

"Once common in the West, whitebark pine is being wiped out by a deadly fungus, ravaging beetles, and climate change. Scientists hope advances in gene sequencing and a recent federal listing as threatened will speed the hunt for trees that can be replanted and seed the future."

Source: YaleE360, 01/12/2024

"Many Laws to Protect Sharks Have Backfired, Researchers Find"

"Many of the policies enacted around the world to curb the mass killing of sharks have backfired, partly because well-intentioned rules against taking the predators solely for their fins have led to an increase in demand for shark meat, according to a study published on Thursday."

Source: NYTimes, 01/12/2024

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