Water & Oceans

"The central California coast, with its rugged beaches and kelp forests, draws a lot of visitors for its scenic beauty. For the Chumash people, the coastline means a lot more.

"Almost all the places people like to go to are our sacred sites," says Violet Sage Walker, chairwoman of the Northern Chumash Tribal Council. "We've been going there and praying and doing ceremony there for 20,000 years."

"Severe thunderstorms in the first half of 2023 caused a record amount in insured losses, underscoring the impact of climate change on extreme weather events, according to new research for the Swiss Re Group."

"On the banks of the Komi Memem River, the activity never ceases: women go down the embankment from Laje Velho village carrying basins to wash clothing, while men embark in small canoes on hunting and fishing expeditions. At day’s end, it’s the children’s turn to dive into its tea-colored waters."

"Maryland’s largest water utility filed a lawsuit against more than a dozen companies Friday, alleging that they knowingly polluted the water supply with “forever chemicals” and saying that they should bear the burden of upgrading systems to remove these toxic substances."

"The hole in the ozone layer has begun to form early this year, prompting warnings that a larger-than-average hole may further warm the Southern Ocean while the level of Antarctic sea ice is at a record low."

"A new study has some good news, but there’s a problem: Ocean pollution appears to be growing fast."

"With a fast burst of sea level rise, New Orleans’s outer defenses face a major test".

"After Tyndall Air Force Base was leveled by 2018's Hurricane Michael, those overseeing its reconstruction hope it becomes the ‘test bed’ for bases to defend against the perils posed by a warming atmosphere."

"The water temperatures off the coasts of Oregon and Washington reached “extreme” levels in late July and August of 2023 – an event that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) ranks a Category 4 on a scale of 5."