Study on Great Lakes erosion dredges up controversy
The Great Lakes aren't as great as they once were. A U.S.-Canadian study released Tuesday reveals that unexpected erosion in the St. Clair River following a 1962 dredging project has permanently...
View ArticleLow concentrations of oxygen and nutrients slowing biodegradation of Exxon...
The combination of low concentrations of oxygen and nutrients in the lower layers of the beaches of Alaska's Prince William Sound is slowing the aerobic biodegradation of oil remaining from the 1989...
View ArticleVIMS scientists help solve mystery of 'alien pod'
Tracy Collier, an employee at Home Technologies in Newport News, Virginia, was walking her employer's Westie around the Center's manmade lake on Thursday when she saw a large, mysterious blob floating...
View ArticlePioneering research to reduce coastal flooding
(PhysOrg.com) -- Coastal areas could be saved from the misery of flooding thanks to groundbreaking new research from the University of Plymouth.
View Article68 percent of New England and Mid-Atlantic beaches eroding
An assessment of coastal change over the past 150 years has found 68 percent of beaches in the New England and Mid-Atlantic region are eroding, according to a U.S. Geological Survey report released today.
View ArticleNew study provides global analysis of seagrass extinction risk
A team of 21 researchers from 11 nations, including professor Robert "JJ" Orth of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, has completed the first-ever study of the risk of extinction for individual...
View ArticleShips, planes attack major Shell oil spill off Nigeria
Shell on Friday deployed ships with dispersants and planes in a bid to mop up one of Nigeria's worst offshore oil spills in recent years, a spokesman said, amid fears it could soon reach the shoreline.
View ArticleCoastal storms have long-reaching effects, study says
Coastal storms are known to cause serious damage along the shoreline, but they also cause significant disruption of the deep-sea ecosystem as well, according to a study of extreme coastal storms in the...
View Article70 percent of beaches eroding on Hawaiian islands Kauai, Oahu, and Maui
An assessment of coastal change over the past century has found 70 percent of beaches on the islands of Kaua'i, O'ahu, and Maui are undergoing long-term erosion, according to a U.S. Geological Survey...
View ArticleAmerican Samoa bans shark fishing to save species
(AP)—American Samoa is banning shark fishing in its waters in hopes of stopping the population's decline.
View ArticleBeachfront nourishment decisions: The "sucker-free rider" problem
Coastal communities and beachfront property owners often respond to erosion by adding sand to restore local beaches. But beach nourishment alters shoreline dynamics, not only at the replenishment site...
View ArticleBay's underwater grasses decline for third year
(Phys.org) —An annual aerial survey led by researchers at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science shows that the abundance of underwater grasses in Chesapeake Bay and its tidal rivers declined 24%...
View ArticleScientist finds topography of Eastern Seaboard muddles ancient sea level changes
(Phys.org) —The distortion of the ancient shoreline and flooding surface of the U.S. Atlantic Coastal Plain are the direct result of fluctuations in topography in the region and could have implications...
View ArticleAustralian lake untouched by climate change
Researchers at the University of Adelaide have found that a lake on an island off the coast of Queensland has been relatively untouched by changes in climate for the past 7000 years, and has so far...
View ArticleSwept away: Beach erosion continues to be huge problem for Texas
The five-year anniversary of Hurricane Ike is still several months away, but the effects of what the historic storm did to the Texas coastline have been relentless, especially when it comes to beach...
View ArticleSea-level rise drives shoreline retreat in Hawaii
Sea-level rise (SLR) has been isolated as a principal cause of coastal erosion in Hawaii. Differing rates of relative sea-level rise on the islands of Oahu and Maui, Hawaii remain as the best...
View ArticleCoastal survey finds more short-term erosion
A new assessment of shoreline change along the Pacific Northwest coast from the late 1800s to present found that while the majority of beaches are stable or slightly accreting (adding sand), many...
View ArticleNew research predicts a doubling of coastal erosion by mid-century
Chronic erosion dominates the sandy beaches of Hawai'i, causing beach loss as it damages homes, infrastructure and critical habitat. Researchers have long understood that global sea level rise will...
View ArticleMarine sanctuary researchers gain access to more shipwrecks
Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary in Michigan is rolling out the buoys and starting another season of work on Lake Huron—the highlight of which is searching for and studying shipwrecks.
View ArticleHome washing machines: Source of potentially harmful ocean 'microplastic'...
Scientists are reporting that household washing machines seem to be a major source of so-called "microplastic" pollution -- bits of polyester and acrylic smaller than the head of a pin -- that they now...
View ArticleMars Express radar gives strong evidence for former Mars ocean
(PhysOrg.com) -- ESA's Mars Express has returned strong evidence for an ocean once covering part of Mars. Using radar, it has detected sediments reminiscent of an ocean floor within the boundaries of...
View ArticleWorld's biggest ice sheets likely more stable than previously believed
A new study suggests that the previous connections scientists made between ancient shoreline height and ice volumes are erroneous and that perhaps our ice sheets were more stable in the past than we...
View ArticleNew evidence for ancient ocean on Mars
Did a vast ocean once cover Mars' northern plains? The idea has been hotly debated among scientists for the past 20 years, ever since Viking Orbiter images revealed possible ancient shorelines near the...
View ArticleNew USGS report: Coastal erosion threatens northern Alaska
Erosion is eating away at Alaska's northern coast at some of the highest rates in the nation, threatening habitat and infrastructure, according to a new report published Wednesday.
View ArticleFirst Salish Sea-wide shoreline armoring study shows cumulative effects on...
Bulkheads and seawalls along the shores of Puget Sound help ease erosion and stabilize bluffs to protect waterfront properties.
View ArticleOne beach reopens after Los Angeles sewage spill
A mile of Southern California shoreline that was closed amid fears involving a sewage spill 20 miles away was reopened Thursday after two consecutive bacteria tests came back clean.
View ArticleHow far did sea level rise? It's no walk-on-the-beach calculation
Figuring out how far sea level rose during past warm periods in Earth's history starts with a walk on the beach, a keen eye for evidence of ancient shorelines, and a highly accurate GPS system. The...
View ArticleStudy finds widespread land losses from Gulf of Mexico oil spill
Dramatic, widespread shoreline loss is revealed in new NASA/U.S. Geological Survey annual maps of the Louisiana marshlands where the coastline was most heavily coated with oil during the 2010 BP...
View ArticleCanadian archaeologists challenge the credibility of GIS methods to assess...
Although computer models of archaeological sites are ideal software tools for managing spatially referenced data and commonly used to yield insights which contribute to the protection of heritage...
View ArticleImage: Landslide on the radar
On 20 May, over a million tonnes of dirt and rock buried part of California's Highway 1 along the Pacific coastline in the state's Big Sur region. In addition to cutting off the route, the landslide...
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