Ahab's Journal

As oceans fall ill, Washington bureaucrats squabble

WASHINGTON — Off the coast of Washington state, mysterious algae mixed with sea foam have killed more than 8,000 seabirds, puzzling scientists. A thousand miles off California, researchers have discovered the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a swirling vortex roughly twice the size of Texas filled with tiny bits of plastic and other debris.

Every summer a dead zone of oxygen-depleted water the size of Massachusetts forms in the Gulf of Mexico; others have been found off Oregon and in the Chesapeake Bay, Lake Erie and the Baltic and Black seas. Some studies indicate that North Pole seawater could turn caustic in 10 years, and that the Southern Ocean already may be saturated with carbon dioxide.

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Study shows fish diverting north to cooler waters

A new study by fisheries scientists in Woods Hole shows that about half of the 36 fish stocks they surveyed had shifted north or east toward cooler waters over the past 40 years, possibly in response to rising water temperatures due to global warming.

The study, conducted by scientists at the National Marine Fisheries Service Northeast Fisheries Science Center, requires further research to factor out the effects of decades of overfishing to get a true picture of the impact of warming seas, researchers said.

But the fish migration northward could mean that fishermen will have to travel farther to catch familiar species but might also see new opportunities in species coming up from southern waters.

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Marine protected area proposals reviewed

OCEAN CITY, Md. -- The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council met in Ocean City, Md. on Oct. 13-14. The council reviewed its proposed nominations for Marine Protected Area (MPA) designations and solicited input from the public regarding them. The meeting also served as a forum for a number of executive committee meetings and meetings of its law enforcement, protected resources, and surfclam/ocean quahog committees.

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Marine protection plan will curtail S.D. catches

Local fishermen and boat captains are on the hook to lose much of their financial catch because of a program to help protect more marine life along the coast.

No matter which of the three proposals state wildlife officials select, San Diego's passenger fishing fleet and commercial fishermen will suffer disproportionately.

Read "Marine protection plan will curtail S.D. catches"

Acidity's effect on scallops is Bioneers kickoff

NEW BEDFORD — A film and lecture investigating what ocean acidification could mean for sea scallops that make this city the nation's most valuable fishing port will start next week's Bioneers by the Bay: Connecting for Change.

The conference, a yearly gathering of environmental and social justice advocates, will convene in downtown New Bedford for three days of lectures, workshops, exhibits and an action event aimed at curbing global warming. The conference, which is sponsored by the Marion Institute, will be held at various downtown venues Friday through Sunday, Oct. 23-25.

Read "Acidity's effect on scallops is Bioneers kickoff"

Oyster restoration projects provide jobs

BY OUTER BANKS SENTINEL STAFF

Although construction has dwindled on the Outer Banks, offshore in the sound there is some serious building going on.

A two-year project began in September in an effort to help restore the state's oyster populations. A $5 million federal economic stimulus grant to the North Carolina Coastal Federation (NCCF) is being used to fund the creation of two oyster sanctuaries - one off Stumpy Point at Crab Hole and another at Clam Shoal off of Hatteras Island. During the two-year project, 54,500 tons of limestone marl will be moved from a quarry in New Bern to a loading site in Belhaven and then barged offshore to build the oyster reefs.

Operation Crab Pot aims to clean up area waterways

CHARLESTON, Ore. - Some crab fishermen off the Oregon Coast have been busy harvesting something besides Dungeness Crab.

Taking the example from SOLV's annual each clean-up, the Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission held a clean up of their own called Operation Crab Pot.

"If people can walk up and down the beaches from Brookings to Astoria and clean up beaches, if ATVers can take their time and effort to go out and clean the area that they spend all their time, why can't commercial fishermen spend time on the ocean each year," says Nick Furman with the Crab Commission.

And seven fishing boats up and down the coast did just that, for the first time they volunteered one day to recover lost crab gear from the ocean.

Read "Operation Crab Pot aims to clean up area waterways"

Monitor NM Sanctuary Meeting October 26

Dear Friends of the Monitor NMS,

We are pleased to announce that we will be holding our quarterly sanctuary advisory council meeting on Monday, October 26, 2009 at the Monitor NMS office located at 100 Museum Drive, Newport News, VA 23606.

An agenda will be posted on the web site (http://monitor.noaa.gov/) the week prior to the meeting, but we wanted to let you know that the public commenting period will be from 11:00 to 11:30 AM.

Energy companies turn to algae for oil

To many, algae is little more than pond scum, a nuisance to swimmers and a frustration to boaters

But to a growing community of scientists and investors in Southern California, there is oil locked in all that slimy stuff, and several dozen companies are racing to try to figure how best to unleash it and produce an affordable biofuel.

The companies and several research labs have set up shop in the San Diego area, many of them in an area nicknamed Biotech Beach. There, around 200 biotech companies are clustered on the mesa above Torrey Pines State Beach.

Together, the companies and organizations conducting algae research employ nearly 300 people with more than $16 million in payroll and bring $33 million annually into the local economy, according to the San Diego Association of Governments, and local officials see the potential for much more.

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Bill Includes $5M to Study Offshore Wind

A budget bill that appears headed for final passage in Congress includes $5 million for research and development of offshore wind turbines at the University of Maine in Orono. 

The $5 million appropriation is contained in the 2010 energy and water budget bill that already has been approved by the House of Representatives. Maine Sen. Susan Collins, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, worked to keep the money in the bill as it was vetted by conferees from both chambers. 

Read "Bill Includes $5M to Study Offshore Wind"

Acid test

Subtle changes in the ocean’s pH level threaten the future of Maine’s shellfish industry  

Four hundred corded nylon ropes hang from the mussel raft that floats near Bangs Island. Hundreds of thousands of flinty-blue mussels hang suspended in the dark, cold waters of Casco Bay. Once harvested, the mussels will grace the tables and displays of high-end restaurants and seafood stores up and down the East Coast — part of a growing industry that prizes quality over quantity. It’s an industry that holds great promise for Maine but one that faces a significant challenge in the form of ocean acidification.

The chemistry of our oceans is changing, according to scientists who monitor the world’s coastal waters. Seawater is becoming more acidic thanks to too much carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. The shift isn’t noticeable to humans and seawater remains essentially basic in terms of its pH level, but the change is robbing seawater of its carbonate ions — molecules made up of one carbon atom and three oxygen atoms that are critical building blocks for calcification and shell development. At risk is anything that builds a shell, including mussels, clams, oysters and even lobsters. Also at risk are the fishermen and small, independently owned companies that are the lifeblood of Maine’s coastal economy. 

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Offshore wind power test sites concern many

ROCKPORT, Maine — Offshore wind power may have the capacity to help the state free itself from its dependence on foreign oil, but plenty of Mainers have concerns as well as hopes about its potential.

The panel of experts explained to the sometimes skeptical crowd that the turbine test sites would be financed, maintained and ultimately removed by private companies, and that each would contain no more than two demonstration turbines. They also tried to alleviate concerns that the benefits of wind power ultimately might bypass the state — enriching corporations, altering the landscape and possibly endangering wildlife.

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A new use for clam shells

Finally someone came up with a better use for those surf clam shells than making ashtrays and paving driveways — and for every $1 worth of clamshells, nearly $40 in new money from oyster harvests comes back into New Jersey's economy. 

More than 2.1 million bushels of surf clam shells — formerly a waste product from seafood processing plants — has been laid down on reef sites since 2005 by a task force that includes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the state Department of Environmental Protection and the Rutgers University Haskin shellfish laboratory.

Just covering 1.5 percent of the reef areas with fresh shell, so baby oysters have a hard place to attach, has boosted growth in the bay's oyster stock by 25 percent, DEP biologist Jason Hearon said during a news media tour of the Ship John Shoal oyster area. Eight boats worked the beds Thursday where 169,000 bushels of clamshells were planted in 2007.

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Test site for wind farm draws varied comments

BY SUSAN WEST | SENTINEL STAFF  Construction of a demonstration wind energy project in Pamlico Sound could begin as early as next year, according to state officials who met with Outer Banks residents to discuss offshore wind energy Friday.

Governor Beverly Perdue, Senate President Pro Tempore Marc Basnight, and Representative Tim Spear hosted the meeting at Cape Hatteras Secondary School.

Floating turbines open wind potential

In the scramble to harness ocean wind power, floating turbine technology may be the holy grail.
Turbines that can be floated into position and anchored in deeper water are the solution to much of the politics that confronts shallow-water projects, according to proponents of the concept.

A pair of announcements this month seems to herald the next step into deeper water. A Norwegian energy company has begun to produce electricity with the first fully functional floating turbine – a project known as Hywind developed by StatoilHydro. 

And less than a week after Hywind was turned on, Blue H USA announced it had applied to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to install a floating test platform 23 miles southwest of Martha’s Vineyard.

Read "Floating turbines open wind potential" 

Proposals would greatly expand sea sanctuaries

Space set aside for protecting sea life on the Southern California coast would more than double under a trio of proposals for marine sanctuaries released to the public this week.

The three strategies would provide from 380 to 413 square miles of near-shore waters as safety zones for species — more than twice the current amount of 182 squares miles. Managers of the state-sponsored project posted maps, comments and related documents on the state Department of Fish and Game's Web site late Thursday.

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No-Fishing Zones are being considered in Biscayne Bay

The National Park Service (NPS) is proposing to incorporate marine reserves (no-take fishing zones), as well as recreational use permits, in Biscayne National Park (BNP), located south of Miami, Fla., as part of the park's updated General Management Plan.
 
The NPS is including the no-take fishing zones over the recommendations of a Biscayne National Park working group which did not include marine reserves in its review of the park. The BNP working group represented recreational anglers, commercial fishermen, divers, scientists and environmental groups.

Read "No-Fishing Zones are being considered in Biscayne Bay"

Palau creates world's first shark sanctuary

UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The tiny Pacific nation of Palau is creating the world's first shark sanctuary, a biological hotspot to protect great hammerheads, leopard sharks, oceanic whitetip sharks and more than 130 other species fighting extinction in the Pacific Ocean.

But with only one boat to patrol 240,000 square miles (621,600 square kilometers) of Palau's newly protected waters - including its exclusive economic zone, or EEZ, that extends 200 miles (320 kilometers) from its coastline - enforcement of the new measure could be almost like swimming against the tide.

Palau's president, who is to announce the news to the United Nations General Assembly on Friday, acknowledges the difficulty of patrolling ocean waters nearly the size of Texas or France with a single boat. But he hopes others will respect Palauan territorial waters - and that the shark haven inspires more such conservation efforts globally.

Read "Palau creates world's first shark sanctuary"

Islanders Rail Against Oceans Plan

Citing diverse issues from bird strikes and toxic unexploded munitions to ancient spirituality and hard economics, Islanders lined up on Wednesday night to express their concerns about the possible effects of planned commercial wind farms near the Vineyard.

Well over 100 people attended the public hearing called to receive feedback on the Oceans Management Plan, billed by the state government as a first-in-the-nation attempt to manage all development in Massachusetts waters. But just one issue dominated proceedings: wind generation.

Read "Islanders Rail Against Oceans Plan"

Fishing OK near planned wind farms off New Jersey coast

The three companies planning to construct wind farms off the New Jersey coast have agreed to not pursue any restrictions on fishing near the operations, which means commercial fisherman would be allowed to harvest their bounty between the turbines while anglers, pot fishermen and even scuba divers could fish right next to the structures.

Government agencies involved with granting permits for the windmills would still have to agree to the proposal, but they are not expected to mount objections.

Read "Fishing OK near planned wind farms off New Jersey coast"

Coastal residents invited to Sept. 25 briefing on offshore wind energy

Sen. Basnight, Rep. Spear, Gov. Perdue to ask for coastal community’s input

Raleigh – Senate President Pro Tempore Marc Basnight, along with Governor Beverly Perdue and Representative Tim Spear, will host a briefing for coastal residents to discuss the feasibility and potential for offshore wind energy along North Carolina’s coast at 9 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 25, in the auditorium at Cape Hatteras Secondary School in Buxton.  The public and media are invited to attend.

BIG WIN FOR HUGE CORAL REEFS OFF NC, SC, GEORGIA, FLORIDA

 10 Years of Planning for Unique Reefs Result in Model Safeguards 

 

(Charleston, SC – September 17, 2009) Environmental Defense Fund saluted the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council today for its final vote to protect what may be Earth's largest deepwater coral ecosystem off the coasts of  North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.  A veritable wonderland of marine life, the 25,000-square-mile area is among the most important in the world for marine species and for exploration for biopharmaceuticals. 

 

UPDATE ON NEUSE FISH KILL

RALEIGH – The Division of Water Quality’s Neuse River Response Team yesterday counted a total of 6.5-million fish that have died over the last 48 hours on the river and in the Northwest Creek area. According to division staff, this brings the total fish kill on the Neuse since the last week of August to approximately 12.3 million.

 

Coastal residents invited to Sept. 25 briefing on offshore wind energy

Sen. Basnight, Rep. Spear, Gov. Perdue to ask for coastal community’s input

Raleigh – Senate President Pro Tempore Marc Basnight, along with Governor Beverly Perdue and Representative Tim Spear, will host a briefing for coastal residents to discuss the feasibility and potential for offshore wind energy along North Carolina’s coast at 9 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 25, in the auditorium at Cape Hatteras Secondary School in Buxton.  The public and media are invited to attend.

Obama Follows Bush on Salmon Recovery

SEATTLE — In its first major effort to address the plight of endangered salmon in the Pacific Northwest, the Obama administration on Tuesday affirmed basic elements of a recovery plan set forth last year by the Bush administration.

The announcement angered critics of federal conservation policies, who said the Bush plan did not go far enough in improving fish habitats in the Columbia River basin or water levels in rivers for migrating fish and did not take immediate action to explore whether to remove four dams on the lower Snake River.

Thirteen species of salmon are listed as endangered or threatened, and critics say the new Obama plan, like the Bush one, is too ready to accept only slight gains in their populations, a potential violation of the Endangered Species Act.

Read "Obama Follows Bush on Salmon Recovery"

Bombs in water lead to Maine island lobstering ban

PORTLAND, Maine — A new Coast Guard rule has closed down fishing grounds around a remote Maine island following the discovery of unexploded bombs on the ocean bottom from when the Navy used the rocky outcropping as an aerial bombing range.

The Coast Guard put the rule into effect last week. It establishes a safety zone banning mariners from the shallow lobster-rich waters around Seal Island.

Read "Bombs in water lead to Maine island lobstering ban"

Extensive tests to be done on fish-kill sites in Neuse

The state will conduct extensive tests of the lower Neuse River, where millions of dead fish have blanketed the water in the past two weeks.

Basic tests so far have shown nothing unusual, according to the state, solidifying the theory that suffocation is the cause of the fish kill.

But the state plans a more expansive survey "looking for other indicators that would clue us in to other issues," said Susan Massengale, spokeswoman for the state Water Quality Division. 

Read "Extensive tests to be done on fish-kill sites in Neuse"

Oyster Reef Stimulus Project Begins

Belhaven, N.C. -- Quarry workers, truckers, welders, barge operators, tug boat captains and heavy machine operators--these aren't the kinds of jobs that usually come to mind when thinking about environmental projects. But they make up the backbone of an oyster-habitat restoration project that began this week in coastal North Carolina.

The N.C. Coastal Federation is partnering with local contractors, scientists from N.C. State University and the University of North Carolina-Wilmington, North Carolina Sea Grant and the state Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) to build and monitor approximately 47 acres of oyster reefs in Pamlico Sound.

Read "Oyster Reef Stimulus Project Begins"

NOAA Locates U.S. Navy Ship Sunk in World War II Battle

A NOAA-led research mission has located and identified the final resting place of the YP-389, a U.S. Navy patrol boat sunk approximately 20 miles off the coast of Cape Hatteras, NC, by a German submarine during World War II.

Six sailors died in the attack on June 19, 1942. There were 18 survivors. The wreck is located in about 300 feet of water in a region off North Carolina known as the “Graveyard of the Atlantic,” home to U.S. and British naval vessels, merchant ships, and German U-boats sunk during the Battle of the Atlantic.

Fishing OK near planned wind farms off New Jersey coast

The three companies planning to construct wind farms off the New Jersey coast have agreed to not pursue any restrictions on fishing near the operations, which means commercial fisherman would be allowed to harvest their bounty between the turbines while anglers, pot fishermen and even scuba divers could fish right next to the structures.

Government agencies involved with granting permits for the windmills would still have to agree to the proposal, but they are not expected to mount objections.

There is even some discussion of installing buoys near the turbines so fishermen can tie up and not have to anchor in deep water.

Read "Fishing OK near planned wind farms off New Jersey coast"

Offshore winds promise power

Far beyond the Outer Banks, the ocean waters could soon give rise to a wind energy farm the size of a small town.

For more than a year, a tiny Chapel Hill company has been laying plans for a project that would catapult North Carolina into a national leadership role in offshore wind energy development. Outer Banks Ocean Energy Corp. is eyeing federal waters about 25 miles offshore to chase a dream of harnessing pollution-free electricity generated by some of the nation's best wind resources.

Read "Offshore winds promise power"

Fishermen's Energy offshore geophysical survey begins

August marks a milestone for Fishermen's Energy of New Jersey as the team returns to familiar offshore territory, but for a reason other than fishing. This week, the Cape May based fishing vessel Capt. Bob has been outfitted with a suite of scientific equipment to study an offshore location 12 miles southeast of Atlantic City, in preparation for installing one of the first offshore wind farms in the U.S., off of Atlantic City.

Read "Fishermen's Energy offshore geophysical survey begins"

NOAA Report Explains Sea Level Anomaly this Summer along the U.S. Atlantic Coast

Persistent winds and a weakened current in the Mid-Atlantic contributed to higher than normal sea levels along the Eastern Seaboard in June and July, according to a new NOAA technical report.

After observing water levels six inches to two feet higher than originally predicted, NOAA scientists began analyzing data from select tide stations and buoys from Maine to Florida and found that a weakening of the Florida Current Transport—an oceanic current that feeds into the Gulf Stream—in addition to steady and persistent Northeast winds, contributed to this anomaly.

Read "NOAA Report Explains Sea Level Anomaly this Summer along the U.S. Atlantic Coast"

Governments killing once-endangered cormorants

ALPENA, Mich. — The mostly bird-free skies above Lake Huron's Thunder Bay during the recent Brown Trout Festival were a welcome sight to anglers who have spent years competing — often unfavorably — with double-crested cormorants for their catch.

Federal and state agencies have waged war in recent years against the large, black waterfowl notable for their orange facial skin and hooked bills. Cormorants can dive up to 25 feet deep and stay under water more than a minute, gorging on yellow perch, bass and other species. Fish farmers in the Mississippi Delta say they devour $5 million worth of catfish fingerlings a year.

Read "Governments killing once-endangered cormorants"

Talks on offshore energy test sites set

AUGUSTA, Maine — The Maine Department of Conservation and the State Planning Office have scheduled five informational meetings in September to discuss possible demonstration sites in Maine waters for new technologies for deep-water, offshore wind energy.

The demonstration site project is part of an overall state effort to position Maine as a key player in the eventual development of offshore wind energy. The state’s Ocean Energy Task Force is conducting the sessions to gather additional information before tapping up to five demonstration sites. 

Read "Talks on offshore energy test sites set"

 

NEW INTERACTIVE WEB SITE PROVIDES VISITORS WITH INSIGHT INTO COASTAL WATER QUALITY

MOREHEAD CITY – The Division of Environmental Health’s Recreational Water Quality Program has unveiled a new, interactive Web site that simplifies the task of locating swimming advisories along North Carolina’s coast.

Research finds higher acidity in Alaska waters

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Erosion threatens to topple coastal Alaskan villages. Melting ice threatens polar bears. Now, a marine scientist says the state's marine waters are turning acidic from absorbing greenhouse gases faster than tropical waters, potentially endangering Alaska's $4.6 billion fishing industry.

The same things that make Alaska's marine waters among the most productive in the world — cold, shallow depths and abundant marine life — make them the most vulnerable to acidification, said Jeremy Mathis, a chemical oceanographer at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

"Ecosystems in Alaska are going to take a hit from ocean acidification," he said. "Right now, we don't know how they are going to respond."

Read "Research finds higher acidity in Alaska waters"

Wind farm study favors sound near Buxton, N.C.

After measuring wind value and eliminating conflicts with bird migratory patterns, fish habitat and military air space, a new state coastal wind study says the best spot for utility-scale wind energy is in the sound off Buxton.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill feasibility study, requested last year by state Sen. Marc Basnight, D-Manteo, found that most other state waters are unsuitable for wind-energy development.

The study will be unveiled at a state Coastal Resources Commission meeting Thursday.

Read "Wind farm study favors sound near Buxton, N.C." 

Offshore Energy Subcommittee Meets Monday in Manteo

There will be a meeting of the General Assembly's Offshore Energy Exploration Sub-Committee on Monday, Aug. 24 at 10 a.m. in Room 201, Diane Baum Technology Center, College of the Albemarle Manteo campus. Public comment will be at 3 p.m.
 

Plastic decomposes in the sea and releases cancer-causing chemicals, study warns

Plastics thought to be virtually indestructible break down with surprising speed in the sea and release hazardous chemicals, scientists have found.

It was once thought the huge amount of plastic waste in our seas was a long-lasting pollutant, more a problem for marine animals than humans.

Annually up to 150,000 tons of plastic debris - most notably foamed polystyrene - washes up on the shores of Japan alone.

Read "Plastic decomposes in the sea and releases cancer-causing chemicals, study warns"
 

 

They're sharks, but don't worry

At first glance, the pictures look like biology-class slides, microbes swarming in green goo in a Petri dish.

But wait: That one has a fin.

And the goo is emerald water off Fort Macon, where a large school of sharks was swimming Wednesday morning when Beaufort freelance photographer Scott Taylor happened by in a helicopter. A few clicks of the shutter followed by a few clicks on a computer, and the pictures were moving across the Web, striking fear among beachgoers who always suspected there was something like that out there.

Read "They're sharks, but don't worry" 

Protection plan deep-sea coral reefs considered

FIFTY MILES OFF CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Deep beneath the crystalline blue surface of the Atlantic Ocean off the southeastern U.S. lies a virtual rain forest of coral reefs so expansive the network is believed to be the world's largest.

A 23,000-square-mile area stretching from North Carolina to Florida is just part of that entire reef tract now being proposed for protection from potential damage by deep-sea commercial fishing and energy exploration.

So far, it's been relatively untouched by man because of its largely unreachable depths, providing scientists a unique opportunity to protect an ecosystem before it's destroyed.

"Most of the time, science is trying to catch up with exploitation," said Steve Ross of the Center for Marine Science at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.

Read "Protection plan deep-sea coral reefs considered"

Feasibility of Wind Turbines in Sounds and Ocean to be Discussed August 27

RALEIGH – The N.C. Coastal Resources Commission will meet at 10 a.m. Aug. 27 at the NOAA/NCNERR Administration Building, 101 Pivers Island Road, in Beaufort.

Oregon and its allies slam Obama's handling of salmon plan

The state of Oregon and its allies in a lawsuit over the future of Northwest salmon don't like how the Obama administration is handling the issue.

In papers filed in federal court today, the state, environmental groups and the Nez Perce Tribe of Idaho say they've been effectively shut out of the administration's deliberations over how to run the region's network of big, power-generating dams without pushing salmon closer to extinction.

The criticism comes from some of the same people who not long ago were applauding the Obama team's entry in the decades-long and multi-billion dollar conundrum surrounding the imperiled and iconic fish. 

Read "Oregon and its allies slam Obama's handling of salmon plan"

ECONOMIC RECOVERY GRANTS AWARDED FOR DIESEL EMISSIONS REDUCTION PROJECTS

RALEIGH – State environmental officials have awarded nearly $1.2 million in grants for 24 projects aimed at reducing air pollution from diesel-powered vehicles, equipment and ships, with funds provided under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) of 2009. 

Fishing banned off parts of Sonoma, Mendocino coasts

California regulators sharply restricted fishing off more than 20 percent of the state’s coastline from the San Francisco Peninsula to Mendocino County and parts of Sonoma County, turning back pleas Wednesday to allow more abalone diving and delay the new measures due to budgetary concerns.

On a 3-2 vote, the state Fish and Game Commission established 22 new marine protected areas limiting or banning fishing in one-fifth of the state waters from Half Moon Bay to Point Arena.

Read "Fishing banned off parts of Sonoma, Mendocino coasts"

State adopts new set of marine protected areas

State wildlife regulators on Wednesday voted to establish new protected areas off the central and northern California coast where fishing would be banned or restricted.

The California Fish and Game Commission approved the second of five planned areas of California coastline in which marine reserves and parks will be created.

Read "State adopts new set of marine protected areas"

NOAA and Partners to Survey Ships Sunk off North Carolina in World War II

“The information collected during this expedition will help us better understand and document this often lost chapter of America’s maritime history and its significance to the nation,” said David W. Alberg, expedition leader and superintendent of the USS Monitor National Marine Sanctuary. “It continues the work conducted by NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries last summer to research and document historically significant shipwrecks tragically lost during World War II.”

Alberg said the expedition, which happens August 4-24, will also help document the condition of these vessels some 67 years after they were lost. Understanding the wrecks’ current condition is a crucial first step in establishing efforts to preserve these historic sites, which serve as “time capsules from one of the darkest times in the nation’s history,” he said.

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Florida Bay's ecology on the brink of collapse

ISLAMORADA, Fla. — Boat captain Tad Burke looks out over Florida Bay and sees an ecosystem that's dying as politicians, land owners and environmentalists bicker.

He's been plying these waters for nearly 25 years, and has seen the declines in shrimp and lobster that use the bay as a nursery, and less of the coveted species like bonefish that draw recreational sportsmen from around the world.

"Bonefish used to be very prevalent, and now we don't see a tenth of the amount that we used to find in the bay, and even around the Keys because the habitat no longer supports the population," says Burke, head of the Florida Keys Fishing Guides Association.

Read "Florida Bay's ecology on the brink of collapse"

Oceanside to take big hit from reserves

Southern California's commercial fishing industry would lose up to 15 percent of annual profits, and Oceanside would be hit harder than any other port, under a network of proposed ocean protected areas from Santa Barbara to the U.S.-Mexico border, a consultant said Monday.

Profits from commercially caught fish brought in through Oceanside Harbor would decline up to 27 percent under three proposals on the table, according to a report delivered Monday by Sarah Kruse, an economist for the Portland, Ore., consulting firm of Ecotrust.

Read "Oceanside to take big hit from reserves"