Ocean Life News in Brief: April-15-2016
7.2 Earthquake in Vanuatu Pacific Ocean Triggers “Hazardous Tsunami Waves” Warnings
Powerful 7.2-magnitude earthquake strikes near Vanuatu in the Pacific Ocean...but no immediate reports of damage as officials says tsunami threat has eased. Hazardous Tsunami Waves were reported.
New Study at Proceedings of the National Academy of Science Assures Salty Oceans in Distant World Could Provide Life Conditions
On April 3 Press reported on a new computer simulation which assures to reveal how super salty oceans could provide conditions for life. Researchers at the Centre for Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of East Anglia have shown that ocean salinity can have a huge bearing on planetary climate and habitability. Salt and ocean circulations would impact temperatures globally and provide conditions for life. The work was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Volvo Ocean Race New CEO Says only Volvo “Ticks his Clock”
On March 31 Volvo Ocean Race officially announced the new CEO for Volvo Ocean Race. Mark Turner -one of the most respected figures in professional sailing, will be stepping down after 23 years at the helm of global sports marketing company OC Sport to take over as CEO of Volvo Ocean Race. “There probably isn’t any other post in sailing that could have attracted me today,” Turner says.
“Saturn´s Moon Changing Geography Caused by Ocean Dynamics,” NASA New Study Says
Daily News reported on March 30 on the findings of Michael Malaska of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory JPL in Pasadena, California. Malaska and his colleagues have discovered that Nitrogen can bubble out of the ocean of Titan -Moon of Saturn. This could explain the changing geography of Titan which includes vanishing islands.
PADI Calls for Earth Day and Presents 6 Point Ocean Give Back List
PADI announced 6 ways to give back to the Ocean in preparations to the celebration of the Earth Day set for April 22. “The greatest gift you can give to the sea is conservation,” PADI stated and listed; Responsible Recreation, Carbon Footprint Decrease, Reduction of Plastic Use, Sustainable Seafood Choices and Involvement and Action as their 6 bullet-point list.
New Study Says 10 Day Weather Predictions Can Be Extended to Two Months
Associated Press reported on March 28 that a new study could extend weather predictions to up to 2 months. Usually reliable weather predictions uphold for 10 days at most. The report was published in Nature under the title "Long-Lead Predictions of Eastern United States hot days from Pacific Sea Surface Temperatures". Using ocean waves and temperatures extreme summer heats can be predicted. The news was picked up by New York Times.
Researcher of University of California Takes Down Myth on Ocean Garbage
On April 1 The Atlantic reported on a new paper which assures to have the real answer to how bad is Ocean Garbage today. The Ecologist Chelsea Rochman from the University of California spoke to the Atlantic on the Issue. Rochman is a member of the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis marine-debris working group, a collection of scientists who study, among other things, the growing problem of ocean trash.
Groundbreaking Study Says Improved Fisheries Approach Could Recover World Fisheries by 2050
Science Daily on March 29 released a paper from the University of California which studied increased global ocean management. “New groundbreaking research shows that with improved fishing approaches -compared to business as usual, the majority of the world's wild fisheries could be at healthy levels in just 10 years and global fish populations could double by 2050,” study says. Researchers of UC Santa Barbara, the University of Washington and the Environmental Defense Fund conducted the paper which appeared in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
148 Sailors and Sixty Nations to Rio Olympics!
On April 4 Sailing Scuttlebutt News reported that over 60 Nations have been approved for Rio Olympic Games. “With the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro nearly upon us, that process of country qualification for the ten sailing events is now complete,” the media concluded. The Qualification process which began in 2014 has ended with three hundred eighty sailors, representing 61 countries ready for Rio Action.
11th Hour Racing Seeking Funding Proposals for Ocean Health
Sailing media reported on April 5 that the 11th Hour Racing -a program of the Schmidt Family Foundation, is seeking proposals for projects to improve the health of our oceans and waterways. The Event aims to increase understanding of current threats to the oceans, find solutions to the challenges that impact marine resources and promote stewardship of the seas.
Matt Wilkinson on Winning Streak Rings Bells at Australia WSL World Tour Stop 2
World Surf League reported on April 2 that the Jeep leader Matt Wilkinson is on a roll after “claiming his maiden CT victory on the Gold Coast”. Wilkinson becomes the first goofyfoot to ring the bell of Bells Beach since 1998. "I don't know what's going on," Matt told Ross Williams afterward, trying to explain his miraculous breakout. Matt´s best year-end finish to date has been 18th. Traditionally by year's-end, he's just trying to requalify. Now he's seriously thinking about steps he can take to secure a world title.
ACP Countries Set to Adopt Climate Action Plan
On March 23 -following a two-day special meeting on the outcomes of the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties COP 21 to the UNFCCC, the Sub-Committee on Sustainable Development of the African, Caribbean and Pacific ACP Group of States agreed on a draft Action Plan for the ACP 79 members for the 2016-2020 period. The plan aims to strengthen the global climate response in the context of sustainable development and poverty reduction efforts.
Countries Begin Negotiations for Global Conservation and Use of Marine Biodiversity
United Nations reported on March 29 that the meetings have began at the General Assembly to discuss elements which will be included in a draft text for an agreement which will be legally empowered for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity in global oceans. The paper will focus in waters and areas beyond national jurisdiction. The negotiations follow scientific assessments showing that the world’s marine biodiversity is increasingly threatened by human activities. The schedule for the preparation of the new legal instrument extends until 2017.
Small Island Nations Applauded By FAO for their Humane and Social Work: Poverty, Nutrition and Environment
The Food and Agriculture Office FAO revealed on March 30 facts on food security and nutrition in the Small Island Nations SIDS. “Most recent data indicate that many of the Small Island Developing States SIDS have achieved undernourishment levels of less than 5 percent. Good governance is perhaps the most essential factor in increasing food security and nutrition in the SIDS and FAO provides support through policy advice, analysis and technical assistance,” FAO revealed. FAO spoke of work conducted in Poverty and Unemployment, Dependency of Food Imports, Nutrition Goods Stock, Natural Disasters, Agriculture, Environment and Good Governance works and programs conducted in São Tomé and Príncipe, Guinea-Bissau, Seychelles, Papua New Guinea, Jamaica, Cuba, Maldives and Comoros among other Small Island Nations.
World Bank Sleeves Up to Work Global El Niño Impacts
World Bank reported on March 21 on work conducted to decrease the impacts caused by El Niño. The Lead Disaster Risk Management Specialist Christoph Pusch explained how the World Bank helps countries anticipate, respond to, and recover from El Niño-related shocks. “Every 2 to 7 years, the cyclical warming of Pacific Ocean waters triggers a global pattern of weather changes that can be felt across many different parts of the world. This phenomenon, known as El Niño, translates into intense rainfall and floods in certain areas, and severe drought in others. Due to its impact on precipitation, El Niño can seriously undermine water security, decreased agricultural yields and threaten livestock–putting considerable pressure on the livelihoods of affected communities,” World Bank stated.
