Thousands of barrels of oil have been tarring Brazil’s beaches since September, and no one knows why. An oil spill scientist is running oil forensics to find out.
Marine pollution
Posted inResearch Spotlights
How Are Microplastics Transported to Polar Regions?
New modeling indicates that global subsurface ocean currents distribute submerged microplastics along very different routes than those traveled by floating plastic debris.
Posted inNews
Great Pacific Garbage Patch Swim Nears Conclusion
Long-distance swimmer Ben Lecomte seeks to raise awareness about plastic pollution in the ocean.
Posted inNews
Satellite Imagery Reveals Plastic Garbage in the Ocean
Using high-resolution satellite data, scientists pinpoint discarded plastics floating off the coasts of Canada and Scotland.
Posted inNews
Island Building Alters Waters Leagues Away and for Years After
Quantifying the impacts of dredging through satellite remote sensing could serve as a valuable resource in future geopolitical disputes over contested waters.
Posted inNews
The Many Unknown Facets of Plastics in Ecosystems
Few studies have examined lakes or wide swaths of ocean areas, leaving critical data gaps in how plastic pollution affects wildlife and moves across food webs.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Brown Carbon from Increased Shipping Could Harm Arctic Ice
Emission from a ship’s engine gives clues to how much light-absorbing molecules may build up on and above snow and sea ice. Such emissions are likely to increase as more ships venture into the Arctic.
Posted inNews
Just How Anomalous Is the Vast Baltic Sea Dead Zone?
Newly drilled cores from the Baltic Sea reveal 1,500 years of deoxygenation history. The record sheds light on the dire state of the Baltic Sea today.
Posted inNews
Oil Spill Response Knowledge Grows, but New Risks Emerge
Oil spill expert Nancy Kinner discusses lessons learned from Deepwater Horizon, dangers of aging infrastructure and atomized dispersants, and a Russian plan that imperils Arctic waters.
Posted inNews
Pacific’s Garbage Hot Spot Holds More Plastic Debris Than Was Thought
A nonprofit that helped to collect data for the research plans to use the study’s findings to help guide it in an upcoming campaign to remove buoyant plastic trash from ocean gyres.