The quantity of small plastic fragments floating in the North Pacific Ocean has increased a hundred fold over the past 40 years.
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Big rise in Pacific plastic waste
HMS Ocean, on deployment in the Thames as part of the Olympic security preparations, had a close encounter with the Thames Barrier as it made its way up the river.
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VIDEO: HMS Ocean squeezes up Thames
A small plane with an unresponsive pilot crashed in the central Gulf of Mexico on Thursday after circling above the ocean for more than two hours, but it appeared intact after hitting the water, the U.S. Coast Guard reported.
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Plane with unresponsive pilot crashes
5@5 is a daily, food-related list from chefs, writers, political pundits, musicians, actors, and all manner of opinionated people from around the globe. Seafood lovers are between a rockfish and a hard place: More than 80% of the world’s fisheries are being harvested at capacity or are in decline. In honor of Earth Day, April 22, what can consumers do to make sure their seafood choices aren’t further depleting the oceans? Chef Takao Iinuma brings a ray of light to the matter. Iiunuma is the executive chef at Genji Sushi, the purveyors of sushi and Japanese cuisine to Whole Foods Markets. Selecting Sustainable Fish Options for Earth Month: Takao Iinuma 1. Why is it so important to consume fish sustainably ? “Sushi is a culture, and learning to make sushi the traditional way has been passed down for generations. If we want to be able to continue the tradition of sushi culture for the next generations, we need to work to preserve the diversity of fish available.” 2. Which fish are most sustainable ? “It helps to remember these 4 'S' words to figure out if a fish is a good choice: small, shellfish, seasonal and silver. Small fish are lower on the food chain, so there are usually more of them. They also don’t live as long, so they replenish their own stocks more quickly. Shellfish, specifically mollusks like oysters and clams, actually filter water and make the environment cleaner, so farming them doesn’t have the environmental issues that many kinds of aquaculture have. In Japan, we traditionally celebrate seasonality and consume foods when they are at their peak. Not only does food that is in season taste better, but it naturally controls the supply because we are not taking something from the environment at the wrong time. A good way to eat seasonally is to eat locally since what is being caught in your area is what is in season where you live. Many silver fish are also small, such as sardines and anchovies, so they have two things in their favor. Mackerel (saba) , Pacific saury (Sanma), and Spanish mackerel (sawara) are examples of larger silver-skinned fish that are plentiful, healthy and delicious.” 3. What should every seafood lover know about responsible consumption? “The reason we have endangered fish populations is from relying too heavily on certain key fish . If we want to still be able to eat those fish in 50 years, we need to change that. Instead of ordering only salmon or tuna, try something new and local. Look at it as an opportunity to expand your tastes – you will get to enjoy more variety and help the planet at the same time.” 4. What are sustainability standards when it comes to fish? “There are so many factors that the experts consider when they determine the sustainability of a fish – where the fish lives (and the health of that environment), supply of wild stocks, how the fish was caught, etc. – that sometimes it seems like no fish is safe. There are many fish species that we know very little about, so it is important to be careful and not to assume too much. The best bet is to buy your fish from a responsible source and ask questions . Also, look for a rating from a reputable foundation such as the Marine Stewardship Council or the Blue Ocean Institute .” 5. What are your favorite dishes that incorporate sustainable fish? “Sushi is a great way to enjoy many sustainable fish, especially silver-skinned fish like saba (mackerel), kohada (gizzard shad) and iwashi (sardine). Simple grilled fish is another great way to enjoy almost any fish, and you can easily adapt the menu to enjoy the best seasonal flavor.” Is there someone you'd like to see in the hot seat? Let us know in the comments below and if we agree, we'll do our best to chase 'em down.
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5@5 – Selecting sustainable fish for Earth Day
The Titanic’s journey to the bottom of the ocean
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Titanic: Journey to the bottom of the ocean
For three decades, filmmaker James Cameron has vividly rendered alien worlds. On Monday, ocean explorer James Cameron visited one: the bottom of the sea. Nine hours after completing a historic solo dive to the deepest slice of the ocean floor, Cameron described his “very surreal day” in the language of an astronaut. Read full article > >
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James Cameron ‘bearing witness’ in the deepest dark
Film director James Cameron begins his attempt to become the first person in 50 years to visit to the deepest place in the ocean, the Mariana Trench.
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Film maker begins deep ocean dive
Dick Franklin was reclining on a beach in Maui 13 years ago, reading a novel, when he heard a blood-curdling scream. His wife, D.A. Franklin, had been snorkeling with their daughter Missy, then just under 3, when the toddler suddenly gave chase to a beautiful fish as it headed out to sea. ¶ “She just took off, both fins just going like this,” Dick Franklin said, his hands imitating her splashes. “D.A., of course, can’t catch her. . . . Hence the scream.” ¶ Dick Franklin leaped out of his chair, threw his book into the sand and plunged into the surf to try to retrieve his daughter. ¶ “I caught her 35 feet out in the ocean,” he said, “in about 12 feet of water.” ¶ Said D.A., a casual swimmer: “That was it. I was done. I never snorkled with her again.” ¶ Almost since birth, Missy Franklin, now 16, possessed an unusual appetite and aptitude for moving through bodies of water. A junior honors student at Aurora’s Regis Jesuit High, Franklin owns a world record and five world championship medals and, with the London Olympicsapproaching, already draws frequent comparisons to Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian ever. Read full article > >
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Missy Franklin has body built for speed
Dick Franklin was reclining on a beach in Maui 13 years ago, reading a novel, when he heard a blood-curdling scream. His wife, D.A. Franklin, had been snorkeling with their daughter Missy, then just under 3, when the toddler suddenly gave chase to a beautiful fish as it headed out to sea. ¶ “She just took off, both fins just going like this,” Dick Franklin said, his hands imitating her splashes. “D.A., of course, can’t catch her. . . . Hence the scream.” ¶ Dick Franklin leaped out of his chair, threw his book into the sand and plunged into the surf to try to retrieve his daughter. ¶ “I caught her 35 feet out in the ocean,” he said, “in about 12 feet of water.” ¶ Said D.A., a casual swimmer: “That was it. I was done. I never snorkled with her again.” ¶ Almost since birth, Missy Franklin, now 16, possessed an unusual appetite and aptitude for moving through bodies of water. A junior honors student at Aurora’s Regis Jesuit High, Franklin owns a world record and five world championship medals and, with the London Olympicsapproaching, already draws frequent comparisons to Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian ever. Read full article > >
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Missy Franklin has body built for speed
Dick Franklin was reclining on a beach in Maui 13 years ago, reading a novel, when he heard a blood-curdling scream. His wife, D.A. Franklin, had been snorkeling with their daughter Missy, then just under 3, when the toddler suddenly gave chase to a beautiful fish as it headed out to sea. ¶ “She just took off, both fins just going like this,” Dick Franklin said, his hands imitating her splashes. “D.A., of course, can’t catch her. . . . Hence the scream.” ¶ Dick Franklin leaped out of his chair, threw his book into the sand and plunged into the surf to try to retrieve his daughter. ¶ “I caught her 35 feet out in the ocean,” he said, “in about 12 feet of water.” ¶ Said D.A., a casual swimmer: “That was it. I was done. I never snorkled with her again.” ¶ Almost since birth, Missy Franklin, now 16, possessed an unusual appetite and aptitude for moving through bodies of water. A junior honors student at Aurora’s Regis Jesuit High, Franklin owns a world record and five world championship medals and, with the London Olympicsapproaching, already draws frequent comparisons to Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian ever. Read full article > >
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Missy Franklin has body built for speed
Remarkable images of life from one of the most inhospitable spots in the ocean have been captured by scientists.
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Species spotted at deep-sea vent
A California road has slipped into the ocean following a mudslide caused by heavy rain over the weekend.
Concerned that overfishing is destroying the ability of menhaden to reproduce, the commission that manages the Atlantic coast fishery voted Wednesday to sharply reduce the catch of the fish. Tiny, oily menhaden are called the ocean’s most important fish by environmentalists because they provide food for essential fish such as striped bass and for birds such as osprey, bald eagles and brown pelicans. Without menhaden, environmentalists say, the Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay ecosystems would come crashing down. Read full article > >
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Menhaden harvest limit sharply cut by fisheries commission
Beneath the placid, summertime surface of the Chukchi Sea here on the northwest coast of Alaska, an underwater canyon acts like a bathtub drain. From the south, three currents wash in from the Bering Strait, carrying loads of nutrients. Plankton make tasty treats for bowhead whales, sea birds and fish. Benthos, organisms that live near the ocean floor, nourish walruses, diving ducks, gray whales, bearded seals and various fish. “If you eat food in the water column, if you’re a ringed seal, that’s where you want to be,” says A. Michael Macrander, an environmental ecologist at Shell Oil. Read full article > >
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Proposed oil drilling off Alaska coast prompts studies of environmental impact
Proposed oil drilling off Alaska coast prompts studies of environmental impact
Monday, August 22nd, 2011
