PMEL in the News
Melting Arctic ice a boon for humpback, minke whales
The Arctic ice melt is creating a "new normal" in the far northern marine ecosystem that has created conditions for a whale population boom. Biological oceanographer Dr Sue Moore from the US Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory in Seattle said that the loss of sea ice in late northern summer means that "ocean habitat for cetaceans has expanded".
Study finds increased ocean acidification due to human activities
Oceanographers from MIT and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution report that the northeast Pacific Ocean has absorbed an increasing amount of anthropogenic carbon dioxide over the last decade, at a rate that mirrors the increase of carbon dioxide emissions pumped into the atmosphere.
Robot Boats are Sailing the Seven Seas to Predict El Nino
Self-driving boats, kitted out with scientific sensors, could hold the key to avoiding the next major weather disaster. The boats, created by Saildrone, are being used by the NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory to enhance data gathered from the Pacific Ocean, where water temperature patterns are helping scientists understand the El Niño phenomenon. Being able to predict the next event could save millions of dollars and countless lives.
No Sailors Needed: Robot Sailboats Scour the Oceans for Data
Two robotic sailboats trace lawn-mower-style paths across the violent surface of the Bering Sea, off the coast of Alaska. The boats are counting fish — haddock, to be specific — with a fancy version of the fish finder sonar you’d find on a bass fishing boat.
Computer simulations help Penn State researchers discover unfortunate reality of coral conservation
A Penn State researcher — along with researchers at other universities — have recently discovered via computer simulations that coral larvae in the Central Pacific Ocean cannot help replenish the coral reefs in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.