When waves crash on the shore they actually create vibrations in the Earth that can be detected by seismometers and used to determine the power of the waves. Seismologists have been archiving this data from 22 locations across the world for decades. Recently, a researcher noticed a trend in the data indicating that the overall [...]
Recent storms off the east coast of Australia literally whipped up freakish amounts of sea foam that ultimately made its way to shore north of Sydney. Scientists explain that the foam is created by impurities in the ocean, such as salts, chemicals, dead plants, decomposed fish and excretions from seaweed. All are churned up together [...]
Apparently there weren’t enough waves at the Bay of Plenty, so they had to make more. The Kiwi’s Mount Reef project seems to be a success in terms of the quality of waves that it’s creating. "The artificial reef is designed to have a primary purpose of creating high quality surfing waves. A database showing [...]
Here’s a cool site that tracks ocean-going vessels. Take a look at the map and see just how many ships are out there at once. And it doesn’t even track all vessels, rather just the ones that are part of the World Meteorological Organization’s Voluntary Observing Ship program as well as yachts that report their [...]
Not all seafood is good for you. In fact, some seafood can actually be bad for you and the environment. Here’s a cool guide that tells you how eco-friendly your favorite type of seafood is. The guide also indicates whether there is a health advisory for each species. Pretty nifty. Link
Surfrider is having their 3rd Annual Paddle for Clean Water this Sunday. If you’re wondering exactly what a "Paddle Out" is: A “Paddle Out” is a public rally where citizens concerned about the state of our coasts and ocean gather on a specific beach to make public presentations and take action. Some of those attending [...]
latimes.com has a five-part series, called Altered Oceans, on the various ways that we’re damaging the ocean. It’s got some disturbing photos, videos, and graphics. Seriously, you should check it out. Link Thanks, 70percent.org
Broceanographers are constantly checking surf reports for current conditions as well as forecasts for the next swell. There are countless websites that report surf and ocean weather conditions. Each site tries to set itself apart from all the others by focusing on specific regions, using fancy graphics, and making claims that they’ve got the most [...]
Earlier this month there was an area off the Oregon coast where the seafloor was littered with piles of dead sea life (typically slow-moving sea life, like crabs, worms, jellyfish – but no dead fish were found). This is the fifth year in a row that this has happened in the area, so scientists have [...]
If I could go back and do college all over again, I’d give some serious thought to doing it like Alexandra Cheney. Wheaton College granted her a $25K fellowship to travel to some of the world’s finest surf destinations (Polynesia, Australia, Japan, Costa Rica, Brazil and South Africa). Her mission is to study the intersection [...]