Climate Change is Weakening the Ocean Currents That Shape Weather on Both Sides of the Atlantic
The change in the main ocean heat pump could bring more heat waves to Europe, increase sea level rise in North America and force fish to move farther north.
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Since the end of the last ice age, a swirling system of ocean-spanning currents has churned consistently in the Atlantic, distributing heat energy along the ocean surface from the tropics toward the poles, with heavy, cold water slowly flowing back toward the equator along the bottom of the sea.
Collectively known as the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, the currents played a key role in shaping the climate of eastern North America and Western Europe, and thus the development of civilizations there. But in the 20th century, the circulation has weakened more than at any other time during at least the last 1,000 years, new research shows.
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Researchers have developed a method to estimate the value of oyster and clam aquaculture to nitrogen reduction in a coastal community. Nitrogen is a nutrient that comes from many different sources, including agriculture, fertilizers, septic systems, and treated wastewater. In excess it fuels algal growth, which can affect water quality and human health.
As a result, a growing number of communities are required to follow regulations to reduce the amount of nitrogen they release. Shellfish are an option that can be a valuable part of a community s nutrient management plan.
In a study in
Environmental Science & Technology, shellfish biologists, economists, and modelers from NOAA Fisheries, NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, and Stony Brook University used a transferable replacement cost methodology to estimate the value of oyster and clam aquaculture to nitrogen reduction in Greenwich, Connecticut.
The Woods Hole Black History Month Committee is celebrating 40 years in Woods Hole in 2021. Four virtual events are planned during February as part of Black History Month. All events are free, however, those interested in participating must register in advance on the Woods Hole Diversity Initiative website, where further information is available about each of the events.
The national theme for Black History Month is âThe Black Family: Representation, Identity, and Diversity.â
The celebration will begin at noon Thursday, February 4, with a panel discussion titled â40 Years of Black History Month in Woods Hole: The Journey and the Future.â The discussion will be moderated by Ambrose Jearld Jr., a charter member of the committee. Mr. Jearld retired in 2016 as a fisheries biologist after a 38-year NOAA Fisheries career at the Northeast Fisheries Science Center in Woods Hole.
During Commerce Secretary nominee Gov. Gina Raimondo s Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday, Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey renewed the call to bring a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration research facility to New Bedford. The nation s first federal fisheries lab was established at Woods Hole, Massachusetts, in 1871 150 years ago, Markey said. The Northeast Fisheries Science Center is an invaluable part of Massachusetts fishery and science community. Governor, would you commit that NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center will remain in Massachusetts?
Raimondo said she would commit to looking into it and working on it with him. Markey then pressed her on a future role for New Bedford, asking if she would consider adding additional NOAA facilities in New Bedford and other areas of Massachusetts to provide the on-the-ground expertise on fishing and offshore wind.
Posted: Dec 31, 2020 7:00 AM AT | Last Updated: January 4
Peaches are a new crop on P.E.I., one that could not have been grown in previous decades.(Arlington Orchards/Facebook)