Tootfinder

Just days after a nationwide public comment period closed on a draft federal offshore drilling plan
—one that drew more than 270,000 responses
—the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management opened a new 30-day window.
This time, the agency is inviting oil and gas companies to nominate specific blocks of ocean off Central and Southern California for potential leasing

"Small ray of hope for Sri Lanka’s sawfish, now feared ‘functionally extinct’"
#SriLanka #Fish #Animals

Small ray of hope for Sri Lanka’s sawfish, now feared ‘functionally extinct’
COLOMBO — The sawfish, a large ray, is easily recognized by its long, flattened snout edged with sharp, tooth-like projections that form a distinctive “saw,” technically known as a rostrum. Despite being one of the ocean’s most extraordinary creatures, very little research has been carried out on sawfish in Sri Lanka. This gap in knowledge […]

Weekend #Plankton Factoid 🦠🦐
In recent years it has been found that phytoplankton productivity can be fueled by deep-sea hydrothermal vents. These vents produce iron and dense microbial blooms which can locally stimulate algae blooms, but it wasn't clear how this linkage of ecosystems separated by kilometers was possible. Now, an Antarctic study suggests that earthquakes can cause violen…