Keeping track of ocean health is critical for understanding climate change, weather patterns, and the health of important fisheries. But how do NOAA and partner scientists gather data on such a vast environment? One big way is with buoys, ocean observing platforms that help scientists monitor the global ocean — including in remote, hard-to-reach areas. […]
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Don Young (R-AK), Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), and Congressman Ted Deutch (D-FL) introduced bipartisan legislation to increase federal investments in marine energy. The Water Power Research and Development Act strengthens water power programs at the Department of Energy (DOE) and reauthorizes funding for research, development, demonstration, and commercialization of marine […]
Forty years later, another plastic canary has come home to roost. In August, University of Alaska Fairbanks scientist Ben Jones was hiking near Drew Point on the northern coast of Alaska. He noticed pilot Jim Webster walking toward him, while flicking a little yellow Frisbee his way. That yellow plastic disc, about 7 inches round, […]