Oceans and coasts news
ABC News
The dredging of Botany Bay, part of a $1bn port expansion in New South Wales has raised concerns about the welfare of the bay. Greens MP Lee Rhiannon has voiced her disapproval, saying dredging could cause tidal changes to occur and potentially rouse toxic sediments from the bottom of the bay, disturbing fish and bird breeding grounds. Ports Minister Joe Tripodi has stated that although there may be unfavourable short term consequences, appropriate precautions will be maintained to ensure minimal environmental impact.
posted by cecie on August 19, 2008 at 7:40 pm · filed under 
ABC News
Professor Will Steffen, head of the climate change unit at the Australian National University and science adviser to the Federal Government, has said that evidence from the past 12 to 18 months shows polar ice sheets are melting faster. Steffen has predicted a sea level rise of up to 4 meters this century, saying that we may have underestimated just how fast climate change will occur.
posted by megan on August 19, 2008 at 3:06 pm · filed under 
ABC News
Climate change has had detrimental effects on migratory birds along Australia’s coastal zones. Eric Woehler from Birds Australia has envisaged losses of the majority of beach nesting birds most due to increasing sea levels, presence of livestock, construction and various recreational activities within the next 70 years. According to Woehler, the population of some species originating in Tasmania have already been halved.
posted by cecie on August 18, 2008 at 6:50 pm · filed under 
The Sydney Morning Herald
Elephant seals fitted with oceanographic sensors are being used by climate researchers to record data, making it possible for them to monitor formerly inaccessible sections of the Southern Ocean. The limited information so far generated by this research suggests that the circumpolar Southern Ocean has warmed more quickly than average ocean warming across the planet.
posted by ruby on August 13, 2008 at 6:01 pm · filed under
The Age
The World Conservation Union (IUCN) yesterday released its Red List of Threatened Species for Cetaceans. Formerly classified as ‘vulnerable’, the new Red List identifies the Humpback Whale’s status as of ‘least concern.’ Nevertheless, certain stocks of the species remain endangered, such as those in the South Pacific and the Arabian Seas.
posted by ruby on August 13, 2008 at 5:48 pm · filed under
Australian Government
Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Minister Tony Burke and Environment Minister Peter Garret have introduced the Queensland government’s $23m Reef Rescue program, a collaboration with farmers which aims to improve the quality of water flowing into the Great Barrier Reef. The program aids farmers in reducing the quantity of nutrients, fertilizers and farm chemicals from entering waterways by implementing land management methods such as enhancing fertilizer efficiency and repairing riverbanks and wetlands. Peter Garrett believes that the introduction of the program will assist in the preservation of the reef and help protect it from global climate change issues such as coral bleaching.
posted by cecie on August 11, 2008 at 12:43 am · filed under 
The ABC
Saying that they were concerned about rising sea levels, the threat of climate change has been heeded by The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal who has recently stopped the building of six previously approved homes on coastal property in South Gippsland where up to 85% of the coast is at risk of erosion.
posted by megan on August 5, 2008 at 4:57 pm · filed under
The Age
Leading ice and snow experts are predicting that the arctic icecap covering the North Pole could disappear altogether during the summer months within five years. Just a few years ago the predictions were that this “melt-out” would not occur before the end of the century, but ongoing observations have resulted in the prediction being brought steadily forward. Historical records show that the Arctic Ocean has not been ice-free at any time in the last 16 million years.
posted by steve on August 4, 2008 at 7:18 am · filed under 
earlier entries »
Submit Event/Release
Recycling and waste
Bookmark & Share
Email Updates
