Donald Trump issued an executive order late Thursday that environmentalists warned will accelerate the corporate exploitation of oceans by relaxing regulations on and streamlining the construction of industrial offshore aquaculture facilities, which critics deride as "floating factory farms" that pump pollution and diseases into public waters.

The Don't Cage Our Ocean Coalition, which was formed to oppose ocean industrial fish farming, said in a statement that Trump's Executive Order on Promoting American Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth "mandates federal agencies to craft a program for rapid authorization of industrial offshore aquaculture facilities, which use giant floating cages to cultivate finfish, allowing toxic pollution to flow into open waters."

"The federal government should strengthen local food security during this health crisis by supporting sustainable seafood, rather than allowing corporations to pollute the ecosystems we depend on."
—Marianne Cufone, environmental attorney

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Imagine trying to describe the circulation and temperatures across the vast expanse of our oceans. Good models of our oceans not only benefit fishermen on our coasts but farmers inland as well. Until recently, there were neither adequate tools nor enough data to construct models. Now with new data and new mathematics, short-range climate forecasting for example, of an upcoming El Nino is possible.There is still much work to be done in long-term climate forecasting, however, and we only barely understand the oceans. Existing equations describe ocean dynamics, but solutions to the equations are currently out of reach. No computer can accommodate the data required to approximate a good solution to these equations. Researchers therefore make simplifying assumptions in order to solve the equations. New data are used to test the accuracy of models derived from these assumptions. This research is essential because we cannot understand our climate until we understand the oceans. For More Information: What.s Happening in the Mathematical Sciences, Vol 1, Barry Cipra.

(Rutgers University) Algae in the oceans often steal genes from bacteria to gain beneficial attributes, such as the ability to tolerate stressful environments or break down carbohydrates for food, according to a Rutgers co-authored study.

(Oregon State University) The world's oceans play a critical role in climate regulation, mitigation and adaptation and should be integrated into comprehensive 'green new deal' proposals being promoted by elected officials and agency policymakers.

Today’s fisheries sector hosts a multibillion dollar industry that is a vital source of food and nutrition, employment, trade, economic wellbeing and recreation. What is blue growth? The concept of a "blue economy" came out of the 2012 Rio+20 Conference and emphasizes conservation and sustainable management, based on the premise that healthy ocean ecosystems are more productive and a must for sustainable [...]

It is well known that forests, especially rainforests, are key allies in our fight against climate change as they absorb greenhouse gas emissions. But did you know that oceans are the earth’s main buffer against climate change? In fact, about 25 percent of the greenhouse gases that we emit actually gets absorbed by the oceans, as does over 90 percent [...]

Ghost fishing. Sounds eerie, right? Unfortunately, it is indeed as eerie as it sounds. Ghost fishing occurs when lost or abandoned fishing gear stays in the ocean and traps fish or other marine life, indiscriminately killing whatever it catches. Abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG), as it is known officially, is being recognized as a topic that we must [...]

With the health of our oceans at stake, illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing has quickly become a monumental problem. The term “IUU fishing” is used for any fishing activities that operate outside of the law. There are many types of IUU fishing, for example, fishing without license or authorization, not accurately reporting the fish caught, fishing in prohibited areas [...]

Oceans cover 70 percent of our planet. But did you know that 40 percent of the earth’s surface is covered by what is known as our common oceans?  

PARIS: Oceans are likely to rise as much as 1.3 metres by 2100 if Earth´s surface warms another 3.5 degrees Celsius, scientists warned Friday. By 2300, when ice sheets covering West Antarctica and Greenland will have shed trillions of tonnes in mass, sea levels could go up by more than five...

PARIS: Oceans are likely to rise as much as 1.3 metres by 2100 if Earth’s surface warms another 3.5 degrees Celsius, scientists warned on Friday.By 2300, when ice sheets covering West Antarctica and Greenland will have shed trillions of tonnes in mass, sea levels could go up by more than...

Jellyfish have been equipped with embedded electronics that let researchers remotely control their motion, and the next version could add sensors for monitoring ocean conditions

Climate change is leading to lower numbers of marine life towards the equator – including mammals, birds, fish and plankton – while populations nearer the poles increase

Ever since the breakup of the supercontinent Pangaea, sea water has been flowing deep into the planet, causing sea levels to fall over millions of years

'By expanding our thinking of how oceans behaved in the past, we could gain some insights into oceans today,' says scientist at Stanford University

Sylvia Earle won the 2009 TED prize for her presentation on oceans, and this year got her Mission Blue project up and rolling to create marine preserves. Earle's wish was that we all use all the means at our disposal to tell the story of oceans in

On one side of the world, the hovering ash cloud is making it very, very difficult for millions travelers to get home and using up a lot of media air. Meanwhile on the other side of the

TreeHugger asked Andrew Sharpless, CEO for the Oceana ocean protection organization, why we really personally care about the health and fate of the world's big water bodies. Many of us, after all, live far from

3D maps created by Climate Central show how sea level rise could change some familiar cityscapes.

A new study suggests we look to the past for guidance on how to cope going forward.

Why oceans, why now?

From making shoes out of marine debris to the Run For The Oceans global initiative, this dynamic partnership is tackling plastic pollution in a big way.

A NASA scientist shows us the three-fifths of the planet's surface that we don't get to see.

It's time for swift and immediate action to protect marine life from further devastation.

These spiny little animals are in desperate need of population control, and our sushi habits could help.

The veteran naturalist and broadcaster is not holding back (this time).

Cody Simpson had his girlfriend Miley Cyrus shave off his blonde locks in favour of a buzz cut on Thursday. 

A new study published in Nature lays out an 'essential roadmap' for marine life to recover to full abundance by 2050 and leave future generations a vibrant, resilient ocean.

NASA has also shared images, showing the presence of Noctiluca on the coast of the Arabian Sea.

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