Antarctic icebergs -- Hotspots of ocean life

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Icebergs floating near the Ilulissat glacier
Global climate change is causing Antarctic ice shelves to shrink and split apart, yielding thousands of free-drifting icebergs in the nearby Weddell Sea. According to a new study in this week’s journal Science these floating islands of ice – some as large as a dozen miles across – are having a major impact on the ecology of the ocean around them, serving as “hotspots” for ocean life, with thriving communities of seabirds above and a web of phytoplankton, krill, and fish below.


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All News summaries for June 21, 2007

Whale playground offers glimpse into Russia's melting Arctic

57 minutes ago | User rating: not rated yet
A young whale pokes its melon-shaped head into the cool morning air near this remote island, a sign its herd is thriving despite mounting threats in Russia's melting Arctic.

N.M. cavers chart unique 'snowy' river of crystals

4 hours ago | User rating: not rated yet
(AP) -- Hundreds of feet beneath Earth's surface, a few seasoned cave explorers venture where no human has set foot. Their headlamps illuminate mud-covered walls, gypsum crystals and mineral deposits. The ...

Western governors offer greenhouse emissions plan

4 hours ago | User rating: not rated yet
(AP) -- Seven Western states are joining four Canadian provinces to propose a plan to limit greenhouse gas emissions through use of a "cap and trade" system.

Cow power could generate electricity for millions

7 hours ago | User rating: not rated yet
Converting livestock manure into a domestic renewable fuel source could generate enough electricity to meet up to three per cent of North America's entire consumption needs and lead to a significant reduction in greenhouse ...

Judge: EPA must regulate ship water discharge

7 hours ago | User rating: not rated yet
(AP) -- An appeals court Wednesday upheld a ruling ordering the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate the water discharged from ships as a way to protect local ecosystems from invasive species.
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