Oceans on the precipice: scientist warns of mass extinctions and 'rise of slime'

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During a recent research expedition to Kiritimati or Christmas Island Jeremy Jackson and other researchers documented a coral reef overtaken by algae featuring murky waters and few fish. The researchers say pollution overfishing warming waters or som ...
During a recent research expedition to Kiritimati, or Christmas Island, Jeremy Jackson and other researchers documented a coral reef overtaken by algae, featuring murky waters and few fish. The researchers say pollution, overfishing, warming waters or some combination of the three are to blame. Credit: Jennifer E. Smith

Human activities are cumulatively driving the health of the world's oceans down a rapid spiral, and only prompt and wholesale changes will slow or perhaps ultimately reverse the catastrophic problems they are facing.


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All News summaries from Space & Earth science news
All News summaries for August 13, 2008

NASA Invites Students to Name New Mars Rover

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(PhysOrg.com) -- NASA is looking for the right stuff, or in this case, the right name for the next Mars rover. NASA, in cooperation with Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures' movie WALL-E from Pixar Animation ...

Astronaut outside space station loses tool bag

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(AP) -- A spacewalking astronaut whose grease gun erupted in a backpack-sized tool bag accidentally let go of the tote outside the international space station Tuesday, and it floated off along with everything ...

Calif. utilities must use 33 percent renewable energy for power generation by 2020

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California utilities, already struggling to meet a law requiring more renewable energy, saw the bar raised even higher Monday.

Global warming predictions are overestimated, suggests study on black carbon

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(PhysOrg.com) -- A detailed analysis of black carbon -- the residue of burned organic matter -- in computer climate models suggests that those models may be overestimating global warming predictions.

Scientists discover new planet orbiting dangerously close to giant star

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A team of astronomers from Penn State and Nicolaus Copernicus University in Poland has discovered a new planet that is closely orbiting a red-giant star, HD 102272, which is much older than our own Sun. The ...