Archive for March, 2010

NOAA Makes a Splash at National Science Teachers Association Conference [What’s New]

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From March 18-21, NOAA staff participated in the National Science Teacher Association (NSTA) conference in Philadelphia, Penn. The event is the largest annual gathering of science teachers in the nation. At the event, NOAA staff distributed nearly 10,000 pounds of educational materials ranging from DVDs, to posters, to books. These materials are now making their way into classrooms around the nation. NOAA scientists and education specialists also delivered a series of talks at the conference to present the latest findings about the impacts of climate change, and to provide ideas and resources that translate climate science to the classroom. Check out our podcast, video, and images!...

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Ice sheet melt identified as trigger of ‘Big Freeze’

This item was filled under Climate
The main cause of a rapid global cooling period, known as the Big Freeze or Younger Dryas -- which occurred nearly 13,000 years ago -- has been identified. A new study, has identified a mega-flood path across North America which channeled melt-water from a giant ice sheet into the oceans and triggering the Younger Dryas cold snap....

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Microbial answer to plastic pollution?

This item was filled under Climate
Fragments of plastic in the ocean are not just unsightly but potentially lethal to marine life. Coastal microbes may offer a smart solution to clean up plastic contamination, according new research....

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Ecosystems under threat from ocean acidification

This item was filled under Climate
Acidification of the oceans as a result of increasing levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide could have significant effects on marine ecosystems, according to new research....

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NOAA’s Navigation Response Teams – Rapid Response for Disasters [Feature]

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When hurricanes make landfall, they often bring with them stronger-than-normal ocean currents that can shift navigational channels and bring debris that can threaten the ability of vessels to navigate safely along the coast. With U.S. ports being America’s lifelines for receiving critical supplies such as food and fuel, NOAA’s Navigation Response Teams work around-the-clock after a storm strikes to ensure safe maritime operations can resume....

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Atlantic ‘conveyor belt’ not slowing, NASA study finds

This item was filled under Climate
New NASA measurements of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, part of the global ocean conveyor belt that helps regulate climate around the North Atlantic, show no significant slowing over the past 15 years. The data suggest the circulation may have even sped up slightly in the recent past....

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MEET: Dru Smith [People of NOS]

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MEET: Dru Smith, Chief Geodesist, National Geodetic Survey....

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El Niño’s last hurrah?

This item was filled under Climate
El Niño 2009-2010 just keeps hanging in there. Recent sea-level height data from the NASA/European Ocean Surface Topography Mission/Jason-2 oceanography satellite show that a large-scale, sustained weakening of trade winds in the western and central equatorial Pacific during late-January through February has triggered yet another strong, eastward-moving wave of warm water, known as a Kelvin wave....

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How do sanctuaries protect marine life?

This item was filled under Economy, Ecosystems, Facts, Health, Places
National marine sanctuary staff conduct research and use that science to better understand the marine environment at all 14 sanctuary sites. This knowledge is necessary to establish an effective strategy for protection....

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Increasingly threatened loggerheads follow their own paths in travel, eating

This item was filled under Climate
With loggerhead sea turtle nests in dramatic decline, researchers would love to know more about where the turtles go, and what they eat, so they can better protect the creatures' habitat....

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