A large area of poorly oxygenated water is growing off the coast of Washington and Oregon. Scientists say oxygen levels may fall low enough to create "dead zones."
Results from a 2016 research cruise show ocean acidification has interfered with shell development of zooplankton that are a critical part of the marine food web.
Air & Sea Chronicles
Editor's note: Air & Sea Chronicles is NOAA's blog series documenting the ATOMIC mission in Barbados. This post is by Cindy Sandoval, a communications specialist from NOAA Fisheries who was on detial assisting NOAA Communications with ATOMIC outreach.
Over 50 Barbadian or Bajan students toured NOAA Ship Ronald H. Brown during the vessel’s short port call in Bridgetown, Barbados. While aboard, students learned about NOAA’s mission, the role the vessel plays in cutting-edge research, and why their island nation is at the center of an unprecedented effort to better understand the interactions of atmosphere and ocean.
Picture a calm, sunny day at a tropical beach. You look out at the ocean and in the distance a flotilla of small white clouds sails close to the waves. It’s ideal weather and typical of many days in the tropical Atlantic. However, scientists don’t fully understand how these ubiquitous clouds (a type of “shallow convective cloud”) form and impact the ocean, and it represents one of the largest uncertainties in predicting climate change.