Quick Dips
Curated topical articles on the Blue Economy

For the 50th Birthday of Earth Day: Environmental Investors are Winning the Decade

Matthew Mulrennan

This week represents 50 laps around the sun since the first Earth Day. Although environmental challenges are not to be underestimated, there is much to be optimistic about for the next 50 years as an unlikely ally, the financial sector, is helping turn the ‘environmental economy’ into ‘the economy’.

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When it comes to battling climate change and sea rise, what does it mean to be ‘resilient’?

Courtney Humphries

Resiliency is the hot buzzword in developing Boston’s waterfront. But what is it? And might it be better to just not build there at all?

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Sustainable fishing staying afloat in developed world, sinking in poorer regions

UN News Fisheries & Aquaculture

More people than ever rely on fisheries and aquaculture for food, and income, but the seafood industry is facing a “dangerous” sustainability divide when comparing trends in the developed world versus those in poorer regions, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) revealed on Monday.

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Urchins and Kelp

Netflix

California’s kelp forests are currently facing a major threat: deforestation. The root of this issue can be attributed to small, spiny invertebrates – purple sea urchins.

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How Starfish, Snails and Salmon Fight Pandemics

C. Drew Harvell

They are resilient and immunologically cunning in ways we’re continuing to discover.

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Rebuild it, shade it, breed it: three tactics to buy time for the Great Barrier Reef

Graham Readfearn

While emissions reduction is the only long-term solution, scientists are testing ways to keep the reef going in a warming world

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IUCN Issues Brief: Marine plastics

IUCN Plastics & Pollution

Plastic pollution is the most widespread problem affecting the marine environment. It also threatens ocean health, food safety and quality, human health, coastal tourism, and contributes to climate change. 

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Researchers document a 30-year plan to rebuild ocean life

Cara Giaimo

It’s actually been done before. Now the challenge is to scale up—way up.

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Opinion: We need a global movement to transform ocean science for a better world

Linwood Pendleton, Karen Evans, and Martin Visbeck

The current scale, pace, and practice of ocean scientific discovery and observation are not keeping up with the changes in ocean and human conditions. We need fundamental changes in the way that researchers work with decision makers to co-create knowledge that will address pressing development problems.

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Norway approves plans for Equinor’s 88MW floating wind farm

Rachel Cooper Energy Solutions

Norway has approved plans for Equinor’s floating wind farm.

 

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Shipping industry seeks response to calls for cuts in emissions

Bethan Staton and Harry Dempsey, Financial Times Shipping & Ports

World’s fleet under renewed pressure to clean up its act and curb greenhouse gases

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Taking Stock of China’s Actions to Steer Green Shipping

Barbara Finamore Shipping & Ports

Studies conducted in the past few years by Chinese researchers clearly show that shipping has become a significant source of air pollution in China’s main port cities (as shown in the above figure). Because these port cities are so densely populated, emissions from ships threaten the health of a large portion of China’s population.

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A.I. is Helping Scientists Understand an Ocean's Worth of Data

Tatiana Schlossberg, NYT Fisheries & Aquaculture Plastics & Pollution

Machine-learning applications are proving to be especially useful to the scientific community studying the planet's largest bodies of water.

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ABB brings fuel cell powering for large ships a step closer

Joshua S. Hill Energy Solutions Shipping & Ports

Swiss-Swedish electronic manufacturing giant ABB has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with French hydrogen technologies specialist Hydrogène de France to jointly manufacture megawatt-scale hydrogen fuel cell systems for ocean-going vessels.

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The blue economy – riding a wave of optimism?

Maram Ahmed Tourism

Coastal tourism and maritime transport have important roles to play in the diversification efforts of regional economies

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To Study a Problem That’s Everywhere, They’re Getting Creative

Sarah Elizabeth Richards, NYT Plastics & Pollution

Dimitri Deheyn’s lab has become a hub of novel research on the microfibers found in our waterways and even the air we breathe.

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North Atlantic's capacity to absorb CO2 overestimated, study suggests

The Guardian

Research into ocean’s plankton likely to lead to negative revision of global climate calculations

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Marine life in the world's oceans can recover to healthy levels by 2050, researchers say

Amy Woodyatt, CNN Fisheries & Aquaculture Plastics & Pollution

Marine life in the world's oceans could recover to healthy levels in the next thirty years if decisive and urgent action is taken, an international review has found.

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Blue energy revolution comes of age

Paul Brown Energy Solutions

With green energy from wind and solar out-competing fossil fuels, governments now hope for another boost − blue energy from the oceans.

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Ammonia flagged as green shipping fuel of the future

Charlotte Middlehurst Energy Solutions Shipping & Ports

Marine operators are looking to clean up their act

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