Scientists Map “Pulse” of Groundwater Flow through California’s…

UC San Diego — Groundwater is a key resource for water users in California’s Central Valley, a major agricultural hub with an economic output of tens of billions of dollars annually. Surface deformation in the Central Valley has long been linked to changes in groundwater storage, but the timing and movement of water flow beneath the surface has been poorly understood due to a lack of Read More…

California to pour $536 million into fire prevention amid drought…

NBC News — California Gov. Gavin Newsom struck a deal with lawmakers Thursday to free up $536 million for wildfire prevention as the state faces more drought and an elevated fire risk that experts warn could be as catastrophic as last year's historic infernos. The money would provide improved prevention for all parts of California and would pay for forest maintenance, defensible space, home Read More…

Mixed water supply conditions expected to affect hydropower outlook…

US Energy Information Administration — On April 1, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Northwest River Forecast Center (NWRFC) released its latest water supply forecast for the 2021 water year, which runs through September. The forecast shows near-average water supply in the northern half of the Columbia River Basin and below-average supply in the southern half. Abnormal Read More…

Haaland dives headfirst into Klamath water issues

Herald and News — Interior Secretary Deb Haaland withdrew a number of Trump-era memoranda concerning the Klamath Project on Thursday, citing a lack of consultation with Klamath Basin tribes, and committed her staff to work with stakeholders on a long-term solution to the Basin’s water crisis. “These documents were issued without government-to-government consultation with Read More…

Habitat Restoration Projects Offer Protection from Flooding

NOAA Fisheries — Habitats like tidal marshes, coral reefs, and seagrass beds serve as natural infrastructure that can help protect our coastal communities from flooding, erosion, and storms. NOAA Fisheries works to restore habitat for coastal and marine species, and many of our restoration projects provide natural infrastructure benefits as well. Two NOAA Fisheries-supported habitat Read More…

Climate change will hit ‘endemic’ plants and animals the hardest,…

CarbonBrief — Plants and animals that only live in one region – known as “endemic” species – are expected to be “consistently more adversely impacted” by climate change than their less specialised counterparts, new research shows. The synthesis study, published in Biological Conservation, finds that more than 90% of endemic species will face negative consequences – such as Read More…

How did 500 species of a fish form in a lake? Dramatically different…

Science Daily — Animals are remarkably diverse in their sleep and activity patterns due to foraging strategies, social behavior and their desire to avoid predators. With more than 3,000 types of cichlids, these freshwater fish may just be one of the most diverse species in the world. Lake Malawi alone, which stretches 350 miles through eastern Africa, is home to more than 500 cichlid species. Read More…

Coral predators exert a much larger influence on young coral than…

Science Daily — You might not think an animal made out of stone would have much to worry about in the way of predators, and that's largely what scientists had thought about coral. Although corallivores like parrotfish and pufferfish are well known to biologists, their impact on coral growth and survival was believed to be small compared to factors like heatwaves, ocean acidification and Read More…

Waning fish-catch in Cambodia’s Tonle Sap region

The Star — The freshwater and marine fish catch in the first quarter of the year was 960,000 tonnes, indicating a drop for all types of fish compared to the same period last year. More than 600 fisheries crimes were cracked down on nationwide, according to a report by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. The ministry’s report released on April 5 stated that freshwater Read More…

Seaspiracy Harms More Than It Educates

Hakai Magazine — The new Netflix documentary Seaspiracy opens with suspenseful music as a fishing boat chugs along. Quick cuts. Guns. Tuna. Danger. Life or death stakes. We’re introduced to filmmaker and main character Ali Tabrizi. Tabrizi is a Brit in his 20s driven by curiosity, passion, and a yearning to discover the one crucial reason the ocean he loves is in trouble. And therein Read More…