newscientist.com - by Fred Pearce - October 4, 2013

CLICK HERE - State of the Ocean Report 2013

We know the oceans are warming. We know they are acidifying. And now, to cap it all, it turns out they are suffocating, too. A new health check on the state of the oceans warns that they will have lost as much as 7 per cent of their oxygen by the end of the century.

The cascade of chemical and biological changes now under way could see coral reefs irreversibly destroyed in 50 to 100 years, with marine ecosystems increasingly taken over by jellyfish and toxic algal blooms.

(READ COMPLETE ARTICLE)

(CLICK HERE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION)

submitted by Albert Gomez

miamidade.gov

Storm Surge Planning Zones

The Miami-Dade County storm surge planning zones have been redrawn in relation to updated data which supersedes the previously-used SLOSH model. The newest generation of SLOSH model reflects major improvements, including higher resolution basin and grid data. SLOSH model grids incorporate local physical features such as geographic coastal area, bay and river shapes, water depths, bridges, etc.(Note: SLOSH – administered by NOAA - is an acronym for "Sea Lake and Overland Surge from Hurricanes.")  Areas in Miami-Dade along canals and rivers and further inland have been identified as being at risk for storm surge based on this new data.

Overview

The inaugural Rising Seas Summit will bring professionals from national and local government, industry, academic institutions and environmental NGOs together to highlight the interrelationships between sea level rise, climate change and extreme events.

Understanding, anticipating and adapting to water related threats is critical to national security and a stable economy. Sea level rise will continue to damage coastal ecosystems and inland water systems, and the recent catastrophic impacts of Hurricane Sandy have demonstrated the risks faced by all coastal communities on the U.S. eastern seaboard. These new environmental challenges require that stakeholders share knowledge and work together to reduce and mitigate environmental and social degradation induced by climate change.