Erica Cirino is a freelance science writer based in New York who covers wildlife and the environment, specializing in biology, conservation and policymakers. https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/contributor/erica-cirino/rss en Plastic Pollution Mon, 06 Aug 2018 04:00:00 +0000 Erica Cirino https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/08/06/why-a-small-irish-town-is-fighting-to-stop-a-plastics-factory https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/08/06/why-a-small-irish-town-is-fighting-to-stop-a-plastics-factory Residents of Skibbereen fear the industrial facility would foul their air and water while adding to ocean plastic pollution. The plant is part of a global plastic factory-building boom driven by cheap natural gas. Arctic Climate Change Governance Tue, 03 Jul 2018 07:40:00 +0000 Erica Cirino https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/07/03/narwhals-whales-at-greatest-risk-from-increasing-arctic-ship-traffic https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/07/03/narwhals-whales-at-greatest-risk-from-increasing-arctic-ship-traffic As sea ice disappears and more ships ply routes like the Northwest Passage in the late summer, better safety and conservation measures will be needed to protect marine mammals, scientists say. Fisheries Marine Protected Areas Technology Wed, 27 Jun 2018 13:00:00 +0000 Erica Cirino https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/06/27/scientists-track-elusive-giant-manta-rays-as-poaching-threats-grow https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/06/27/scientists-track-elusive-giant-manta-rays-as-poaching-threats-grow Researchers hope tagging efforts will yield new insights into mantas’ life cycle and behavior, including their migration from what could be the first confirmed nursery for juveniles in the Gulf of Mexico. Fisheries Governance Marine Protected Areas Wed, 06 Jun 2018 03:00:00 +0000 Erica Cirino https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/06/06/a-grass-roots-movement-to-create-marine-protected-areas https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/06/06/a-grass-roots-movement-to-create-marine-protected-areas On the Greek isle of Santorini, fishers, divers, scientists, government officials and environmentalists have devised their own plan to preserve the marine ecology of the waters surrounding an island dependent on fishing and tourism. Governance Plastic Pollution Mon, 04 Jun 2018 03:00:00 +0000 Erica Cirino https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/06/04/ocean-advocates-take-to-the-streets-to-rally-for-marine-protection https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/06/04/ocean-advocates-take-to-the-streets-to-rally-for-marine-protection Thousands of people are expected to attend the March for the Ocean in Washington, D.C., this Saturday to draw attention to offshore drilling, plastic pollution and other issues in advance of the November election. Coral Reefs Governance Mon, 14 May 2018 07:30:00 +0000 Erica Cirino https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/05/14/coal-vs-coral-the-dredging-threat-to-the-great-barrier-reef https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/05/14/coal-vs-coral-the-dredging-threat-to-the-great-barrier-reef As the Australian government pushes for the construction of a giant coal mine near the world’s largest coral ecosystem, Finnish scientists have developed a way to minimize the impact of dredging required to expand coal ports and accommodate increases in ship traffic. Blue Economy Climate Change Solutions Fri, 20 Apr 2018 03:00:00 +0000 Erica Cirino https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/04/20/fighting-ocean-acidification-with-underwater-forests https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/04/20/fighting-ocean-acidification-with-underwater-forests As the ocean’s pH drops, scientists are studying whether kelp and seagrass can create refuges that could help marine life survive acidifying waters. Biodiversity Climate Change Fisheries Mon, 19 Mar 2018 08:14:00 +0000 Erica Cirino https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/03/19/report-antarcticas-krill-fisheries-threaten-penguins-whales https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/03/19/report-antarcticas-krill-fisheries-threaten-penguins-whales The activist group Greenpeace, which tracked krill fishing vessels near sensitive Southern Ocean habitats, argues that the fishery is putting pressure on an ecosystem already threatened by climate change. Biodiversity Climate Change Marine Protected Areas Mon, 05 Mar 2018 07:20:00 +0000 Erica Cirino https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/03/05/drones-help-find-massive-penguin-colonies-hiding-in-plain-sight https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/03/05/drones-help-find-massive-penguin-colonies-hiding-in-plain-sight While changing ocean and sea ice conditions are hurting some of Antarctica’s Adelie penguins, a newly discovered “supercolony” of 1.5 million offers new information to guide marine conservation. Governance Plastic Pollution Solutions Thu, 01 Mar 2018 08:40:00 +0000 Erica Cirino https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/03/01/hawaii-moves-toward-ban-on-ocean-polluting-takeout-food-containers https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/03/01/hawaii-moves-toward-ban-on-ocean-polluting-takeout-food-containers Last year, Maui and the Big Island banned polystyrene food containers that contribute to the islands’ coastal pollution problem. Now, Hawaii’s legislature is taking action toward the U.S.’ first statewide prohibition on foam packaging, which is toxic to marine life. Plastic Pollution Tue, 27 Feb 2018 07:20:00 +0000 Erica Cirino https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/02/27/seals-large-percentage-of-deep-sea-fish-contaminated-by-microplastics https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/02/27/seals-large-percentage-of-deep-sea-fish-contaminated-by-microplastics Scientists testing North Atlantic mesopelagic fish eaten by the ocean’s top predators found that nearly 75 percent were contaminated with microplastic fibers. Researchers have also discovered microplastics in the scat of gray seals and in the Atlantic mackerel they eat. Biodiversity Climate Change Fisheries Wed, 21 Feb 2018 08:00:00 +0000 Erica Cirino https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/02/21/new-long-term-effort-to-understand-impact-of-rapidly-changing-atlantic https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/02/21/new-long-term-effort-to-understand-impact-of-rapidly-changing-atlantic A research initiative launched in the Northeast Atlantic will gather data on how rising temperatures and other changes at the base of the food chain will affect the region’s fisheries and marine ecosystems. Plastic Pollution Tue, 13 Feb 2018 13:10:00 +0000 Erica Cirino https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/02/13/fifteen-year-study-indicates-pacific-ocean-microplastics-are-getting-worse https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/02/13/fifteen-year-study-indicates-pacific-ocean-microplastics-are-getting-worse Charles Moore, who first sailed the so-called Great Pacific Garbage Patch in 1997, has returned five times over 15 years to document the concentrations of plastic in the ocean. His results show microplastics are accumulating at a rapid rate. Plastic Pollution Solutions Tue, 06 Feb 2018 07:00:00 +0000 Erica Cirino https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/02/06/scientists-watch-ocean-plastic-hotspots-form-in-real-time https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/02/06/scientists-watch-ocean-plastic-hotspots-form-in-real-time Researchers tracked hundreds of buoys deployed in the Gulf of Mexico. Not only did the buoys not spread out – many concentrated into an area the size of a football stadium. The findings may help scientists pinpoint areas for plastic or oil-spill cleanup. Biodiversity Fisheries Wed, 31 Jan 2018 05:00:00 +0000 Erica Cirino https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/01/31/the-marine-scientists-who-study-fish-but-wont-eat-them https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/01/31/the-marine-scientists-who-study-fish-but-wont-eat-them As marine threats grow from climate change, overfishing and plastic pollution, a number of ocean scientists - most notably Sylvia Earle - are forgoing fish for moral and ecological reasons. Governance Plastic Pollution Wed, 29 Nov 2017 03:00:38 +0000 Erica Cirino https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2017/11/29/rare-outbreak-of-bipartisanship-on-need-to-fight-ocean-pollution https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2017/11/29/rare-outbreak-of-bipartisanship-on-need-to-fight-ocean-pollution The U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Save Our Seas Act to reauthorize a marine debris program and work with other nations to reduce ocean pollution. Backers hope the House will approve the legislation in 2018. Solutions Thu, 16 Nov 2017 07:42:38 +0000 Erica Cirino https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2017/11/16/yachters-are-sailing-to-the-rescue-of-hurricane-ravaged-islands https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2017/11/16/yachters-are-sailing-to-the-rescue-of-hurricane-ravaged-islands As an unprecedented string of storms hit the Caribbean, a volunteer organization began dispatching privately owned superyachts to bring desperately needed supplies and volunteers to hard-to-reach coastal towns. Biodiversity Climate Change Thu, 02 Nov 2017 09:28:10 +0000 Erica Cirino https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2017/11/02/the-animal-without-a-brain-that-is-taking-over-the-ocean https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2017/11/02/the-animal-without-a-brain-that-is-taking-over-the-ocean Jellyfish are thriving as warming seas, acidification and deoxygenation threaten other marine life. After long ignoring the beautiful but mysterious creatures, scientists are trying to figure out what makes them such survivors in the age of climate change. Fisheries Governance Mon, 23 Oct 2017 08:21:57 +0000 Erica Cirino https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2017/10/23/biologists-fisheries-at-risk-as-bills-target-science-based-conservation https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2017/10/23/biologists-fisheries-at-risk-as-bills-target-science-based-conservation More than 200 prominent scientists have signed a letter to Congress opposing legislation that would weaken the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the U.S. fisheries law that sets catch limits based on scientific evidence. Biodiversity Deep Sea Mining Governance Tue, 17 Oct 2017 04:00:13 +0000 Erica Cirino https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2017/10/17/bait-and-switch-scientists-question-use-of-offsets-in-ocean-projects https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2017/10/17/bait-and-switch-scientists-question-use-of-offsets-in-ocean-projects Researchers find that policies in Australia to compensate for the destruction of marine habitats from dredging, port construction and other developments are too poorly managed to prevent a loss of biodiversity.