NOAA

Watch: 2018 Atlantic hurricane season concludes

The 2018 Atlantic hurricane season officially concluded on 30 November and will be remembered most for hurricanes Florence and Michael, which caused significant damage in the southeastern US. In total, the season produced 15 named storms, including eight hurricanes of which two were ‘major’ (Category 3, 4 or 5). An average season has 12 named storms, six hurricanes, and three major hurricanes.

For the first time, the GOES East satellite was able to see the entire Atlantic basin from its...

https://safety4sea.com/watch-2018-atlantic-hurricane-season-concludes/

US to grant Puerto Rico $28.9 million to prevent risk from natural disasters

The US National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, NOAA and their partners announced $28.9 million in new grants for the restoration or expansion of natural features, such as coastal marshes and wetlands, dune and beach systems, oyster and coral reefs, mangroves, forests, coastal rivers, and barrier islands that help minimize the impacts of storms, rising sea levels and other extreme events on nearby communities and infrastructure in 22 states and Puerto Rico. The 35 grants will generate $38.3...

https://safety4sea.com/us-to-grant-puerto-rico-28-9-million-to-prevent-risk-from-natural-disasters/

US court orders NOAA to reinstate restrictions on bycatch

A US court ruled that NOAA Fisheries illegally withdrew a proposed rule that would have established limits on bycatch of protected species caught in California’s swordfish drift gillnet fishery.

The decision does not immediately imposes the caps, but requires NOAA Fisheries to either revive the regulations or come up with any potential revisions with the Pacific Fishery Management Council.

Two years ago, NOAA Fisheries proposed rule to reduce the amount of bycatch in the driftnet fishery....

https://safety4sea.com/us-court-orders-noaa-to-reinstate-restrictions-on-bycatch/

Report maps potential environmental impacts of offshore wind energy

A NOAA Fisheries report assesses the potential impact of offshore wind energy development on East Coast fish populations. NOAA image.

A four-year study of planned wind energy areas off the East Coast found that building and operating offshore wind energy arrays could affect some of the region’s most commercially valuable fish species.

The report by scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration was written to help the federal Bureau of Offshore Energy Management to evaluate development plans for eight offshore wind energy leases issued by the agency.

Those areas, extending from the largest proposals to date...

https://www.workboat.com/news/offshore/report-maps-potential-environmental-impacts-of-offshore-wind-energy/

September 2018 was the 4th hottest on record

Warmth continued at a steady rate across the world last month, making for the fourth hottest September on record for the globe and the fourth warmest year to date, the latest analysis by NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information informed.

As a matter of fact, the 10 most warm September global land and ocean surface temperatures have taken place since 2003 with the last five Septembers (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018) being the five warmest ever recorded.

Namely, the average global...

https://safety4sea.com/september-2018-was-the-4th-hottest-on-record/

NOAA: Global warming to boost major hurricanes

A new NOAA research looks at the devastating 2017 Atlantic hurricane season. It notes that if similar weather conditions happen in the future, it’s likely the number of major hurricanes to increase by two in a similar active year at the end of century. Climate warming would be the cause of this.

Last year’s six major Atlantic hurricanes included hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria that caused loss of life in communities across Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico. The three hurricanes caused an...

https://safety4sea.com/noaa-global-warming-to-boost-major-hurricanes/

Infographic: A guide to plastic in the ocean

Plastic garbage at sea is a key threat the planet has to face, as there is about 8 million metric tons of plastic making way in the ocean every year. This is equivalent to the weight of nearly 90 aircraft carriers. These plastics come in many different forms: Among the top 10 kinds of trash picked up during the 2017 International Coastal Cleanup were food wrappers, beverage bottles, grocery bags, straws, and take out containers, all made of plastic.

US NOAA issued an infographic depicting the...

https://safety4sea.com/infographic-a-guide-to-plastic-in-the-ocean/

NOAA: August 2018 the 5th hottest on record for the globe

The average global temperature in August was 1.33 degrees F above the 20th-century average of 60.1 degrees and this was the fifth highest global temperature for August in the 139-year record (1880–2018), according to data provided by the US NOAA. Last month was also the 42nd consecutive August and the 404th consecutive month with temperatures above average.

January through August

The year-to-date average global temperature was 1.37 degrees F above average of 57.3 degrees. This is the fourth...

https://safety4sea.com/noaa-august-2018-the-5th-hottest-on-record-for-the-globe/

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