News & Commentary

Finally, a High Seas Treaty to Protect the World’s Oceans

April 14, 2023 ExplainerInternationalBrian Palmer, Jeff Turrentine

A new U.N. agreement aims to bring order and conservation to what has—up to now—been an ocean of mismanagement and neglect.

A Leader to Meet This Moment

August 23, 2021 NRDC in ActionBrian Palmer

NRDC president and CEO Manish Bapna, an economist by training, knows that solving the climate emergency will require the global transformation of key economic systems—and that the transformation cannot wait a day longer.

A Race to Track the Southern Seas

May 13, 2021 Latest NewsInternationalBrian Palmer

To help prepare coastlines for the worsening effects of the climate crisis, scientists need more historical sea level records from the Global South—and they’re looking everywhere, from libraries to attics.

A Massive Surge in Plankton Has Researchers Pondering the Future of the Arctic

September 9, 2020 Latest NewsUnited StatesBrian Palmer

Phytoplankton blooms are growing faster and thicker than ever seen before—with potential consequences for climate, wildlife, and the fishing industry.

Ocean Steward

March 12, 2020 NRDC in ActionUnited StatesBrian Palmer

Sarah Chasis, a senior attorney in the Nature Program’s Oceans division, has nearly 50 years of experience defending our coasts from offshore drilling.

The Blue (Plastic) Planet

October 15, 2015 ExplainerInternationalBrian Palmer

You've probably heard that there's a lot of plastic swimming around in our oceans. But do you know how much? (Spoiler alert: It's way more than you think.)

Please Silence Your Sonar

September 9, 2015 Latest NewsWest, United StatesBrian Palmer

The U.S. Navy agrees to give marine mammals off California and Hawaii a break from deafening noise.

Want to Collect Some Whale Snot?

August 7, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesBrian Palmer

Here’s your chance to contribute to an exciting—albeit slightly gross—new form of whale research.

Don't Drink Porpoise Milk

July 22, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesBrian Palmer

It still contains PCBs.

And I Thought They Were God's Sneezes...

July 17, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesBrian Palmer

A new study shows where clouds come from—and what that means for climate research.

Franken-Coral?

June 25, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesBrian Palmer

A new study suggests that creative interbreeding could save coral from extinction.

Sea Change

June 1, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesBrian Palmer

Global warming could condense three million years of changes in the oceans into less than one century.

A Variation Variable

May 27, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesBrian Palmer

Unraveling the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation will help us better understand climate change.

The Science of Sea Spray

May 21, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesBrian Palmer

The bubbles and droplets on the ocean surface (and what lives in them) may have a big influence on climate.

Demand for Sustainable Seafood—Gone Overboard?

April 30, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesBrian Palmer

Consumers want more than fisheries can supply, and certification standards are falling.

First, the Good News

April 9, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesBrian Palmer

A new study shows simple fishing restrictions can bring coral reefs back to life—but only if we stop emitting so much carbon dioxide.

A Silent Victory

April 1, 2015 NRDC in ActionHawaii, United StatesBrian Palmer

A federal judge stands up to the noisy navy for the sake of marine mammals.

Out of Control from the Moment of the Blowout

March 27, 2015 PerspectivesLouisianaBrian Palmer

Former offshore drilling regulator Liz Birnbaum talks about what went wrong in the Gulf (and why drilling the Atlantic is a bad idea).

Climate Running AMOC

March 25, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesBrian Palmer

A new study suggests that melting ice is slowing the seas’ important thermohaline currents.

The Fishing Industry on Acid

February 23, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesBrian Palmer

Ocean acidification will hit coastal communities like these the hardest.