Image: Phytoplankton Bloom in the Norwegian Sea

(Phys.org) —The waters off Iceland rank among the world's most productive fisheries. The reason for the abundance is an ample supply of phytoplankton, the base of the marine food chain. Like any plant, microscopic phytoplankton ...

European fisheries flip with long-term ocean cycle

A sudden switch from herring to sardines in the English Channel in the 1930s was due to a long-term ocean cycle called the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO), an international study shows. This is the first evidence ...

Eyjafjallajokull's iron-rich ash fertilized North Atlantic Ocean

In about a third of the global ocean, the abundance of life is limited by a dearth of biologically available iron. The supply of iron to a region that is depleted in this important nutrient can stimulate algal productivity, ...

Polar storms spur ocean circulation

Though it seems like an oxymoron, Arctic hurricanes happen, complete with a central "eye," extreme low barometric pressure and towering 30-foot waves that can sink small ships and coat metal platforms with thick ice, threatening ...

Sandy prompts renewed interest and concern in climate change

Superstorm Sandy's hurricane winds and torrential downpours killed at least 106 people, left millions without power, and caused billions of dollars in damage. It also got people—including the mayor of New York—talking ...

EU keeps controversial fishing subsidies

The EU agreed on Wednesday to maintain controversial fishing subsidies, sparking a sharp response from environmental groups who say the payments contribute to overfishing of already stressed stocks.

Elusive El Nino challenges NOAA's 2012 US winter outlook

(Phys.org)—The western half of the continental U.S. and central and northern Alaska could be in for a warmer-than-average winter, while most of Florida might be colder-than-normal December through February, according to ...

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