Ocean Roundup: Shell Seeks to Extend Arctic Drilling Period, Great Barrier Reef Protection Plan “Inadequate,” and More | Oceana
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October 29, 2014

Ocean Roundup: Shell Seeks to Extend Arctic Drilling Period, Great Barrier Reef Protection Plan “Inadequate,” and More

Two life rafts sit on the beach adjacent to Royal Dutch Shell's conical drilling unit Kulluk 40 miles southwest of Kodiak City, Alaska, Jan. 3, 2013. The Kulluk was grounded after efforts by U.S. Coast Guard and tug vessel crews to move the vessel to a safe harbor during a winter storm during a tow from Dutch Harbor, Alaska, to Everett, Wash. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Zachary Painter/Released)

 

Australian scientists are criticizing the government’s Reef 2050 long-term sustainability plan, citing that it’s “inadequate to achieve the goal of restoring or even maintaining the diminished outstanding universal value of the reef.” The Australian Academy of Science says the proposal doesn’t address greenhouse gas emissions, even though government assessments found climate change to be the biggest threat to the reef. The Guardian

Royal Dutch Shell has asked the Obama Administration to extend its exploratory drilling period in the Arctic for five years. Oceana uncovered this information in a letter from Shell to the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement obtained through the Freedom of Information Act. Bloomberg  

– New research shows that the BP oil spill disaster caused an oily “bathtub ring” the size of Rhode Island to form on the seafloor. The study found that 10 million gallons of oil sat on the seafloor of the Gulf following the spill. The Associated Press

– Last week, a 131-foot barge broke away from a tug boat in Canadian waters last week, carrying nearing 1,000 gallons of light diesel. With the winter season approaching and a lack of tug boats to rescue the barge, officials say the barge may get stuck in sea ice for the winter. CBC News

Long Read:

– The Greenland shark is a shark species that’s poorly known and understood, but some of the traits scientists do know about them are fascinating—they’re said to be blind, and their maximum speed is less than two miles per hour. But, overfishing and climate change are two threats that could take away scientists abilities to learn more about these elusive creatures before it’s too late. BBC