Fish & Fisheries

"For decades, fishers, swimmers and environmental groups have complained that mud and silt from dredging operations in the Mobile Bay shipping channel have been smothering seagrasses, choking out oysters and clouding water that was once pristine." "A measure to permanently ban the practice of “thin-layer disposal” of dredged sediment nationwide has advanced through a House committee with bipartisan support."

"The U.S. government plans to auction off massive sections of water surrounding American Samoa for potential deep-sea mining in an unprecedented move that is expected to draw criticism from many countries."

"Deep-sea mining threatens to drive to extinction more than half of the snails and other mollusks that rely on hydrothermal vents, according to the latest update of the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List, the global scientific authority on the status of species."

"Alabama officials are seeking federal permission to fill a stretch of wetlands and streams to move forward on the Birmingham Northern Beltline, a decades-long highway project that critics say is unnecessary and will destroy huge swaths of sensitive forests, wetlands and streams."

"Along most of the Atlantic coast, alewives are struggling after decades of damming and overfishing. But in Maine, the fish is rebounding—and towns’ historic harvests are growing."

"State regulators have approved exploratory drilling near the headwaters of the rugged flow that inspired “A River Runs Through It,” which is still recovering from a mining disaster more than 50 years ago."

"Temperatures on the ocean surface have hit a record high, raising fears of another burst of extreme heat this summer." "European scientists warn of consequences for weather patterns, the global climate and marine life"

"Global plans to drill and expand fossil fuel projects overlap with marine protected areas and important fishing grounds, a new report finds."

"In its 52 years, the Endangered Species Act has been a muscular protector of vulnerable plants and animals, invoked to stymie roads, development, and logging or shipping patterns, and shielding entire areas from activity that could edge those species toward extinction. Shifting the political winds to target the landmark law’s clout, the Trump administration has sought more leeway for energy, mining, and other industries that the ESA has interfered with in the name of protecting vulnerable species."

"The Big Hole River, a blue-ribbon fishery that’s become a focal point in a years-long debate over nuisance algae growth, is poised to receive an impairment designation."