Pacific Ocean news stories on Newser

Expedition Charts 'Plasticized' Pacific

Rob Quinn — Tue, 22 May 2012 04:36:18 CDT

An expedition charting the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch" has been hauling out depressing amounts of plastic from the little-studied waters of the western North Pacific gyre. "We've been finding lots of micro plastics, all the size of a grain of rice or a small marble," the Sea Dragon expedition leader...

Plastic in Pacific Has Grown 100-Fold Since 1970s

Kevin Spak — Wed, 09 May 2012 06:00:00 CDT

Humanity has tossed a lot of plastic into the Pacific Ocean in the last 40 years. The level of small plastic pieces in the so-called "Great Pacific Garbage Patch" has increased 100-fold over that span, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography found in a new study. "We did not expect to...

Mystery Deepens as 500 Pelicans Die in Peru

Mark Russell — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 03:17:28 CDT

More dead sea creatures are turning up on the shores of Peru. Over the past several days, 538 pelicans, 54 boobies, five sea lions, and a turtle have been found along a 40-mile stretch of coast, reports the BBC . The animals apparently died on the beach, and not at sea,...

Fukushima Radiation Found in California Kelp

Mary Papenfuss — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 06:17:30 CDT

A major fallout from Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant disaster has hit the coast of California, according to scientists. Radioactive iodine was found in giant kelp beds off Laguna Beach to Santa Cruz within a month of the meltdown, reports the Los Angeles Times . The radiation "represents a significant input into...

Tsunami Ghost Ship to Rest in Watery Grave

Kate Schwartz — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 06:27:44 CDT

The ghostly Japanese squid-fishing boat that has been drifting its way across the Pacific in the wake of the March 2011 tsunami has been given a fate: It will be sunk. The US Coast Guard plans to use a 25-millimeter cannon to stud the unmanned ship's hull with holes this...

Sailors Rescued in Round-the-World Yacht Race

Mary Papenfuss — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 01:40:00 CDT

Two injured sailors have been rescued after a "monstrous foaming swell" washed over an Australian boat participating in a 10-team round-the-world yacht race. Two others in the 18-person crew also seriously hurt were still on board yesterday off the coast of California. The Geraldton Western Australia is expected to dock...

Tsunami 'Ghost Ship' Spotted Off Coast

Neal Colgrass — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 14:47:40 CDT

Canadian air patrol has spotted an empty Japanese squid-fishing boat drifting across the Pacific and heading for land. Beat-up and likely worthless, the 150-foot ship is part of 20 million tons of tsunami debris floating toward US and Canadian shores—so Canadian authorities may just leave it alone, the Vancouver...

Entire Pacific Nation Might Move to Fiji

John Johnson — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 11:16:05 CST

The Pacific archipelago of Kiribati is so worried about rising water levels that the government might just move everyone to Fiji, the AP reports. The president's Cabinet has approved a plan to buy 6,000 acres on Fiji's main island in case Kiribati's 103,000 residents need a new home...

Failed Russia Spacecraft Crashes in Pacific

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 12:47:44 CST

Russia's Defense Ministry says a failed probe designed to travel to a moon of Mars has crashed, showering debris over the southern Pacific, according to news reports. The ministry said the fragments fell today 775 miles west of Wellington Island. The Phobos Grunt was one of the heaviest and most...