US Panel Could Scrap Endangered Species Protections for Gulf of America
of times since its creation in 1978.In an executive order last year, Trump ordered the committee to meet at least quarterly.The committee has six federal members: the Secretaries of Interior, Agriculture and the Army, the chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and the administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.Endangered and threatened species in the Gulf of Mexico include whales, sea turtles and corals.The endangered Rice's whale has been the subject of litigation over oil and gas exploration in the Gulf. A federal
New Project to Assess Resilience of Mesophotic Coral Reefs
oceanographic conditions.The project will also see scientists collaborating with organizations across the Maldives, Seychelles and Mauritius, countries that rely on a healthy ocean for food, environmental protection and economic prosperity. Those partner organizations include the Maldives Environmental Protection Agency, Maldives Marine Research Institute, Seychelles Island Foundation, Island Conservation Society (Seychelles) and the Government of Mauritius
Europe Moves On as US Lets Science Slide
so far to the U.S. government's retreat from scientific research under President Donald Trump's administration.Since his return to the White House, Trump has initiated sweeping budget cuts to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, the National Institutes of Health, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Centers for Disease Control and other agencies, dismantling programs conducting climate, weather, geospatial and health research, and taking some public databases offline.As those cuts take effect, European officials have expressed increasing alarm that - without continued access
White House Releases National Strategy for Marine CO2 Removal Research
methods.The Fast Track Action Committee on Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal led the development of the strategy under the National Science and Technology Council. Fourteen federal partners contributed to the Fast Track Action Committee, including the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone More Than Double 2035 Target
oxygen levels (hypoxia) cause animals, like fish and shrimp, to leave the area. Exposure to hypoxic waters has been found to alter fish diets, growth rates, reproduction, habitat use and availability of commercially harvested species such as shrimp.Hypoxia Task Force effortsIn June 2022, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established the Gulf Hypoxia Program to further accelerate nutrient reduction actions by the Task Force to make significant progress toward the Task Force's Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan.“Nutrient pollution impacts water bodies across the country and in the Gulf of Mexico
US Harbor Craft: Measuring Opportunity for Zero Emissions
remain.“In the U.S., the focus of standards is tilted toward the reduction of NOx and particulate matter PM,” Lewis noted. “California is in a unique position that it can set its own emission standards, which are currently higher than those mandated by the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Where feasible, California encourages the use of zero-emission options.”The CALSTART-Intelatus study, funded in part by the Clean Off-Road Equipment Incentive Project (CORE), profiled the U.S. harbor craft fleet, but also dialed in specifically on California, finding 676
Officials Urge EPA to Remove Toxic 'Forever Chemicals' from the Hudson River
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand earlier this month stood with local leaders and environmental advocates at Albany City Hall to demand that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) take additional action to clean up polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) “forever chemicals” in the Hudson River.PCBs are toxic manmade chemicals that can linger in water and soil for decades. Exposure is associated with a variety of serious health conditions, including cancer.From 1947 to 1977, General Electric dumped 1.2 million pounds of PCBs into the Hudson River north of Albany. In 1984, the EPA designated a
Coast Guard Monitoring Oil Discharge from Scuttled Liberty Ship
the artificial reef. Coast Guard personnel conducted preliminary investigations; contacting other government agencies to include Florida’s DEP, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conversation Commission (FWC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Okaloosa County’s coastal resource manager.Since receiving initial reports of pollution, the Coast Guard, together with federal, state and local stakeholders, continued to monitor the situation. Earlier this year, the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund (OSLTF) was utilized
Below-average Gulf of Mexico ‘Dead Zone’ Measured
reducing excess nutrients in the Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin by promoting collaboration among federal partners, states, farmers and other stakeholders.“The dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico is a stark reminder that water quality and land stewardship go hand in hand,” said Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Assistant Administrator for Water Radhika Fox. “At EPA, we recognize this and are investing $60 million through President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in work that states are doing to reduce excess nutrients that feed the dead zone.”In June, the EPA announced
February 2026
