Photo of the Week
Featuring images from the Marine Photobank, these Photo of the Week stories highlight ocean issues as well as the ability of visual media to promote ocean conservation. Would you like see one of your images as a Photo of the Week? Please become a contributing member of the Marine Photobank and let your photos work on behalf of the ocean.
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Carey Russell/Marine Photobank |
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While climate change is a looming threat to many different animals, sea turtles are among those most vulnerable. Changes in temperatures of the sea and the beach can affect them greatly, including influencing whether a male or female turtle hatches. As the eggs in nests buried in the sand incubate, warmer sand temperatures tend to cause more females to hatch whereas cooler temperatures tend to cause more males to hatch. Scientists predict that if by 2070 an extreme scenario of warming were to occur, some turtle nesting grounds would become dominated by females, throwing off the gender balance and threatening sea turtles' ability to reproduce.
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Wolcott Henry/Marine Photobank |
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The resources and productivity of coastal regions and waters account for the majority of the U.S. economy. The United States has more than 95,000 miles of coastline and the world's largest exclusive economic zone (EEZ), and these regions provide vast amounts of food, energy and minerals and a range of ecological services. Furthermore, they support tens of millions of jobs, are an important locale for tourism and recreation, and play a critical role in the nation's transportation and trade infrastructure. In order to effectively manage its coasts, the United States has finally embarked on developing a national ocean policy, which ideally will ensure a cohesive vision for their sustainable use.
For more information see http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ceq/initiatives/oceans
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