Daniel Petras

Massive worldwide seawater study finds human-made chemicals prolific

tomwt — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 15:59:45 +0000

Massive worldwide seawater study finds human-made chemicals prolific tomwt Tue, 03/31/2026 - 08:59 More CNAS in the Media University of Hawaiʻi News March 30, 2026

UNIVERSITY OF HAWAIʻI - An analysis of more than 2,300 seawater samples from more than 20 field studies around the globe indicates that human-made chemicals—from plastic additives and industrial lubricants to pharmaceuticals and pesticides—are widespread in the marine environment, particularly in coastal and estuarine waters. The study, co-authored by University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa oceanographers and led by biochemists at the University of California, Riverside, represents one of the most comprehensive chemical analyses of coastal oceans to date.

The team analyzed seawater samples collected over a decade from coastal regions from the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Reported in Nature Geoscience, the findings show that industrial chemicals, many of which are rarely monitored, are far more abundant and widespread than previously recognized.

Read the Full Article

Human-made chemicals now shape ocean chemistry worldwide

tomwt — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 21:29:05 +0000

Human-made chemicals now shape ocean chemistry worldwide tomwt Mon, 03/23/2026 - 14:29 More CNAS in the Media Rodielon Putol | Earth.com March 17, 2026

EARTH.COM - The ocean has always shown clear signs of human impact. You see plastic floating, oil on the surface, and rising temperatures. Those are easy to notice. But there’s another change happening quietly, and it’s only now becoming clear.

Scientists studying seawater from around the world found something worrying. A large share of what we call organic matter in coastal oceans now comes from human-made chemicals.

You won’t see these drifting on the surface. They’re dissolved in the water, spread out, and carried across long distances.

That matters because organic matter helps keep ocean life going. It feeds tiny organisms, supports food chains, and plays a role in controlling carbon. When that balance shifts, the effects can be hard to predict.

Ocean data over a decade
To understand what’s happening, researchers at the University of California, Riverside (UCR) pulled together more than 2,300 seawater samples collected over ten years.

The samples came from over 20 field studies across the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans.

“For decades, scientists have tracked plastic debris floating on the ocean’s surface and measured rising temperatures that signal climate change,” said Daniel Petras, an assistant professor of biochemistry at UCR.

Read the Full Article

Kelp forests in crisis: How toxic turf algae are taking over

tomwt — Fri, 30 May 2025 15:06:31 +0000

Kelp forests in crisis: How toxic turf algae are taking over tomwt Fri, 05/30/2025 - 08:06 More CNAS in the Media Rodielon Putol | Earth.com May 30, 2025

EARTH.COM - Kelp forests, once a towering and life-filled part of many temperate coastlines, are vanishing fast. In their place, low-growing mats of turf algae are taking over.

This shift isn’t just cosmetic. It’s causing steep losses in biodiversity, disrupting how energy and nutrients flow through reefs, and changing the chemistry of coastal waters in ways scientists are just beginning to understand.

Researchers from Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in Maine and the University of California, Riverside have now uncovered a surprising reason why kelp forests struggle to bounce back.

Read the Full Article