September is National Preparedness Month

What's important to you? Many aspects of life factor into hazard preparedness, from economic decisions to availability of food and water, family safety and health, national security and even vacation plans.

 Preparing Communities for the Next Great Tsunami

Nate Wood is a geographer with the USGS. And if you live, work, or vacation along the Pacific Coast, he wants to save your life. Nate is part of a team of scientists who assess the vulnerability of U.S. coastal communities vulnerability of U.S. coastal communities around the Pacific Ocean to tsunami hazards. Loosely translated from Japanese for "harbor wave," a tsunami is a surge of water, or series of waves, pushed from the ocean floor after some event, whether an earthquake, eruption, or landslide, displaces the ocean itself. Tsunamis can either be one of the most destructive forces on earth or may simply dissolve into the daily tide. However, their threat is real and they should never be taken for granted.

 20-Year Study Shows Levels of Pesticides Still a Concern for Aquatic Life in U.S. Rivers and Streams

Levels of pesticides continue to be a concern for aquatic life in many of the Nation's rivers and streams in agricultural and urban areas, according to a new USGS study spanning two decades (1992-2011). Pesticide levels seldom exceeded human health benchmarks.  Over half a billion pounds of pesticides are used annually in the U.S. to increase crop production and reduce insect-borne disease, but some of these pesticides are occurring at concentrations that pose a concern for aquatic life.

 Ocean Warming Affecting Florida Reefs

Late-summer water temperatures near the Florida Keys were warmer by nearly 2 degrees Fahrenheit in the last several decades compared to a century earlier, according to a new study by the U.S. Geological Survey. Researchers indicate that the warmer water temperatures are stressing corals and increasing the number of bleaching events, where corals become white resulting from a loss of their symbiotic algae.  The corals can starve to death if the condition is prolonged.

 NOAA expands Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary in Lake Huron

NOAA released a final rule and environmental impact statement expanding the boundaries of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary in Lake Huron from 448 square miles to 4,300 square miles. The new boundaries now include the waters of Lake Huron adjacent to Michigan's Alcona, Alpena and Presque Isle counties to the Canadian border.

 NOAA, UNC-Wilmington study finds warming Atlantic ocean temperatures could increase expansion of invasive, native species

Warming water temperatures due to climate change could expand the range of many native species of tropical fish, including the invasive and poisonous lionfish, according to a study of 40 species along rocky and artificial reefs off North Carolina by researchers from NOAA and the University of North Carolina-Wilmington.

Appellate Court Upholds Coastal Commission's Tough Stance on Encinitas Seawall

In a split decision, the Fourth District Court of Appeal has upheld the Coastal Commission's conditions on two property owners' reconstruction of a seawall in Encinitas after it was destroyed in a storm, including limiting the new seawall's permit to a 20-year term.

 Piping Plover Lawsuit Stalls Fire Island Dune Rebuilding

Officials are lashing out at an environmental group whose lawsuit stalled a plan to rebuild Sandy-flattened Fire Island dunes after activists argued that the $207-million federally funded project could harm endangered birds.

Sandwich searches for beach restoration dollars

Tucked into a $2.2 billion environmental bond bill signed into law by Gov. Deval Patrick Aug. 13 is $5 million earmarked for beach restoration at Town Neck Beach.

Cape Cod saltmarsh recovery looks good, falls short

After decades of decline, grasses have returned to some once-denuded patches of Cape Cod's saltmarshes. To the eye, the marsh in those places seems healthy again, but a new study makes clear that a key service of the marsh - coastal protection - remains diminished.

Erosion - and what to do about it - worries Strathmere homeowners

As his wife, Pat, watched anxiously, Jack Monaghan climbed the slatted dune fence that once separated their Strathmere home from a state park, and pointed down at the crashing sea.  "There used to be a beach out there," he said last week.  Now, exposed black boulders and a slender, 10-foot cliff are about all that remain of Corson's Inlet State Park's southern shoreline.

 Easing development along New Jersey coast is misguided: Opinion

Just two years after one of the most destructive storms in New Jersey memory, one would think Garden State lawmakers would be scrambling to strengthen the resiliency of a coastline that has seen repeated devastation in recent years.

 Science of sea level driving offshore research

Sea-level rise, driven in large part by climate change, threatens our state's coastal communities and ecosystems. To provide context for understanding the changes our planet and our state is undergoing, I am one of a group of scientists at Rutgers that studies past sea-level changes, both globally and here in New Jersey. Our New Jersey sea-level research has been the subject of misleading attacks, as in Tom Brown's Sept. 10 letter to the editor in The Daily Targum titled "Rutgers should not sacrifice environment for research projects." My collaborator, Professor Gregory Mountain, has provided specific responses in "Criticism of University marine research project misinformed, unfounded." Here, I provide the scientific impetus for our studies

 Dredging project to begin in Cape May

Mayor Ed Mahaney announced last week the beginning of a state dredging project that will begin in Cape May Harbor.  Mahaney said under a new formula, Cape May and the Port of Cape May would be the first entity to receive dredging under a new state contract.

 Maryland faces worse climate-driven flooding, report warns

Baltimore and Annapolis are likely to suffer serious coastal flooding again before this century is over, and people and property in Ocean City and on the lower Eastern Shore face even greater risks as climate change accelerates sea level rise along Maryland's extensive shoreline, warns a new report.

 Coastal Delaware on front line at launch of Sea Level Rise Awareness Week

As the State of Delaware ramps up its efforts to raise public awareness of sea-level rise, no one is more aware than Kathy Lock.  As a resident of the southern Delaware coastal town of Slaughter Beach, Lock is on the front line of the rising seas that are already flooding local roads, yards and basements with alarming regularity, and are forecast to get far worse in coming decades.

 Record-breaking floods predicted next 20 years

Global warming is likely to shatter Delaware's coastal flooding records within two decades and "near certain" to spawn vastly destructive inundations in some locations before the end of the century, a national environmental group reported Tuesday.

 Flooding from storm surge would threaten D.C. infrastructure, report says

By the end of this century, as sea levels rise, as much as $7 billion worth of property in the District will routinely be threatened by storm-driven floodwaters, according to a new analysis, including 1,000 homes, three military bases and a broad swath of the Mall.

 Work at Poplar Island getting attention

The work underway at Poplar Island in the Chesapeake Bay has gained international recognition, with people coming from all over the world to see how it's being done and take that technology back to their own countries.

 Scientists use air guns off N.C. to study continental rift

Scientists plan to profile the ocean bottom off the Outer Banks using sonic blasts to learn more about how the continents broke apart millions of years ago.

 Beach nourishment funds to come out of tax payers wallets

Keeping our beaches beautiful and healthy is not easy and comes at a high cost. That cost will end up coming from tax payers' wallets.  The dredging of our local beaches and inlets is all part of the beach nourishment project. This project has been federally funded up until next year, but after that the majority of federal funding will be pulled from the budget.

 FEMA flood maps rezone more island properties to high risk

If you live along the coast and buy flood insurance from the government, there's a good chance your rates will be significantly higher by the end of next year. The Federal Emergency Management Agency released newly revised flood maps last month meant to better reflect the risk that communities face and more accurately determine flood insurance and building requirements. The maps were last updated in the early 1980s.

Tampa Harbor dredging benefits Egmont Key

Historic Egmont Key will soon receive critical sand thanks to maintenance on the Tampa Harbor channel.  The small island has experienced large-scale erosion and structural damage on its western shoreline.

Ala. town on front lines in partisan fight over global warming

Early explorers named this area Perdido, the Spanish word for "lost," because it was apparently so hard to find -- tucked away on a bay that stretches for miles. The eponym may be more appropriate today than ever, with the beachfront here disappearing at the rate of 2 feet per year in a number of spots.

 Meet the small-town Alabama mayor on President Obama's climate preparedness task force

Perdido Beach Mayor Patsy Parker may be more comfortable in the renovated residence that serves as the Perdido Beach Town Hall and Council Chambers, but the mayor of the small Baldwin coastal community of 581 residents is stepping into the national conversation as a member of President Barack Obama's State, Local and Tribal Leaders Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience.

 St. John Parish levee plan likely to receive Corps of Engineers approval

 A five-member Civil Works Review Board deferred voting Tuesday on plans for a $718 million hurricane levee designed to protect 120,000 residents of St. John the Baptist, St. Charles and St. James parishes. But John Peabody, the panel's chair and the Army Corps of Engineers' deputy commanding general for civil and emergency operations, said the board anticipates giving its approval, perhaps as soon mid-October.

 Texas A&M receives funds to build artificial reef habitats

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Gulf of Mexico Program recently announced that Texas A&M University will receive over $198,000 in a cooperative agreement for the project "Use of Seawater Electrolysis to Build Artificial Reef Habitat: Comparison with Traditional Shell Reefs." Dr. Paul Zimba, Director, Center for Coastal Studies of Texas A&M University, will lead the project.

 Ike Dike Project: Protect Texas' Biggest Port

It's a matter of when, not if, another tropical cyclone like Hurricane Ike will again strike the Texas coast. Many scientists and emergency planners warn we're long overdue, and that now is the time to take steps to prevent what could be destruction of Texas' economical core.

 CERB hears expert views on sea level rise and how to improve the resilience of coastal systems

The Coastal Engineering Research Board (CERB) held a public meeting in San Francisco, California, Sept. 9 to 11, 2014, to review coastal engineering challenges within the Pacific coastal region with experts from California and the West.

 Army Corps of Engineers lays out plan to fix storm-damaged Long Beach breakwater

The Army Corps of Engineers hope to have a contractor in place to repair the seawall protecting the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles in the coming weeks, an official with the federal agency said Tuesday.

 Celebrities and billionaires left powerless as their multimillion-dollar Malibu homes are mercilessly battered by huge waves

The rich and famous are well-seasoned in dodging the lurking paparazzi in their Malibu haven.  But as these pictures prove, they are currently contending with a bigger threat in their exclusive gated community - their multimillion-dollar homes are getting battered by huge waves which are spilling over into their seaside showplaces.  The erosion of the beach means the celebrities and billionaires who live along the exclusive beach stretch of Malibu Colony are powerless to protect their guarded houses from the forces of nature.

 No Easy Solution for Breakwaters

When Hurricane Marie sent powerful swells up to the boardwalk on the Long Beach peninsula last month, crews worked through the night to maintain sand berms that would halt the sea's reach into homes.

 Governor signs first California groundwater rules

California will no longer be the last Western state with a pump-as-you-please approach to groundwater. Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation on Tuesday overhauling the state's management of its groundwater supply, bringing it in line with other states that have long regulated their wells.

 Army Corps of Engineers stops its review of Oregon coal export project

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is halting its review of a proposed coal export terminal in Oregon, a decision that comes a month after the state rejected a permit needed for the project.

 Buoys to help gauge offshore wind power potential

The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is equipping two 10-ton buoys at its Marine Science Lab in Sequim to help research offshore wind power. The bright yellow buoys are each worth $1.3 million. After testing in Washington waters, the lab says they'll be deployed in November for up to a year at offshore wind demonstration projects near Coos Bay, Oregon, and Virginia Beach, Virginia.

 'Touchdown!' Oregon company deploys 1-of-a-kind wave-energy device

It wasn't as high profile as, say, landing on the moon, but M3 Wave's deployment this month of its wave-energy device off the coast of Oregon could be considered a giant leap in the state's nascent wave-energy sector.

 Seattle's new waterfront: What it might look like and why

Once in a while, strolling along Seattle's waterfront, you can catch glints of sunlight on Elliott Bay and smell the briny air.  But for most of the length of Alaskan Way, the waterfront is a wind tunnel of roaring traffic noise and partial, peek-a-boo bay views. Only the seagulls cawing for French fries at Ivar's hint at the watery, marine world beyond the kitschy tourist shops and aging, creosote-soaked piers.

 U.S. Engagement with Pacific Small Island Developing States

A Pacific nation itself, the United States not only shares the same values as its neighbors, it understands their hopes and aspirations and seeks to assist the peoples and nations of the Pacific as they strive to realize them. The Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Conference in Apia, Samoa marks our continuous engagement with the Pacific region and demonstrates our commitment to partnering with the Pacific SIDS to address local and global challenges, such as ocean and environmental conservation, climate change, renewable energy, sustainable development, and health. Secretary of State John Kerry's "Our Ocean".