Ocean News Archive

All ocean news articles

Orca Awareness Month Declared in Oregon

For 13 years, June has been proclaimed Orca Awareness Month by the Governor of Washington — and for the first time in 2016, Orca Awareness Month was celebrated in Oregon and in British Columbia as well! The American Cetacean Society’s Oregon Chapter kicked things off early with an Orca Awareness Day at the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport. Any community group, science center, non-profit...Read more
Marine debris survey training in progress.|Photo by Dennis White.

CoastWatch Has Key Roles in Marine Debris Efforts

Marine debris survey training in progress. | Photo by Dennis White. CoastWatchers have been actively cleaning beaches of marine debris since the program was founded more than 25 years ago, and CoastWatch has had an organized marine debris project for the past decade. In the wake of the 2011 Japanese tsunami, Oregon Shores (through CoastWatch) joined with four...Read more
Port Orford Quest. Photo by Cait Goodwin.

Questing for Natural Treasures

Quests are fun, free-choice learning adventures that use clues and hints to encourage participants to discover the natural, cultural and historical "treasures" of place and community. Suitable for groups of all ages, self-guided Quests allow lifelong learners to explore parks, trails and other outdoor spaces in new ways and at their own pace. Quests are all made by people in the community, such...Read more

February 6 Rally to Protest Oil Drilling Scheme

Oregon Shores is joining with many other conservation groups to sponsor a rally on the State Capitol steps to protest the Trump administration’s suddenly announced plan to open Oregon’s ocean waters to oil drilling leases (along with almost all United States marine areas). The rally takes places at 2:30 p.m., in conjunction with a hearing by the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)...Read more

Oregon Rises to Oppose Ocean Oil Drilling

On Jan. 4, the Trump Administration abruptly announced that it planned to open 90% of U.S ocean waters to oil drilling. Lease sales would be offered in 25 of the 26 areas into which America’s federal ocean waters are divided, including the area off Oregon and Washington. At virtually the same time, the administration also announced new proposed rules that would weaken the safety regulations that...Read more
Image of top portion of Oregon coast map, showing title.

New Oregon Coast Conservation Map Available

As part of our 2017 celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Oregon Beach Bill, Oregon Shores collaborated with Raven Maps to produce a new large-format, high resolution map of the Oregon coast, emphasizing public lands. The map is now available for order , in time to serve as a beautiful holiday gift for your coast-loving friends and relatives. The new map highlights...Read more
Derelict Japanese fishing vessel, debris from the tsunami, on Arcadia Beach.\Photo by Tiffany Boothe, Seaside Aquarium.

CoastWatcher-Aided Tsunami Debris Research Published

Derelict Japanese fishing vessel, debris from the tsunami, on Arcadia Beach.\Photo by Tiffany Boothe, Seaside Aquarium. On Dec. 2, a derelict 38-foot Japanese fishing boat, debris from the 2011 tsunami that devastated Japan, washed up on Arcadia Beach south of Cannon Beach. Six years after the earthquake and tsunami on the other side of the Pacific, we’re still...Read more
Thor's well, one of Oregon's premier rocky shore areas.\Photo by Bruce Swenson.

Rocky Shore Policy Review Gets Reinforcements

Thor's well, one of Oregon's premier rocky shore areas.\Photo by Bruce Swenson. A becalmed effort by Oregon’s Ocean Policy Advisory Council (OPAC) to review and update Oregon’s Rocky Shore Strategy in the Territorial Sea Plan recently got a boost. Deanna Caracciolo joined the staff of the Oregon Coastal Management Program, which supports the OPAC work, as an...Read more
The beach at Rockaway.\Photo by Sonja Peterson.

Bacteria Findings Show Need for Water Quality Monitoring

The beach at Rockaway.\Photo by Sonja Peterson. The Oregon Beach Monitoring Program , based at the Oregon Health Association Public Health Division , began its annual, regular evaluation...Read more
Sea Change

Celebrate International Coastal Cleanup Day

Courtesy of the Ocean Conservancy SEPTEMBER 16, 2017 is International Coastal Cleanup Day. Ocean trash is a serious pollution issue that affects the health of wildlife, people, and local economies. Trash on our shores and in the water increases the destruction and degradation of wildlife, water quality, and and ecosystems. In partnership with volunteer...Read more