Gulf of Mexico

Regarding the climate and the burning of fossil fuels, Dr. Jeff Chanton says, "Humans are a geological force just like volcanoes. We have released so much carbon dioxide."

Hurricanes are getting stronger and more frequent. Tornado alley is shifting eastward toward the panhandle. Climate change is heating oceans. Tim Miller talks about it on "Speaking Of."

This year's dead zone is over 6,700 square miles. The average over the past five years is about 4,300. This is an area with low or no oxygen that can kill marine life.

The remotely operated vehicle, called Taurus, has a mission in late July. It will be able to take tissue samples from sharks and help repair coral communities.

The average price rose to a nearly two-month high on the Fourth of July, and Hurricane Beryl could impact the fuel supply, meaning even higher costs.

Florida and other Gulf coast states are urged to keep an eye out for an under appreciated ingredient that can quickly turn storms into lethal monsters: hot ocean eddies.

"If we don't manage them properly, then those seagrasses will be less resilient, and we could potentially degrade a very, very valuable habitat," said Tom Frazer of USF.

In 2022, the top items collected during the International Coastal Cleanup were cigarette butts, plastic bottles, food wrappers, bottle caps, plastic bags, foam and plastic food containers, paper cups and plates, and plastic straws or stirrers.

The absence of chemical signatures in some areas could indicate that repopulation is moving the water and sediment around, but marine chemistry student John Hilliard says he wants to continue his research.

Acidification is “not terribly bad right now” in the Gulf, but due to climate change, the water will likely become more acidic in the future. This threatens the estimated $2.04 trillion annual marine economy.