2003 News Archive

Drinking Problem- Plastic Water Bottles Create A Mountain Of Trash In California
Published 12/15/03  
...increased water consumption is healthy, doctors say. But the bottles aren't.
Read Article on fresnoBee.com

Online View Of Coast Area Under Water A Site To Sea
Published 12/05/03  
Those with an insatiable curiosity of the ocean can now explore the underwater secrets off San Diego's shoreline without getting wet.
Read Article on SignOnSanDiego.com- San Diego Union-Tribune

Jean-Michel Cousteau Honored with First Ever "Ocean Hero" Award
Published 12/04/03  
Jean-Michel Cousteau...has received the first ever "Ocean Hero" Award from Oceana for "defending the world ocean" and "inspiring people around the globe."
Read Article on ENN.com

California Sport Fishing And Hunting License Fees To Increase Jan. 1
Published 12/03/03  
Fishing and hunting license fees, which are used to pay for managing fish and wildlife populations and their unique habitats, are scheduled to increase Jan. 1, 2004, the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) announced.
Read Article on California Department of Fish & Game

California Blocks First Genetically Altered Pet
Published 12/03/03  
California regulators blocked sales of the first bio-engineered household pet Wednesday, closing the door to glowing zebra fish in a state that buys an eighth of the nation's ornamental fish.
Read Article on SFGate.com

Scripps Biodiversity Center Awarded Grant for New Interdisciplinary Marine Program
Published 12/01/03  
Scripps Institution of Oceanography's Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation (CMBC) has been awarded a multimillion dollar grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to train a new generation of scholars capable of confronting important societal issues concerning the health of the world's oceans.
Read Article on Scripps News

Warming Waters Identified As Cause Of Marine Life Depletions Off California
Published 11/04/03  
In the mid-1970s, the abundance of marine life along the western coast of the United States began a momentous decline...a recent study led by a scientist at Scripps Institution of Oceanography...has found warming ocean temperatures as the likely driving force behind the 25-year deterioration.
Read Article on Scripps News

Global Warming Boosts Coral Reefs?
Published 11/04/03  
Global warming might not be all bad. Some corals are flourishing, heard this week's annual meeting of the Geological Society of America in Seattle, Washington.
Read Article on Nature

Undaria: Exotic Catalyst of Change
Published 10/30/03  
Invasive species, or non-native species that become established in new areas, are rapidly becoming one of the greatest concerns to the health of both marine and terrestrial environments.
Read Article on California Department of Fish & Game

Wastewater Plant Could Receive New Technology
Published 10/27/03  
An up-and-coming technology could be used to upgrade the Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant to federal standards at a fraction of the cost of conventional sewage treatment.
Read Article on SignOnSanDiego.com- San Diego Union-Tribune

Scientists Split Over Regulations On Sonar Use
Published 10/09/03  
Fresh evidence suggests man-made noise can harm marine mammals.
Read Article on Nature

Hollywood Celebrities Make Off-key "Music" Public Service Announcement for the Oceans
Published 10/01/03  
With the decline of coral reefs, the collapse of world fisheries, and the appearance of large "dead zones," ocean ecosystem deterioration can be likened to a symphony of off-key musicians. That message is the core of the Shifting Baselines ocean media campaign and its newly released public service announcement (PSA).
Read Article on Scripps News

NOAA Satellites Track Ocean Debris
Published 10/01/03  
Scientists have successfully completed the first aerial search for marine debris guided by satellites and computer modeling, the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration said
Read Article on Pacific Business News

Scripps Institution Of Oceanography Turns 100!
Published 09/25/03   By SanDiegoDiving.com Editorial
Public invited to join the celebration!
Read Article on SanDiegoDiving.com

Three Ocean Sport Fisheries Scheduled to Close Oct. 8
Published 09/25/03  
Harvest limits will soon be met for three ocean sport fish - cabezon, greenlings and California sheephead (CGS) - prompting marine managers to close those fisheries effective midnight on Wed., Oct. 8 for the remainder of the year
Read Article on California Department of Fish & Game

Scripps Nierenberg Prize Awarded to Renowned Marine Ecologist Jane Lubchenco
Published 09/05/03  
The third annual award will be awarded to Jane Lubchenco, a marine ecologist who addresses political, economic, and health issues in her studies of marine ecosystems, ecological causes and consequences of global change, and marine reserves.
Read Article on Scripps News

U.S. Undersea Lab At Cutting Edge Of Marine Research
Published 08/21/03  
On the ocean floor off the Florida Keys, one of the world's foremost science labs sits at the frontier of marine biology, crusted with critters, nibbled by fish, scoured by the shifting sea.
Read Article on SignOnSanDiego.com- San Diego Union-Tribune

The Bottom Scratchers
Published 08/16/03  
Three men - Glenn Orr, Jack Prodanovich and Ben Stone - started the Bottom Scratchers, an invitation-only group of watermen who became the founding fathers of free diving.
Read Article on SignOnSanDiego.com- San Diego Union-Tribune

Valuable Coastal Observation Programs Threatened by Federal Budget Cuts
Published 08/15/03  
U.S. Senate 2004 funding bill for U.S Army Corps of Engineers may result in 50% cut for Southern California Beach Processes Study and more than 80% cut for Coastal Data Information Program
Read Article on Scripps News

S.D. Gets $6.1 Million Grant For Urban Runoff
Published 07/19/03  
The city of San Diego has obtained a $6.1 million federal grant to construct a network of coastal storm drain diversion devices that will help prevent polluted runoff from contaminating more than two dozen local beaches.
Read Article on SignOnSanDiego.com- San Diego Union-Tribune

Scuba Industry Mourns Loss of Icon John J. Cronin
Published 07/16/03  
one of the most influential men in the diving industry...would have completed his 50th year in the industry next year
Read Article on PADI

La Jolla Swimmers Assessed Fine For Harassing Harbor Seals
Published 07/11/03  
NOAA Fisheries Office for Law Enforcement has assessed civil penalties against a group of swimmers for violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act for harassing harbor seals at Children’s Pool Beach in La Jolla, California.
Read Article on FishNews- NOAA Fisheries

'50s-era Landfill To Be Examined
Published 07/01/03  
An engineering firm will study a closed 1950s-era landfill in the South Shores area of Mission Bay to determine if it is leaking toxic pollutants into the bay.
Read Article on SignOnSanDiego.com- San Diego Union-Tribune

Pew Oceans Commission Releases Final Report
Published 06/04/03  
On June 4, the Pew Oceans Commission released its report on the state of America's living oceans, the first comprehensive review of U.S. ocean policy in more that 30 years. This landmark report provides recommendations for restoring and protecting ocean ecosystems, rebuilding fish populations, controlling coastal development, curbing pollution, and improving ocean governance.
Read Article on Pew Oceans Commission

Scripps Oceanography and the Birch Aquarium Create a Splash at the San Diego County Fair
Published 06/02/03  
Coinciding with Scripps's 100th birthday year, Scripps Oceanography and the Birch Aquarium will present the exhibit, Scripps Ocean Explorations, where visitors will experience the thrill of exploring the great depths of the ocean world. The 20,000-square-foot exhibit will include artifacts like a diver's shark cage and deep-ocean core samples, plus amazing videos from the world's oceans.
Read Article on Scripps News

Check The Beach Report Card
Published 05/21/03  
On May 21, Heal the Bay released it's 13th Annual Beach Report Card. Find out how your favorite beach did this past year!
Read Article on Heal the Bay

Play Ball For The Oceans
Published 04/29/03   By SanDiegoDiving.com Editorial
The San Diego Oceans Foundation teams up with the San Diego Padres to celebrate World Ocean Day
Read Article on SanDiegoDiving.com

Channel Islands Marine Reserves Go Into Effect
Published 04/09/03  
One hundred seventy-five square miles, encompassing 19 percent of state waters around the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, are now off limits to all fishing and destructive activities.
Read Article on The Ocean Conservancy

Environmentally Friendly Home Purchase Made Easier
Published 04/03/03  
Home buyers now have additional financial incentives to purchase energy-efficient homes
Read Article on San Diego Earth Times

Coral Reefs At The Movies
Published 02/26/03   By SanDiegoDiving.com Editorial
Don't miss this opportunity to see coral reefs at their best (and worst) in this new IMAX movie.
Read Article on SanDiegoDiving.com

Hollywood Enters The Sea With Shifting Baselines
Published 02/25/03  
Shifting Baselines, a new partnership between marine biologists, ocean conservationists, underwater cinematographers, and Hollywood filmmakers has been formed to provide a single, clear description of the state of ocean decline
Read Article on The Ocean Conservancy

Drawing Battle Lines In The Sand Over Seals
Published 02/24/03  
In a renewed battle of humans vs. seals at the Children's Pool, the pinnipeds may win again.
Read Article on SignOnSanDiego.com- San Diego Union-Tribune

Ancient Mariner Still Searches For Adventure
Published 01/29/03  
Considered a local pioneer in capturing creatures underwater on film, [Chuck] Nicklin has lived a life most others dream about.
Read Article on SignOnSanDiego.com- San Diego Union-Tribune