March 2019 — Shipping Impacts
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The ocean is not only home to incredible biodiversity and the beloved source of fun and relaxation for so many who vacation at the beach, it is also vitally important to our global economy because of the outsize role it plays in transporting goods around the world. This month’s Sea Talk summarizes some of the impacts from shipping.
This month’s calendar photo shows participants in an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) Boot Camp training run by University of Delaware’s Robotic Discovery Laboratories on the Delaware Bay. Sometimes when you look out over the Atlantic or the bay from Delaware beaches you see a clear horizon, but often there will be a ship or two making its way to the ports of Wilmington or Philadelphia.
Notable Dates:
March 3 — World Wildlife Day has an ocean theme this year: “Life Below Water: For people and planet.” Learn more and download social media and other outreach materials to spread the word at the link.
March 8 — International Women’s Day — Students at the University of Delaware College of Earth, Ocean and Environment’s School of Marine Science and Policy have started one of 17 chapters of the Society for Women in Marine Science (SWMS) around the world.
March 20 — First Day of Spring — The start of the season is marked by the Spring Equinox, when day and night are equal lengths. At the link, the National Weather Service explains, “The ‘nearly’ equal hours of day and night is due to refraction of sunlight. or a bending of the light's rays that causes the sun to appear above the horizon when the actual position of the sun is below the horizon.”
March 22 — World Water Day — While World Wildlife Day is focusing on life in the water, World Water Day is about the need for everyone to have access to safe drinking water. At Sea Grant, we believe protecting people and protecting the environment are two sides of one goal: sustainable stewardship of natural resources.