A Chinese rocket deorbited over Minnesota and left this in a farmer's cornfield

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• Marine life dramatically declined in Gulf of Mexico in years after BP oil spill, study finds

  A new study published in the journal PNAS found that marine life in the Gulf of Mexico dramatically declined in the years following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion. The decline was most pronounced in the "twilight zone" between the surface and 5, 000 feet deep, where much of the surface marine life, including dolphins and whales, feast on creatures. The number of fish dropped by 63. 5% from the year after the spill to 2015, while crustaceans, including shrimp and krill, went down 62%, and larger animals like…

  10 min read
• California's 750-acre Irvine Lake to be drained for five-year dam repairs

  California's largest freshwater lake, Irvine Lake, will be drained for five years to repair a 93-year-old dam, reducing its water capacity from 2,800 to 300 acre-feet. The project, classified as "Extremely High" downstream hazard, will upgrade the dam with a new spillway, reinforced main dam, and replaced outlet tower. The improvements restore the lake to its original design capacity and allow for better storage of rainwater. The water district confirmed all fish species were stocked rather than migrating, and pub…

  3 min read
• Sixteen Years After Deepwater Horizon, Deep Sea Life Shows Few Signs of Recovery

  Sixteen years after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, life in the deep sea has yet to fully recover, with populations of octopus, squid, krill, shrimp, and lanternfish declining by at least 60 percent within the first few years. The study, based on acoustic surveys and thousands of netted samples across the Gulf of Mexico, found little evidence of recovery. While researchers did not conclude that the oil spill caused the declines, they suggested it was the "most parsimonious explanation." The study also found some…

  1 min read