Pacific Standard -

New research finds that electromagnetic fields emitted by underwater power cables have little effect on marine communities off the coast of Santa Barbara, California.

There is a tremendous amount of renewable energy off the coast of the United States in strong ocean winds, currents, and waves. Submarine power cables can transport offshore energy back to land, but scientists are just beginning to understand how they might influence marine ecosystems. This week, at the American Geophysical Union's Ocean Sciences Meeting, researchers from the University of California–Santa Barbara and the Bureau of Ocean Management presented findings from a study of marine communities around the seafloor cables. Their results are heartening for both marine ecosystems and advocates of offshore renewable energy.

Reuters -
The Arctic is thawing even faster than lawmakers can formulate new rules to prevent the environmental threat of heavy fuel oil pollution from ships plying an increasingly popular trade route.
Average Arctic temperatures are rising twice as fast as elsewhere in the world and the polar ice cap's permanent cover is shrinking at a rate of around 10 percent per decade. By the end of this century, summers in the Arctic could be free of ice.

The Guardian –
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There has never been a more urgent time for seafood businesses and fishing nations to make a commitment to sustainability. The world’s oceans are in trouble, with marine life plummeting and the people who are dependent on the sea for income and food left increasingly vulnerable. Data shows populations of fish and other marine vertebrates, including marine mammals, reptiles and birds have halved since 1970.

Futurity-

A University of Washington Original Study- Scientists tagged 30 beluga whales and used the information to produce a rare dataset that spans 15 years, showing where they migrate and what they eat in the Arctic.
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Two distinct populations of beluga spend winters in the Bering Sea, then move north as sea ice melts and open water allows them passage into the Beaufort and Chukchi seas. There they feast on Arctic cod, frequently diving to depths of 200 to 300 meters—and sometimes over 900 meters (0.5 miles)—to find food.

Scientific American

Unusually high air temperatures over the Arctic Ocean and a strong negative atmospheric circulation in the region caused Arctic sea ice to shrink to the lowest level ever recorded by satellite for the month of January, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center.
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Arctic sea ice extended an average of 5.2 million square miles in January, which was 35,000 square miles less than the previous low in January 2011.

Tri-City Herald-

Fall chinook returning to the Snake River have set a new record for the third year in a row.
Data released by the Nez Perce Tribe show a new record of 9,345 redds, or gravel nests, were built by returning adults in the Snake River Basin between Lower Granite and Hells Canyon dams.