Plankton levels have dropped precipitously. Mark Frauenfelder: For reasons that mystify scientists, ocean temperatures are rising, which is killing off the plankton. As a result, animals higher on the food chain are facing mass starvation.

"Something big is going on out there," said Julia Parrish, an associate professor in the School of Aquatic Fisheries and Sciences at the University of Washington. "I'm left with no obvious smoking gun, but birds are a good signal because they feed high up on the food chain."

This spring, scientists reported a record number of dead seabirds washed up on beaches along the Pacific Coast, from central California to British Columbia.

In Washington state, the highest numbers of dead seabirds - particularly Brandt's cormorants and common murres - were found along the southern coast at Ocean Shores.

Bird surveyors in May typically find an average of one dead Brandt's cormorant every 34 miles of beach. But this year, cormorant deaths averaged one every eight-tenths of a mile, according to data gathered by volunteers with the Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team, which Parrish has directed since 2000.

"This is somewhere between five and 10 times the highest number of bird deaths we've seen before," she said.

Link

Reader comment: Antoine Charvet says: "You should read this Wired article that describes this "Ecohacker" Michael Markels who proposes dumping iron filings into the world's oceans to create plankton blooms and sequester CO2 as well as provide food for the world from the resulting fish that feed on this stuff!" [Boing Boing]

This is very scary. Disrution of the food chain could have pretty devastating effects. The salmosn runs ehere this year have been very small, most likely due to warmer water temperatures. Does not sound good.  10:37:48 PM    

Why I have serious doubts about the 'citizen reporters'.

I find it astonishing - not to say macabre - that virtually the first thing a lay person would do after escaping injury in an explosion in which dozens of other human beings are killed or maimed is to film or photograph the scene and then relay it to a broadcasting organisation. A thought provoking article by John Naughton for The Guardian.

See also a round up of breaking news articles and opinion pieces on the London bombings which have heralded a new era in journalism.

[Smart Mobs]

I'm sorry. I just do not see the problem. Pictures were taken well before any media arrived. Is he jealous or feeling threatened? The people sent the pictures to the media, many just wanting to get them the news. It is up to the editors to pick which ones to publish. As can already be done, people can display quite horrific pictures on the internet. There are tons of them dealing with Iraq bombings, for instance. Some of the London pictures were good enough to be used as the main intros to stories. We are much more likely to get a good idea of what happens with 100's of people taking pictures rather than one.   10:33:55 PM    

Harry Potter series prompts religious controversy. The pope has criticized them, churches have burned them.

But the books are still being read.

The âo[ogonek]Harry Potterâo? series, which released its sixth volume Saturday, has inspired three blockbuster movies and millions of young readers around the world.

Educators call the books a gateway to reading.

Religious leaders call them a gateway to the occult.More, from The Brownsville Herald. [LISNews.com]

Nice to hear the Catholic Church still continues to view Harry Potter as a gateway to occult powers, just a mariuana is a gateway drug to more potent ones. Something to harm young souls. I guess Hamlet or Macbeth fall in the same category, what with their occult ghosts and witches.  10:24:54 PM    

So, should the FCC let and the FAA allow cell phone usage during flights?.

Curious what you all think. This article argues that the "cell phone use will interfere with the airplane communications" argument is bogus. Nonetheless, the article doesn't address the "every asshole will be talking on their phone and yelling in the seat next to me about their latest family problem for 3 hours just like all the idiots on Amtrak" argument." Your take?

By noemail@noemail.org (John in DC). [AMERICAblog]

No. NO. No. Iam sure society will eventually figure out that this is very rude, forcing people to listen to your conversation for 3-4 hours is exceptionally rude.If not, I look forward to mino-jammer devices that prevent cell pone transmission. As we make this transition, I expect the social networks to get some of the rules down. And talking at every turn on a cell phone in crowded circumstances will not be one of the things done. Yoo apt to end in violence.  10:14:15 PM