As we reach the official end of hurricane season, 2020 will be one for the record books. Looking back at these long, surprising, sometimes downright crazy past six months (seven if you count when the first named storms actually started forming), there are many noteworthy statistics and patterns that drive home the significance of this hurricane season, and the ways climate change may have contributed to it. Read more >

Rapid Intensification and Number of Storms Make 2020 a Record Hurricane Season
November 30, 2020 10:29 AM EDT

Big, Colliding Problems in Gulf and Elsewhere Need Science-Based Solutions Now
August 28, 2020 10:51 AM EDT
Hurricane Laura, one of the most intense hurricanes to hit the Gulf in over a century made landfall along the Texas-Louisiana border early this morning. But even before Laura hit today, 2020 has been a hard year for the Gulf. Many communities along our Southern coast face a multitude of big, colliding environmental and public problems. That includes longstanding ones as well as ones new this year. But regardless of when these problems began or how long they have afflicted the Gulf, they can only be adequately addressed with policies that are firmly grounded in science. Read more >

Three Reasons Why the COVID Relief Executive Order Is Bad Policy
August 27, 2020 4:33 PM EDT
On August 8, in response to the Congressional stalemate on passing a coronavirus relief package and their failure to renew benefits to individuals who have lost wages due to the COVID-19 economic crisis, the President signed an Executive Order bypassing Congress. On the surface it would seem that the Executive Order solved the Congressional impasse and by doing so ensured that badly needed resources would be allocated to individuals who have lost wages due to the pandemic, right? WRONG. Here are three reasons why the Executive Order is bad policy: Read more >

Hurricanes and COVID-19 in Florida: Are Counties Prepared to Protect Hurricane-Vulnerable Populations?
August 10, 2020 1:19 PM EDT
Hurricane season is underway, and many counties in Florida, severely impacted by Hurricanes Irma (2017) and Michael (2018), may not be ready to protect lives. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this task becomes even more difficult, as evacuating during a pandemic places greater burdens on vulnerable populations. Read more >

Pollution, Hurricanes, and the Pandemic Spell Trouble for Gulf Shrimp and Seafood Industries
August 4, 2020 6:16 PM EDT
Today researchers announced the size of the Gulf of Mexico dead zone, the official measurement NOAA uses to track its size year over year. This comes on the heels of bad news from another NOAA report indicating that the volume of Gulf shrimp landings in June 2020 was the lowest ever recorded. Read more >