The scientists' report, published this week in the journal Nature, gave the oceans an overall score of 60 on a scale of 0 to 100. Among the world's 133 countries with ocean coastlines, scores ranged from 36 to 86; the United States scored slightly above average at 63.
The ocean health index measures 10 ways that people benefit from the oceans, including food, jobs, ability to sequester carbon from the atmosphere and pure aesthetic value. It also gives credit for clean waters and biodiversity, among other things.
The index score assigned to a particular ocean region reflects the degree of sustainability for each of these factors.
Several more beach homes have crashed into the ocean along North Carolina’s Outer Banks, littering the...
A powerful winter weather system — including an intense low-pressure "bomb cyclone" along the East Coast...
