It’s been a great year for CLF — and a great year on CLF Scoop. We’ve had lots of great posts by our advocates, staff and volunteers. See below for the most read 10 blog posts published in 2012. Counting Down to Shark Week 2012 Nov 11, 2011 by Robin Just The Promise of Urban Agriculture: New Growing Green Report Jul 12, 2012 by Jo Anne Shatkin and Melissa Hoffer Latest Research: Northern Pass Worse for the Climate than Advertised Feb 14, 2012 by Christophe Courchesne The “New Route” for Northern Pass Won’t Cure Its Failings May 24, 2012 by Christophe Courchesne Salem Harbor Enforced Shutdown: The Beginning of the End for Old Coal in New England Feb 10, 2012 by N. Jonathan Peress Risky Business: Leaking Natural Gas Infrastructure and How to Fix It Nov 28, read more…

  For the holidays you can’t beat home sweet home. “Home” means something different for each wildlife species in their ocean habitat of the Gulf of Maine. For example, animals like the Atlantic wolffish  tend to live in rocky areas where they can hide out, guard their eggs and ambush prey. Wolffish depend on this particular type of habitat to live, and other species are just as dependent on other types of habitat. Places such as Cashes Ledge, Jeffreys Ledge and Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary provide rich habitat for highly depleted cod and haddock, sea turtles and four species of whales. Most of these three areas in the Gulf of Maine currently benefit from fishing regulations which prohibit harmful bottom trawling, but these protections are temporary. With groundfish populations at their lowest recorded levels, some members read more…

This week on Talking Fish, a Pew Environment Group video shows the importance of menhaden to coastal ecoystems; Fish Talk in the News has updates on sharp cuts to northern shrimp quotas and NOAA’s efforts to help fishermen target dogfish and redfish.

This week on TalkingFish.org, the first post in the All About Aquaculture series explores the history and current status of aquaculture; the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission could soon help depleted menhaden by setting a coastwide catch limit; catch up on what’s happening with New England fisheries with the weekly Fish Talk in the News.

This week on Talking Fish, the sharp rise in seal numbers in New England is creating problems for fishermen and policymakers; Peter Shelley argues the proposal by the NEFMC Groundfish Committee to open closed areas to fishing is both illegal and wrong; catch up on New England fishing happenings with the weekly Fish Talk in the News.

“I love diving with makos, but they have a very different behavior than other sharks. They come in appearing to be more agitated. They’re much more hyper and jacked up.” - Brian Skerry Mako sharks are built to move. They are very acrobatic – sometimes leaping high into the air –and are also extremely fast. Some scientists think they are the fastest fish, possibly going over 50 mph at times. (Fun fact – makos are one of the only “warm-blooded” fish, which helps explain why they can move so fast, even in colder water.) Makos need wide open spaces and healthy places to eat and reproduce. The health of our oceans depends on healthy top predator populations, and healthy top predators depend on healthy oceans. Our nation has taken a major step forward in read more…

This week, the second installment of the Local Summer Fisheries series focuses on dogfish, and Fish Talk in the News brings you the week’s fish news!

On the occasion of World Oceans Day, it is worth reminding ourselves about how utterly dependent we are on the ocean – for the fish and shellfish that grace our dinner tables, for our summer recreation – on, in, and alongside our ocean – for the tremendous untapped renewable resources of the wind, waves and tides, and for transportation of people and goods. Oh yes, and the air – up to 70% of the oxygen we breathe is produced by the plankton in the ocean. That’s more than from all the world’s rain forests combined. The ocean absorbs about half of our carbon dioxide emissions and over 90% of the heat trapped by greenhouse gases. The ocean covers 70% of our planet and regulates the earth’s climate. Unfortunately the ocean is read more…

The top 10 blog posts from CLF’s Scoop in 2011.