The World Meteorological Organization’s State of the Climate in Asia 2024 report warns that the region is warming nearly twice as fast as the global average, driving more extreme weather and posing serious threats to lives, ecosystems, and economies. In 2024, Asia experienced its warmest or second warmest year on …
A common assumption is that ecosystem services respond linearly to changes in habitat size. This assumption leads frequently to an "all or none" choice of either preserving coastal habitats or converting them to human use. However, the researchers survey of wave attenuation data from field studies of mangroves, salt marshes, …
Aerial extent and distribution pattern of seagrass meadows in the Mandapam group of islands viz. Pamban area of Rameshwaram, Krusadai, Pullivasal and Pumarichan Island of the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve were studied. Visual interpretation and digital analysis of satellite data viz. IRS 1D LISS III (2000 and 2002) and …
Sea levels on the Indian sub-continent are increasing at the rate of about 2.5 mm every year; the increase is greater in the eastern coast, with an estimated sea level rise of about 3.14 mm/year. This suggests that mean annual sea levels in the Indian sub continent will be some …
Environmental groups have condemned an Australian company's plan to dump tonnes of urea into Philippine waters as part of an experiment called ocean fertilization to combat climate change. The coalition has written to the Philippines government and demanded the experiment be stopped until all scientific issues on the claims are …
The coral reefs of the world, on which the news focus section of this issue of Science concentrates, are important for all sorts of reasons. For many, exploration by diving provides a unique connection with a fascinating natural ecosystem. For scientists, including climate scientists, the health of reefs provides insight …
before the Sethusamudram project began, many had cautioned the government against going ahead with the shipway. The ambitious project has claimed its casualty even before the first brick has been laid on it: specialist opinion. The government had long poured scorn over ecological objections against the proposed shipway in the …
In 1937, Ivan Papanin led an expedition that planted the Soviet flag on the North Pole. He was feted by Stalin and lionised as a Soviet hero. In early August this year, the Kremlin honoured Artur Chilingarov similarly after the deputy leader of the Russian Duma had led two mini-submarines …
South African crop scientists have come up with a new genetically modified (gm) maize variety that is resistant to maize streak virus (msv). Field trials of the crop are scheduled to begin soon. The finding was announced on July 8, 2007, at the annual meeting of the American Society of …
Fisherfolks across India's 7,500 km long coastline are up in arms against the draft Coastal Zone Management Notification. The coastal communities say the notification does not acknowledge their traditional rights and can damage the coasts and the people. The draft, prepared by the Union ministry of environment and forests (moef), …
The Sethusamudram Ship Canal Project (SSCP) is a 167 km long shipping canal, and envisages the creation of a navigable canal from the Gulf of Mannar to the Bay of Bengal to facilitate the movement of ships. The proposed SSCP site is located in a globally significant marine ecosystem – …
The South Pacific nations recently agreed to stop bottom trawling to protect corals and other marine life. Bottom trawling is a fishing method where boats tow heavy trawl nets along the sea floor. This destroys coral reefs and stirs up the sediments suffocating marine life. The agreement, reached on May …
This report presents several case studies from selected natural and cultural World Heritage sites around the globe in order to illustrate the impacts of climate change that have already been observed and those that can be expected in the future. For each of the featured sites, ongoing and planned adaptation …
ecologists have long predicted that the demise of top predators in an ecosystem could trigger destructive consequences. Researchers, in a first-ever field experiment, have shown that the loss of 11 species of large sharks is affecting smaller organisms such as scallop, oyster and clam, along the Atlantic coast. The study …
This study is concerned with the Dhamra port site in Bhadrak district, near the mouth of the Dhamra river, and surrounding areas. The proposed port site is a unique habitat in that it has long stretches of inter-tidal mudflats from the site up till the river mouth. The inter-tidal zone …
To reach Hairpur, a remote fishing village along the West Bengal coast, one has to get off the main road and walk 2.5 km over a broad mud dyke. Access to this path is blocked by a log barrier. Outsiders are not welcome. Haripur villagers have been protesting since last …
The ocean is becoming an increasingly noisy environment. With a rise in commercial shipping, resource extraction activities, and military-related activities, the underwater ocean environment is a virtual cacophony of noise. While some sources of underwater noise such as wind, waves, and the mating and communication calls of marine mammals are …
an endangered creature holds the key to arresting the decline of coral reefs. It is the batfish (Platax pinnatus). This timid fish has a surprising capacity of cleaning up dense weedy strands that smother inshore coral reefs and result in a macro-algal dominance over it. This overgrowth of macro-algal weeds …
IN Orissa, a battle rages between marine conservation and local fisherfolk. At the heart of this conflict is the ban on fishing in the vicinity of the Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary. The 1,435-sq km-long sanctuary stretches along 70-km of the coastline of Kendrapara district and was established in 1997 to protect …
