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 …
The numbers of polluting plastic beads commonly found in everyday face scrub have been revealed by scientists. Researchers at Plymouth University found that each time facewash is used, 94,500 “microbeads” can be released into the oceans. The small plastic balls, also found in toothpaste, are too small to be filtered …
MANILA—Protected by their country’s navy, Chinese fishing boats devastated mile upon mile of pristine coral in Philippine waters, using their propellers as blades to hack out giant clams buried in the reefs. Other threatened species that fell prey to Chinese poaching on an industrial scale, with official connivance: turtles, sharks, …
China has set up a 15 million yuan ($2.25 million) environmental protection fund for the South China Sea having already spent double that in the past four years, the Xinhua state news agency said on Monday. The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled this month that China did …
It’s been a wretched year for Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, the largest living structure and one of the most complex natural ecosystems on Earth. The area suffered the worst bleaching event ever, one that impacted over 90 percent of the reef and killed more than a third of its corals. …
Data from over 2,500 reefs worldwide is used to identify 15 bright spots—sites where reef biomass is significantly higher than expected—and surveys of local experts in these areas suggest that strong sociocultural institutions and high levels of local engagement are among the factors supporting higher fish biomass.
KOLKATA: Rampant practice of prawn seed catching along the rivers of Sundarban archipelago is not only damaging the marine ecosystem but also endangering the stability of embankments, says a new book. "In an age marked by environmental consciousness and biodiversity conservation, prawn seed catching has become a matter of much …
South Africa’s great white sharks face the threat of extinction after a steep decline in numbers caused by trophy hunting, shark nets and pollution, according to a study. The six-year research project along the country’s coastline revealed that only between 353 and 522 of the sharks are still alive, half …
“Complete ecosystem collapse” is being seen on parts of the Great Barrier Reef, as fish numbers tumble and surviving corals continue to bleach into winter, according to a scientist returning from one of the worst-hit areas. “The lack of fish was the most shocking thing,” said Justin Marshall, of the …
Loopholes in the voluntary pledges by the biggest personal care companies to phase out polluting microbeads have been revealed in a report from Greenpeace, which says a legal ban is needed. Tiny plastic beads are widely used in toiletries and cosmetics but thousands of tonnes wash into the sea every …
Whales may travel hundreds of miles to avoid the sound of sonar, experts claim Sonar approved for use by the US Navy broke marine laws, a US appeals court has ruled. The low-frequency active sonar, approved in 2012, is used to detect enemy submarines. But it can also harm whales, …
PANAJI: Taking cognizance of the likely impact of Mormugao Port Trust's (MPT) capital dredging on benthic (the ecological region at the lowest level of an ocean or a lake) biodiversity that sustains pelagic (open sea) and demersal (living close to the floor of the sea) fish, a committee appointed by …
The mass extinction of life 66 million years ago at the Cretaceous/Paleogene boundary, marked by the extinctions of dinosaurs and shallow marine organisms, is important because it led to the macroevolution of mammals and appearance of humans. The current hypothesis for the extinction is that an asteroid impact in present-day …
Institute says plastic pellets could have been dropped accidentally during transportation; rules out possibility of terrestrial discharge of plastic through rivers PANJIM: Goa’s coast is now facing a bigger threat and marine organisms are at risk as large quantities of plastic debris wash ashore during the southwest monsoon period. The …
Researchers are finding that kelp, eelgrass, and other vegetation can effectively absorb CO2 and reduce acidity in the ocean. Growing these plants in local waters, scientists say, could help mitigate the damaging impacts of acidification on marine life. Oregon’s picturesque Netarts Bay has long been known for its oysters. But …
More than 40 square miles (104 square kilometers) of coral reefs—some of the most biodiverse on Earth—have been destroyed by giant clam poaching in the South China Sea, according to a new analysis of satellite imagery. The poachers use boat propellers to loosen the valuable bivalves, which can weigh up …
RIVERSIDE, Calif. - The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill, in which nearly three million barrels of crude oil got released in 2010 into the northern Gulf of Mexico, is the worst oil disaster in US history, contaminating the spawning habitats for many fishes. A research team led by an environmental …
Littered cigarette butts may be an important source of metal contaminants leaching into the marine environment and potentially entering the food chain, revealed a research. According to a study published in the journal Tobacco Control, cigarette filters, which are made of cellulose acetate, may act like other plastics in providing …
About a hundred miles north of Miami on the Atlantic Coast, the town of Stuart is a picturesque waterfront community — with homes, restaurants and parks overlooking the St. Lucie Estuary. But in many areas now, when you approach the water, the first thing you notice is the smell. "There's …
Climate change and El Niño have caused the worst mangrove die-off in recorded history, stretching along 700km of Australia’s Gulf of Carpentaria, an expert says. The mass die-off coincided with the world’s worst global coral bleaching event, as well as the worst bleaching event on the Great Barrier Reef, in …
Marine phytoplankton may adapt to ocean change, such as acidification or warming, because of their large population sizes and short generation times. Long-term adaptation to novel environments is a dynamic process, and phenotypic change can take place thousands of generations after exposure to novel conditions. We conducted a long-term evolution …
