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 warming of the Pacific Ocean caused by the El Niño climate event is “causing havoc” among marine animals off California’s coast, with unprecedented numbers of dead or starving seals being washed ashore. The San Francisco-based Marine Mammal Center said it has rescued 106 emaciated northern fur seals so far …
Why? Because poor Tanzanian fishermen are using explosives, illegally, to kill hundreds of fish in seconds. Blast fishing, as it’s called, not only destroys large numbers of fish directly—but indirectly as well by killing coral and the rich array of marine animals that depend on it. Experts believe that in …
A ship carrying 12,000 liters of oil sank near Albania's northern town of Shengjin Tuesday, polluting the Adriatic Sea close to the port, local media reported Wednesday. The Albanian port authorities have confirmed the accident, and used dispersants to dissipate oil slicks as they tried to check the extent of …
VISAKHAPATNAM: A bacterium that thrives in the Bay of Bengal has been found to be capable of degrading the harmful plastic. Plastic is a non-degradable material and it can remain in the soil for ages. But the bacterium discovered by researchers of Andhra University in the city can break down …
Federal environment minister gives green light for dredging and disposal of spoil to create one of the world’s largest coal ports, which would be linked to the proposed $16bn Carmichael coalmine The federal environment minister, Greg Hunt, has given the green light to expanding the Abbot point coal terminal in …
Mass coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef caused by an El Nino weather event will take place early next year, marine biologists have warned. Coral reefs around the world have already been severely damaged by unusually warm ocean temperatures. When corals are put under stress by changes in conditions …
Illegal dumping, coastal erosion and the killing of marine animals are among the concerns highlighted in the latest All Ireland Coastwatch Survey. The results, released on Monday, showed that on the 300 km of Irish coast surveyed by Coastwatch this year, some 14,000 discarded plastic bottles were recorded, along with …
Queensland report calls for corporate and philanthropic funding to help cut water pollution as a bulwark against climate change Governments will need to move faster and find more money to meet “ambitious” targets of cutting pollution in Great Barrier Reef waters, a Queensland government taskforce has found. Australia on the …
Researchers found that coral reefs are becoming more vulnerable due to coastal development than previously predicted, according to a study at the University of Florida. Initially, scientists thought that ocean herbivores such as fish, sea turtles and urchins could consume large amounts of algae produced from nutrients flushed into the …
More than 17,000 marine species worldwide remain largely unprotected, a new study reveals. Published in the international journal Scientific Reports, the study looked at various species of marine life including whales, sharks, rays and fish. The researchers found that 97.4 per cent of species have less than 10 per cent …
Manslaughter charges were dropped against two former BP well site managers involved in the deadly 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil drilling disaster on Wednesday, and one pleaded guilty to an environmental crime, federal prosecutors said. Donald Vidrine pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor violation of the Clean Water Act and "admitted …
Oceans are vital, not only to a wide array of biodiversity and ecosystems, but also to the food chains, livelihoods and climate regulation for a human population heading towards nine billion people. That is why this report shares stories that illustrate how economic indicators and development strategies can better reflect …
HAVANA, Cuba (CMC) – A joint declaration to collaborate in environmental protection was signed earlier this week between Cuba and the United States. The Cuban embassy in Washington DC says the accord focuses on the sustainable management of natural resources and shared ecosystems, particularly marine biodiversity. The document also includes …
Oil major Royal Dutch Shell was handed a 22,500 pound ($33,919) fine by a local Scottish court on Tuesday for a 2011 oil spill in the North Sea that was the largest in more than a decade. A subsea pipeline leak from Shell's Gannet Alpha field spilled more than 200 …
The research claimed that many biodegradable products are unlikely to ever fully break down in the ocean, while labelling products as biodegradable could also make people more likely to dispose of them carelessly in the first place. The executive director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Achim Steiner said: “Recent …
China refuted claims it is militarizing the disputed South China Sea, saying it needs to build facilities on artificial islands and reefs to protect them. “As the islands and reefs are far from China’s mainland it is necessary to maintain and build necessary military facilities,” Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin …
Retreating glaciers over the last 14,000 years caused a population explosion among Adelie penguins – a trend that could continue as Antarctic ice shrinks further thanks to global warming. Scientists say the current environmental conditions are far more favourable to the species than colder conditions seen at the end of …
With 2015 well on the way to being the warmest year on record and the prevailing El Nino gathering strength, prospects for coral reefs in the Pacific ocean are grim. Continuing high underwater temperatures will add to the bleaching that has already led to considerable loss over the past year. …
The United States and Cuba are set to reach their first accord on environmental protection since announcing plans to re-establish diplomatic relations, linking up marine sanctuaries in both countries to cooperate on preservation and research. US National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration chief Kathryn Sullivan is in Havana to sign the agreement …
As glaciers melt and temperatures warm, more is at stake than the loss of ice. Scientists have found that melting glaciers are causing a loss of species diversity among benthos in the coastal waters off the Antarctic Peninsula. Over the past 50 years, temperatures have risen nearly five times as …
