Search Results

How our oceans can help us secure a nature-climate-people-positive futur

When we see our spectacular blue planet from space, we see no borders. We see no separation between our climate and nature, or nature and people. We see only our single, fragile shared home in the vastness of space.

Oceans Have Saved Us from the Worst of Climate Change So Far — Now We Must Save the Oceans

Oceans play an important part in combatting climate change, which is why they must be protected. "The oceans are helping us fight climate change because they absorb a lot of heat and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere," explains Jackie Savitz, Chief Policy Officer for North America at Oceana, whic ...

U.N. Ocean and Climate Change Dialogue Explores Ways to Advance Climate and Biodiversity Goals

Annual convening of governments, civil society recognizes the ocean’s important role in climate action. The ocean has a critical role to play in stabilizing the Earth’s climate, absorbing 90% of excess heat and 40% of human-made carbon dioxide emissions.

Online discussion forum on conservation and sustainable use of marine and coastal biodiversity in preparation for the fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties

8 - 15 June 2022, Online

For more equitable and sustainable fisheries, women must be empowered to lead

An estimated 45 million women make up 40 per cent of the workforce in small-scale fisheries worldwide. But they are left out of decision-making processes when it comes to the access and use of fisheries and coastal resources.

Long-standing systems for sustainable farming could feed people and the planet — if industry is willing to step back

Global food systems are at a breaking point. Not only are they responsible for roughly a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions, they are also the top contributors to water pollution and biodiversity collapse.

A huge Atlantic ocean current is slowing down—if it collapses, La Niña could become the norm for Australia

Climate change is slowing down the conveyor belt of ocean currents that brings warm water from the tropics up to the North Atlantic. Our research, published today in Nature Climate Change, looks at the profound consequences to global climate if this Atlantic conveyor collapses entirely.

Statement by Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, Executive Secretary, Convention on Biological Diversity, on the occasion of World Oceans Day 2022

Statement by Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, Executive Secretary, Convention on Biological Diversity, on the occasion of World Oceans Day 2022

Postponement of the online discussion forum on conservation and sustainable use of marine and coastal biodiversity in preparation for the fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties. New dates: 8-15 June 2022

Reference: SCBD/SSSF/JL/JA/JMQ/90315 (2022-036)
To: CBD National Focal Points; Marine and Coastal Biodiversity Focal Points; SBSTTA Focal Points; indigenous peoples and local communities; and relevant organizations

Selected participants for the Online Discussion Forum on conservation and sustainable use of marine and coastal biodiversity in preparation for the fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties

Reference: SCBD/SSSF/JL/JA/JMQ/90315 (2022-037)
To: CBD National Focal Points; Marine and Coastal Biodiversity Focal Points; SBSTTA Focal Points; indigenous peoples and local communities; and relevant organizations

Termites spread globally by crossing the oceans on driftwood rafts

One group of termites are habitual seafarers, suggests new research. The wood-munching insects crossed the world’s oceans at least 40 times over the past few tens of millions of years. The termites probably set sail accidentally, rafting inside pieces of wood washed out to sea.

Podcast: Indigenous, ingenious and sustainable aquaculture from the distant past to today

On today’s episode of the Mongabay Newscast we look at Indigenous peoples’ long relationship with, and stewardship of, marine environments through two stories of aquaculture practice and research.

Planting Trees Isn’t Enough. Here’s Why We Need Tiny Man-Made Forests.

In 2019, Ethiopia famously planted 350 million trees. The same year, Turkey planted 11 million of its own. It’s no exaggeration that tree-planting has taken root around the world as a popular fix for the climate crisis through campaigns like the Trillion Trees initiative and Bonn Challenge, but ...

Invitation to a Virtual Session on "The Critical Role of Citizen Science in the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity"

Reference: SCBD/IMS/JMF/ET/CC/DM/90364 (2022-035)
To: CBD National Focal Points, ABS Focal Points, Cartagena Protocol Focal Points, SBSTTA National Focal Points, indigenous peoples and local communities and relevant organizations

Sustainable soil movement grows at COP15 on land desertification and drought

Soil health is crucial for tackling climate change, environmental challenges, building resilience, improving food security and meeting U.N. Sustainable Development Goals on water, human and economic health, yet each year becomes further degraded.

The sustainability movement is 50. Why are world leaders ignoring it?

Sustainability is now a household term, but it wasn’t always so. Fifty years ago, the United Nations held its Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm. This landmark event gave the concept of sustainable development its first international recognition. Sweden and the UN are marking the o ...

Research shows how the Gulf of Mexico escaped ancient mass extinction

An ancient bout of global warming 56 million years ago that acidified oceans and wiped-out marine life had a milder effect in the Gulf of Mexico, where life was sheltered by the basin's unique geology—according to research by the University of Texas Institute for Geophysics (UTIG).

Megalodon shark extinction may have been linked to great white competition

A prehistoric food fight may have spelled the end for the megalodon, the largest shark that ever lived. A study of the ocean giant's fossil teeth suggests it had to compete for food with another ferocious predator, the great white shark.

Tiny Pacific island nation declares bold plan to protect 100% of its ocean

The Pacific island state of Niue has announced that it will protect 100% of the ocean in its exclusive economic zone (EEZ), which spans 317,500 sq km (122,000 sq miles), roughly the area of Vietnam.

The Arctic's tricky quest for sustainable tourism

Home to polar bears, the midnight sun and the northern lights, a Norwegian archipelago perched high in the Arctic is trying to find a way to profit from its pristine wilderness without ruining it.

How are young women protecting the ocean in the Asia-Pacific region?

The magnificent seascapes are one of the first things that come to mind when someone thinks about the Asia-Pacific region, along with the colorful cultures that have been thriving in the area for centuries. The Pacific Ocean has been supporting the livelihoods, well-being, and sense of identity ...

5 things you should know about the UN Ocean Conference, a chance to save the planet’s largest ecosystem

The Ocean is the planet’s largest ecosystem, regulating the climate, and providing livelihoods for billions. But its health is in danger. The second UN Ocean Conference, due to take place in June, will be an important opportunity to redress the damage that mankind continues to inflict on marine ...

Fjords may emit as much methane as all the deep oceans globally

During heavy storms, the normally stratified layers of water in ocean fjords get mixed, which leads to oxygenation of the fjord floor. But these storm events also result in a spike in methane emissions from fjords to the atmosphere.

Killer whale that swam up France's River Seine in 'life-threatening condition'

A killer whale - orca - that strayed from the ocean and began swimming up the River Seine in France earlier this month is now at risk of dying, a researcher monitoring the mammal told local media.

The blood-hungry parasite that threatens big fish and business in the Great Lakes

They have the body of an eel, the mouth of a sarlacc, and the diet of a vampire. Sea lampreys are fish native to the Atlantic Ocean and the rivers that flow into it. But more than a century ago, they found their way into the Great Lakes, where they multiplied and became one of the most destructi ...

Sugar Found In Ocean Bed Equivalent to "32 Billion Cans Of Coke": Study

Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology have found mountains of sugar beneath seagrass meadows across the world's oceans. Seagrass meadows are extremely efficient at capturing carbon, and are one of the world's top carbon capturing ecosystems.

New research on tidal flats is 'wake up call' for US coastal communities

About 29 percent of the United States' population live in coastline counties—more than 41 million are in Atlantic counties. This high population density poses a critical challenge to sustainable developments in coastal areas.

An ocean first: Underwater drone tracks CO2 in Alaska gulf

In the cold, choppy waters of Alaska's Resurrection Bay, all eyes were on the gray water, looking for one thing only. It wasn't a spout from humpback whales that power through this scenic fjord, or a sea otter lazing on its back, munching a king crab.

New online platform showcases civil society, local authority and business pledges for nature

A new online platform has been launched to raise awareness and inspire action by non-government organisations, local communities and businesses to protect, sustainably manage and restore areas of land and water.

Working For A Shared And Sustainable Future

The United Nations had proclaimed the International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB) to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues. When first created by the Second Committee of the UN General Assembly in late 1993, December 29 (the date of entry into force of the Convention o ...

International Day for Biological Diversity 2022: Here's all you need to know

The world marks International Day for Biological Diversity today, 22 May. Adopted in December 2000 by the UN General Assembly, the day aims to raise awareness about ongoing biodiversity issues, while also generating more understanding of the challenges required to sustain the planet's abundant f ...

Ethiopia strives to accelerate biodiversity conservation for ‘Shared Future’

As the global community marked the International Day for Biological Diversity on Sunday, Ethiopia sought to accelerate its sustainable biodiversity conservation endeavors.

Call for urgent action on measuring progress for ctitical biodiversity targets

As the world commemorates International Biodiversity Day, TRAFFIC urges governments to finalize the global goals and targets to conserve and sustainably use biodiversity which are under development for the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework.

Towards an ‘Ecological Civilization’

Sustainability now is the new developmental paradigm. Unlike the past, when development aimed only at raising the quality of life of only present generation, sustainable development aims at raising the quality of present generation without compromising with the future generations. Sustainable de ...

Which way ahead for biodiversity conservation? Answer may lie in communities

May 22 is the International Day for Biological Diversity. Biodiversity is regarded as a solution to multiple challenges, offering nature-based solutions to climate change, health issues, food and water security, issues on health, and the need for sustainable livelihoods.

International Biodiversity Day: Six ways businesses are approaching nature restoration and conservation

Sunday (22 May) is the UN’s International Day for Biological Diversity. To mark the occasion, edie is highlighting six nature restoration and protection initiatives to have received support from the private sector this season.

Biodiversity in protecting world

INTERNATIONAL Biodiversity Day is observed on May 22 every year and the day is important in raising awareness about biodiversity and in deciding what to do about it. The day falls under the UN Sustainable Development Goals of the post-2015 development agenda.

International Day For Biological Biodiversity – Better Food And Organic Waste Management Will Protect Our Biodiversity

Sunday, 22 May 2022 is International Day for Biological Diversity, focused on highlighting the importance of biodiversity, especially for a sustainable future. For Biodiversity Day this year, the campaign is highlighting 22 actions that businesses and citizens can do to protect biodiversity.

The world has wronged its oceans, but 2022 can be the year for redemption, says UN

With every breath we take, we are connected to the ocean. The ocean gives us oxygen, provides us with food and livelihoods. It stabilises our climate, absorbing most of the heat trapped in the Earth’s system. Billions of humans, animals and plants rely on a healthy ocean. But the ocean’s health ...

These facts about America's oceans will blow your mind

Our oceans cover more than 70% of our planet and not only do they play a huge role in our climate and weather patterns, they're also home to some of Mother Nature’s most curious creatures and mind-bending natural (and man-made) phenomena. From underwater volcanoes to unique attractions, here are ...

Oceanic acidity at highest level for at least 26,000 years, WMO report finds

The world’s oceans are at their most acidic level for at least 26,000 years, according to a report from the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) which made some striking warnings about climate change.

Pollution responsible for one in six deaths across planet, scientists warn

Pollution is killing 9 million people a year, a review has found, making it responsible for one in six of all deaths. Toxic air and contaminated water and soil “is an existential threat to human health and planetary health, and jeopardises the sustainability of modern societies”, the review conc ...

United States' ocean conservation efforts have major gaps, analysis shows

More than 98% of U.S. waters outside the central Pacific Ocean are not part of a marine protected area, and the ones that are tend to be "lightly" or "minimally" protected from damaging human activity, research led by Oregon State University shows.

UN floats plan to boost renewables as climate worries mount

The United Nations chief on Wednesday launched a five-point plan to jump-start broader use of renewable energies, hoping to revive world attention on climate change as the U.N.'s weather agency reported that greenhouse gas concentrations, ocean heat, sea-level rise, and ocean acidification hit n ...

Seafloor animal cued to settle, transformed by a bacterial compound

Most bottom-dwelling marine invertebrate animals, such as sponges, corals, worms and oysters, produce tiny larvae that swim in the ocean prior to attaching to the seafloor and transforming into juveniles.

Indigenous group and locals sign agreement to protect sustainable livelihoods and culture

Colombia – Walking all day through the jungle to visit the encampments of friends and relatives is what Tumni Abtukaru misses the most about life before his community, the Indigenous Nukak, were evicted from their ancestral homeland.

Climate change is now warming the deepest parts of the oceans

Much of the ‘excess heat’ stored in the North Atlantic is in the deep ocean, at depths of below 2,300 feet, new research has shown.

U.N. global climate report shows severe impact on food security

Climate change continued to heat up the Earth in 2021 as concentrations of greenhouse gases increased, sea-ice mass shrank and ocean levels rose, according to a new report from the United Nations World Meteorological Organization. Severe impacts on food security were felt worldwide.

10 of the Most Endangered Species in the Ocean

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, the world’s most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species, at least 37% of the world’s sharks and rays, 33% of reef corals, 26% of mammals (including mari ...