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Cooling La Niña may not save Great Barrier Reef from mass coral bleaching, experts warn

A global weather phenomenon that would typically keep ocean temperatures lower across the Great Barrier Reef may not be enough to stop another mass coral bleaching this coming summer, according to the marine park’s chief scientist.

What Sealed The Fate of The Giant Megalodon? Its Ancient Teeth May Reveal The Answer

The largest sharks ever to have roamed the oceans parked their young in shallow, warm-water nurseries where food was abundant and predators scarce until they could assume their title as kings and queens of the sea.

Scores of pilot whales dead in New Zealand stranding

Almost 100 pilot whales have died in a mass stranding on New Zealand's remote Chatham Islands, conservation officials said Wednesday.

Massive Swarm of Eels Is The Most Fish Ever Recorded at The Bottom of The Ocean

Before we start mining for precious metals in the darkness of the deep sea, we might try switching on the light first and observing our surroundings. In this seemingly isolated abyss, at deeper than 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) below sea level, scientists were able to coax a massive swarm of 115 cutt ...

The seaweed swamping the Atlantic Ocean

A sargassum bloom the width of the Atlantic Ocean caused havoc on beaches, but locals in Mexico and the Caribbean are fast finding ways to turn the seaweed invasion to their advantage.

The secret world of pygmy seahorses, where males give birth – photo essay

In his new book, marine biologist and photographer Richard Smith reveals the tiny, magical world of pygmy seahorses, one of the most elusive fish on the planet

'The Greatest Shoal on Earth': Protecting South Africa's sardine run

From above, it looks like a vast oil spill spreading across the ocean. It's been called the "Greatest Shoal on Earth" and it's one of the planet's biggest migrations in terms of biomass.

Seychelles: 7 Ways Save Our Seas Is Investigating Nature in Seychelles

Seychelles' rich biodiversity is a goldmine of information for research and conversation organisations. Save Our Seas Foundation, which was founded in 2003 in Geneva, Switzerland, is running seven long term programmes on two remote islands in Seychelles - D'Arros and St Joseph Atoll.

Dire outlook': scientists say Florida reefs have lost nearly 98% of coral

The United States’ coral reefs are in fair condition, according to a recent reef condition status report, but vulnerable to decline. Scientists estimate that along the coast of Florida, where degradation is most severe, perhaps as little as 2% of original coral cover remains.

Predator-proof fence: 10km barrier to be built across Wilsons Promontory to protect native wildlife

A 10km fence to keep out foxes, deers and cats will be built across the Yanakie isthmus on Victoria’s Wilsons Promontory to create a 50,000-hectare native wildlife sanctuary.

A deep dive into Zero Hunger: the seaweed revolution

If just two per cent of the Ocean were to be sustainably farmed, the world could easily be fed, according to experts. In the first story of a two-part series looking at the opportunities and challenges facing Ocean farming, we take a look at the huge potential role of seaweed in mitigating clima ...

New research by the Monaco Scientific Center draws attention to the little known lives of deep-sea coral, that can form reefs up to 150m below sea level.

Deep-sea corals have been a bit of mystery. Located up to 150 m below sea-level, it has historically been difficult to conduct research on these elusive animals, given the depth at which they are found. The corals have flexible tree-like skeletons and form large ‘forests’ that are home to many o ...

Eco-engineered tiles enhance marine biodiversity on seawalls in Hong Kong and beyond

A joint-study led by a team of marine ecologists from City University of Hong Kong (CityU) has found that the eco-engineered tiles can increase habitat complexity on seawalls in Hong Kong, thereby effectively enhancing the marine biodiversity.

Protected reefs in Pilar, Sorsogon see notable increase in fish populat

The protected reefs off the coast of Pilar town in Sorsogon have seen a notable increase in fish population, two years after the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines led a study on the extent of damage suffered by the reefs.

Staring in the eye of a sperm whale is a powerful experience

My first interaction with a sperm whale was when I was just two years old. A young whale had stranded on the beach near my home in Long Island, New York, and a group of veterinarians decided to bring this whale into a nearby boat basin to get a closer look at him and determine if they could help ...

Webinar on Regional Seas Programmes and the post-2020 global biodiversity framework

1 October 2020, Online

Statement by Ms. Elizabeth Mrema, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, at the High-level Side Event of the United Nations Summit on Biodiversity: “Biodiversity – the Ocean’s Role”, 30 September 2020.

Statement by Ms. Elizabeth Mrema, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, at the High-level Side Event of the United Nations Summit on Biodiversity: “Biodiversity – the Ocean’s Role”, 30 September 2020.

World Maritime Day 2020

24 September 2020, London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Webinar on Regional Seas Programmes and the post-2020 global biodiversity framework, 1 October 2020

Reference: SCBD/SSSF/AS/ML/JA/JMQ/89131 (2020-076)
To: CBD National Focal Points, SBSTTA Focal Points, Marine and Coastal Biodiversity Focal Points, indigenous peoples and local communities and relevant organizations

Statement by Ms. Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, on the occasion of the 5th Annual Biodiversity Research and Evidence Indaba, hosted by the Government of South Africa, venue: Zoom, 8-9 September 2020

Peer review of CBD Technical Series: Anthropogenic Underwater Noise: Impacts on Marine and Coastal Biodiversity and Habitats, and Mitigation and Management Measures

Reference: SCBD/SSSF/AS/ML/JA/JG/89022 (2020-070)
To: CBD National Focal Points, Marine and Coastal Biodiversity Focal Points, SBSTTA Focal Points, Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities, and other relevant organizations

The 6th International Marine Conservation Congress (IMCC6)

24 - 27 August 2020, Kiel, Germany

World Oceans Day 2020

8 June 2020, New York, United States of America

Ocean acidification prediction now possible years in advance

CU Boulder researchers have developed a method that could enable scientists to accurately forecast ocean acidity up to five years in advance. This would enable fisheries and communities that depend on seafood negatively affected by ocean acidification to adapt to changing conditions in real time ...

Ocean biodiversity has not increased substantially for hundreds of millions of years, study finds

A new way of looking at marine evolution over the past 540 million years has shown that levels of biodiversity in our oceans have remained fairly constant, rather than increasing continuously over the last 200 million years, as scientists previously thought.

Only ‘A-list’ of coral reefs found to sustain ecosystems, livelihoods

Most of the tropical reef sites around the world are no longer able to simultaneously sustain coral reef ecosystems and the livelihoods of the people who depend on them, as human pressure and impacts of climate change increase, a new study shows.

Silence is golden for whales as lockdown reduces ocean noise

In cities, human lockdowns during the coronavirus pandemic have offered some respite to the natural world, with clear skies and the return of wildlife to waterways. Now evidence of a drop in underwater noise pollution has led experts to predict the crisis may also be good news for whales and oth ...

Groundwater Is the “Hidden Connection” Between Land and Sea

If you are looking for a waterway between land and sea, you can start by looking beneath your feet. “People think of rivers, which is a natural thing to come to mind,” said Nils Moosdorf, a professor of hydrogeology at Kiel University in Germany. “But groundwater has an invisible connection that ...

We can restore marine health by 2050, finds study

The future for the world’s oceans often looks grim. Fisheries are set to collapse by 2048, according to one study, and 8 million tons of plastic pollute the ocean every year, causing considerable damage to delicate marine ecosystems. Yet a new study in Nature offers an alternative, and more opti ...

The models of climate change on marine ecosystems

Modelling is a necessary tool for assessing future impacts of climate change. A major comparative study Sarmiento simulated the effect of greenhouse gas emissions using six Atmosphere-Ocean General Circulation Models (AOGCMs) to examine which aspects of the models determine how ocean biology res ...

Take the oceans video challenge now from home.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many across the world are figuring out how to move forward with day-to-day activities as the plans to address the health, socio-economic and recovery issues take shape. But nature, now more than ever, needs us to pay attention to its warning signals and to take care ...

Some good news about coral reef conservation

Amidst all the bad news about coral reef bleaching, an international team has shed light on what conservation measures are working to preserve these fragile ecosystems while balancing various social and ecological needs. “People have different goals for sustaining coral reefs,” says lead author ...

Ancient marine crocs adapted like whales to ocean life - only earlier

A wondrous lineage of crocodile relatives that developed into fast-swimming seagoing predators at a time when dinosaurs dominated the land adapted to life in the open ocean with a pivotal evolutionary modification also present in whales.

Can Coral Reefs ‘Have It All’?

Though coral reefs are in sharp decline across the world, scientists say some reefs can still thrive with plentiful fish stocks, high fish biodiversity, and well-preserved ecosystem functions.

Ocean deoxygenation could be silently killing coral reefs, scientists say

In March, Australia’s Great Barrier Reef suffered its most widespread bleaching event to date. Sixty percent of the reef underwent moderate to severe bleaching, and some corals may never recover.

Keep fish in the sea - and off our plates

During April, people across the world celebrated the Christian holiday of Easter. For many, this involves days of fasting or moderation as part of tradition or religious observance. In the UK and many other countries, this takes the form of abstention from red meat on Good Friday.

Ocean researchers find world’s longest animal – and that’s not the strangest part

What could be the longest animal ever recorded, a weird and wonderful sea creature 150 feet in length, has been caught on video for the first time by researchers of the coast of Australia. The siphonophore Apolemia was spotted by crew aboard the research vessel Falkor, as they plumbed the depths ...

Coastal pollution reduces genetic diversity of corals, reef resilience

A new study published in the journal PeerJ by researchers at the University of Hawaii found that human-induced environmental stressors have a large effect on the genetic composition of coral reef populations in Hawaii.

We can bring the world's oceans back to health by 2050, scientists conclude

The world’s oceans can be nursed back to health by 2050 if there is a concerted global effort to tackle climate change and restore marine habitats, a team of the world’s top ocean scientists has concluded.

Great Barrier Reef suffers third mass bleaching in 5 years

Australia's Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) on Thursday confirmed "widespread coral bleaching" is occurring on the reef. Aerial surveys showed that "some southern areas of the Reef that had little or no bleaching in 2016 and 2017 have now experienced moderate or severe bleachin ...

The wonder trees that nurture marine biodiversity

This 2020 theme for the International Day of Forests on 21 March is Forests and Biodiversity. It’s an often-quoted fact that forests are home to 80 per cent of terrestrial biodiversity, but did you know that one type of tree also supports marine biodiversity—the mangrove tree?

Chile: Expedition to the end of the world, where humpback whales are thriving

This is the story of how, after centuries of exploitation, the humpback whale has managed to recover in the waters of southernmost Chile. It is also the story of how the park where the recovery is unfolding has become one of the best spots in the Pacific Ocean to admire these giants.

Seychelles: Deep-Sea Expedition in Seychelles' Waters to Launch Tuesday

A joint Nekton deep sea expedition in the waters of Seychelles and Maldives will start on Tuesday to establish a baseline of marine life and the state of the ocean in both jurisdictions. The 35-day mission will be led by a team of 50 international scientists from Nekton and the University of Oxf ...

Our Vanishing World: Oceans

As the human onslaught against life on Earth accelerates, no part of the biosphere is left pristine. The simple act of consuming more than we actually need drives the world’s governments and corporations to endlessly destroy more and more of the Earth to extract the resources necessary to satisf ...

Enough is Enough. African nations must unite against illegal fishing

As the continent arguably most affected by the problem of ‘stolen fish’, Africa could secure food for its people while providing the blueprint for victory, according to the findings of a Blue Paper commissioned by the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy and launched this February at ...

Snapping Shrimp Make More Noise in Warmer Oceans

As oceans heat up, the ubiquitous noise of snapping shrimp should increase, posing issues for other species and human seagoing ventures.

Storms wreak havoc on land. We’re only beginning to understand what they do underwater.

You’ve likely heard about broad trends that scientists are certain will occur as a result of climate change: Plants and animals will be pushed out of their native habitats. Ice sheets will melt, and sea level will rise. Extreme weather events, like droughts and storms, will become more common an ...

East Africa’s reefs being fished at unsustainable rates, study finds

Fish populations in coral reefs off Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique are being harvested at unsustainable rates, new research has found.

East Africa’s reefs being fished at unsustainable rates, study finds

Fish populations in coral reefs off Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique are being harvested at unsustainable rates, new research has found.In the study published in the journal Marine Ecology Progress Series, researchers calculate that 70% of the region’s coral reefs have fish stocks below levels nee ...