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Red Sea’s coral reefs face existential threat from overfishing

The coral reefs at the Red Sea reserves are in grave danger as a result of rising environmental violations including illegal fishing by trawlers, whose nets threaten Egypt’s national wealth of coral reefs and wildlife and have harmed sea turtle and dolphin populations.

What went right this week: ‘jewel of biodiversity’ found, plus more positive news

“A jewel of biodiversity”. That’s how scientists have described a newly discovered reef complex off the coast of east Africa, where corals appear to be thriving despite the climate crisis.

How will ocean anoxic zones interact with climate change?

Researchers at UC Santa Barbara have investigated the dynamics of ecosystems in parts of the ocean that have no dissolved oxygen to sustain animals or plants, which are known as ocean anoxic zones. In these areas, only microbes that are adapted to the environment can survive.

Beluga whistles and clicks could be silenced by an increasingly noisy Arctic Ocean

Under the sea ice, the Arctic Ocean is one of the quietest places on Earth. But it can be very noisy when the ice is forming and breaking up or during storms and when glaciers are calving.

'Happy corals': climate crisis sanctuary teeming with life found off east Africa

Scientists have discovered a climate crisis refuge for coral reefs off the coast of Kenya and Tanzania, where species are thriving despite warming events that have killed their neighbours.

Ocean heatwave has triggered new toxic algal blooms on the US west coast

Fishermen, swimmers and seafood enthusiasts may already know the dangers of "red tides," but a recent study in Frontiers in Climate shows that climate change is increasing the frequency of one type of highly toxic algal bloom off the US west coast.

Scientists Just Mapped All the Coral Reefs in the Caribbean

The Nature Conservancy has completed a significant new project: a region-wide publication of maps of all shallow water coral reefs in the Caribbean. Now, the Caribbean has a clear picture of the habitats found beneath its waves.

Coral Recovery Following Prolonged Heatwaves

Coral reefs could bounce back from bleaching caused by soaring temperatures new research suggests, but only in the right conditions. Coral reefs have provided researchers with some hope that at least one element of nature could ‘bounce back’ from soaring temperatures and a global heatwave induce ...

Ocean Like No Other: Southern Ocean’s Rich Ecology, Significance for Global Climate

In 2018, a map named after an oceanographer went viral. The so-called Spilhaus projection, in which Earth is viewed from above the South Pole, was designed to show the connected nature of the ocean basins.

Deep-sea ‘gold rush’: secretive plans to carve up the seabed decried

Private mining firms and arms companies are exerting a hidden and unhealthy influence on the fate of the deep-sea bed, according to a new report highlighting the threats facing the world’s biggest intact ecosystem.

Surfers fight to preserve the life of the oceans

The barrier reefs are dying, and climate change is putting the ocean and subsequently, the best surf spots, in jeopardy. Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is the world’s most extensive ecosystem, but is one of the World Heritage Sites that is under threat, and has “lost more than half its coral in ...

Guiding new and innovative ways to boost Great Barrier Reef health

Stabilising reef surfaces, remediating reefs after a ship grounding, and other science-based actions that help corals grow are among the suite of innovative actions that can improve the Great Barrier Reef’s health and resilience.

'A circus': second mass salmon outbreak in Tasmania outrages conservationists

Huon Aquaculture has been savaged after another mass salmon outbreak in Tasmania that could threaten native marine life, with conservationists labelling escape management practices in the state “a circus”.

Biodiversity: Monaco comes to the rescue of Riviera’s seahorses

The Prince Albert II Foundation, the Oceanographic Institute, and biodiversity specialist Biotope have joined efforts to study the seahorse population off the Monaco coastline.

In a post-Covid world, lessons in living must come from the ocean

The Covid-19 pandemic brought into sharp focus the relationship people around the world have with the ocean. As lockdowns eased, people flocked to the seashore and the beaches as the oceans’ appeal to the inner stirrings of both body and soul became more pronounced.

New algae threatens conservation of Caribbean coral reefs

Human activity is making the conservation of Caribbean coral reefs difficult – but a new algal threat is adding pressure to an already precarious situation

Octogenarian snapper found in WA becomes oldest tropical reef fish by two decades

An 81-year-old midnight snapper caught off the coast of Western Australia has taken the title of the oldest tropical reef fish recorded anywhere in the world.

Front row seats for birth of new corals livestreamed from Reef

The ground-breaking work of the Southern Cross University marine scientist who first discovered the dazzling coral sex phenomenon will be shared with Australian audiences on ABC TV’s Reef Live this weekend.

In a first, 'serious' coral bleaching reported in Pakistan near Churna Island

WWF-Pakistan on Thursday appealed to the government to declare Churna Island a Marine Protected Area (MPA) after coral bleaching was reported in some areas of the island.

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 ...