Taking stock of the world’s sandy beaches

About 31 percent of the world’s coastlines are sandy. Africa has the highest proportion of sandy beaches (66 percent) and Europe has the lowest (22 percent). Researchers found that beaches in Australia and Africa have experienced more erosion than growth. The opposite is true on all other continents, where beaches are generally growing…

A mourning orca mother carried her dead baby for days through the ocean

A grieving mother orca near Vancouver Island has been carrying her dead calf for four days, after refusing to leave her baby behind when the rest of her pod left. The sad display speaks to something deeper. Killer whales eat salmon, and a number of human practices, such as damming rivers, have taken a toll on native salmon populations.

Hydropower in Cambodia could threaten food security of region

Farmers and anglers in Cambodia depend on the Mekong River’s predictable seasonal patterns, but new dams for hydroelectricity are altering the hydrology of the river. These changes have the potential to threaten fish migration, livelihoods, and regional food security.