Xboundary: a Film about Extreme Pollution Risks by Open-Pit Mining in British Columbia and Threats to Wildlife and Economy
An open-pit mining boom is underway in northern British Columbia, Canada. The massive size and location of the mines — at the headwaters of major salmon rivers that flow across the border into Alaska — has Alaskans concerned over pollution risks… These concerns were heightened with the August 4, 2014 catastrophic tailings dam failure at nearby Mount Polley Mine in B.C.’s Fraser River watershed.
Shellfish Face High Risk From Ocean Acidification, New Study Finds
As oceans become more acidic, the US shellfish business is facing high economic risk in 15 out of 23 coastal states; Massachusetts tops the list of states facing the highest risk, the study concluded.
Unprecedented sea lion strandings in California linked to warmer Pacific
The strandings of a record number of sea lion pups along the California coast this year are linked to a puzzling weather pattern that has warmed their Pacific Ocean habitat and likely impacted fish populations they rely on for food, federal scientists said.
Nearly 200 Whales Stranded on New Zealand Beach
Rescuers and volunteers were scrambling on Friday to save nearly 200 pilot whales that were stranded on New Zealand’s South Island.
The Future of Wetlands, the Future of Waterbirds – an Intercontinental Connection
To mark the anniversary of the signing of the Ramsar Convention – an intergovernmental agreement seeking to protect wetlands of international importance – the 2nd of February each year is celebrated as “World Wetlands Day.”
After Nine Years of Foot-Dragging, U.N. Ready for Talks on High Seas Treaty
After intense negotiations, the United Nations has agreed to convene an intergovernmental conference aimed at drafting a legally binding treaty to conserve marine life and govern the mostly lawless high seas beyond national jurisdiction.
A “Rosetta Stone” for Conducting Biodiversity Assessments
This month saw an important milestone reached by the U.N.’s young Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES): Publication of its first public product.
Melting Glaciers Increase the Flow of Carbon to Downstream Ecosystems
Melting glaciers are not just impacting sea level, they are also affecting the flow of organic carbon to the world’s oceans, according to new research that provides the first ever global-scale estimates for the storage and release of organic carbon from glaciers.
Ocean Life Faces Mass Extinction, Broad Study Says
A team of scientists, in a groundbreaking analysis of data from hundreds of sources, has concluded that humans are on the verge of causing unprecedented damage to the oceans and the animals living in them.