Crisis in the Galapagos: Chinese fishing fleets and COVID-19 threaten a natural wonder
Just south of the Galapagos’ Marchena Island, there’s a dive spot known by locals as the “fish arena.” Earlier this summer, more than 300 Chinese fishing vessels—many designed to hold 1,000 tons of catch—waited at the marine preserve’s border, ready to snatch up sea life.
Russia: Activists demand answers for marine pollution on Kamchatka peninsula
Environmental activists are demanding answers after several sea animals have washed ashore on the Kamchatka peninsula in eastern Russia. Carcasses of seals, octopus, and sea urchins have been covering the remote coasts for several days
Groundbreaking study finds 13.3 quadrillion plastic fibers in California’s environment
A study in California has laid bare the staggering scale of pollution from plastic microfibers in synthetic clothing – one of the most widespread, yet largely invisible, forms of plastic waste.
The Great Barrier Reef Has Lost Half Its Corals
The Great Barrier Reef, one of the earth’s most precious habitats, lost half of its coral populations in the last quarter-century, a decline that researchers in Australia said would continue unless drastic action is taken to mitigate the effects of climate change.
After Fighting Plastic in ‘Paradise Lost,’ Sisters Take On Climate Change
It was trash season on Bali, the time of year when monsoon storms wash up tons of plastic debris onto the island’s beaches. It was also the time for two teenage sisters, Melati and Isabel Wijsen, to organize their annual island cleanup.
World fails to meet a single target to stop destruction of nature – UN report
The world has failed to meet a single target to stem the destruction of wildlife and life-sustaining ecosystems in the last decade, according to a devastating new report from the UN on the state of nature.
Mauritius oil spill: Japan ship operator to pay $9 million for clean-up
The Japanese ship operator of the tanker that leaked over 1,000 tons of oil off the coast of Mauritius in July has pledged $9 million toward clean-up efforts. The oil spill has damaged mangroves and coral reefs.
Mangrove loss has fallen dramatically, but the forests are still in danger
According to satellite data, mangrove loss has fallen dramatically in the past two decades, with human-caused mangrove destruction declining even faster than loss from natural causes.
Removing marine plastic litter is costly for small island states
Removing all of the plastic litter from the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Aldabra Atoll—a ring of islands formed from coral reef in the Seychelles—would cost US $4.68 million and require 18,000 hours of labour, according to a study in Scientific Reports.