Category News

Standing on a balcony lit by San Diego sun, wildlife videographer Scott Fairchild thumbs the throttle of his drone controller. As the drone flies over breaking waves, he sees what he normally sees: some surfers, a swimmer, and a great white shark.

As the lone swimmer drifts away from others in the water, he seems to pique the shark’s interest. It changes course and starts to follow. A hundred yards from shore, this is the exact location of a 2008 fatality caused by a white shark, where a swimmer was “bit in half,” Fairchild tells me later, training for a triathlon.

The shark sinks into murky water, then resurfaces. It veers off to the side, then returns. The swimmer’s arms take turns splashing the water around him, and the shark speeds up, closing the gap between them.

Un...

The circulation of the Atlantic Ocean is heading towards a tipping point that is “bad news for the climate system and humanity”, a study has found. The scientists behind the research said they were shocked at the forecast speed of collapse once the point is reached, although they said it was not yet possible to predict how soon that would happen. Using computer models and past data, the researchers developed an early warning indicator for the breakdown of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (Amoc), a vast system of ocean currents that is a key component in global climate regulation.

They found Amoc is already on track towards an abrupt shift, which has not happened for more than 10,000 years and would have dire implications for large parts of the world.

Amoc, which e...

Tiny plankton – measuring less than 20 µm (or 0.02 mm) in diameter—make up the majority of plankton in the ocean and play a critical role in the planet’s health, according to new research. However, scientists say challenges in identifying them have led to them becoming a silent majority that is currently being overlooked when it comes to global ocean policy. The study is one of the first to explore the abundance and importance of these tiny ocean inhabitants around the U.K. coastline, with the technology capable of monitoring them only having been introduced in around 2010.

However, that monitoring has shown that in some instances, 99.98% of plankton abundance—and 71% of plankton biomass—is derived from these tiny cells.

The research has also shown they can be impacted direct...

Endangered sharks are being killed and sold for food to unsuspecting consumers, researchers have said. A new study has estimated that shark fishing mortality rose to 80 million from 2012 to 2019. Of these, 25 million were from species already threatened with extinction. The figures are probably an underestimate, the researchers cautioned, due to country-level underreporting. The true figure could be as high as 101 million, according to the study.

As a result, people eating fish may be unknowingly eating sharks, the researchers revealed.

Since sharks have been recognized as endangered, governments and international bodies have passed laws to protect them. In particular, efforts have been made to reduce the trade in shark fins. Nearly 70 percent of maritime jurisdictions have introd...

Java Stingarees are the first marine fish to be declared extinct as a result of human activity. This troubling news was released with the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) latest update of its Red List of Threatened Species last week, along with reports of escalating climate impacts on freshwater fishes presented at COP28. A shocking quarter of all known freshwater fish species are currently at risk of extinction, with 20 percent impacted directly by climate change.

“Freshwater fishes make up more than half of the world’s known fish species, an incomprehensible diversity given that freshwater ecosystems comprise only 1 percent of aquatic habitat,” says Kathy Hughes, Co-Chair of the IUCN SSC Freshwater Fish Specialist Group.

“These diverse species are integral ...

The world’s oceans, covering an expansive 70% of our planet’s surface, are a lifeline for humanity and a cornerstone of Earth’s health. They are not just vast bodies of water; they are dynamic systems that regulate our climate, provide livelihoods for millions, and are home to a diverse array of marine life. In contemporary times, these critical ecosystems are under siege. Human activities, ranging from pollution to overfishing, are posing serious threats to their health and sustainability.

The benefits of oceans for humanity is as important as its very existence. Oceans absorb about 30% of carbon dioxide produced by humans, buffering the impacts of global warming...

As I geared up for my latest scuba diving adventure in Roatan, Honduras, excitement bubbled within me. The ocean had always been my escape—a vibrant world filled with colorful marine life, intricate coral formations, and a sense of tranquility that’s hard to find on land. This time, however, my anticipation was mixed with a hint of apprehension. I had heard stories about coral bleaching, and I was curious to see firsthand the impact of climate change on these underwater ecosystems.

Descending into the crystal-clear waters, the familiar weightlessness enveloped me. Sunlight filtered down, illuminating the underwater realm in shimmering blues and greens. Fish darted around me, their bright colors a stark contrast to the increasingly pale coral structures that loomed in the distance...

The number of jellyfish spotted in UK waters and on beaches increased by 32% in the past year, according to a survey by the Marine Conservation Society. The most commonly spotted were the huge barrel jellyfish – but rarer warm-water crystal jellyfish were also seen. Jellyfish populations vary naturally over time – but climate change warming the UK seas is creating favourable conditions.

A marine heatwave in June increased UK water temperatures by about 3-4C.

The world has warmed 1.1C compared to the pre-industrial period before humans began burning fossil fuels and a series of broken records this year is alarming scientists.

In August, oceans hit their highest global average temperature on record.

The Marine Conservation Society’s annual wildlife-sightings report is based on...

I am the founder and Director of Earthdive. 37 years ago I founded and organised a charity event called Sport Aid. 19.8 million people took part in 274 cities and 89 countries and delivered a ‘petition of blistered feet’ to the doorstep of the United Nations in New York. They demanded help for victims of the African Famine – and they got it! They raised US$35 million on the day and at a UN Special Session on Africa that followed, US$150m of African debt was cancelled.

It taught me that together, we can help change the world and now I need your help to unite the world again, this time to save our planet.

As a scuba diver I have witnessed the devastating effects climate change has had on our oceans...

The factors affecting coral’s resilience—its ability to adapt to and survive environmental changes—seem to be more nuanced than scientists believed. In a study published Oct. 17 in the journal Global Change Biology, researchers reveal surprising findings about a species common to Caribbean waters. The discovery may help improve efforts to save corals from bleaching and other consequences of climate change.

A team led by Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences Carly Kenkel at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences studied the mountainous star coral, Orbicella faveolata, to determine whether coral populations that have survived higher temperatures can pass their heat tolerance on to their offspring.

To the scientists’ surprise, the results showed the opposite: T...