The World Meteorological Organization’s State of the Climate in Asia 2024 report warns that the region is warming nearly twice as fast as the global average, driving more extreme weather and posing serious threats to lives, ecosystems, and economies. In 2024, Asia experienced its warmest or second warmest year on …
Egypt’s Minister of Environment Yasmin Fouad announced on Sunday that the ministry has begun work on phasing out plastic bags due to the environmental danger they pose, adding that hypermarkets have already begun replacing plastic bags with eco-friendly and biodegradable alternatives. Fouad said that the Energy and Environment Committee in …
Birds like puffins are dying in alarming numbers owing to climate change, suggests researchers. Tufted puffins breeding in the Bering Sea, off the coast of Alaska, feed on fish and marine invertebrates, which in turn feed on ocean plankton. Elevation of sea temperatures has led to major changes in ocean …
A New World Bank report examines how marine pollution in the Caribbean threatens the region’s resilience to climate change. The report calls for urgent actions to restore damaged ecosystems and protect the Caribbean’s marine resources, a key source of food, livelihoods and jobs to millions of people dependent on tourism, …
South Africa has expanded its marine protection areas (MPAs) to provide protection to 90 percent of marine habitat types, the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) said on Tuesday. The move, which is in line with South Africa's international commitments, strives to support multiple objectives for biodiversity in alignment with ocean …
For over 60 years, our oceans have been a reservoir for exponentially increasing amounts of plastic waste. Plastic has been documented at all levels of the marine food web, from the deepest oceanic trenches to the most far-fung beaches. Here, we present data on the presence of signifcant quantities of …
MUMBAI: The BMC has decided to appoint Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (ICAR-CMFRI) to study the impact of its ambitious Mumbai Coastal Road project on the livelihood of fisherman and on marine life along the belt where it has proposed the 9.9-km sea bridge. Activists, however, pointed out that the …
Order of the National Green Tribunal in the matter of Sayyed Mohammed Sabir Usman Vs Union of India & Others dated 15/05/2019 regarding grant of Environmental and Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Clearance for extension of Breakwater at Chhara Port, village Chhara Sarkhadi, Taluka Kodinar, district Gir Somnath, Gujarat by M/s …
There is a shared vision to achieve clean, non toxic seas but their contamination with synthetic substances as well as heavy metals continues to be a large-scale problem in Europe. According to a new European Environment Agency (EEA) report, between 75 and 96 % of the assessed area of Europe’s …
Chemicals leaching from plastic pollution may be harming ocean bacteria which produce 10 per cent of the oxygen that we breathe, a study has found. Plastic pollution has been estimated to cause more than $13 billion in economic damage to marine ecosystems each year, and the problem is only getting …
Biodegradable and compostable plastic bags are capable of carrying full loads of shopping even after being exposed to the natural environment for three years, a new study shows. The research published in Environmental Science & Technology examined the degradation of five plastic bag materials widely available from high street retailers …
When the landmass that is now the Indian subcontinent slammed into Asia about 50 million years ago, the oxygen in the world's oceans increased, altering the conditions for life, scientists say. The collision was already known to have changed the configuration of the continents, the landscape, global climate and more. …
A paper published in Science today outlines a new “Global Deal for Nature,” officially launching an effort to establish science-based conservation targets covering all of planet Earth, including terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems. The Global Deal for Nature proposes a target of 30 percent of the planet to be fully …
During austral summer (DJF) 2017/18, the New Zealand region experienced an unprecedented coupled ocean-atmosphere heatwave, covering an area of 4 million km2. Regional average air temperature anomalies over land were +2.2 °C, and sea surface temperature anomalies reached +3.7 °C in the eastern Tasman Sea. This paper discusses the event, …
It's a race against time. The more than eight million tonnes of plastic that end up in the sea every year become more and more dangerous for marine fauna as they break up and are mistaken for food. Almost all Pacific albatrosses now have plastic fragments in their stomachs, which …
This ocean sanctuaries scientific study maps out how to protect 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030, a target that scientists say is crucial in order to safeguard wildlife and to help mitigate the impacts of climate change. 30×30: A Blueprint For Ocean Protection is the result of a year-long …
The Indonesian government has established three new marine protected areas within the Coral Triangle, home to the highest diversity of corals and reef fishes anywhere on the planet. The declaration of the three new zones, spanning a combined 226 square kilometers (87 square miles), was made on April 2. They’re …
When species are introduced by humans into marine habitats, they can disrupt their new environment, according to a study at KAUST, which also identified key species for conservation efforts to focus on. While the significant damage caused by some exotic species is beyond question, there is an ongoing debate among …
Marine protected areas offer one of the best options for maintaining or restoring the health of ocean and coastal ecosystems, particularly when they form part of holistic policy and integrated management systems. Strong governance that influences human behaviour and reduces impacts on marine and coastal ecosystems is essential for marine …
Seven projects in Seychelles that support marine protected areas and sustainable fisheries will get financial assistance under the second Blue Grants Fund launched in 2018. The Seychelles Conservation and Climate Adaptation Trust (SeyCCAT) said a total of $363,000 (SCR 5 million) will be disbursed for projects that are in line …
The Western Indian Ocean, comprising nine African countries and Réunion (an island under France), has a 10 000 km stretch of coastline with crystal clear waters and rich coral reefs. But these marine and wildlife ecosystems, which are interdependent with the health, food security and national economies of over 200 …
