Critical questions over disease risks from ocean plastic
Key knowledge gaps exist in our understanding of how ocean microplastics transport bacteria and viruses — and whether this affects the health of humans and animals, researchers say.
Scientists reveal long-term cumulative effects of frequent green tides in coastal oceans
The world’s largest green tide caused by Ulva prolifera has been occurring continually in the Yellow Sea, China, for more than 10 years. It has become a serious marine ecological disaster.
Warming Greenland ice sheet passes point of no return
Nearly 40 years of satellite data from Greenland shows that glaciers on the island have shrunk so much that even if global warming were to stop today, the ice sheet would continue shrinking.
The ship that leaked oil into pristine Mauritian waters could break in two. That would be an environmental catastrophe
A stricken ship off the coast of Mauritius which has already leaked about 1,000 metric tons of oil into a pristine Indian Ocean lagoon could be about to break in two, experts fear — spelling disaster for the ecologically rich area.
New study warns: We have underestimated the pace at which the Arctic is melting
Arctic sea ice is melting more quickly than once assumed. Today’s climate models have yet to incorporate the steep rise in temperatures that have occurred over the past 40 years. This, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Copenhagen and other institutions.
A warming California sets the stage for future floods
By the 2070s, global warming will increase extreme rainfall and reduce snowfall in the Sierra Nevada, delivering a double whammy that will likely overwhelm California’s reservoirs and heighten the risk of flooding in much of the state, according to a new study by UCLA climate scientists.
World’s tallest prefab skyscrapers will rise in Singapore — but they’re being built in Malaysia
A pair of skyscrapers are set to become the tallest prefabricated buildings in the world.
More Than 500 Dams Planned in Protected Areas Around the Globe, Study Finds
More than 500 dams are planned or already under construction within protected areas around the world, according to a new study published in the journal Conservation Letters. The study is the first of its kind to quantify the global extent of dams constructed in protected areas, which can include indigenous areas, nature reserves, and national parks.
Deep-sea misconceptions cause underestimation of seabed-mining impacts
A new publication on the impacts of deep-seabed mining by 13 prominent deep-sea biologists, led by University of Hawai’i at M?noa oceanography professor Craig Smith, seeks to dispel scientific misconceptions that have led to miscalculations of the likely effects of commercial operations to extract minerals from the seabed.