UN Warns Australia To Protect The Great Barrier Of Reef

UNESCO has warned Australia not to allow development of new ports along the Great Barrier Reef, as the World Heritage-listed natural wonder is under threat from unprecedented coastal development. UNESCO has given Australia eight months to improve management of the Great Barrier Reef before it is listed as in danger.
Thousands of shellfish found dead in Peru

Thousands of crustaceans were found dead off the coast of Lima following the mystery mass death of dolphins and pelicans, the Peruvian Navy said.
El Niño Weather and Climate Change Threaten Survival of Baby Leatherback Sea Turtles

Researchers have found that the climate conditions at the nesting beach affect the early survival of turtle eggs and hatchlings. They predict, based on projections from multiple models, that egg and hatchling survival will drop by half in the next 100 years as a result of global climate change.
Seagrasses Can Store as Much Carbon as Forests

Seagrasses are a vital part of the solution to climate change and, per unit area, seagrass meadows can store up to twice as much carbon as the world’s temperate and tropical forests.
Study Links Biodiversity and Language Loss

As the world grows less biologically diverse, it is becoming less linguistically and culturally diverse as well…
Navy study: Sonar, Blasts Might Hurt More Sea Life

The U.S. Navy may hurt more dolphins and whales by using sonar and explosives in Hawaii and California under a more thorough analysis that reflects new research and covers naval activities in a wider area than previous studies.
Herd’s Fate Lies in Preservation Clash

Come summer, the beaches of this barrier island will be choked with cars and sunbathers, but in the off-season the land is left to wild horses.
Update from Senegal: Changing Things and Shaping the Future

The Senegalese government cancelled all fishing permits for foreign“pelagic trawlers,” large fishing vessels that drag nets below the surface of the ocean. This should remind leaders that with political will and courage, they can change things and shape the future of their people for the better.
Peru issues public health alert over pelican and dolphin deaths

The government of Peru has warned people to stay off beaches along large stretches of its northern coastline as it investigates the mysterious deaths of hundreds of dolphins and seabirds.