Great Barrier Reef Near Whitsunday Islands
The Great Barrier Reef is the largest reef system on Earth, with more than 3,000 separate reefs and coral cays. It is also one of the most complex natural ecosystems, with 600 types of corals and thousands of animal species from tiny planktons to whales.
Celebrate June as Oceans Month, USGS
June marks National Oceans Month, a month dedicated to recognizing the natural beauty and importance of Earth’s oceans and coasts.
North Stradbroke Island sand mining to end by 2019
Sand mining will come to an end on North Stradbroke Island by 2019, reversing a decision by the former Newman administration to extend Sibelco’s lease to 2035.
Niger delta oil spill clean-up launched – but could take quarter of a century
A $1bn clean-up of one of the world’s most oil-polluted regions will be officially launched on Thursday by the Nigerian president, Muhammadu Buhari.
Rio de Janeiro: A Changing City
In 1960, 5 million people lived in Rio de Janeiro. By 2015, the population had swollen to 12.2 million, making it Brazil’s second largest city.
Access eroding to embattled Kiawah spit, study says
The narrow neck to Captain Sam’s Spit is disappearing, survey work has indicated. The dunes there aren’t tall enough to withstand a tropical cyclone of any real strength. The findings could put a big hole in Kiawah Partners’ contention before regulators that the beach there is growing, and a road to its proposed development should be permitted.
Malaysia establishes a 1-million-hectare marine park
Malaysia has just established the biggest marine protected area (MPA) in the country. The Tun Mustapha park (TMP) occupies 1m hectares (2.47m acres) of seascape off the northern tip of Sabah province in Borneo.
11 Otherworldly Pictures of Abandoned WWII Bunkers
During World War II, German Nazis built concrete bunkers up and down the west coasts of Norway and France. These fortifications were known collectively as the Atlantic Wall, and it was this barrier that the Allies breached during the invasion of Normandy. Seventy years later, much of the Atlantic Wall still stands. See a photos gallery by Jonathan Andrew.
Scientists Improve Maps of Subsidence in New Orleans
New Orleans and its surrounding areas continue to sink at highly variable rates due to a combination of natural geologic processes and human activity, according to a new study using NASA airborne radar.