ocean acidification

Sea Cucumbers: The Excremental Heroes of Coral Reef Ecosystems

Sea Cucumbers: The Excremental Heroes of Coral Reef Ecosystems

By Hannah Thomasy On its own, a single sea cucumber may not be very impressive. But get enough of these floppy, faceless creatures together, and they—or, more specifically, their poop—can physically and biochemically reshape a coral reef habitat. In a recently published study, an Australian research team used drone surveys, satellite imagery, and observations of […]

Join our newsletter

The best of EcoWatch, right in your inbox. Sign up for our email newsletter!

    Hey, Oregon Senators: You Can’t Run Away From Climate Change

    Hey, Oregon Senators: You Can’t Run Away From Climate Change

    By Adrienne Alvord This week Oregon stands on the cusp of approving historic cap-and-invest legislation, HB 2020, that experts have said will help grow the Oregon economy. After three years of legislative consideration, numerous studies, hearings, public meetings and debate, the Oregon House approved the legislation decisively (36-22) on June 18th, and the bill moved […]

    Gardening the Seas to Save the World’s Corals

    Gardening the Seas to Save the World’s Corals

    As ocean waters warm and acidify, corals across the globe are disappearing. Desperate to prevent the demise of these vital ecosystems, researchers have developed ways to “garden” corals, buying the oceans some much-needed time. University of Miami Rosenstiel School marine biologist Diego Lirman sat down with Josh Chamot of Nexus Media to describe the process […]

    Is Geoengineering the Answer to Limit Global Warming?

    Is Geoengineering the Answer to Limit Global Warming?

    By Tim Radford Geoengineering, the deliberate alteration of the planet to undo its inadvertent alteration by humans over the past 200 years, is back on the scientific agenda, with a climate compromise suggested as a possible solution. One group wants to turn down the global thermostat and reverse the global warming trend set in train […]

    Billionaire Gives Away His Fortune to Help Save the Ocean

    Billionaire Gives Away His Fortune to Help Save the Ocean

    Norwegian businessman Kjell Inge Røkke is not someone usually admired for environmental stewardship. Described by Forbes as a “ruthless corporate raider,” Røkke made his billions as the majority stakeholder in shipping and offshore drilling conglomerate, Aker. The twist to this story? Røkke has decided to give “the lion’s share” of his estimated $2.7 billion fortune […]

    Spaceship Earth, Your Main Oxygen Systems Are Collapsing

    Spaceship Earth, Your Main Oxygen Systems Are Collapsing

    Yes, Houston, we have a problem: Our oceans are dying. As the brilliant futurist Buckminster Fuller used to point out, our Spaceship Earth is hurtling through space at a great speed. Imagine if someone told you (a passenger on that ship) that the main oxygen systems were failing because of how food was being grown. […]

    Top Five Environmental Events of 2011

    Top Five Environmental Events of 2011

    Stefanie Penn Spear This year certainly had its big eco-news events. From natural disasters that led to one of the worst nuclear meltdowns on record to an unprecedented assault on environmental protections and regulations in Congress, 2011 felt like we took 10 steps backward on the protection of human health and the environment. Personally, I’m […]