Oceans

The United States Supreme Court has voted five to four to weaken rules that govern how much pollution is discharged into the country’s water supply, undermining the 1972 Clean Water Act. The case involved San Francisco suing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) after the city was found to have violated the terms of a […]

While previous research has revealed the presence of microplastics in human lungs, a new study confirms that microplastics are making their way into birds’ lungs as well. The study, published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials, is the first to confirm microplastic presence in birds’ lungs. The researchers focused on analyzing potential microplastics in birds, […]

The Trump administration fired roughly 800 employees of the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration (NOAA) on Thursday, with more layoffs possible. An email from the U.S. Department of Commerce Thursday afternoon informed employees that they would lose their jobs the same day, reported The Guardian. “The majority of probationary employees in my office have been […]

The COP16 UN Biodiversity Conference in Rome has ended with a plan for nations to contribute $200 billion a year for the protection of the planet’s biodiversity by 2030, but critics say it’s not enough. The countries came to an agreement on how to contribute the funds. The accord also includes a plan for raising […]

A “superpod” of more than 2,000 dolphins was spotted off the coast of Monterey Bay, California, over the weekend. The gathering of cetaceans included Pacific white-sided dolphins, Northern right whale dolphins and light grey baby calves, reported The Guardian. “Super pods like this are rare, especially of Northern right whale dolphins,” Monterey Bay Whale Watch […]

Accelerating glacial melting is causing the world’s oceans to rise year after year and is causing a loss of regional freshwater, new research led by scientists at the University of Zürich shows.  The world’s glaciers have been losing 273 billion tonnes of ice mass annually, causing oceans to rise by nearly a millimeter per year, […]

Conservation groups, including the Center for Biological Diversity, Oceana, Greenpeace and the Natural Resources Defense Council, filed two separate lawsuits against the Trump administration on Wednesday. Both complaints focus on the administration’s moves to open more of the nation’s waters to drilling for oil and gas. “President Trump’s executive order would roll back millions of […]

The United Kingdom’s Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) plans to invest 81 million pounds in the development of an ambitious early warning system designed to detect climate tipping points. The new system will use drones, plankton bloom patterns and cosmic ray detection combined with artificial intelligence and detailed, cutting-edge computer models, reported The Guardian. […]