australia

‘An Underwater Bushfire’: Major Coral Bleaching Event in Northern Parts of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef

‘An Underwater Bushfire’: Major Coral Bleaching Event in Northern Parts of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef

In the past eight years, the Great Barrier Reef — the largest coral reef in the world, stretching 1,429 miles — has experienced five mass bleaching events, tied by scientists to climate change. Most recently, corals around six islands in Turtle Group National Park, located about 6.2 miles off Australia’s Queensland Coast, have seen extensive […]

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    Nearly 100 Pilot Whales Die After Beaching in Australia

    Nearly 100 Pilot Whales Die After Beaching in Australia

    Nearly 100 pilot whales became stranded on Cheynes Beach in Western Australia on Tuesday. Most of the pod, 52 whales, died overnight, and the rest have been euthanized, according to officials, as rescue efforts over two days have failed. The pilot whales were first seen swimming in the area on Tuesday morning, but they covered […]

    ‘Globally Significant Moment for Ocean Conservation’: Australia to Phase Out Gill Net Fishing in Great Barrier Reef

    ‘Globally Significant Moment for Ocean Conservation’: Australia to Phase Out Gill Net Fishing in Great Barrier Reef

    The Australian and Queensland governments have introduced a more than $160 million package to phase out the commercial gill net fishing that damages the Great Barrier Reef. The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef system in the world, as well as a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Area. […]

    Number of Australia’s Fish Species Considered Critically Endangered Doubles

    Number of Australia’s Fish Species Considered Critically Endangered Doubles

    The amount of critically endangered fish species in Australia has recently doubled after nine species were newly categorized as critically endangered in March. All nine species are part of the galaxias genus, and an additional tenth galaxias species has been labeled as endangered. The findings present an urgent need to conserve these species. One major […]

    Oyster Mushrooms Could Consume a Million Cigarette Butts in Australia

    Oyster Mushrooms Could Consume a Million Cigarette Butts in Australia

    In a new program trial in Australia, oyster mushrooms are taking on an important new task. The fungi will consume the toxic chemicals and plastics inside up to 1.2 million cigarette butts, which will be diverted from landfills for the trial. In Australia, people smoke about 18 billion cigarettes a year, and up to 9 […]

    Australia’s Renewable Energy Investments Surged by 10x in Fourth Quarter of 2022

    Australia’s Renewable Energy Investments Surged by 10x in Fourth Quarter of 2022

    Australia made a massive investment in renewable energy towards the end of 2022 — channeling $4.3 billion towards large scale carbon-free electricity generation and storage developments.  This is the highest quarterly investment since 2018,  according to data reported Thursday by the nonprofit renewable industry group the Clean Energy Council. But more is still needed for […]