Thousands of mollusks and worms have been discovered by a Chinese submersible in the Mariana Trench, almost six miles below sea level. The new study revealed it is the deepest colony of animals ever observed. “Hadal trenches, some of the Earth’s least explored and understood environments, have long been proposed to harbour chemosynthesis-based communities. Despite […]
Orca whales have been observed biting off lengths of kelp and using the strands to massage each other — the first known evidence of marine mammals making tools. A group of killer whales off the coast of the United States and Canada were seen removing the ends of seaweed stalks, putting them between their bodies […]
In new research, scientists from the Wageningen University & Research have confirmed regular activity by sharks and rays at offshore wind farms around the Netherlands. The team was able to confirm the presence of these elasmobranchs through traces of environmental DNA, or eDNA, in the waters around Dutch wind farms. The researchers collected 436 seawater […]
Each year since 2009, United Nations World Oceans Day (UN WOD) has celebrated the vast life-sustaining world that covers 70 percent of our planet, more than 90 percent of which remains unexplored.
The theme of this year’s UN WOD is “Wonder: Sustaining what sustains us,” in celebration of the watery world that produces at least half of Earth’s oxygen, is the home of most of the biodiversity on the planet and is the primary source of protein for over one billion people.
The United Kingdom has announced a plan to ban destructive activities like bottom trawling in 41 of the country’s offshore marine protected areas (MPAs), with a focus on vulnerable seabeds and ecologically sensitive habitats. When added to existing bans on bottom trawling, the total area would equal more than 18,500 square miles, reported The Guardian. […]
During the United Nations Ocean Conference this week in Nice, France, French Polynesian President Moetai Brotherson announced that the country will establish a marine protected area (MPA) spanning 4.8 million square kilometers. The newly established MPA will surpass the U.S. Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in the Pacific Ocean, which spans 1.5 million square kilometers and […]
In a new study, scientists have detected high levels of mercury contamination in alligators from the Okefenokee Swamp in southeastern Georgia. The contamination in the alligators could be an indicator of more widespread heavy metal contamination in the region, which could be harmful to other wildlife, and ultimately humans. “Alligators are very ancient creatures, and […]
The world’s ocean has become dangerously polluted — not just by plastics, chemicals and sewage, but by noise. At the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC) in Nice on Tuesday, a coalition of ministers from 37 countries — led by Panama and Canada — launched an effort to reduce the underwater noise pollution that harms marine […]
On the first day of the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC) in Nice, France, on Monday, 18 new countries ratified the High Seas Treaty for a total of 49 — just 11 shy of the 60 needed for the agreement to be enforced. The swell of support added momentum to what could end up being […]
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