marine life

To call our attention to all that the ocean does for us and all that we do to it, the United Nations is hosting a special program for World Oceans Day (UN WOD) on Friday, June 7, 2024. 

A new study has found that the planet’s oceans are experiencing a “triple threat” of oxygen loss, extreme heat and acidification. The researchers discovered that, as global heating has worsened, increasing stress has been placed on marine species, with as much as 20 percent of the world’s oceans affected by these threats. “The global ocean […]

The United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has announced the designation of the 1,722-square-mile Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary in eastern Lake Ontario, New York. It is the country’s 16th national marine sanctuary and will celebrate the area’s Indigenous and maritime history while providing new opportunities for education, research, recreation and tourism related […]

The Norway chapter of World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-Norway) is bringing a lawsuit against the Norwegian government for allowing mining of its seabed, claiming the country has not properly investigated the negative impacts. WWF-Norway said the decision to proceed with deep-sea mining breaches Norwegian law and sets a “dangerous precedent,” a press release from […]

Ahead of World Fish Migration Day on May 25, a new Living Planet Index report has revealed major declines in migratory freshwater fish since 1970. According to the findings, migrating freshwater fish populations have declined 81% from 1970 to 2020. The Living Planet Index Migratory Freshwater Fishes report focused on data for migrating freshwater fish, […]

The adorable otter is North America’s smallest marine mammal, as well as the largest species of the weasel family, which also includes skunks, badgers and wolverines. With roughly 3,000 southern sea otters left in California, they are listed as threatened under the United States Endangered Species Act and play a crucial role in the restoration […]

In the past year, nearly two-thirds of the coral reefs on the planet have been exposed to enough heat stress to trigger bleaching, the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said on Thursday, reported Reuters. Last month, NOAA announced that coral reefs are experiencing a fourth global bleaching event, with El Niño and […]

Researchers have found promising signs for a possible increase of Antarctic blue whales, based on surveys spanning from 2006 to 2021. A team of scientists analyzed data they collected from seven acoustic surveys conducted in the Antarctic region over the 15-year timespan. They used “sonobuoys” to detect marine sounds and ultimately gathered about 3,900 hours’ […]