Breaking Waves: Ocean News

01/25/2026 - 22:46
Death toll sparks calls for companies to be fined under animal welfare legislation over mass fish deaths Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast At least 4 million salmon died prematurely at Tasmanian fish farms in 2025, with new data from the state’s Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) suggesting about 500,000 fish died in November and December as ocean temperatures warmed. Scientific studies indicate Atlantic salmon are adversely affected when ocean temperatures approach 18C. At higher temperatures, salmon encounter less oxygenated water, suffer from liver and kidney damage, have less appetite and become more vulnerable to disease. This article was republished with permission from the Tasmanian Inquirer Continue reading...
01/25/2026 - 20:59
Residents near Otways fire in Victoria urged to prepare to evacuate, while Ouyen and Mildura forecast to record 49C on Tuesday Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast South Australia faced another day of searing heat on Monday, as Victorians prepared for conditions forecast to be the hottest in history and more than 1,100 residents told to get ready to evacuate ahead of extreme fire danger. Tuesday could see heat records broken throughout Victoria and eastern South Australia, with maximums expected to be near 50C across inland areas, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. Continue reading...
01/25/2026 - 08:27
After analyzing 40 years of tree records across the Andes and Amazon, researchers found that climate change is reshaping tropical forests in uneven ways. Some regions are steadily losing tree species, especially where conditions are hotter and drier, while others are seeing gains. Rainfall patterns turned out to be just as important as rising temperatures.
01/24/2026 - 03:00
Environmental charity to prioritise water capture and storage as it urges gardeners to prepare for ‘new normal’ The Royal Horticultural Society has unveiled emergency plans to protect its gardens from major water shortages in the future. The environmental charity, which owns and operates five renowned public gardens in England, said on Saturday it will invest in more water-capture and water-management projects in 2026 after severe droughts last year. Continue reading...
01/24/2026 - 01:00
An extraordinary mosaic of wildlife has made Britain’s urban jungle its home London is the only place in the UK where you can find scorpions, snakes, turtles, seals, peacocks, falcons all in one city – and not London zoo. Step outside and you will encounter a patchwork of writhing, buzzing, bubbling urban microclimates. Sam Davenport, the director of nature recovery at the London Wildlife Trust, emphasises the sheer variation in habitats that you find in UK cities, which creates an amazing “mosaic” of wildlife. Continue reading...
01/24/2026 - 00:00
Wolves killed more than 2,100 reindeer in Finland last year, and herders are blaming the Ukraine war Juha Kujala no longer knows how many reindeer will return to his farm from the forest each December. The 54-year-old herder releases his animals into the wilderness on the 830-mile Finnish-Russian border each spring to grow fat on lichens, grass and mushrooms, just as his ancestors have done for generations. But since 2022, grisly discoveries of reindeer skeletons on the forest floor have disrupted this ancient way of life. The culprits, according to Kujala: wolves from Russia. Continue reading...
01/23/2026 - 16:29
Jarno Coone, the winner of the international 'world's ugliest lawn' competition, says he doesn't let his garden grow wild to annoy his neighbours in the regional Victorian town of Kyneton. He says he is 'proud to get the message out there for water conservation and living more harmoniously with nature'. 'I really do believe it is better for the environment,' he says Continue reading...
01/23/2026 - 12:17
US president asks ‘whatever happened to global warming?’ Well, it could be making our winter storms worse Donald Trump has erroneously cited an enormous winter storm that is set to deliver freezing temperatures and heavy snow to half of the US as supposed proof that the world is not heating up due to the burning of fossil fuels. Trump, who has repeatedly questioned and mocked established climate science in the past, posted of the storm on Truth Social: “Rarely seen anything like it before. Could the Environmental Insurrectionists please explain – WHATEVER HAPPENED TO GLOBAL WARMING???” Continue reading...
01/23/2026 - 09:00
Region has higher share of net zero economic output, data shows, and Labour leaders fear Reform would dismantle industry if it wins power Rachel Reeves has been urged to put the north of England at the heart of the UK’s net zero strategy as research shows the sector contributes a larger share of the region’s economy than it does nationally. The Labour peer Julie Elliott said the north must be “front and centre” of the Treasury’s growth strategy for clean energy. Continue reading...
01/23/2026 - 08:00
Architect of government’s water plan says nationalisation might not fix everything and the current system can work The privatisation of water in England is not the reason for its failings, the architect of the government’s water plan has said, as he warned there was no one “simple solution” such as nationalisation. Sir Jon Cunliffe, a former Bank of England deputy governor who was involved in reforming banking regulation after the 2008 financial crisis, was enlisted by the Labour government to write a report on the water industry. He was tasked with addressing problems such as the sewage scandal, frequent tap water outages and lack of preparedness for drought. Continue reading...