Breaking Waves: Ocean News

Hundreds more waterways in England used recreationally than recorded by government, data finds

admin — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 11:28:56 +0000

Analysis finds 3,347 locations used for swimming, rowing and paddleboarding but government has identified just 342

There are hundreds more waterways being used for swimming and boating in England than recorded by the government, data has revealed.

All the buzz: US dog helps researchers identify bacteria that harms honeybees

admin — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 10:00:06 +0000

Maple, a springer spaniel, is part of a project at a Michigan university focused on risk factors affecting the bees’ health

One dog in Michigan hasn’t been content with merely belonging to the species famously known as man’s best friend. She has strived to be bees’ best friend, too.

Maple, a springer spaniel aged nine, is earning news headlines by helping Michigan State University (MSU) researchers identify bacteria that is harmful for bee colonies.

Thousands evacuated in Spain amid deadly wildfires and new heatwave

admin — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 09:26:50 +0000

Temperatures of 44C predicted as blazes rage across Europe

Europe live – latest updates

Almost 6,000 people have been evacuated from their homes in northern, central and southern Spain as wildfires continue to burn amid a heatwave that could bring temperatures of 44C to some parts of the country.

Risks of climate crisis to Australia’s economy and environment are ‘intense and scary’, unreleased government report says

admin — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 09:06:00 +0000

Sources say delayed risk assessment includes modelling of effects of climate crisis in ways that have been little discussed in political debate so far

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Buoyant, the size of a lentil and almost impossible to recover: how nurdles are polluting the oceans

admin — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 07:00:16 +0000

Millions of the tiny plastic pellets are being washed up on the coast of Kerala in India in the latest in a series of global spills, as plastic treaty talks continue in Geneva

When a Liberian-flagged container ship, the MSC Elsa 3, capsized and sank 13 miles off the coast of Kerala, in India, on 25 May, a state-wide disaster was quickly declared. A long oil slick from the 184-metre vessel, which was carrying hazardous cargo, was partially tackled by aircraft-borne dispersants, while a salvage operation sealed tanks to prevent leaks.

Tuesday briefing: Why England’s homes are built to bake – and what’s being done about it

admin — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 05:42:01 +0000

In today’s newsletter: Hotter houses are likely to become the norm, with the dangerous health impacts facing society’s most vulnerable

Good morning. With temperatures soaring across Europe, fears of drought and people trying to steer clear of the most severe heat, there’s one place millions of us will still not be comfortable: home.

Woman sentenced to prison for importing illegal cacti and plants to Australia in fake lingerie packages

admin — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 05:26:30 +0000

Kirsten Mae Fearn was repeatedly warned about the behaviour but she continued to import plants which she intended to sell online

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Experts discuss plans to save water as dry conditions worsen across England

admin — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 05:00:12 +0000

National Drought Group meets and water companies prepare to take drastic action as supplies dwindle

A nationally significant water shortfall is gripping England, the government has warned, as experts say the conditions could last until mid-autumn.

The National Drought Group met to discuss actions to save water across the country, and Steve Reed, the environment secretary, briefed the chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster, Pat McFadden, about the risks posed by the dry weather.

Biochar from human waste could solve global fertiliser shortages, study finds

admin — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 19:00:00 +0000

Excrement contains nutrients needed for crop growth and a new source of them could cut farming’s huge CO2 output

Charcoal made from human waste could help solve fertiliser shortages as well as reduce pollution and energy use, a study has found.

Biochar is a form of charcoal made from organic matter treated at high heat, which is often used on farming soil as a fertiliser. The process also removes carbon from the atmosphere, making it a useful carbon sink.

‘Death spiral’: Mekong River megafish have shrunk by half, study reveals

admin — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 17:00:09 +0000

Fish once as large as grizzly bears have become far smaller in recent years due to overfishing, dams and climate crisis

The size of megafish in the Mekong River has shrunk alarmingly in recent years owing to overfishing, a study has found. The length of the largest and most endangered freshwater giants, some as big as grizzly bears, decreased by 40% in seven years.

Some fish, like the Mekong giant catfish, have been studied for over a longer period and show a decline in weight of 55% in the past 25 years, dropping from an average of 180kg (397lb) to 80kg.