Breaking Waves: Ocean News https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-waves/index.php en More than half of world’s bird species in decline, as leaders meet on extinction crisis https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/more-half-world-s-bird-species-decline-leaders-meet-extinction-crisis <p>Biodiversity losses are growing, the IUCN reports as summit opens, but green turtle’s recovery ‘reminds us conservation works’</p> <p>More than half of all bird species are in decline, according to a new global assessment, with deforestation driving sharp falls in populations across the planet.</p> <p>On the eve of a key biodiversity summit in the UAE, scientists have issued a fresh warning about the health of bird populations, with 61% of assessed species now recording declines in their numbers.</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/more-half-world-s-bird-species-decline-leaders-meet-extinction-crisis" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Fri, 10 Oct 2025 08:15:48 +0000 admin 101488 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org Week in wildlife: a bumpy snailfish, a slow loris and a whistle pig https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/week-wildlife-bumpy-snailfish-slow-loris-and-whistle-pig <p>The best of this week’s wildlife photographs from around the world</p> <p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2025/oct/10/week-in-wildlife-a-bumpy-snailfish-a-slow-loris-and-a-whistle-pig">Continue reading...</a></p> Fri, 10 Oct 2025 07:00:47 +0000 admin 101487 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org Queensland to run its coal plants up to a decade longer than previously planned https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/queensland-run-its-coal-plants-decade-longer-previously-planned <p>Chris Bowen calls move ‘disappointing’ as energy expert says government ‘has delivered a cul de sac not a roadmap’</p> <ul> <li> <p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2025/oct/10/australia-politics-live-senate-estimates-anthony-albanese-sussan-ley-andrew-hastie-migration-aukus-trump-gaza-ntwnfb">Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates</a></p> </li></ul><p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/queensland-run-its-coal-plants-decade-longer-previously-planned" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Fri, 10 Oct 2025 05:57:08 +0000 admin 101486 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org Grisly recording reveals bat catching, killing and eating robin mid-flight https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/grisly-recording-reveals-bat-catching-killing-and-eating-robin-mid-flight <p>Before the Spanish study, some scientists had been sceptical about the mammals attacking migratory birds</p> <p>Bats are generally viewed as harmless, if spooky, creatures of the night. But scientists have revealed a more savage side, after witnessing a greater noctule bat – Europe’s largest bat species – hunting, killing and devouring a robin mid-flight.</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/grisly-recording-reveals-bat-catching-killing-and-eating-robin-mid-flight" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Thu, 09 Oct 2025 18:00:30 +0000 admin 101485 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org Prince William to attend Cop30 UN climate summit in Brazil https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/prince-william-attend-cop30-un-climate-summit-brazil <p>Prince of Wales’s decision welcomed as a means of drawing attention to the event and galvanising talks</p> <p>The Prince of Wales will attend the crunch Cop30 UN climate summit in Brazil next month, the Guardian has learned, but whether the prime minister will go is still to be decided.</p> <p>Prince William will present the Earthshot prize, a global environmental award and attend the meeting of representatives of more than 190 governments in Belém.</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/prince-william-attend-cop30-un-climate-summit-brazil" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Thu, 09 Oct 2025 17:09:25 +0000 admin 101483 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org One of world’s biggest windfarm developers to cut quarter of workforce https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/one-world-s-biggest-windfarm-developers-cut-quarter-workforce <p>Ørsted plans to shrink company after Trump administration causes share price to plunge to all-time low</p> <p>One of the world’s biggest windfarm developers will cut its workforce by a quarter in the next two years after a series of setbacks for the industry.</p> <p>The Danish wind giant Ørsted plans to remove about 2,000 positions from its 8,000-strong workforce by the end of 2027 through a combination of redundancies, natural attrition and selling off parts of its business.</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/one-world-s-biggest-windfarm-developers-cut-quarter-workforce" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Thu, 09 Oct 2025 16:45:03 +0000 admin 101484 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org Americans are dying from extreme heat. Autopsy reports don’t show the full story https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/americans-are-dying-extreme-heat-autopsy-reports-don-t-show-full-story <p>Official reports are likely to overlook heat’s role in a death. As US temperatures rise, experts say the true toll needs to be counted</p> <p>Among the autopsy reports that made my heart skip a beat was Hannah Rose Moody.</p> <p>One morning last May, the 31-year-old set out on a favourite desert hike near her home in Scottsdale, Arizona. It was already 91F (33C) when she set off. On Instagram, she told her 50,000 followers: “Conquering this trail as a last hurrah before summer hits ☀️… I have like 5 gallons of water with me don’t worry .”</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/americans-are-dying-extreme-heat-autopsy-reports-don-t-show-full-story" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Thu, 09 Oct 2025 15:00:28 +0000 admin 101482 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org Britain missing out on potential £2bn recycling industry by exporting plastic waste https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/britain-missing-out-potential-2bn-recycling-industry-exporting-plastic-waste <p>Exclusive: Government failure to close loophole allows 600,000 tonnes to be shipped abroad each year</p> <p>A plastic recycling industry potentially worth £2bn and 5,000 jobs is dying in the UK because of government failure to close a loophole that allows <a href="https://www.letsrecycle.com/news/uk-is-third-highest-exporter-of-waste-says-cleanhub/">600,000 tonnes of plastic waste to be exported each year</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/britain-missing-out-potential-2bn-recycling-industry-exporting-plastic-waste" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Thu, 09 Oct 2025 12:05:48 +0000 admin 101481 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org US west coast faults could trigger catastrophic back-to-back earthquakes, study finds https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/us-west-coast-faults-could-trigger-catastrophic-back-back-earthquakes-study-finds <p>Study shows high-magnitude temblor in north-west could set off another in California, causing unrivaled disaster</p> <p>Warnings about the looming threat of “the big one” – a catastrophic earthquake that could devastate cities – have stoked fears across the US west coast for decades. But according to a new study, a high-magnitude earthquake in the Pacific north-west could set off a secondary one on California’s San Andreas fault, causing an unrivaled catastrophe.</p> <p>“The bigger one” would have the potential to wreak havoc up and down the coast at once, researchers say.</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/us-west-coast-faults-could-trigger-catastrophic-back-back-earthquakes-study-finds" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Thu, 09 Oct 2025 11:00:23 +0000 admin 101479 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org ‘We don’t want to be a toy town’: has Brexit sunk this historic UK fishing fleet? https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/we-don-t-want-be-toy-town-has-brexit-sunk-historic-uk-fishing-fleet <p>Struggling fishers in Hastings say the industry is dying after a deal giving away access to its waters made a tough job impossible</p> <p>A small flotilla of gaily coloured fishing boats line the shingle beach at Hastings, East Sussex. Behind them are the bulldozers that shunt them into the waves and beyond, in neat rows, are black wooden fishermen’s huts and fish stalls, where on a good day teenage daughters, wives and retired skippers sell some of the day’s catch.</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/we-don-t-want-be-toy-town-has-brexit-sunk-historic-uk-fishing-fleet" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Thu, 09 Oct 2025 11:00:22 +0000 admin 101480 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org