Breaking Waves: Ocean News

NSW koala numbers higher than previously thought, but new data may not show true picture

admin — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 05:38:36 +0000

Updated estimate reflects more accurate technology and extensive survey work, rather than a true increase in the koala population

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Sea urchin species on brink of extinction after marine pandemic

admin — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 05:00:57 +0000

Ecologically important Diadema africanum almost eliminated by unknown disease in Canary Islands

A marine pandemic is bringing some species of sea urchin to the brink of extinction, and some populations have disappeared altogether, a study has found.

‘Not normal’: Climate crisis supercharged deadly monsoon floods in Asia

admin — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 03:00:54 +0000

Cyclones like those in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Malaysia that killed 1,750 are ‘alarming new reality’

The climate crisis supercharged the deadly storms that killed more than 1,750 people in Asia by making downpours more intense and flooding worse, scientists have reported. Monsoon rains often bring some flooding but the scientists were clear: this was “not normal”.

In Sri Lanka, some floods reached the second floor of buildings, while in Sumatra, in Indonesia, the floods were worsened by the destruction of forests, which in the past slowed rainwater running off hillsides.

Montana youth activists who won landmark climate case push for court enforcement

admin — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 16:00:06 +0000

In 2023, court ruled in favor of 16 plaintiffs that officials violated their constitutional right by promoting fossil fuels

The young Montanans who scored a landmark triumph in the lawsuit Held v Montana are calling on the state’s highest court to enforce that victory.

A dead whale shows up on your beach. What do you do with the 40-ton carcass?

admin — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 16:00:06 +0000

A fin whale washed ashore in Anchorage and was left there for months. Then a self-described ‘wacko’ museum director made a plan

When a whale dies, its body descends to the bottom of the deep sea in a transformative phenomenon called a whale fall. A whale’s death jump-starts an explosion of life, enough to feed and sustain a deep-ocean ecosystem for decades.

Synthetic chemicals in food system creating health burden of $2.2tn a year, report finds

admin — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 06:00:43 +0000

Scientists issue urgent warning about chemicals, found to cause cancer and infertility as well as harming environment

Scientists have issued an urgent warning that some of the synthetic chemicals that help underpin the current food system are driving increased rates of cancer, neurodevelopmental conditions and infertility, while degrading the foundations of global agriculture.

Five key opportunities to enhance the effectiveness of area-based marine conservation

admin — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 05:00:00 +0000

npj Ocean Sustainability, Published online: 10 December 2025; doi:10.1038/s44183-025-00172-z

Five key opportunities to enhance the effectiveness of area-based marine conservation

‘Even the animals seem confused’: a retreating Kashmir glacier is creating an entire new world in its wake

admin — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 04:00:40 +0000

Kolahoi is one of many glaciers whose decline is disrupting whole ecosystems – water, wildlife and human life that it has supported for centuries

From the slopes above Pahalgam, the Kolahoi glacier is visible as a thinning, rumpled ribbon of ice stretching across the western Himalayas. Once a vast white artery feeding rivers, fields and forests, it is now retreating steadily, leaving bare rock, crevassed ice and newly exposed alpine meadows.

It’s two years since we were told ‘the age of fossil fuels will end’. When will Australia get prepared for what’s coming? | Clear Air

admin — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 23:26:58 +0000

The decline of the coal export industry could come even faster than expected, and we need to do more to manage the economic risks

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‘We call him ... unbearable’: California homeowner laments uninvited beast

admin — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 23:20:23 +0000

The 550lb bear living under Ken Johnson’s home for two weeks is unmoved by ‘lure’, with caramel and cherry smells

A hefty 550lb black bear has laid claim to the crawl space under an Altadena home, marking the latest in a series of bear incursions into the Los Angeles community.

On 25 November, homeowner Ken Johnson noticed the bear leaving the crawl space and later contacted California’s department of fish and wildlife for assistance removing it from below his home. Despite sweet-scented lures and ammonia-towels, the bear has remained in place for more than two weeks.