Seagrass beds along Florida’s east coast have collapsed, wiping out an important manatee food source. With nothing to eat, scientists are racing to save this gentle marine mammal Continue reading…
Tropical invaders: the Med’s warming seas put native species in hot water
A host of fish species arriving via the Suez canal look set to stay – with perilous consequences for ecosystemsPasquale Tuccio docked his small, blue and white wooden boat at the old pier on Linosa, one of Italy’s tiny Pelagie islands in the strait of …
Great Barrier Reef: scientists discover 400-year-old giant coral
Named Muga dhambi by traditional owners, it was uncovered on a marine citizen science courseGet our free news app; get our morning email briefingAt 10.5 metres wide, four centuries old and twice the size of its nearest cousin, an “exceptionally large” …
Spain prosecutors launch inquiry into mystery fish deaths
Hundreds of dead fish have appeared along shores of one of Europe’s largest saltwater lagoonsProsecutors in the southern Spanish region of Murcia have launched an investigation after hundreds of dead fish began washing up along the shores of one of Eur…
Spain bans small boats from stretch of water after orca encounters
Two-week order on coast between Cape Trafalgar and Barbate is second time authorities have taken action Spain has ordered small boats to steer clear of a stretch of the country’s southern coast after reports of more than 50 encounters with boisterous o…
The gift we should give to the living world? Time, and lots of it | George Monbiot
Planting 10 saplings does not replace a twisted old oak. ‘Slow ecology’ is the only way to preserve and restore ancient habitatsWe have a slow food movement and a slow travel movement. But we’re missing something, and its absence contributes to our esc…
Delta blues: why estuaries are the canaries in the climate crisis coalmine
These fragile ecosystems are where the impacts of the climate crisis are often felt first, say expertsThe Ebro delta appears to be in robust health, to a casual observer. There is water gurgling in the canals and irrigation channels, and what appears t…
Evolutionary ‘trap’ leading young sea turtles to ingest plastic, study says
Researchers find fragments in innards of species that have adapted to develop in open ocean, which has highly polluted areasYoung marine turtles are swallowing large quantities of plastic, with ocean pollution changing habitats that were once ideal for…
Sexy secret life of basking sharks uncovered in Hebrides
Scientists record fin-to-fin contact in gentle giants, most likely part of courtship, for first timeFin-to-fin synchronised swimming, thought likely to be part of courtship, has been seen in groups of basking sharks for the first time. Video cameras at…
Pandemic gives respite to Greek island sea turtles – but returning tourists could wreck it
With a new study suggesting endangered loggerhead turtles reclaimed empty shores to breed during Covid, conservationists fear the return of mass tourismNikoletta Sidiropoulou and her colleagues in the Sea Turtle Protection Society of Greece (Archelon) …