Devastating images showing the complete destruction of coral colonies on the Great Barrier Reef have been obtained by Guardian Australia and illustrate what is happening to coral there that would fill an area the size of Scotland. They reveal the rapid death of coral impacting much of the Great Barrier Reef, with estimates that as […]
Tag: climate change
Rare Seal Pups Stranded on Shrinking Arctic Ice
Mikhail Verevkin points his spyglass toward the Gulf of Finland and squints into the distance. “One, two, three.” He counts 19 animals lounging on rocks before looking up. They are all gray seals. The Baltic ringed seal is nowhere to be found. It’s April 20, the time of year when seal scientists like Verevkin, who […]
POLL: Should the trade of polar bear parts be banned?
The US government has quietly dropped its campaign for an international ban in the trade of polar bear parts, which would have given the practice the same outlaw status as the elephant ivory market. The US Fish and Wildlife Service has spent several years attempting to ban the overseas trade of polar bear skins, teeth, […]
The special plight of Trans-Saharan migratory birds
Long distance migratory birds that use the African Eurasian flyway have been in serious trouble for at least a few decades, more so than their counterparts that travel shorter distances. Major declines have been observed for a number of species – including popular symbols of spring, such as the Nightingale – that fly each year […]
The World’s Smallest Penguin May Be In Danger
The world’s tiniest penguin may be in big trouble. Warming ocean waters could make finding food increasingly difficult for the little penguin, Eudyptula minor, which stands less than a foot (0.3 meter) tall. Because their prey is sensitive to heat, “we’re seeing that warm years are quite bad for the penguins, and it’s not hard to see that if the temperature keeps going up, things might get worse,” says Gemma Carroll, […]
150,000 penguins die after giant iceberg renders colony landlocked
An estimated 150,000 Adelie penguins living in Antarctica have died after an iceberg the size of Rome became grounded near their colony, forcing them to trek 60km to the sea for food. The penguins of Cape Denison in Commonwealth Bay used to live close to a large body of open water. However, in 2010 a […]
Wildlife decline threatens UK’s biodiversity, study finds
A decline in wildlife is threatening core functions of the ecosystem that are vital for human wellbeing, researchers behind an unprecedented study of biodiversity in the UK have warned. Climate change and habitat loss are leading to a reduction in biodiversity, with species that act as pollinators and natural pest controls most at risk, the […]
POLL: Should wind energy companies face legal action for killing birds?
How do wind energy companies kill protected bald eagles and golden eagles via turbine strikes every year without facing legal repercussions? They have renewable permits issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) that exempt them from laws making it illegal to kill the birds. However, the U.S. District Court of Northern California has […]