The United States is the main market for “ornamental” marine fish, those that end up as pets in aquariums. Now, a new study of U.S.-based online retailers has found that nearly 90% of traded species are sourced exclusively from the wild, including a number of threatened species, and that the trade is poorly tracked. The […]
Tag: Coral Reefs
Climate Crisis Speeds Up as Coral Reefs and Rainforests Edge Toward Collapse
According to Reuters, the pace of Global warming is accelerating faster than at any time in recorded history — and the Earth’s most vital ecosystems are beginning to crumble under the pressure. New research shows the planet‘s temperature is rising at about 0.27°C per decade, nearly 50% faster than in the 1990s, while sea levels […]
Shark Bite Survivor Says the Ocean Needs Its Predators
Marine biologist Mauricio Hoyos has spent decades studying sharks, but his most recent encounter with one nearly cost him his life. While tagging a 10-foot Galapagos shark near Costa Rica’s Cocos Island, the animal suddenly lunged and bit into his head and cheek. Miraculously, the shark released him almost immediately, leaving him with deep scars […]
Meet The Seabirds That Fly Into Hurricanes for Survival
When most creatures flee from hurricanes, some seabirds fly directly into the chaos. According to a BBC report, the Desertas petrel, a rare seabird native to the North Atlantic, actively seeks out tropical cyclones to feed on the rich bounty of squid, fish, and other creatures churned up from the ocean’s depths. With only about […]
Pet sharks have become cool, but is owning them ethical?
When Laurie was a kid, she had recurrent nightmares that featured her getting eaten by a shark. Decades later, Laurie goes to sleep next to them (or at least in the same house). She’s the proud owner of two epaulette sharks (Hemiscyllium ocellatum) in her 1,135-liter (300-gallon) tank: bottom-dwelling spotted sharks up to 0.6 meters […]
How a marine heatwave is threatening Australia’s spectacular coral reefs
When it comes to coral, the Great Barrier Reef steals the global limelight. It’s a bucket-list place for many and, when it gets hit by coral bleaching, it makes news around the world. But Australia has another group of spectacular reefs on the west of the continent. Many of them had managed to escape the […]
Dangerous Lines in Sacred Waters: The Cost of Commercial Fishing in a Pacific Marine Sanctuary
Imagine a vast, protected marine sanctuary, which contains extraordinary and unique marine life and globally important bird nesting sites, all amid a remote chain of islands, atolls, reefs, and shoals. From octopods and the world’s largest sponge, to the oldest marine organism—a deep-sea black coral that can live up to 4,500 years—and the biggest colonies […]
BUSTED! The 6 Worst Myths About Global Climate Change
Baby, it’s cold outside. Like really, really cold. So what’s up with this crazy weather? The polar vortex has dominated headlines, sparking intense speculation about how such weather phenomena relate to global Climate change. In today’s day, misinformation spreads faster than ever, and Climate change deniers often point to cold snaps as evidence against Global […]