Twelve of the world’s 17 most biodiverse nations, home to 70% of the planet’s species, are likely to miss the United Nations’ Oct. 20 deadline to submit plans for reversing biodiversity loss by 2030, a joint analysis by The Guardian and Carbon Brief found. At the U.N.’s 2022 conference on the Convention on Biological Diversity, […]
Tag: mongabay
Scientists discover new hammerhead shark species — and it’s already at risk
A new-to-science hammerhead species, the shovelhead shark, has been hiding in plain sight for three centuries due to its close resemblance to a long-lost relative, the bonnethead shark. After a decade of research, a breakthrough study published Sept. 24 found that these are two distinct species, challenging the widely accepted 1758 description by biologist Carl […]
Norway poised to sail past opposition with deep-sea mining licensing plans
Norway is poised to move forward with plans to mine for seabed minerals along its continental shelf despite public opposition. On June 26, the Norwegian Ministry of Energy released a proposal for the first licensing round for mining of seabed minerals, setting out areas where companies could eventually apply for licenses. The proposal included a […]
‘Extinct’ Guam kingfisher takes flight again after nearly 40 years
Caretakers released six Guam kingfishers, a bird species known locally as sihek, into the wild on Palmyra Atoll on Sept. 23, marking their first free flight in nearly four decades and a triumphant return from being classified as “extinct in the wild.” “Our Guam Sihek, a symbol of our island’s beauty, with their cerulean blue […]
Hooded vultures in Ghana and South Africa on the brink, study says
High rates of inbreeding among hooded vultures in Ghana and South Africa spell trouble for their future, according to a newly published study. The study found that despite wide differences in the population size of the birds in the two countries, both face similar risks associated with low genetic diversity. It underlined the need to […]
Report exposes meatpackers’ role in recent chemical deforestation in Brazil
A recent investigation has uncovered new significant links between Brazil’s top meatpackers — JBS, Marfrig and Minerva — and widespread environmental destruction in the Pantanal wetlands, the Amazon Rainforest, and the Cerrado savanna. The investigation, part of Mighty Earth’s Rapid Response deforestation monitoring program in partnership with Brazilian news outlet Repórter Brasil and sustainability NGO […]
Fishing in a fog: Ship noise hampers orcas’ hunting success
Underwater noise from ships is making it tough for killer whales, or orcas, to find and catch their favorite fish, a recent study has found. Orcas (Orcinus orca) rely heavily on sound to hunt. They emit ultrasonic echolocation clicks that bounce off objects. By listening for the echoes of these clicks, the orcas can identify […]
We know how many okapi live in zoos. In the wild? It’s complicated
Revered by the Indigenous Mbuti and Efe tribes as a spiritual symbol and uplifted by the Democratic Republic of Congo as a national one, the okapi is deserving of a nickname as mystical as “forest unicorn.” The dark-colored ungulates are docile, elusive, and characterized by the zebra-like stripes on their legs and rump, though they’re […]