Breaking Waves: Ocean News

09/09/2024 - 23:00
npj Ocean Sustainability, Published online: 10 September 2024; doi:10.1038/s44183-024-00071-9 Integrating the multiple perspectives of people and nature in place-based marine spatial planning
09/09/2024 - 22:41
Robots being used to gather sample that will give clues about conditions inside the reactors, a step towards decommissioning plant hit by tsunami in Japan 13 years ago A difficult operation to remove a small amount of radioactive debris from Japan’s stricken Fukushima nuclear plant has begun, after technical issues suspended an earlier attempt. Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) said in a statement on Tuesday that its “pilot extraction operation” had started. It will take about two weeks, according to the company. Continue reading...
09/09/2024 - 19:36
Records of koala admissions to veterinary hospitals in South East Queensland shows euthanasia was the most common outcome.
09/09/2024 - 18:01
Latin America was the most deadly region in which to defend ecosystems from mining and deforestation, with Indigenous people among half the dead At least 196 people were killed last year for defending the environment, with more than a third of killings taking place in Colombia, new figures show. From campaigners who spoke out against mining projects to Indigenous communities targeted by organised crime groups, an environmental defender was killed every other day in 2023, according to a new report by the NGO Global Witness. Find more age of extinction coverage here, and follow the biodiversity reporters Phoebe Weston and Patrick Greenfield on X for all the latest news and features. Continue reading...
09/09/2024 - 14:00
Living microbes that cause disease in humans and host antibiotic-resistance genes carried 1,200 miles Microbes that cause disease in humans can travel thousands of miles on high-level winds, scientists have revealed for the first time. The winds studied carried a surprising diversity of bacteria and fungi, including known pathogens and, some with genes for resistance to multiple antibiotics. Some of the microbes were shown to be alive – in other words, they had survived the long journey and were able to replicate. Continue reading...
09/09/2024 - 13:30
Vanuatu, Fiji and Samoa want international criminal court to class environmental destruction as crime alongside genocide Three developing countries have taken the first steps towards transforming the world’s response to climate breakdown and environmental destruction by making ecocide a punishable criminal offence. In a submission to the international criminal court on Monday, they propose a change in the rules to recognise “ecocide” as a crime alongside genocide and war crimes. Continue reading...
09/09/2024 - 10:00
Eels use tail-first technique to back up digestive tract of fish towards oesophagus before coming out of gills It sounds like the plot of a horror movie – a predator swallows its prey only for the creature to burst out of its captor’s body. But it seems Japanese eels do just that. Scientists in Japan have discovered that when swallowed by a dark sleeper fish, the eels can escape. Continue reading...
09/09/2024 - 10:00
The last time the National Farmers’ Federation marched on Canberra politicians were carefully controlled. This time the agenda looks more useful for politicians than farmers Sign up for the Rural Network email newsletter Join the Rural Network group on Facebook to be part of the community In country circles, WhatsApp groups and emails have been pinging. As Tuesday dawns on the first rally endorsed by the National Farmers’ Federation since 1985, there has been a bit of chat about its merits. The 1985 rally descended on the Hawke government. It numbered 40,000 to 45,000 people and was duplicated at some state parliaments. In Victoria, according to the journalist Martin Flanagan, 30,000 people protested, holding placards such as “farmer the new poor”, “Agricultural Income Deficiency Syndrome” and, my personal favourite, “wife home working”. Sign up to receive Guardian Australia’s fortnightly Rural Network email newsletter Continue reading...
09/09/2024 - 09:21
Animal rights groups had claimed beluga named Hvaldimir, which was found dead last month, had been shot A beluga whale that rose to fame in Norway after its unusual harness prompted suspicions that the creature was trained by Russia as a spy died after a stick became stuck in its mouth, police have said. The lifeless body of the whale, named Hvaldimir – a combination of the Norwegian word for whale and the first name of the Russian president, Vladimir Putin – was found floating in the sea on 31 August by a father and son fishing in Risavika Bay, southern Norway. Continue reading...
09/09/2024 - 07:26
Chongqing authorities say cloud seeding to break heatwave did not cause winds that sent laundry flying It was the talk of the town. After the authorities sought to break a long-running heatwave in Chongqing by using cloud-seeding missiles to artificially bring rain, the Chinese megacity was blasted by an unusual weather event – an underwear storm. Termed “the 9/2 Chongqing underwear crisis”, an unexpected windstorm on Monday brought gusts of up to 76mph (122km/h), scattering people’s laundry from balconies on the city’s high-rises. Douyin, China’s sister app to TikTok, was filled with videos of pants and bras flying through the skies, landing in the street and snagging on trees. Continue reading...