Conservation success: Global green sea turtle population has increased by 28 percent since 1970’s
Despite gains, declining hatchling production in Southwest Pacific subpopulation for several years is a cause of significant concern. Read more here.
Understanding environmental significance of High Seas Treaty
This unprecedented accord establishes shared global governance over two-thirds of the world’s oceans, according to an article published by Newsweek, which recalls that those waters are often referred to as the planet’s “last frontier.” Read more here.
The ocean’s ‘twilight zone’ is under threat
Beneath the waves, between 200 and 1,000 meters deep, lies one of Earth’s most mysterious and vital ecosystems: the mesopelagic zone, also known as the Ocean Twilight Zone. Though shrouded in darkness, this vast layer spans the globe and harbors an estimated 90% of all fish biomass, making it the largest unexploited ecosystem on the planet. Read more here.
Arctic seals and more than half of bird species are in trouble on the latest list of threatened species
Arctic seals are being pushed closer to extinction by climate change and more than half of bird species around the world are declining under pressure from deforestation and agricultural expansion, according to an annual assessment from the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Read more here.
Underwater janitors prevent coral disease
Coral reefs worldwide have lost approximately half their living cover since the 1950s, with scientists documenting a devastating 14 percent decline in just the past decade. However, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have discovered an unlikely guardian that could help save these underwater ecosystems: the sea cucumber. Read more here.