The New South Wales government has turned its back on plans to create sanctuary zones covering 2.4% of waters around Sydney, despite evidence that these 'no-take' areas are crucial for protecting fish.
A fisherman holds up the saw of a sawfish caught in Madagascar. The species is dwindling along the coasts of Madagascar and Mozambique.
Ruth H. Leeney
The world has some 500 million square kilometres of ocean. But just 55 million square kilometres remain untouched by intensive human activities such as fishing.
A whale shark basking in the Maldivian shallows.
Melody Sky
Much of the world's ocean is teeming with 'cryptic' fish species, which are small and hard to spot. But a new technique shines a light on these fish, which may in turn help to keep our seas healthy.
Plankton has a chemical fingerprint that reveals where it came from. Scientists have now used this to track sharks at the opposite end of the food web.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Grégoire Trudeau kayak in the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, in British Columbia.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has taken swift action on protecting marine areas over the past two years, but he'll need to continue this momentum if he is to cement his legacy.
The mouth of the Murray River delivers vital nutrients to marine life in the ocean beyond.
SA Water
Low flows in the Murray River in recent years have harmed tiny marine plants called phytoplankton, with consequences for local marine species and management.
Australia's reputation as a global leader in marine conservation is being put at risk by plans to strip back sanctuary areas within marine parks, say scientists from around the globe.
Orca family group at the Bremer Canyon off WA’s south coast.
R. Wellard
The government aims to dramatically reduce the areas offered full protection and expand zones where fishing is allowed, while also claiming that this will still deliver good conservation.
The Great Barrier Reef is in crisis, as a second wave of coral bleaching hits. But the system of bodies and laws that protect it are getting more complicated – and less productive.
Prized species such as sea cucumbers are increasingly being poached from Australian waters. But if foreign aid can give fishing crews alternative livelihoods, the problem could ease.
Japan’s previous scientific whaling program was shut down. But its new one may not be.
EPA/Tim Watters/Sea Shepherd Australia
Australia's new resolution will apply stricter monitoring to the special permits that allow some nations to continue whaling. But the new rules are non-binding, meaning countries are free to ignore them.
Hammerheads are the species most caught in NSW’s shark nets.
Shark image from www.shutterstock.com