Scientists are building up a picture of how much carbon can be taken out of the atmosphere and stored in coastal ecosystems.
Some lakes in the Arctic are expanding and others are disappearing as permafrost thaws.
This lake north of Inuvik, N.W.T., is expanding as the ice wedges (darker lines leading away from the lake) around this lake melt and the ground subsides.
(Philip Marsh)
Hundreds of thousands of lakes, rivers and streams in the Arctic exist only because of the permafrost that lies beneath them. The warming Arctic threatens to change that.
A whale shark, the only fully protected shark species in Indonesia, swims under a fishing net.
Paul Cowell/shutterstock
Shark fisheries in Indonesia are an important economic resource in several areas. Hence, stronger regulations are needed to prevent declines in shark population.
Seagrass meadow in Wakatobi National Park, Indonesia. Seagrass is an important nursery for many juvenile reef fish.
Ethan Daniels/shutterstock
Our study found that some individuals who previously participated in destructive fishing practices can transform into inspiring leaders and influence others to protect coral reefs.
A phytoplankton bloom stretching across the Barents Sea off the coast of mainland Europe’s most northern point.
European Space Agency
Populations of plankton are in decline. If we push this critical foundation of the marine food chain to extinction, we could cripple ecosystems for millions of years.
Sunset off the coast of Newfoundland.
Michel Rathwell/flickr
When we build marinas, ports, jetties and coastal defences we introduce hard structures that weren’t there before, and which reduce the amount of sunlight hitting the water.
With strategic planning, the marine protected area network could be a third smaller, cost half as much, and still meet the international target of protecting 10% of every ecosystem.
Shark Bay was hit by a brutal marine heatwave in 2011.
W. Bulach/Wikimedia Commons
Everyone knows the Great Barrier Reef is in peril. But a continent away, Western Australia’s Shark Bay is also threatened by marine heatwaves that could alter this World Heritage ecosystem forever.
The sediments that accumulate beneath seagrass meadows can act as secure vaults for shipwrecks and other precious artefacts, by stopping water and oxygen from damaging the delicate timbers.
Sydney’s iconic beaches are not yet part of a marine park.
John Turnbull
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.
Getting up close and personal can make you like sharks more, even if you already like them.
Juan Oliphant
Sharks have a PR problem. But new research shows that shark ecotourism programs boost people’s knowledge and attitudes towards shark conservation – even among those who are green-minded to begin with.
Marine heatwaves can kill off species and alter ecosystems.
(Shutterstock)
Biologists are finding new evidence that these ocean invertebrate grazers don’t just ingest whatever they catch. They can actually be picky eaters – and their choices might influence ocean food webs.
Juvenile blue tang sheltering in restored staghorn coral.
Mark Ladd
Deron Burkepile, University of California, Santa Barbara e Mark C. Ladd, University of California, Santa Barbara
With coral reefs in crisis around the world, many organizations are working to restore them by growing and transplanting healthy corals. A new study spotlights techniques that help restored reefs thrive.
The CSIRO has provided new estimates of population sizes for White Sharks in Australian waters.
Fiona Ayerst/Shutterstock
How many shark encounters have there been at your local beach? Explore our interactive map to see 20 years of incidents between humans and sharks in coastal waters around Australia.
Oysters can do a lot more than they’re given credit for.
Oysters aren’t just good for a feed. They also give a vital boost to coastal ecosystems, which is why efforts are underway to restore Australia’s once-abundant oyster reefs to their former glory.
Giant triton molluscs are a useful ally in battling the coral-grazing crown-of-thorns starfish.
AAP Image/AIMS, K Goodbun
The federal government’s new funding aims to spread the net wide in investigating possible ways to protect the Great Barrier Reef’s corals. Winning this battle will require a wide range of weapons.