The Soviet Union was a latecomer to industrial whaling, but it slaughtered whales by the thousands once it started and radically under-reported its take to international monitors.
New data shows coral cover in the Great Barrier Reef is at a record high, despite a disturbing decade of marine heatwaves, cyclones and floods. While the data is robust, it can be deceptive.
The sound of the marine environment has been underestimated, mainly because it is not audible to the human ear.
(Shutterstock)
Thomas Uboldi, Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR)
The ocean is often considered a silent universe. But many recent studies highlight the importance of the soundscape for many marine species, both large and small.
An underwater forest formed by the purple gorgonian (Paramuricea clavata) off Marseille at a depth of 60 metres.
Romain Bricoult / CC BY-NC-ND
For the opening of the One Ocean Summit in Brest from February 9 to 11, 2022, France’s marine research institute looks at promising avenues of research to protect the planet’s largest ecosystem.
The world needs to protect 30% of the ocean by 2030. We won’t achieve this goal without using new technology to patrol and preserve marine protected areas.
South African marine biodiversity is unique and valuable and the Wild Coast is an especially rich part of that heritage.
Peter Unger via GettyImages
What scientists learnt from analysing alien marine organisms that hitch-hike around the world on ships and other vessels that make their way into South African shores.
Huge blooms of brown seaweed have fouled Florida and Caribbean beaches almost every year over the past decade. They originate in Africa and South America. and are fueled by human activities.
In the design of marine protected areas, new research suggests that it might be better to start small in order to gain local trust and support that leads to larger long-term benefits.
Today the ocean is home to valuable biodiversity, but it is threatened by pollution and human activities.
Chun Yu Chen/Flickr
The ocean moderates climate change by absorbing CO₂ emissions, hosts valuable biodiversity and provides food to millions, but all of these services are threatened by pollution and human activities.
Bycatch is a serious problem within commercial fishing.
Efraimstochter/Pixabay
A study of 183 coral reefs worldwide quantified the impacts of ocean warming and acidification on reef growth rates. Even under the lowest emissions scenarios, the future of reefs is not bright.
Coastal areas in West Africa are under intense pressure from demographic growth, economic expansion and ongoing climate change.
IRD
Olusegun Dada, Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD); Frédéric Ménard, Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD); Pierre Morand, Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD), and Rafael Almar, Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD)
Around the world, fragile coastal ecosystems are under intense pressure, and understanding and managing their complex interactions requires an integrated and interdisciplinary approach.
A view of the high Norwegian Arctic while aboard the research vessel Lance (July 2015).
Rick Bajornas/UN
The UN’s Ocean Decade demands collaborative action across disciplines, nations, communities, and generations, and its success relies on diverse voices that represent current and future ocean leaders.
Climate change has already made tropical oceans too hot for some marine species to survive. As they flee towards the poles, the implications for ecosystems and human livelihoods will be profound.