Urbanisation is the main reason for rising temperatures and water pollution, but receives little attention in discussions about the health of water streams, reefs and oceans.
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Articles on Ocean pollution
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While the world gathers to negotiate on climate change, governments must recognise the public desire for action on plastic pollution and work together to solve it.
Cleaning up plastic pollution in the ocean is good – and long overdue. But where will the waste go? Recycling isn't always an option. Bacteria and enzymes could process it, raising new questions.
Tech fixes to environmental problems are guaranteed to grab attention, but real change for the planet requires community organising.
Millions of tonnes of plastic garbage winds up in our oceans each year. Voluntary pledges haven't worked. It's time for Canada to advocate for an international plastics treaty.
Once unleashed, glitter gets everywhere – not just in your house, but into the environment. Time to call a halt to the glitter explosion.
Taxing plastic takeaway boxes will help to reduce the massive amount of plastic which is dumped into the oceans.
Besides wondrous creatures, new discoveries and spectacular filming, Sir David Attenborough's follow up to The Blue Planet comes with a stark warning about the future
Sun cream ingredients have been linked to hormonal changes in fish and coral bleaching.
Archaeologists this week found that more than half of of HMAS Perth, a WWII wreck in Indonesia, has disappeared. It's now a race to protect the millions of other wrecks and sunken cities lying under the oceans.
Plastics pose a major threat to seabirds and other animals, and most don't ever break down - they just break up. Every piece of petrochemical-derived plastic ever made still exists on the planet.
A new documentary highlights the plight of marine animals living among the estimated 5 trillion pieces of plastic rubbish generated by humans.
Microfibres and microplastics are a massive problem for marine life. Once ingested, they
severely affect marine animals ability to eat. There's also concerns about their toxicity.
Thousands of seabirds die every year from consuming plastic trash in the oceans. But why do they eat plastic? New research shows that it produces odors that help some species find prey.
Seagrass is more than just a bit of sea greenery.
Waste plastic affects marine life significantly but better education and recyclable plastics could go a long way in resolving this issue.
Coal dust and oil can spread toxic chemicals hundreds of kilometres out to sea. But Australia's monitoring guidelines do not meet the standards used in countries such as the United States.
Dave West from the environmental group Boomerang Alliance told Fairfax that if you've got an average seafood diet in Australia, you're probably ingesting about 11,000 plastic pieces a year. Is that right?
Could orange peel help clean up the oceans?
California is the latest state to attempt to ban microplastics from consumer care products. Why these commonly used microbeads are causing major health and environmental problems.
Top contributors
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Associate Professor in Forensic and Crime Science, Staffordshire University
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Principal Research Scientist, Oceans and Atmosphere Flagship, CSIRO
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Research Scientist, University of Tasmania
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Marine Scientist, James Cook University
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Lecturer in Marine Biology, Swansea University
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Communication Manager - CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, CSIRO
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Postdoctoral Fellow in Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis
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Assistant Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto
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Senior Lecturer in Biology, The Open University
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Lecturer in Synthetic Chemistry, Flinders University
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Curriculum Coordinator, Sydney Southeast Asia Centre, University of Sydney
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Professor of Ecotoxicology of Delta and Coastal Waters, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
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Assistant Professor, University of North Carolina Wilmington
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Karine Dupré is a Friend of The Conversation.
Associate Professor in Architecture, Griffith University
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Director, FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town
