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topic: Marine Conservation
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Pet sharks have become cool, but is owning them ethical?
- Owning a shark and keeping it in a home aquarium has become cool — and it’s no longer just the province of tech bros and celebrities.
- But experts note that most home aquariums are inadequate and can lead to stunted growth, deformities and early death.
- Yet sharks are often easy to buy, with some selling for as little as $90 online; zebra sharks (Stegostoma tigrinum), which are endangered, go for around $6,000.
With global rules pending, can the shipping industry get more carbon efficient?
- The European Union and the International Maritime Organization have advanced shipping decarbonization regulations that will raise the price of maritime fuels.
- The push could lead to increased use of efficiency measures that reduce how much fuel vessels need in the first place.
- Such measures include everything from adding sails to ships to lubricating or redesigning hulls and optimizing routes or arrival times. These are cheaper and more immediately available than alternative fuels.
- Many associations and companies, particularly in Europe, are working to make efficiency gains as fast as possible.
Indonesia reopens Raja Ampat nickel mine despite reef damage concerns
- Indonesia has allowed state-owned PT Gag Nikel to resume mining operations on Gag Island in Raja Ampat, despite a ban on mining small islands and a previous suspension imposed in June.
- A 2024 survey commissioned by Gag Nikel reported widespread community complaints of dust, health issues, sedimentation, and coral damage from barges — contradicting the government’s claims of minimal impact.
- NGOs say the “green” rating cited by the government to justify the resumption masks real destruction in Raja Ampat, one of the world’s richest marine ecosystems, and note the government has revoked other mining concessions in the area for similar impacts but not Gag Nikel’s.
- More than 60,000 people have signed a Greenpeace petition opposing mining in Raja Ampat, warning sedimentation could destroy coral reefs and threaten local livelihoods even as the nickel feeds Indonesia’s EV battery supply chain.
On World Dolphin Day, spotlight falls on threats to dolphins worldwide
September 12 is World Dolphin Day. Marine conservation and advocacy nonprofit Sea Shepherd created the day in 2022 to remember that dolphins, among the most intelligent animals on Earth, are under threat and need protection. That date, Sept. 12, was chosen to memorialize the massacre of 1,428 Atlantic white-sided dolphins (Leucopleurus acutus) on the Faroe […]
Experimental ocean climate fixes move ahead without regulation
Experimental climate interventions in the world’s oceans are moving ahead in a regulatory vacuum, raising concerns among scientists about potential risks, Mongabay staff writer Edward Carver reported. The projects, known as marine-climate interventions, aim to tackle global warming or help people and ocean life adapt to climate change. But a group of 24 researchers warned […]
Researchers describe three new-to-science snailfish species off California coast
In 2019, researchers surveying the seafloor off the coast of California came upon three unusual species of small fishes with large heads: one with bumpy pink skin, and the other two both black in color. The team collected the fish using underwater research vehicles and later analyzed their DNA and bodies. Their analysis showed that […]
Top court delivers a ‘huge’ climate win for island nations
The recent advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on states’ obligations regarding climate change was celebrated globally for providing clarity on countries’ legal obligation to prevent climate harm, but was also appreciated by island nations for its additional certainty on their maritime boundaries remaining intact regardless of sea level rise. This week […]
Post-Blob, California’s kelp crisis isn’t going away
- Kelp forests function as major habitat for marine biodiversity, but are in rapid decline worldwide, largely because of climate impacts on the oceans.
- A 2013 marine heat wave known as “the Blob,” combined with the mass die-off of sea stars, caused a 95% loss of Northern California’s kelp forests.
- The loss of sea stars allowed the purple urchins that they thrive on to spread rapidly, converting lush kelp forests into “urchin barrens” in parts of California. There’s been very little recovery since.
- Restoration of kelp forests is extremely difficult and requires far more resources than are currently being committed.
Philippines protects huge coral hotspot off the coast of Panaon Island
The corals around Panaon Island in the southeastern Philippines form some of the healthiest and most climate-resilient reefs in the world, and they’re now a legally protected seascape. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. approved the Panaon Island Protected Seascape law on Aug. 29. It creates a 61,204-hectare (151,200-acre) marine protected area within the Pacific Coral […]
Cruise industry expansion collides with Cozumel’s coral reef
- Mexico’s Cozumel Island is one of the most popular cruise ship destinations in the world, hosting more than 4.5 million tourists every year.
- A plan to build a new pier for cruise ships has attracted concern from Cozumel residents and conservationists, who say it will damage the surrounding reef and block public access to the sea.
- The company behind the project, Muelles del Caribe, maintains the pier will bring financial benefits to the community.
- Conservationists assert that the project’s environmental impact assessment was insufficient; in July, a court ordered a temporary suspension of the project to allow for a more thorough environmental assessment.
Climate change is driving fish stocks from countries’ waters to the high seas: Study
- A new study found that more than half of the world’s straddling stocks will shift across the maritime borders between exclusive economic zones (EEZs) and the high seas by 2050.
- Most of these shifts will be into the high seas, where fisheries management is much more challenging and stocks are more likely to be overexploited.
- Among the most serious potential consequences is a loss of fisheries resources for many tropical countries that did little to create the climate crisis, including small island developing states in the Pacific Ocean.
Scientists warn ocean-based climate fixes lack rules and oversight
- Marine-climate interventions have received increased money and attention in recent years.
- While many projects and ideas may be well-intentioned, they’re generally not subject to strong governance or oversight, and they often pose risks of social and ecological harm, according to a new paper.
- The authors call for local, national and global rules that will make interventions “safe, equitable and effective.”
Sunscreens protect us but also pose real planetary health concerns
- Sunscreens have become an important part of people’s sun management routine, protecting skin from harmful solar UV radiation. But many of these products contain chemicals that can be harmful to saltwater and freshwater ecosystems, while preliminary findings indicate some ingredients can have health effects.
- Ultraviolet filter chemicals and mineral components found in sunscreens can harm marine species such as corals and help trigger bleaching. In recent years, numerous studies have shown that many of these chemicals persist in the environment and can impact seagrass, fish and other marine life.
- More research is needed to understand the full environmental and health impacts of chemicals used in sunscreens. New formulations using ingredients proven to be safe are required, say analysts, and makers should improve product labelling to better inform consumers, with government regulation potentially necessary.
- Experts also urge caution, noting that while there are environmental concerns surrounding sunscreen chemicals, this should not be understood as a call not to use these products.
Why the BBNJ treaty on marine biodiversity matters more in the Mediterranean (commentary)
- The Mediterranean Sea covers less than 1% of the world’s ocean surface, yet hosts more than 18% of its known marine species, while being beset by unresolved maritime boundaries plus growing pressure from climate change, overfishing and pollution.
- That’s why this marine ecology hotspot needs the new U.N. treaty on oceanic biodiversity (BBNJ), as it offers a unique chance for Mediterranean countries to cooperate on common ground: despite claims that it lies outside of the scope of the agreement, there are legal grounds to claim the contrary.
- “Vast areas of the Mediterranean remain undelimited and unclaimed, existing in a legal gray zone. Under international law, these areas are considered de facto beyond national jurisdiction and therefore within the geographical scope of the BBNJ Agreement,” the authors of a new op-ed argue. “By mobilizing diplomatic, legal and financial resources through its institutions and member states, the EU can help catalyze broader regional ratification and implementation.”
- This post is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the authors, not necessarily of Mongabay.
Ghana passes landmark legislation to protect artisanal fisheries
- Ghana has passed a new fisheries act which aims at strengthening the artisanal fishery sector, restoring fish stocks and tackling problems with illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing.
- A major change is the expansion of the country’s inshore exclusion zone, which will double in size, expanding from 6 to 12 nautical miles (11 to 22 kilometers) from shore.
- The law has been welcomed by artisanal fishers who have been struggling with declining pelagic fish stocks due to destructive fishing practices within the IEZ.
Indonesia’s Bajau fishers lament nickel mining’s marine pollution
For many members of the nomadic Bajau sea tribe on Indonesia’s Kabaena Island, growing up meant swimming and fishing in clear waters, just outside their homes built on stilts. However, in 2010, the water turned red, which the villagers blame on runoff from nearby nickel mining, Mongabay’s Hans Nicholas Jong reported in July. “Now, I […]
Brazil cities order endangered angelshark meat despite fishing ban
Government agencies in Brazil’s Rio Grande do Sul state launched public procurements for more than 200 metric tons of meat from endangered angelshark species between 2015 and 2025, a Mongabay investigation has revealed. The meat is served in public institutions, including schools. Fishing for angelsharks is prohibited in Brazil, but its trade is legal if […]
Philippine fishers struggle as LNG ‘superhighway’ cuts through biodiversity hotspot
Fishers in the Philippines’ Batangas Bay are struggling to make ends meet and feed their families as nearby coastal areas are developed into a natural gas import hub, Mongabay contributor Nick Aspinwall reported in July. Families that have been fishing in Batangas Bay for years have been asked by local officials to leave to make […]
Community efforts yield new marine protected area in the Philippines
The Philippines has officially designated a new marine protected area after an 18-year campaign by local communities, fisher associations, civil society organizations and government agencies, the Wildlife Conservation Society announced Aug. 13. The newly created Bitaug Marine Protected Area (MPA), which covers nearly 150 hectares (about 370 acres), is the largest MPA in Siquijor province […]
Indonesia’s aquafarm revamp sparks fears for fate of farmers and mangroves
- Indonesia plans to revitalize 78,000 hectares (193,000 acres) of state-owned aquaculture ponds, starting with 20,400 hectares (50,400 acres) in West Java province, aiming to boost yields, create 119,000 jobs and attract investors.
- Small-scale farmers like Warno in Karawang district, who rent and maintain ponds from the state, say they fear losing their livelihoods without compensation if the government takes over their farms.
- NGOs and experts warn the program could fuel mangrove clearing, coastal damage and privatization of coastal areas, while sidelining local communities’ rights and voices.
- Critics also raise concerns over the government’s push for more farming of saltwater tilapia, citing risks from the invasive species and an industrial aquaculture model that could reduce locals to laborers.
Belize project seeks out heat-resilient corals to protect its reefs
- An initiative called the Super Reefs program is setting out to identify the corals in Belize’s waters that have the highest chance of surviving warming waters amid climate change.
- Researchers with the program have discovered that corals that grow in the hottest areas are naturally more heat-resistant.
- Massive starlet coral (Siderastrea siderea) tends to be tolerant of warm water, whereas symmetrical brain coral (Pseudodiploria strigosa) is more sensitive.
- The team plans to use its findings, which are to be published by 2026, to inform the Belize government which coral communities in the country are best suited for protection and restoration.
Deep-sea mining is a false solution to our challenges (commentary)
- A new op-ed argues that the case for deep-sea mining is weak and also that the facts used by its proponents don’t add up, but rather cloud their judgment.
- The divergence between scientific understanding of likely ecological harms and prevailing narratives — like the touted economic benefits, which could actually be costs — came into sharp focus at the recent annual meeting of the International Seabed Authority, which governs the development of this industry.
- “Given the high costs and severe environmental risks, why then pursue deep-sea mining? This activity threatens unique deep-sea ecosystems and could irrevocably alter ocean health, impacting life on land,” the author writes.
- This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay.
Whale shark hotspot discovered along the Great Barrier Reef
- Whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) are the largest fish in the world and are endangered but are hard to study because they’re largely solitary creatures that roam great distances.
- There are only about 30 sites worldwide where they’re known to aggregate — and scientists have finally identified one of them along the Great Barrier Reef, a new study reveals.
- It’s the first known aggregation found in eastern Australia and in the entire southwest Pacific Ocean.
- The finding is significant for whale shark research and conservation efforts, experts said.
Ocean-based carbon storage ramps up, bringing investment and concern
- Storing captured carbon in the subsea — in depleted oil and gas wells or in aquifers — is ramping up as a climate solution, with projects planned across the globe by industry and governments.
- Tipped as a way to address “hard-to-abate” emissions from industries such as cement, steelmaking and chemicals, it’s hailed by proponents as a viable and necessary part of the transition to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions.
- But critics say offshore CCS poses great risks and will perpetuate a history of failure that has plagued onshore efforts to store carbon.
- It also raises environmental concerns, such as the potential for carbon leakage that could undermine climate efforts and harm marine life, contributing to already increasing ocean acidification.
There’s hope for sunflower sea stars, with their killer unmasked and reintroductions pending
- Since 2013, sea star wasting disease, worsened by warming oceans, has wiped out 99% of sunflower sea stars from Washington state to Mexico, collapsing kelp forest ecosystems.
- Researchers from the University of British Columbia and the Hakai Institute in Canada have pinpointed the bacterium Vibrio pectenicida as a key cause of the epidemic, confirming its lethal effects through lab experiments that replicated symptoms seen in the wild.
- A coalition of aquariums, nonprofits, Indigenous groups and government agencies has successfully bred sunflower sea stars in captivity for the first time, experimenting with fresh, frozen and cryopreserved sperm, and raising 72 juveniles in a Monterey facility with plans for controlled releases.
- Guided by the Pycnopodia Recovery Working Group and a 2024-2027 conservation plan, efforts have now turned to breeding, disease research, habitat protection, regulatory engagement and public outreach, with broad community support — including from fishers — for restoring this keystone predator.
Argentina pushes pipeline exports through protected Patagonian waters
- In Argentina, the construction of an oil port and a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal for ships threatens one of the most biodiverse areas in the southwestern Atlantic.
- The law that protected the area from these types of projects was amended without prior consultation in 2022.
- Oil spills, rising water temperatures, and ship strikes on the thriving whale population are among the greatest threats highlighted by critics.
Microbiomes may be corals’ secret weapon against climate change: Study
- Researchers compared how genetically similar populations of Pocillopora corals cope with heat stress in Panama’s Gulf of Panama and Gulf of Chiriquí, both on the Pacific coast.
- The team looked at the entire holobiont — the coral’s symbionts, microbiome and physiology — in addition to its genome and environment, finding that the holobiont may play an outsized role in boosting the corals’ ability to cope with heat extremes.
- The team found that corals exposed to upwelling in the Gulf of Panama were better able to withstand higher temperatures, thanks in part to their microbiomes.
- The work points to the importance of better understanding how symbiotic relationships and microbiomes interact with corals to increase their resilience.
Goldman Prize winner’s shift from engineer to activist in Tenerife, Canary Islands
Carlos Mallo Molina grew up inspired by his engineer father who led port construction projects across Spain. But while working on a highway project in Tenerife, one of Spain’s Canary Islands, Molina realized that a related plan to build a port in a marine protected area threatened the marine ecosystem that he had come to […]
Can we undo extinction? A growing effort to restore lost sharks
- ReShark is the world’s first shark rewilding program, aiming to restore Indo-Pacific leopard sharks to reefs where they’ve disappeared, starting in Raja Ampat, Indonesia.
- The initiative repurposes surplus eggs from aquariums, transporting them across oceans and rearing them in locally managed hatcheries before releasing them into the wild.
- A growing community of Indonesian conservationists—including trained “shark nannies,” students, and villagers—is central to the project’s success and sustainability.
- With global collaboration and scientific rigor, ReShark aims to produce a model for reversing extinction—one grounded in genetics, local stewardship, and public engagement.
Scientists identify the bacterium behind billions of sea star deaths
More than a decade ago, a mysterious illness killed billions of sea stars, particularly along the North American Pacific coast. The sea star wasting disease caused the stars to develop lesions, their arms to fall off and their bodies to disintegrate. Now, researchers in a recent study say they have zeroed in on the cause: […]
Revealed: Brazilian state buys endangered angelsharks for school lunches
Endangered angelsharks have been served to schoolchildren in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul for years, as well as in hospitals, clinics, shelters and other public institutions, Mongabay has found. We identified 52 tenders totaling more than 211 metric tons of “peixe anjo,” a common name for angelshark, issued by the state and city […]
World’s first industry-wide climate mandate could be launched with shipping vote
- Shipping could become the first industry governed by a global treaty that sets enforceable decarbonization standards.
- In October, more than 100 nations will gather at a meeting of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in London to potentially adopt a “net-zero framework” for the industry.
- In 2023, the IMO, a United Nations body that regulates shipping, developed a nonbinding strategy to decarbonize “by or around” 2050; the new framework would make that vision concrete and binding. Critics from small island developing states and environmental groups say the framework falls short of fulfilling the original vision.
- Some oil-exporting countries opposed the deal, arguing that alternative fuels are costly and unproven.
Encouraging signs from a no-fishing zone in Comoros could inspire others
- Signs of improvement in fisheries arising from a small no-fishing zone in the Indian Ocean nation of Comoros could inspire the establishment of more such zones across the archipelago.
- A fishers’ group installed the first no-take zone inside a marine protected area off the island of Anjouan in 2021. The group’s president told Mongabay fishers are now encountering more fish nearer to the shore outside the zone’s bounds.
- Buoyed by the results, a local nonprofit plans to establish five no-take zones in Anjouan over the next two years, covering 425 hectares (1,050 acres) of coral reefs.
- Earlier efforts to enforce temporary fishing closures to promote octopus fisheries for export and reduce pressure on fragile coral reef ecosystems didn’t lead to the anticipated benefits.
Upmarket fish maw trade in Singapore & Malaysia includes endangered species: Study
- A new study using DNA barcoding reveals that Singapore and Malaysia’s fish maw markets include species listed as vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered, many of which are poorly monitored and sourced from unmanaged fisheries.
- Researchers identified 39 species from 503 dried maw samples, including critically endangered large yellow croakers and European eels, highlighting the scale and complexity of this high value, underregulated trade.
- Experts warn that the trade poses a growing threat to marine biodiversity, and with nearly 30% of samples coming from species lacking IUCN assessments, it makes sustainability difficult to evaluate.
- Researchers and conservationists urge governments to expand CITES protections, enhance species monitoring, educate stakeholders, and improve international coordination to prevent more marine species from being pushed toward extinction.
UN meeting closes with no moratorium on deep-sea mining; groups lament
Civil groups expressed dismay as the 30th International Seabed Authority (ISA) session recently ended in Jamaica without a moratorium on deep-sea mining, a process of extracting minerals from the seafloor, which experts say can damage marine ecosystems. The ISA Council finished the second reading of the draft regulations for the commercial exploitation of deep-sea minerals. However, the […]
Malaysia’s turtle egg buyback scheme saved thousands — but is it sustainable?
- A recent study assessed the effectiveness of Malaysia’s decades-old sea turtle egg buyback scheme, which aims to prevent eggs from entering the illegal wildlife trade by purchasing them from licensed collectors and relocating them to hatcheries.
- Between 2016 and 2021, more than 71,000 green turtle eggs were purchased and relocated, resulting in high hatching (77.6%) and emergence (74.1%) success rates — highlighting the scheme’s biological effectiveness despite covering only a small fraction of total nests.
- The study flagged significant financial and logistical challenges, including rising costs, seasonal erosion, inconsistent cooperation from collectors, and limited capacity to purchase all available eggs, prompting concerns about long-term sustainability.
- With a statewide ban on turtle egg trade now in place, researchers and experts question whether the buyback model should continue, suggesting alternative strategies like nonextractive income opportunities and stronger enforcement against illegal trade.
As gas giants move in, Philippine fishers fight for their seas and survival
- Fishing communities along the Philippines’ Verde Island Passage, a haven for marine biodiversity, say the development of a natural gas import hub in the area is leading to environmental degradation.
- Fishers say their catches have declined since a liquefied natural gas plant was built in the area a decade ago, and that they’re being turned away from remaining fishing grounds due to the ongoing construction of an LNG terminal.
- The Japan Bank for International Cooperation, a key funder of the LNG project, denies these claims, saying in a recent report that it didn’t find evidence that LNG development had led to environmental degradation or a reduction in income for local fishing communities.
Sri Lanka Supreme Court orders $1 bn payment in X Press Pearl marine disaster
- Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court has ordered $1 billion in compensation from the owners and local agents of the MV X-Press Pearl, which sank off Colombo in 2021, causing the worst maritime disaster in the island’s history and a massive marine plastic spill.
- The court held both the vessel’s operators and two former Sri Lankan officials accountable, citing negligence and violations of citizens’ constitutional rights.
- The July 24 ruling calls for the establishment of an independent compensation commission and requires the first installment of damages to be paid by September 2025, with a review hearing scheduled for the same month.
- Environmentalists describe the judgment as a milestone in line with the “polluter pays” principle, offering a potential model for environmental justice across the Global South.
Coral restoration after devasting Deepwater Horizon spill shows promise
When BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico in 2011, it led to the largest oil spill in U.S. history, severely damaging marine ecosystems. Part of the settlement money that BP agreed to pay has since been used for a deep-sea restoration project that has achieved significant milestones in spawning corals […]
Reversing damage to the world’s mangrove forests
Mangroves are an important lifeline for biodiversity, climate and coastal communities. Yet they are disappearing 3-5 times faster than total global forest losses, according to UNESCO. On July 26, celebrated as the International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem, we present recent stories by Mongabay’s journalists on emerging threats to these critical ecosystems […]
Sri Lanka hit by plastic pollution after cargo ship sinks off Indian coast
Sri Lankan authorities, locals and environmentalists say they’re deeply concerned about the possible impacts on the country’s marine ecosystem and coastal communities from the sinking of a container ship off the southern coast of India in May, Mongabay contributor Malaka Rodrigo reported in June. The Liberia-flagged ship MSC Elsa 3 sank on May 25 about […]
Saving polar bears and beluga whales: Interview with Alysa McCall
- Beluga Cam is a long-running initiative that aims to document the migration of almost 57,000 beluga whales through Hudson Bay in Canada.
- The project is run by the nonprofit Polar Bears International in a bid to collect more data about beluga migration as well as to create more awareness about the species.
- The initiative got an upgrade this year with a new boat that houses the cameras and other equipment deployed for the work.
- As the Arctic rapidly loses sea ice, species such as beluga whales and polar bears bear the brunt in terms of losing access to food and their habitats.
Blue carbon ecosystems are key for protecting the Philippines from climate shocks (commentary)
- In the wake of historic typhoon activity in 2024, members of the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and others are calling for scaled-up coordination and action to safeguard blue carbon ecosystems that increase local capacity to recover from climactic shocks.
- Community-led projects that offer opportunities to increase investment and bring security back to local communities like mangrove forest restoration are one key example of a blue carbon initiative that the National Blue Carbon Action Partnership (NBCAP) is implementing with the support of ZSL.
- “Coordinated action by NBCAP will enable these ecosystems to come to life, delivering both protection and income for coastal communities,” a new op-ed argues.
- This post is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the authors, not necessarily of Mongabay.
Darkest-ever dwarfgoby fish gets named after Darth Vader
From the volcanic fjords of Tufi in Papua New Guinea, researchers have described a new-to-science species of a coral reef fish called a dwarfgoby with an unusual purplish-black color. The tiny fish is the “darkest of all described dwarfgobies,” the researchers say in the study, naming it Eviota vader after the Star Wars villain Darth […]
Evolution in overdrive as Baltic cod shrink due to fishing pressure, study shows
- The eastern Baltic cod has shrunk dramatically in size in recent decades due to rapid evolution — changes at the genetic level — caused by decades of intensive fishing, a new study says.
- Eastern Baltic cod, which are a distinct subpopulation of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), lost nearly half of their length and four-fifths of their weight from 1996 until 2019.
- It’s one of the first studies to show that a marine species has evolved in response to fishing pressure.
- An expert said the shrinking of the cod was “alarming,” and called on fisheries managers to work to protect fish biomass and size, given this new evidence of fisheries-induced evolution.
Conservationists raise sharks to restore reefs in waters around Thailand
- A new rewilding program aims to boost the local population of bamboo sharks in the waters of Khao Lak, Thailand.
- The species, classified as near threatened on the IUCN Red List, used to be abundant in the area, but has declined as a result of overfishing and habitat destruction.
- Since the project launched in 2018, with the support of luxury resorts in the area, it has released 200 bamboo sharks into the wild.
- A separate program that started in May 2025, is breeding leopard sharks, which are listed as endangered. They will be released in the waters off Phuket, and eventually the Gulf of Thailand.
Global tracking study reveals marine megafauna hotspots lie largely unprotected
- A global study tracking nearly 13,000 marine animals representing 111 species reveals they spend 80% of their time in just 63% of their range, yet only about 5% of these high-use ocean areas are currently protected.
- The research identifies Important Marine Megafauna Areas (IMMegAs) as ecological hotspots that span national waters and the high seas, where governance and protection are often lacking.
- Findings show that the global target of protecting 30% of the ocean by 2030 is insufficient to safeguard migratory species unless paired with additional mitigation measures outside protected areas, like bycatch reduction and ship speed regulations.
- Researchers call for stronger international coordination and more dynamic, movement-informed conservation strategies to effectively protect wide-ranging ocean wildlife.
Small island nations provide big environmental solutions but need finance partners (commentary)
- Small island nations offer the world powerful environmental solutions — from “blue” climate finance innovations to marine conservation — but they need the international community to match their ambition with fairness and support.
- Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne argues that for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) like his, navigating uncertainty is nothing new, but these days that must be increasingly tempered with fairness, as sea levels rise and marine ecosystems struggle due to a climate crisis that they did little to abet.
- “We face growing inequities, particularly around access to ocean resources and climate finance. Between 2000 and 2023, SIDS suffered more than $30 billion in losses from climate-related disasters, yet we are locked out of concessional financing due to narrow economic metrics. This is not just unsustainable — it is unjust,” he writes.
- This post is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay.
Canada’s Pacific Coast hit hard by trawling, with limited transparency: Report
- Trawling vessels pursuing fish are damaging marine ecosystems in Canada’s West Coast waters and could be operating illegally in some cases, and yet they work with insufficient transparency, a new NGO report says.
- Nine large trawlers have together trawled swaths of the ocean collectively larger than the size of Ireland since 2009; they have likely trawled in prohibited zones at least 47 times and have disrupted Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) migratory routes, which are foraging areas for an endangered population of killer whales (Orcinus orca), the report says.
- A trawling industry group dismissed the NGO’s findings, saying they lacked context and the fishery was very well regulated.
- A Canadian regulatory agency said the fishery was well managed, with strict monitoring and enforcement of rules.
Sharks didn’t rebound—so Mark Erdmann is putting them back
- For over 30 years, Mark Erdmann has combined scientific discovery with grassroots conservation in Indonesia, helping communities protect their reefs from destructive practices and documenting more than 220 new species.
- As a leader behind Raja Ampat’s pioneering community-governed marine protected areas, Erdmann has shown how local stewardship can revive ecosystems—bringing back sharks, rays, and sustainable tourism.
- Despite new threats like over-tourism and revived mining, Erdmann remains hopeful, pointing to rising public resistance, tech-enabled rewilding programs like ReShark, and a new generation of Indonesian conservationists.
- Erdmann spoke with Mongabay Founder and CEO Rhett Ayers Butler during a voyage in the Pacific in June 2025.
Locals fear Chile’s new port project for green energy will disrupt ecosystems
- A new private port for public use near Punta Arenas, a city in southern Chile’s Magallanes and Chilean Antarctic Region, has been approved for multipurpose services, such as the development of green hydrogen and salmon industries.
- The region has recently attracted a lot of attention due to its enormous green energy potential.
- The company concerned told Mongabay that this port will reduce the need for developers of green hydrogen and other projects in the region to build their own private ports as there is currently a limited capacity.
- Environmental organizations and local residents fear the port’s construction and operations will impact marine ecosystems and boost industries that will likely cause greater environmental impacts, such as contamination from salmon farms.
Coral once feared extinct rediscovered in the Galápagos after 25 years
Wellington’s solitary coral, a species thought to be extinct for more than two decades, was rediscovered in 2024 near Tagus Cove in Ecuador’s Galápagos Islands, according to a recent study. Over multiple dives in 2024, scientists from the Charles Darwin Foundation, the Galápagos National Park Directorate, and the California Academy of Sciences spotted more than […]
Oil and plastic pollution from shipwreck raises concerns, legal scrutiny in India
- The MSC ELSA-3 shipwreck, off Kerala’s coast in southern India, spilled oil and plastic pellets, with potential impacts on marine life, coastal ecosystems and fishing livelihoods.
- Gaps in maritime law and weak enforcement leave India ill-equipped to handle plastic spills and wreck removal.
- Experts call for stronger spill protocols, legal updates, transparent cargo data and long-term ecological monitoring.
Antarctic coalition wins €1m prize for safeguarding a fragile frontier
The Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC), an advocacy group focused on the world’s coldest and most remote region, has received the 2025 Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity. The 1 million euro ($1.17 million) award, presented by the Portugal-based Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, recognizes the coalition’s decades-long efforts to preserve Antarctica’s ecological integrity and protect the Southern […]
A new data hub helps small-scale fishers adapt to climate change
Roughly 40% of the global fish catch comes from small-scale fisheries. It’s one of the food production systems most vulnerable to climate change, and governments are lacking data to help fishers adapt. To help address that gap, the global research partnership CGIAR recently launched its Asia Digital Hub at WorldFish’s headquarters in Penang, Malaysia. The Hub […]
Out-of-range albatross makes a highlight in the revival of seabird watching in Sri Lanka
- Sri Lanka has recorded over 50 species of seabirds — birds that spend much of their lives at sea — within its territorial waters, including several long-distance migratory birds that travel thousands of kilometers across oceans.
- As observation of seabirds is challenging, only a small group of Sri Lankan birders have focused on this unique group. In the past decade, seabird studies in the island have seen a notable revival, led by enthusiastic young birders.
- Among last year’s remarkable observations is the sighting of a grey-headed albatross off Sri Lanka’s northern coast, marking the first-ever record of the species north of the equator, well beyond its usual Southern Ocean range near Antarctica.
- World Seabird Day, observed every year on July 3, commemorates the tragic extinction of the great auk, marking the last known pair of which was killed on that day in 1844 and highlighting the vulnerability of seabirds and the urgent need for their conservation.
Restoration, protection aim to save Belize’s coral reef from extreme heat and disease
- Charles Darwin described the Belize Barrier Reef, a complex system of coral reefs, atolls and cayes spanning 300 kilometers (186 miles) and cradling the nation’s coast, as “the most remarkable reef in the West Indies.”
- Today, unprecedented coral bleaching, a relatively new illness called stony coral tissue loss disease and other threats to corals are negatively impacting reef health across Belize, according to local organizations and a recent reef health assessment.
- The government is looking to identify 20% of the reef for full protection, part of an effort to roughly triple coral reef protection from 7% to 20%.
- Meanwhile nonprofit and scientific groups are doubling down on restoration and monitoring efforts.
Will temperate seas act as refuge for coral reefs? Not in time, study says
- Some scientists have held out hope that, given the threats tropical corals face from climate change, they could improve their viability by expanding their range — by finding refuge in more temperate seas.
- However, a new study found that coral reef decline will far outpace expansion into temperate waters. Most of the damage to corals will be done in the next 40 to 80 years, but expansion will take centuries.
- The severity of coral loss will depend on levels of greenhouse gas emissions in coming decades.
Listings of Indonesian islands renew fears of privatization for coastal communities
- Listings of Indonesian islands on a foreign real estate site have sparked concerns about privatization, prompting the government to block the site domestically and clarify that islands cannot be sold to foreign entities under national law.
- Officials said the listings were likely aimed at attracting investment, not outright sales, but critics warn such practices enable control over island and offshore areas, often displacing fishers and triggering land conflicts.
- A 2021 regulation allows foreign investors to lease small islands for up to $1,900 per km² per year, and a government portal launched in 2024 streamlines permits for islands smaller than 2,000 km², accelerating commercialization.
- Watchdogs say 254 small islands have already been privatized, often without adequate oversight, and warn that unchecked investment could jeopardize fisher livelihoods and national sovereignty over maritime territories.
A Kenya marine biodiversity credit program restores mangroves — and livelihoods
- The decline of mangroves significantly weakens Kenya’s coastal protection, leaving shorelines susceptible to erosion, storm surges and rising sea levels, disrupting marine ecosystems, depleting fish stocks, leading to reduced biodiversity — and lost livelihoods for locals.
- A U.S.-based organization called Seatrees is working with the local Community Based Environmental Conservation (COBEC) and residents of Marereni to restore and protect coastal and marine ecosystems as a natural solution to climate change.
- Since 2024, Seatrees has offered donors the option of buying $3 “biodiversity blocks,” each of which represents a single tangible conservation action: planting one mangrove tree on site in Marereni.
- The work goes beyond just planting trees, as community members turn mangrove restoration into a livelihood by establishing and maintaining nurseries — and, in some cases, starting side businesses with the income.
With coral-rich Churna Island now an MPA, Pakistan takes baby steps on ocean protection
- In September 2024, Churna Island and the sea surrounding it became Pakistan’s second designated marine protected area, home to a variety of corals and serving as a nursery for fish.
- It followed the 2017 designation of the country’s very first MPA around Astola Island, a haven for coral, birds and sea turtles to the east.
- While Pakistan’s first two MPAs are small and have yet to be fully implemented, they represent baby steps in the country’s nascent effort to protect its marine environment.
- The country still has a long way to go to protect 30% of its ocean by 2030, as mandated by the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity.
Countries seek urgent CITES protection of more than 70 sharks and rays
Several proposals seeking greater protection of more than 70 shark and ray species from commercial trade were raised this week for deliberation at the 20th meeting of CITES, the global convention on the wildlife trade, to be held in November. “The world is at a tipping point for sharks and rays,” Luke Warwick, director of […]
First-ever assessment highlights threats to Atlantic cold-water corals
- A new study published in the journal Marine Biodiversity delivers the first global IUCN Red List assessments for 22 cold-water coral species in the Northeast Atlantic.
- More than 30% of the species are at risk of extinction due to bottom-contact fishing, habitat destruction and climate change, with white coral (Desmophyllum pertusum) listed as globally vulnerable.
- Experts say the findings highlight gaps in conservation, especially for deep-sea species often excluded from monitoring and protection efforts.
- The study’s release comes at a key moment, as international talks continue under the Beyond National Jurisdiction Treaty to improve high seas biodiversity protections.
Illegal fishing and its consequences: the human toll of migration in Senegal
- In 2024, more than 2,000 people are believed to have died at sea while attempting to reach Spain’s Canary Islands from Senegal and the Gambia.
- According to the NGO Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF), people from Senegalese fishing communities are tempted to migrate to Europe due to declining fish stocks, owing in part to illegal fishing by European and Asian fleets.
- Illegal fishing, along with trawler fishing, are among the main drivers of this depletion of marine resources, depriving small-scale fishers in Senegal of a livelihood.
- Advocacy groups Oceana and ClientEarth have taken the Spanish government to court for failing to investigate — and, where appropriate, sanction — Spanish vessels that go dark by failing to transmit their location, and for not effectively monitoring the fishing operations of Spanish companies in West Africa.
What happens to artisanal fishers when a deep-sea fishing port comes to town?
- A new fishing port slated for completion in June will bring huge commercial vessels into the artisanal fishing community of Shimoni, Kenya.
- Local fishers fear that once the new port comes online, their fishing will become impossible in the near-shore waters they have fished for ages, and the huge vessels will disrupt local seafood markets.
- In 2023, President William Ruto promised to equip the local fishers with boats capable of fishing in the deep sea, but more than a year later, this promise has yet to be fulfilled, and local fishers say that boats the county delivered aren’t up to the task.
- Moreover, they say training will be essential to operate any deep-sea fishing vessels, along with mechanical support, and they worry they won’t be able to afford the upkeep costs.
As ocean acidification ramps up, experts call for speedy ocean protection
- Scientists have known for decades that soaring atmospheric carbon dioxide emissions are causing changes in ocean chemistry, threatening marine life and ecosystems.
- In June 2025, a study found that ocean acidification has passed a safe threshold across large swathes of the world’s marine environment, not only near the sea surface, but also up to 200 meters (656 feet) deep. The effect is especially severe in polar regions.
- Ocean acidification is an added stressor to marine life already facing pressure from multiple threats connected to climate change (including marine heatwaves and reduced oxygen levels in seawater), along with other direct human impacts including pollution, overfishing and deep-sea mining.
- Carbon emissions need to be deeply slashed and ocean protections greatly enhanced to allow ecosystems time to adapt and one day recover, say experts.
Vanishing giants: The Indian Ocean’s biggest fish need saving (commentary)
- New research confirms the decline of predatory and large-bodied fishes in the western Indian Ocean due to overfishing, unregulated fishing practices and climate change.
- The lead author of a new paper published in the journal Conservation Biology argues that these fish must be protected to ensure healthier reefs, marine ecosystems and adjacent human communities.
- “This issue isn’t just about protecting fish, but also maintaining a healthy ecosystem, supporting a crucial food source for millions and sustaining the livelihoods of many coastal communities. If we act now, we can still turn the tide,” the author writes.
- This post is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay.
What sharks are worth—and why that matters
- Stefanie Brendl, founder of Shark Allies, transitioned from shark tourism to advocacy after a pivotal free-diving encounter with a tiger shark, leading her to champion the world’s first shark fin trade ban in Hawaii.
- Her legislative work has since expanded across U.S. states and Pacific island nations, focusing on pragmatic, economically grounded arguments for shark protection over purely emotional appeals.
- Brendl is now developing valuation models that frame sharks as renewable assets, arguing that live sharks provide far greater long-term value through ecosystem services and tourism than the short-term gains from finning.
- She spoke with Mongabay Founder and CEO Rhett Ayers Butler in June 2025 during an interview conducted aboard a boat in the Pacific Ocean.
The Caribbean’s hardiest corals (cartoon)
Despite the Caribbean Sea witnessing some of the worst episodes of mass coral bleaching over the last year, a reef in Honduras’ Tela Bay, nicknamed Cocalito, has withstood pressures from climate change and pollution, surprising and impressing marine biologists. A Honduran reef stumps conservationists with its unlikely resilience
Indigenous divers on Chile’s island restore seabed to protect seafood sources
- Intensive harvesting of the mollusk known as “loco” and salmon farming are damaging the seabed and reducing the biodiversity of the Guaitecas Archipelago, in northern Chilean Patagonia.
- To restore it, divers are transporting shellfish and rocks that serve as food and shelter for the loco and other commercially valuable species.
- The Pu Wapi Indigenous community is also working to enhance marine protection by requesting a Coastal Marine Area for Indigenous peoples.
Endangered humphead wrasse gets a lifeline from facial recognition tech
- The endangered humphead wrasse, a reef fish that swims the seas from Africa to the South Pacific, is in high demand in mainland China and Hong Kong as a luxury culinary delicacy.
- Despite harvest limits, trading regulations and fishing bans, it’s overfished and illegally traded.
- Researchers in Hong Kong have developed a new AI-based photo identification smartphone app, Saving Face, to help enforcement officers identify individual fish using their unique facial patterns with just a photo.
- Researchers say they hope the app can address both illegal laundering of humphead wrasse and mislabeling of wild-caught fish as captive-bred; its developers say it can be tweaked to identify other species that have unique markings.
As a fishing port rises in Kenya, locals see threats to sea life, livelihoods
- In Shimoni, Kenya, a new fishing port is slated to open in June.
- While the government promises local people opportunities for jobs and businesses once operations start, some residents foresee more harm than good from the port.
- Some conservation activities — including seagrass, coral and mangrove restoration projects as well as fishing, seaweed farming and tourism operations — have already suffered during the port’s construction phase, which began in 2022, local people say. They fear it may get worse once the port opens, especially if planned dredging proceeds.
- A county government official said Kwale county is monitoring the situation and pledged to mitigate any impacts and safeguard fishing activities and conservation efforts.
Seaweed farming as an eco-friendly alternative for Tanzanian fishing communities
Climate change, overfishing and habitat loss have caused a sharp decline in fish stocks around Pemba Island, off the coast of Tanzania. To find a new income from the sea, women from Pemba are turning to sustainable seaweed farming, Mongabay’s video team reported in May. Seaweed farming was introduced to the island in 1989. It […]
Glass eel smuggling booms despite bans, leaving species on the brink
- The illegal trafficking of critically endangered European glass eels continues to thrive, generating up to 3 billion euros ($3.5 billion) in peak years, with more than 1 million live eels seized in 2023 alone — mostly en route to East Asian aquaculture farms where they’re raised to maturity to produce the delicacy unagi.
- Europol describes the trade as a highly organized transnational crime involving smuggling, document fraud and money laundering, with sophisticated players using scientific expertise to keep smuggled eels alive during transit.
- Conservationists warn that removing juvenile eels from the wild disrupts their life cycle and ecosystem functions, worsening the species’ 90% population decline since the 1970s and threatening biodiversity in connected marine and freshwater systems.
- Experts call for stronger enforcement, improved monitoring, public awareness and habitat restoration to combat the trade and avert further ecological damage.
Major coral loss in Vietnam’s first marine protected area: Study
- Vietnam’s first marine protected area (MPA), Nha Trang Bay, has lost nearly 200 hectares (494 acres) of coral reef since it was established in 2002, according to a new study.
- Major drivers of the coral decline include coastal development, warming sea temperatures and devastating crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) outbreaks worsened by overfishing and nutrient pollution.
- The study calls for stronger conservation measures inside Nha Trang Bay and other MPAs, including pollution control, active reef restoration and inclusive community governance.
- Experts say Nha Trang Bay offers lessons for other MPAs in Southeast Asia facing similar threats.
Ghana to expand artisanal fishing zone amid trawler violations
Ghana has announced plans to expand the area in which small-scale fishers can operate, in response to persistent violations by industrial trawlers encroaching into this zone. The country’s inshore exclusion zone, or IEZ, will now extend 12 nautical miles (22 kilometers) from shore, up from 6 nmi (11 km) currently. Emelia Arthur, Ghana’s newly appointed […]
Tanzania’s Mafia Island eyes sea cucumber farming to prevent extinction
Residents of Mafia Island in Tanzania don’t really eat sea cucumber; they call it jongoo bahari, or “ocean millipede” in Swahili. But sea cucumbers are a prized delicacy in East Asia, where demand has fueled a black market for the spiny sea creatures, Mongabay’s Ashoka Mukpo reported in May. A kilogram of dried sea cucumbers […]
UN Ocean Conference makes progress on protecting marine waters
- The United Nations Ocean Conference, held June 9-13 in Nice, France, saw some progress on better protecting the hundreds of thousands of species that live in marine waters and the communities that depend on the sea for work or sustenance.
- New countries committed to the high seas treaty, a moratorium on deep-sea mining and the World Trade Organization Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, while a huge group of nations pushed for a strong global plastics treaty.
- Several countries also moved to create marine protected areas (MPAs) and reserves, or strengthen existing ones, including the announcement of the world’s largest MPA in French Polynesia.
- A wide range of groups announced other marine conservation initiatives.
The ocean is in crisis. A new effort is betting on coastal communities to save it.
The ocean has long been treated as the world’s forgotten frontier — out of sight, out of mind, and dangerously overused. Yet efforts to reverse decades of neglect are gaining momentum. Late April saw the launch of Revive Our Ocean, a new initiative helping coastal communities create marine protected areas (MPAs) to restore marine life […]
On its 50th anniversary, ‘Jaws’ continues to provoke shark conservationists
- This month marks the 50th anniversary of the release of Jaws, a Hollywood blockbuster that depicts a series of attacks by a massive great white shark — a “man-eater” — in a fictional New England beach town.
- Shark populations have plummeted since the film was released, and experts agree that Jaws misrepresented the nature of sharks and likely had a net negative impact, however small, on their population sizes and conservation status.
- Most of the experts reached for this article said the film had spurred interest in sharks, some of which was channeled in positive directions. In fact, some people who worked on the film later advocated for shark conservation.
Pelicans recover, but dolphins and other species struggle 15 years after BP oil spill
Oil-soaked pelicans struggling to fly came to symbolize the catastrophic impacts of the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill on the inhabitants of the Gulf of Mexico. Fifteen years later, brown pelicans in the region have seen some recovery, but other wildlife species haven’t been as fortunate, Mongabay’s Liz Kimbrough reported in April. Researchers estimate […]
Another way to check the health of a coral reef: Study the microbes in the seawater
- An increasingly common way to keep tabs on coral reef health is by measuring microorganisms in the local seawater.
- Microbial-based coral reef monitoring is excellent at detecting nutrient and health changes on a reef and can draw attention to environmental disturbances; microbes are particularly good at sending such signals because they react quickly to pollution.
- This type of monitoring can help provide a fuller, faster and lower-cost picture of reef health than visual surveys alone, the most common current method.
- Two marine scientists explain the “why” and the “how” of microbial-based reef monitoring in a recent paper.
Endangered angelshark decline may be overestimated, study shows
Previous reports of drastic declines in the elusive angelshark in Wales, U.K., may be overestimated and may be partly explained by changes in fishing trends throughout the past decades, according to a recent study. The angelshark (Squatina squatina), listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List in 2006, is a bottom-dwelling shark that can […]
The reef that shouldn’t exist
Founder’s Briefs: An occasional series where Mongabay founder Rhett Ayers Butler shares analysis, perspectives and story summaries. In the summer of 2024, searing ocean temperatures devastated much of Mesoamerica’s corals. But in Honduras’s Tela Bay, a reef known as Cocalito remains improbably intact — dominated by elkhorn corals so robust they scrape the water’s surface. […]
PNG PM Marape rejects deep-sea mining even as provincial authorities try to revive project
- Papua New Guinea’s prime minister, James Marape, opposes deep-sea mining in Papua New Guinea, according to comments made at the United Nations Ocean Conference and directly to Mongabay.
- Contradicting his position, however, is the governor of PNG’s New Ireland province, Walter Schnaubelt, who has vocally supported mining the Solwara 1 project and reportedly met with company and national government officials about extracting copper and gold from the seabed.
- From early on, the project has faced opposition from coastal communities living near the Solwara 1 site who are concerned about the impacts of mining on seafloor ecosystems and the fisheries on which they rely. In February 2025, they formally requested a forum to voice their grievances and hear responses from the companies involved, but have yet to receive a response, they say.
- The company originally awarded the mining license went bankrupt in 2019, and other companies have since tried to resuscitate the project, but without consulting communities or informing them of the risks associated with deep-sea mining, according to the communities. In July 2024, the companies carried out trial mining; government officials say they were unaware of the ship’s presence, but internal documents and emails suggest that key leaders were likely aware that trial mining was planned as early as 2022.
No respite for Indonesia’s Raja Ampat as nickel companies sue to revive mines
- Three companies are suing the Indonesian government to be allowed to mine for nickel in the Raja Ampat archipelago, a marine biodiversity hotspot, Greenpeace has revealed.
- The finding comes after the government’s recent revocation of four other mining permits in the area, following a public outcry over environmental damage and potential zoning violations.
- At the same time, the government is also encouraging the development of a nickel processing plant nearby, raising concerns this could fuel pressure to reopen canceled mines to supply the smelter.
- Greenpeace has called for a total mining ban across Raja Ampat and for an end to the smelter project to ensure the conservation of the archipelago’s unique ecosystems and biodiversity.
Pacific island nations launch plan for world’s first Indigenous-led ocean reserve
The governments of the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu have announced their commitment to create a massive multinational Melanesian Ocean Reserve. If implemented as envisioned, the reserve would become the world’s first Indigenous-led ocean reserve, covering an area nearly as big as the Amazon Rainforest. Speaking at the U.N. Ocean Conference underway in Nice, France, representatives […]
‘It’s our garden’: PNG villages fight to prevent mine waste dumping in the sea
- Communities in Papua New Guinea filed a lawsuit asking for a review of an environmental permit awarded in 2020 to companies for the Wafi-Golpu copper and gold mine. But a decision from the country’s Supreme Court had been delayed several times, before happening on June 12, even as other officials have signaled the government’s apparent support for the project.
- The villages are located near the outflow of a proposed pipeline that would carry mining waste, or tailings, from the mine and into the Huon Gulf.
- The companies say the method, known as deep-sea tailings placement (DSTP), would release the waste deep in the water column, below the layer of ocean most important for the fish and other sea life on which many of the Huon Gulf’s people rely.
- But community members are concerned this sediment and the potentially toxic chemicals it carries could foul the gulf — risks they say they were not adequately informed of.
French Polynesia creates world’s largest marine protected area
French Polynesia has announced the creation of the world’s largest marine protected area. Speaking on the first day of the United Nations Ocean Conference in France, French Polynesian President Moetai Brotherson said the MPA will cover the territory’s entire exclusive economic zone (EEZ), or 4.8 million square kilometers (roughly 1.9 million square miles). “We have […]
‘Madness’: World leaders call for deep-sea mining moratorium at UN ocean summit
- World leaders have renewed calls for a global moratorium on deep-sea mining at the 2025 U.N. Ocean Conference (UNOC) in Nice, France, as the U.S. moves to mine the deep sea in international waters under its own controversial authority.
- Four additional countries have joined the coalition of nations calling for a moratorium, precautionary pause, or ban on deep-sea mining, bringing the total number to 37.
- The U.S., which did not have an official delegation at UNOC, is pushing forward with its plans to mine in international waters — a decision that has drawn criticism from the international community.
New study dismisses Amazon River runoff as primary cause of sargassum blooms
- Brazil’s northern beaches recently suffered from arrivals of sargassum blooms, a phenomenon affecting Caribbean nations that most scientists so far have associated with nutrients coming from the Amazon River plume into the Atlantic Ocean.
- A recent study suggests that ocean changes are the primary nutrient source for sargassum blooms since 2011, challenging previous hypotheses.
- Sargassum is causing considerable health and economic concerns as large amounts of this brown macroalgae arrive and accumulate in coastal ecosystems of western Africa and the greater Caribbean Sea every year.
- Brazilian authorities are learning from Caribbean countries how to manage sargassum blooms best, and experts think they should keep monitoring possible ocean current changes.
Stars & lighthouses: Marine conservation that blends Pacific Islander wisdom and Western knowledge (commentary)
- The U.N. Ocean Conference this week is tackling a range of issues, such as how to conserve and sustainably use the oceans and marine resources: a new op-ed argues that the strength of Indigenous islander conservation practices lies in their flexibility and adaptability, while Western conservation efforts bring clear, formal, and intentional goals — and that blending the two can return inspiring results.
- “Conservation is not just about the number of lighthouses we build — about visible policies and formal designations — but we must also name and recognize the stars that have guided us all along; the quiet, steadfast traditions that have protected our oceans for thousands of years,” the author writes.
- This post is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay.
Indonesian women sustain seaweed traditions in a changing climate
- The women of Indonesia’s Nusa Penida and Nusa Lembongan islands have harvested seaweed for generations.
- Climate change and tourism development now threaten seaweed cultivators’ centuries-old practices.
- In the face of these changes, seaweed cultivators are working with tourism operators and coral-conservation groups to preserve, and adapt, their traditional practices.
Indonesia halts most nickel mining in Raja Ampat, but allows one controversial permit
- Indonesia has revoked four out of five nickel mining permits in Raja Ampat after public pressure and findings of environmental damage in the ecologically sensitive archipelago, home to some of the world’s richest marine biodiversity.
- However, the government retained the permit for PT Gag Nikel, citing its location outside a UNESCO-designated geopark, lack of visible pollution, ongoing land rehabilitation, and the high economic value of its nickel deposits.
- Environmental groups have criticized the decision, pointing to legal bans on mining on small islands and warning of threats to marine life such as manta rays and coral reefs from barge traffic and industrial activity.
- The case reflects broader concerns about Indonesia’s nickel rush, with nearly 200 mining concessions on small islands nationwide, raising alarms over environmental destruction and the prioritization of industry over legal and ecological safeguards.
When our oceans can’t breathe, a sea change is needed (commentary)
- “Even if we can’t see it, the ocean is telling us it can’t breathe. It’s time to listen and to act,” a new op-ed argues as global leaders and changemakers gather for the U.N. Oceans Conference this week.
- When oxygen levels in parts of the ocean drop dangerously low due to land-based pollution, hypoxic “dead zones” where marine life can no longer thrive are the result, driving ecosystem and fisheries collapses.
- These zones have grown by an area the size of the European Union over the past 50 years, but the Global Environment Facility’s Clean and Healthy Ocean Integrated Program is aimed at tackling this overlooked yet expanding threat.
- This post is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the authors, not necessarily of Mongabay.
One-two punch for mangroves as seas rise and cyclones intensify
- More than half of mangroves worldwide may face high or severe risk by 2100 due to increased tropical cyclones and sea level rise, with experts predicting Southeast Asia to be hardest hit under all emissions scenarios.
- A new risk index combines multiple climate stressors — cyclones and sea level rise — with ecosystem service value, providing a novel, globally scalable tool for risk assessment and conservation planning.
- Mangrove loss has major human and economic costs, jeopardizing flood protection worth $65 billion annually and threatening 775 million people dependent on coastal ecosystems.
- Urgent, dynamic conservation and emissions cuts are essential; restoring degraded areas, enabling inland migration, and reducing emissions could significantly reduce risk and buy adaptation time.
Bumble Bee asks court to dismiss lawsuit alleging forced labor in tuna supply chain
- In March, four Indonesian men filed a landmark lawsuit in the U.S. against canned tuna giant Bumble Bee Foods, accusing the company of profiting from abuse and exploitation aboard Chinese-owned vessels supplying its tuna.
- The plaintiffs described brutal conditions while working on vessels that allegedly supplied albacore tuna directly to Bumble Bee, including physical violence, inadequate food, lack of medical care and withheld wages.
- Despite claims of traceability and sustainability, Bumble Bee and its parent company, Taiwan-based FCF, have been linked to a network of vessels implicated in labor abuses. Critics argue the company failed to act on repeated warnings from rights groups and resisted regulatory changes.
- On June 2, Bumble Bee filed papers requesting the federal court handling the case dismiss it on legal grounds. The next step will be for a judge to decide whether to dismiss it or let it proceed.
World Oceans Day: Scientists find new clues about frontiers of ocean life
In 2008, the United Nations recognized June 8 as World Oceans Day to spotlight the rising vulnerabilities facing the oceans that cover more than 70% of Earth’s surface. Seventeen years later, average ocean temperatures have never been higher. Heat stress has hit 84% of the world’s coral reefs. In places as far as Antarctica, whales […]
Researchers race to understand disease killing Caribbean corals at unprecedented rates
- Stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) is a novel coral disease that first emerged in Florida in 2014, and has now spread to 33 countries and territories in the Caribbean, including along the Mesoamerican Reef.
- SCTLD affects an unprecedented number of species (more than 30 species of reef-building corals), spreads quickly, and has a very high mortality rate.
- Researchers are still trying to figure out exactly what causes the disease.
- Researchers are also trying to understand how the coral microbiome is involved in or responds to SCTLD infection, and developing probiotics that they hope will offer an alternative treatment to antibiotics, with fieldwork in Belize, Colombia and elsewhere.
New method can detect nearly every coral genus in Japan from water samples
- Environmental DNA (eDNA) coral research involves analyzing water samples to identify corals based on the DNA that they secrete into the water, largely via their mucus.
- eDNA research on corals can help scientists understand the changes wrought by global warming and marine pollution by providing coral identification data faster and in some cases more accurately than visual surveys by scientists.
- A team of marine scientists based in Japan, an archipelagic nation with a high level of coral biodiversity, has used an eDNA method to develop a system that can detect nearly all of the country’s 85 reef-building coral genera; no other research group in the world has achieved the same level of detection accuracy and coverage for corals using eDNA.
- They released their findings in a study published on May 22.
Pay-to-release program reduces shark deaths, but backfires in some cases
- A pay-to-release program for threatened sharks and rays significantly reduced bycatch in Indonesia, with 71% of wedgefish and 4% of hammerheads released alive; but it also led some fishers to intentionally catch these species to claim incentives.
- Unequal payments across regions (ranging from $1 to $135 per fish) and the absence of national protective laws have complicated conservation efforts in key fishing areas like East Lombok and Aceh Jaya.
- A rigorous randomized controlled trial revealed unintended consequences: wedgefish mortality dropped by just 25%, while hammerhead mortality rose by 44% due to incentive-driven targeting.
- Local NGO KUL, which runs the program, has revised it to limit payouts and promote gear swaps, aiming to better align conservation outcomes with fisher livelihoods in the world’s top shark- and ray-catching nation.
Samoa’s new marine spatial plan protects 30% of the country’s ocean
- The Samoan government announced June 3 that it has enacted a law establishing a marine spatial plan to sustainably manage 100% of its ocean by 2030.
- The country has also created nine new marine protected areas that cover 30% of its ocean.
- Fishing is prohibited in the new protected areas, which include a migration route for humpback whales.
- The plan became law on May 1.
Cargo ship carrying ‘hazardous material’ capsizes off India coast
On the morning of May 25, a Liberian-flagged cargo ship, MSC ELSA 3, carrying roughly 640 declared containers, sank off the coast of Kerala state in southern India. Indian authorities rescued all 24 crew on board, but most of the containers remain untraced and their contents unknown, raising environmental concerns, reports contributor Navya PK for […]
Marine artificial upwelling, problematic climate solution slow to advance
- Artificial upwelling is a form of geoengineering that aims to use pipes and pumps to channel cool, nutrient-rich water from the deep ocean to the surface. In doing so, it could fertilize surface waters, prompting the growth of plankton, which can then absorb and store large amounts of atmospheric carbon.
- Long considered a potential marine carbon dioxide removal (CDR) method, artificial upwelling has more recently been coupled with seaweed farming to potentially soak up even more atmospheric CO2.
- But technological challenges have plagued open-water upwelling experiments, while environmentalists worry that large-scale use could ultimately prove ineffective and ecologically harmful.
- Experts state that though upwelling could prove a viable solution to improve fisheries and protect coral reefs from marine heat waves, more research is needed. Considering the rapid current pace of climate change, it’s debatable as to whether implementation at scale could come in time to stave off dangerous warming.
From local planting to national plan, Belize bets on mangrove recovery
- Mangroves in Belize protect coastlines, are nursery grounds for fish, and store vast amounts of carbon.
- In 2021, the government of Belize committed to restoring 4,000 hectares (nearly 10,000 acres) of mangroves, and protecting an additional 12,000 hectares (nearly 30,000 acres) within a decade, as part of its emissions reduction target under the Paris climate agreement.
- To support this restoration target, WWF Mesoamerica is developing a national mangrove restoration action plan.
- Restoration initiatives are already underway in areas like Gales Point, Placencia Caye and elsewhere.
US pioneers restoration of deep water corals damaged by country’s worst oil spill
- Scientists are conducting a pioneering large-scale deep-sea coral restoration in the Gulf of Mexico following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which damaged 1,994 square kilometers (770 square miles) of seafloor habitat.
- Underwater robots and Navy divers using specialized gear to work at depths up to 100 meters (328 feet) plant coral fragments on the ocean floor, while labs in Texas, South Carolina and Florida grow corals in tanks for future transplantation.
- The novel eight-year, multi-million-dollar project has achieved milestones including high deepwater coral survival rates at sea and the first successful spawning of deep-sea corals in captivity, which produced more than 1,000 baby corals.
- The restoration faces ongoing threats from climate change, commercial fishing, agricultural runoff and potential future oil spills, with nearly 1,000 spills occurring in U.S. waters in 2021 and 2022 alone.
Only a tiny % of the deep seafloor has ever been visually observed: Study
- Just 0.001% of the deep seafloor has ever been captured by photo or video images, a new study finds.
- That which has been captured is “biased” and potentially unrepresentative: 65% of observations have been in the waters of the United States, Japan or New Zealand, according to the study.
- Experts told Mongabay that policymakers at a wide range of international institutions should bear the study’s findings in mind, including those governing high seas fisheries, deep-sea mining, and the use of marine carbon dioxide sequestration systems.
Mining companies use legal loopholes to move forward without environmental licensing off the Brazilian coast
- Applications for deep-sea mining permits in Brazil have soared in recent years: of the 950 requests filed since 1967, nearly half were submitted between 2020 and 2024.
- Demand for key minerals used in the clean energy transition, as well as geopolitical uncertainties, are driving the race to the seabed.
- Loopholes in Brazilian legislation are allowing mining companies to work without environmental licensing, a situation made worse by the lack of specific rules for deep-sea mining.
- Researchers warn that the lack of environmental impact studies could have widespread impacts on marine ecosystems, especially on coral reef biodiversity.
New map highlights complex web of marine migrations
- Scientists have launched a new database on marine migratory patterns to address gaps in the knowledge of policymakers and conservationists.
- The Migratory Connectivity in the Ocean (MiCO) database pulled data from 1,300 existing studies in the scientific literature to describe the migratory patterns of 109 mammal, bird and fish species.
- The database highlights the interconnected nature of marine migrations, and underscores the need for cross-border collaboration in conservation efforts.
Tuna fishing devices drift through a third of oceans, harming corals, coasts: Study
- Drifting fish aggregating devices (dFADs) are floating rafts with underwater netting used by fishing vessels to attract tuna.
- A recent study estimated that between 2007 and 2021, 1.41 million dFADs drifted through 37% of the world’s oceans, stranding in 104 maritime jurisdictions and often polluting sensitive marine habitats.
- Strandings were most frequent in the Indian and Pacific oceans, with the Seychelles, Somalia and French Polynesia accounting for 43% of cases; ecosystem damage and cleanup costs fall on local communities.
‘Satellites for Biodiversity’ upgrades with new projects and launches insight hub
The Airbus Foundation and the Connected Conservation Foundation (CCF) recently announced the winners of their “Satellites for Biodiversity” grant, which now uses higher-resolution satellite imagery to aid conservation efforts. They also launched an Ecosystem Insight Hub, which comprehensively documents the processes and findings of their grantees. The latest batch of six “Satellites for Biodiversity” awardees […]
Coral reef research dominated by rich countries, plagued with inequities: Study
- A new study finds that coral reef researchers come mainly from institutions in high-income countries, and that the contributions of researchers from tropical, lower-income nations aren’t adequately recognized.
- “Parachute” research that leaves out local input is common, and when more local researchers are included, they report that it’s often done in a tokenistic way, the study finds.
- The lead authors say the same communities that face the most direct impacts from the demise of coral reefs are left out of the scientific study of reefs.
The blobby little sea squirt that stowed away across the Pacific to California
- In 2023, scientists found a nonnative species of marine invertebrate in a private marina near Los Angeles, California.
- The arrival of this new member of California’s marine fauna highlights the massive, largely uncontrolled movement of marine species via ships that travel the world.
- Concerned about potential ecological and economic impacts, the state of California has tried to curb the movement of nonnative marine species through regulations of large ships and commercial ports, but the regulations don’t apply to smaller vessels.
- Beginning in 2025, California will have to comply with less-stringent federal biofouling and ballast water regulations.
Climate change now threatens thousands of species on Earth
- A new analysis of more than 70,000 wild animal species reveals that climate change now threatens thousands of to the planet’s wildlife, along with overexploitation and habitat degradation.
- The study found that nearly 5% of the assessed species are threatened by climate change, with ocean invertebrates being particularly vulnerable to climate change-related threats, such as extreme temperatures, floods, droughts, storms and ocean acidification.
- The study warns that some animal populations, both on land and at sea, have already begun to collapse due to climate change-related events, and it’s now necessary to monitor mass die-offs to understand the impacts of climate change and predict future impacts.
How a road engineer became an ocean activist & won the world’s top environmental prize
Carlos Mallo Molina has been awarded the 2025 Goldman Environmental Prize for protecting the marine biodiversity of Tenerife, the most populated of the Canary Islands. On this episode of Mongabay’s podcast, Molina explains what led him to quit his job as a civil engineer on a road project impacting the Teno-Rasca marine protected area (MPA) […]
The Great Whale Conveyor Belt (cartoon)
While migrating between their feeding and mating grounds, baleen whales transport massive amounts of nutrients across latitudes. This phenomenon is termed “The Great Whale Conveyor Belt”, prompting scientists to argue that whale conservation can help improve the resilience of global marine ecosystems.
Cruise ships and intensified tourism in Mexico threaten whale shark habitat
- In Baja California Sur, Mexico, a private tourism company, Aquamayan Adventures, and the port administration have reached an agreement that allows mega cruise ships to enter Bahía de La Paz. Environmental organizations are urging the government to cancel the agreement.
- The agreement allows at least 150,000 annual visitors, a figure four times that of cruise passengers received in 2023 and equivalent to 60% of the resident population of the city of La Paz, the state’s capital.
- In addition, the company intends to build a large tourism and commercial complex that could have serious environmental, social and economic impacts on the city and surrounding area, according to organizations concerned about the project.
- Bahía de La Paz is a critical location for marine species like the whale shark, which was affected by the presence of a high number of mega cruise ships in 2020, and which could now be the victim of collisions with vessels arriving to port.
Angling for answers, this saltwater fishing group boosts research for better conservation
- Though anglers aren’t generally thought of as environmentalists, many people who fish are conservation minded, whether because it’s an outdoor pursuit, or because they wish to ensure future harvests.
- Whatever their reasons, there aren’t many groups that help anglers advocate for sustainable fishing regulations based on solid science, nor ones that also work to generate new data that helps them argue for better conservation.
- “Until we came along, there was no voice for those saltwater anglers who cared about conservation, but didn’t have enough time to put into it to really understand it,” says American Saltwater Guides Association vice president Tony Friedrich.
- His team not only helps its members articulate the need for conservation and regulation, they actively participate in developing data that helps managers set better limits, through projects like their GotOne App.
European body proposes mass killing of cormorants to protect fish stocks
A regional fishery body is seeking to reduce cormorant numbers across Europe through “coordinated” culling, citing the aquatic birds’ reported impacts on fisheries and aquaculture. The European Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture Advisory Commission (EIFAAC), a body under the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the U.N., published its draft plan on April 25. The proposal […]
There’s something fishy about ‘blue economy’ proposals for sustainable marine management (commentary)
- Proposals for developing a “blue economy” emerged in the 2010s as a vision for sustainable ocean development, as communities across the world grappled with challenges of declining ocean health, economic crises and stalling development outcomes.
- Central to their appeal is a promise to transform human interactions with the ocean, promoting a shift toward ecological health, improved livelihoods and job creation, but too often these proposals have been driven by large nations and interests, rather than small coastal nations whose prosperity is most heavily linked with marine ecosystems.
- The author of this commentary warns that this sustainable ocean vision may be operating as a tool for pacifying demands for sustainable and equitable ocean relations, rather than as one that advances them.
- This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily Mongabay.
Annual ocean conference nets $9.1 billion for initiatives, despite US absence
- The 10th annual Our Ocean Conference took place in Busan, South Korea, April 28-30.
- Delegates announced 277 new commitments totaling around $9.1 billion for initiatives across the conference’s six main target areas: the ocean-climate nexus, marine pollution, MPAs, sustainable fisheries, the blue economy and maritime security.
- Notable commitments at this year’s conference included Panama moving to increase fisheries transparency, $6 billion in funding for blue economy initiatives and more pledges to ratify the high seas treaty.
- This marked the first OOC without delegates or financial pledges from the U.S. government, which initiated the conference in 2014.
A Honduran reef stumps conservationists with its unlikely resilience
- The latest “report card” on Mesoamerica’s coral reefs made clear that 2024’s hottest-ever recorded summer temperatures devastated some of the region’s most iconic reef sites.
- But against all odds, a reef in Tela Bay on Honduras’s Caribbean coast, composed largely of critically endangered elkhorn corals (Acorpora palmata), displays remarkable health.
- Known affectionately as “Cocalito,” this patch of coral is raising urgent questions about what qualities endow coral with heat resilience and whether they can be harnessed to help save other reefs.
Blue whale decline in Sri Lanka tied to climate and human activity
- A resident population of blue whales has for many years lived in the coastal waters of Sri Lanka, but in recent years sightings of the animals have declined rapidly.
- With multiple pressures on these massive creatures — from ship traffic on one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, to disturbance from whale tourism, pollution and surface sea temperature rise and climate change — there are several possible factors for the disappearance of the whales.
- Sri Lanka’s leading marine researchers agree that increasing sea temperatures in the North Indian Ocean, warming at the fastest rate of any of the world’s oceans, have likely pushed the whales to new waters.
Scientists warn coral restoration can’t keep pace with global reef collapse
- Coral restoration is vastly outpaced by degradation, while intensifying climate stress, prohibitive costs, poor site selection and lack of coordination make large-scale restoration currently unviable, a new study has found.
- The scale-cost mismatch is staggering: Restoring just 1.4% of degraded coral could cost up to US$16.7 trillion, while current global funding is only US$258 million.
- The study found most projects assessed prioritize convenience over ecological value, restoring easily accessed reefs instead of climate-resilient or biologically strategic ones, undermining long-term outcomes.
- Researchers say standardized data and smarter planning are urgently needed to ensure that global coral restoration is scientifically informed and strategically targeted, and not merely symbolic.
‘We belong to one ocean’: Indigenous leaders push for seat at the table of high seas biodiversity treaty
- Members of Indigenous peoples and coastal communities convened at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues to call for their inclusion in the Agreement on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), also known as the High Seas Treaty.
- These are the first-ever calls by Indigenous and coastal communities as members attending the forum prepare for the entry into force of the BBNJ agreement.
- Their participation could include involvement in governance, environmental management, and best-practice strategies based on traditional ecological knowledge and values.
- The BBNJ agreement will enter into force once at least 60 countries ratify it. So far, 113 countries have signed the agreement, while 19 have ratified the treaty.
Southeast Asia’s fisheries thrive despite decades of overfishing warnings: Study
- Overfishing in Southeast Asia’s coastal waters is a long-standing concern, but recent research suggests a more optimistic outlook, with 43% of marine stocks classified as underfished — 3.6 times higher than the global average.
- The study, covering stocks across the Indian and Pacific Oceans, highlights the region’s relatively abundant fisheries, particularly among pelagic species, 63% of which are underfished.
- Southeast Asia’s fisheries production surged by 7.1 million metric tons from 1993 to 2022, the largest increase globally, with Indonesia, Vietnam and Myanmar as major contributors.
- The research underscores the importance of small-scale artisanal fisheries that use nonselective methods to target multiple species, and co-management frameworks to maintain production and sustainability.
Global offshore oil platforms are among top ocean polluters, report finds
Most new oil and gas projects in 2024 were located offshore, where spills can be hard to detect. Researchers at the nonprofit SkyTruth recently published a report identifying the biggest sources of pollution from offshore oil, including oil leaks, transportation emissions and methane flaring, as well as the most polluted locations. Christian Thomas, a geospatial […]
Oil companies have downplayed extent of spills in Gulf of Mexico, investigation finds
- Mongabay Latam and Data Crítica examined and compared official data of oil spills in the Gulf of Mexico, including satellite images by scientists studying oil spills and evidence compiled by fishing communities. Their analysis found that most oil spills are not reported.
- Occasionally, even the spills that are reported are played down. The volume of the Ek’ Balam oil spill in 2023 — the most serious spill in Mexico in recent years — was under-reported by 10 to 200 times, according to calculations performed by scientists using satellite images of the disaster.
- Between January 2018 and July 2024, the government of Mexico initiated 48 sanctioning processes against oil companies, but fines were only imposed in fewer than half of those cases. And only eight of those fines have been paid.
- Fishers are demanding oil companies release actual data and take responsibility and the government take action to protect their environment and livelihood.
Whales and dolphins at risk as report reveals ecological decline in Gulf of California
- The recent “Assessment of the Ecological Health of the Gulf of California” report shows a decline in several populations of animals throughout the narrow sea flanked by the Mexican mainland and Baja California.
- The report was compiled by the Next Generation Sonoran Desert Researchers (N-Gen) in the U.S. in collaboration with Prescott College’s Kino Bay Center field station in Mexico, and draws on long-term monitoring studies.
- Many of the assessed groups, such as seabirds, whales, giant squid, crabs, starfish and fish, are in decline.
- Basic primary productivity, which nurtures species diversity and abundance in the Gulf of California, remains stable.
Indian trawlers leave Sri Lankan small-scale fishers a ravaged, bereft sea
- Bottom trawlers from India’s southern state of Tamil Nadu have been encroaching Sri Lanka’s northern waters for years, carrying out destructive fishing practices that have caused serious depletion of fish stocks and damaged marine habitats.
- Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s local small-scale fishers continue to struggle due to reduced catches, destruction of their fishing nets and financial loss while being forced to fish in limited nearshore areas or abandon fishing temporarily to avoid conflict with the trawlers.
- In this political bone of contention, Tamil Nadu has been demanding reclamation of Katchatheevu — an uninhabited island between India and Sri Lanka — to gain unrestricted fishing rights, and the past bilateral promises to phase out bottom trawling have gone unfulfilled.
- Sri Lanka banned bottom trawling in 2017 and now needs to take specific actions to prevent illegal bottom trawling in its northern waters to avoid the risk of fisheries there from collapsing.
Ongoing global coral bleaching event affects 84% of world’s reefs
Coral reefs around the world have been subjected to unprecedented heat stress since early 2023. A new report finds heat-related coral bleaching has damaged corals in more than 80 countries, making it the most extensive bleaching event ever recorded, with no clear end in sight. Between January 2023 and April 2025, heat stress impacted 84% […]
With deep-sea mining plans in limbo, Norwegian companies fold or dig in
- Norway’s plans to mine seabed minerals in Arctic waters remain in limbo after the first licensing round was delayed in December 2024. However, the government maintains that progress will resume soon, with a licensing round tentatively set for 2026.
- Some deep-sea mining companies have faced significant financial struggles due to the delay, with one company going bankrupt and another slashing costs; yet, other firms remain optimistic, insisting the industry’s future is still secure.
- Experts warn that considerable knowledge gaps must be addressed before deep-sea mining can proceed, particularly regarding environmental impacts.
- In Norway, the industry also continues to face heavy opposition from environmental groups, the fishing sector, and several political parties.
15 years after the BP oil spill disaster, how is the Gulf of Mexico faring?
- The Deepwater Horizon disaster on April 20, 2010, was the largest offshore oil spill in U.S. history, releasing an estimated 4.9 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico over nearly three months.
- Fifteen years later, the gulf ecosystem shows a complicated picture of both resilience and lingering damage, with some species, like brown pelicans, recovering, while others, like humans, dolphins and deep-sea corals, continue to struggle with long-term health impacts.
- The disaster prompted an unprecedented legal settlement directing billions toward restoration projects, though experts debate whether these funds have been used effectively for ecosystem-scale recovery.
- Climate change remains the “800-pound gorilla in the room,” threatening the gulf’s future resilience, one expert said, with others warning that continued pressure from fossil fuel development, agricultural runoff and other threats could push the system beyond its capacity to recover.
Critically endangered right whales spotted in the Bahamas for first time
Two North Atlantic right whales, among the most at-risk marine mammals, were spotted swimming in the Bahamas on April 15, marking the first time the species has been seen in the nation’s waters. “That moment for me was breathtaking, and I couldn’t fully gather myself. I thought it was fake at first,” Isaac Ellis, a […]
Mangroves mount a fragile green revival in Iraq’s toxic south
- Sea-level rise and upstream damming have worsened saltwater intrusion in the Shatt al-Arab River, pushing brine deep into Iraq’s interior and threatening agriculture, fishing and marshland ecosystems.
- A mangrove-planting project has been launched as a nature-based solution to combat coastal erosion, saltwater intrusion and pollution — threats that not only endanger Basra’s coastline but also the freshwater marshlands farther inland.
- Despite scientific backing and community support, the project faces significant obstacles like untreated sewage and industrial waste, while limited government support further hampers the project’s long-term viability and impact.
Trump opens massive marine protected area to commercial fishing
U.S. President Donald Trump has signed a proclamation allowing commercial fishing in Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument (PIH), a massive marine protected area home to threatened fish, sea turtles and marine mammals. The proclamation says U.S.-flagged vessels may now fish within 50-200 nautical miles (90-370 kilometers) inside PIH’s boundaries. While the proclamation and factsheet […]
Why conservation research findings are rarely surprising
Founder’s Briefs: An occasional series where Mongabay founder Rhett Ayers Butler shares analysis, perspectives and story summaries. “We already knew that.” I frequently receive complaints from readers about findings in scientific papers being commonsense or obvious. And yes, it’s true: science often confirms what we’ve long suspected or seen in practice. By its nature, science […]
Fishing rights, and wrongs, cast small-scale South African fishers adrift
- A community of mixed-race families has lived and fished in South Africa’s Langebaan Lagoon since the 1800s.
- Starting with the former apartheid government in the 1970s, a series of conservation-oriented decisions ostensibly aimed at protecting fish stocks have slowly squeezed the number of these fishers allowed to operate in the lagoon.
- The government now says fish stocks have collapsed and it has reduced the number of small-scale fishers operating in the lagoon even further, while allowing recreational fishing to continue unimpeded. For their part, the fishers deny the stocks have collapsed, and blame declining catches on industrial developments.
- One expert likened the three-decade-long exclusion of the Langebaan net fishers to a case of fortress conservation, in which local people are squeezed out of nature and denied access to resources they’ve long used in order to preserve them for elites.
Even the Gulf of Aqaba’s ‘supercorals’ bleached during 2024 heat wave
- Scientists have long considered the corals in the Gulf of Aqaba in the northern Red Sea to be uniquely resilient to extreme temperatures.
- For the first time on record, however, the heat wave of 2024 bleached some of these super-resilient corals in Israeli and Jordanian waters, according to scientists.
- Scientists studying the episode’s severity and extent estimate that perhaps 5% of the corals in their study area in Israeli waters bleached during the oppressive Northern Hemisphere summer; a small fraction died, but most recovered over the relatively cooler months that followed.
- Tackling threats like pollution that could reduce the corals’ ability to withstand extreme heat is the best way to protect them from rising marine temperatures, and scientists say an oil terminal that sits barely half a kilometer from some of the “supercorals” poses an imminent threat.
Award-winning film highlights lasting damage from X-Press Pearl disaster in Sri Lanka
- “This Is Not a Pearl,” a short film by Sri Lankan filmmaker Tharindu Ramanayaka, uses a poetic narrative of a pearl oyster mistaking toxic plastic pellets, or nurdles, for her pearl to symbolize the environmental devastation caused by the 2021 MV X-Press Pearl disaster.
- The sinking of the MV X-Press Pearl off Sri Lanka’s coast released 1,680 metric tons of plastic nurdles, marking the world’s largest nurdle spill and triggering long-term damage to marine ecosystems.
- Scientific studies show that toxic chemicals from the spill continue to harm marine life, especially zooplankton like sea urchin larvae and copepods, threatening the broader ocean food web.
- Sri Lanka’s legal efforts for compensation, including cases in both Singapore, where the ship’s operator is based, and the Sri Lankan Supreme Court, remain unresolved; meanwhile, nurdles continue to wash ashore, requiring continuous cleanup efforts nearly four years later.
97-year-old Galápagos tortoise becomes a first-time mom
A pair of Galápagos tortoises in their 90s recently made headlines for successfully producing offspring for the first time. The female tortoise, aptly named Mommy, at Philadelphia Zoo is now considered the oldest recorded first-time mom for the Western Santa Cruz Galápagos tortoise (Chelonoidis porteri), at the age of 97. Mommy, who has been with […]
Melting Antarctic ice could weaken world’s strongest ocean current, study warns
The strongest ocean current on Earth circles Antarctica. It’s the primary way water moves between the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans, and helps regulate the global climate. But a new study suggests the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), which until now has been extremely stable, might begin to slow down in the next 25 years, with […]
Bangladesh witnesses coastal erosion, salinization as tourism crushes a flowering creeper
- Bangladesh’s sandy beaches have been witnessing the disappearance of a once-common flowering vine, the beach morning glory, especially on Cox’s Bazar beach.
- Seashore erosion is now increasing in the region as this plant is supposed to retain soil and protect the beach from erosion.
- Experts and studies indicate the excessive and unchecked tourism in the coastal district as one of the major reasons for this loss.
Study delves into increase in humpback whale sightings in UK and Ireland
Earlier this year, U.K. media reported an increase in humpback whale sightings in British and Irish waters. Between December 2024 and January, The Guardian reported some 17 sightings of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) from the Isles of Scilly in southwest England. Meanwhile, the nonprofit Sussex Dolphin Project reported more than 50 sightings from Sussex in […]
Global seabed regulator concerned by mining company’s unilateral actions
The International Seabed Authority has expressed concern following reports that the U.S. subsidiary of The Metals Company is seeking deep-sea mining permits from the U.S. instead of waiting for the global regulator’s finalization of a mining code. Mongabay recently reported that The Metals Company (TMC), based in Canada, has started a process to apply for […]
Peruvian fishers sue for additional compensation after big December oil spill
- On Dec. 22, 2024, a pipeline leak at the New Talara Refinery in northern Peru spilled oil into the Pacific Ocean, coating 10 kilometers (6 miles) of coastline in black.
- Three days later, the Peruvian environment ministry declared a 90-day environmental emergency, paralyzing tourism and work for more than 4,000 artisanal fishers.
- Now, more than three months later, the fishers have returned to work on a sea dominated by the oil industry. They say the compensation they received from the refinery owner, state-owned oil company Petroperú, is insufficient and they are seeking more.
- For its part, the company says it has met its commitments.
‘Substantial’ transshipment reforms adopted at North Pacific fisheries summit
- The annual meeting of the North Pacific Fisheries Commission (NPFC), a multilateral body that manages most non-tuna fisheries in the region’s international waters, was held March 24-27 in Osaka, Japan.
- In a bid to deter illegal fishing, the NPFC’s nine members agreed to require independent observers on ships that transfer fish at sea.
- The parties agreed to study the impact of bottom fishing on ocean habitats and to protect two small areas on one seamount. They also increased transparency in the NPFC compliance process and reduced the total allowable catch for two key pelagic species.
Australia’s environment minister sued for failure to act on threatened species
Australian conservation NGO The Wilderness Society has launched a court case against the country’s environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, alleging her failure to put in place formal recovery plans for a number of threatened species. The public interest legal organization Environmental Justice Australia recently announced that its lawyers are representing The Wilderness Society in the federal […]
Panama conducts large illegal fishing bust in protected Pacific waters
- Panamanian authorities seized six longliner vessels on Jan. 20 for fishing illegally in protected waters. They also opened an investigation into an additional 10 vessels that surveillance data showed had apparently been fishing in the area but left by the time authorities arrived.
- The seizures took place in the Cordillera de Coiba, a marine protected area that’s part of the Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor, which connects several MPAs in four countries. It was the largest illegal fishing bust in the history of Panama’s MPAs.
- The vessels, whose activity is still under investigation, were Panamanian-flagged, meaning they were registered in the country, but the identity and nationality of the owners isn’t clear.
- The surveillance work in the case was done in part through Skylight, an AI-powered fisheries intelligence platform, and was supported by a group of fisheries monitoring nonprofits.
The Turtle Walker: Satish Bhaskar, sea turtle conservationist
Founder’s Briefs: An occasional series where Mongabay founder Rhett Ayers Butler shares analysis, perspectives and story summaries. For months on end, he would maroon himself on remote islands — no phone, no company, no fanfare. Just a transistor radio, a hammock, and the possibility of seeing a turtle. It was enough. For Satish Bhaskar, the […]
Community-based conservation cuts thresher shark fishing by 91% in Indonesia: Study
- A conservation effort in eastern Indonesia helped reduce thresher shark catches by 91% among participating fishers by providing alternative income opportunities, according to a recent study.
- The program, which ran from 2021 to 2023, supported nine voluntary fishers with resources to transition to new livelihoods, leading to increased income for some, though a few struggled due to personal challenges and job instability.
- However, some fishers felt pressured by family or community expectations to continue shark fishing, and conflicts with local leaders also influenced participation.
- The study highlights the need for long-term conservation efforts that involve local communities, address socio-political challenges and receive strong government support.
Locals debunk myths linking endangered pink river dolphins to ‘love perfumes’
A colonial-era myth about endangered pink river dolphins in the Amazon has led to a false belief that perfumes or pusangas made from their body parts are potent love potions. According to a recent Mongabay documentary, the myth has created a market for the perfumes, further endangering the dolphins. The film, released in February, follows […]
Surgically implanted tags offer rare insight into rehabilitated sea turtles
In 2021, the New England Aquarium in the U.S. state of Massachusetts began surgically implanting acoustic tags in rescued loggerhead sea turtles before returning them to the ocean. Four years on, these tags are providing a rare peek into where rehabilitated turtles travel. “Surgically implanted acoustic transmitters have been used for many years in many […]
How Peruvian cockfighters could tip the scales for endangered sawfish
- In Peru, where cockfighting is not only legal but regarded as an important cultural practice, cockfighters have long brought their roosters to fight wearing sharp spurs fashioned from the “teeth” of sawfish.
- The largetooth sawfish (Pristis pristis), the only sawfish that lives in Peru, is incredibly rare and considered critically endangered.
- Advocates for the species both within and outside the sport have increasingly realized that cockfighting plays a role in preventing or hastening its demise in Peru and are working to eliminate sawfish spurs from the sport.
- Although trade in sawfish parts is now illegal in Peru, times are tough for the country’s artisanal fishers. Experts worry that demand for sawfish spurs could drive more sawfish killings than the species can support.
Tanzania’s marine reserves offer long-term benefits to communities, study finds
- The Tanzanian government established five marine protected areas (MPAs) in the 1990s to safeguard falling fish populations.
- Over nearly 20 years, villages near these protected areas became less dependent on fishing and agriculture and saw their standard of living rise faster than communities farther away, a new study shows.
- The authors didn’t find evidence that MPAs impacted fishing success in nearby settlements.
- They hypothesized that the MPAs lifted local economies by attracting tourists.
5 takeaways from the 2022 Repsol oil spill in Peru
- On Jan. 15, 2022, the largest oil spill in Peruvian history occurred when a pipeline broke during the offloading of oil from a tanker to a refinery owned by the Spanish company Repsol.
- 11,000 barrels of crude oil spilled into the ocean off the coast of Callao, near Lima. It sullied miles of beaches, killed untold marine animals and upended the livelihoods of thousands of fishers.
- Three years later, the consequences of the tragedy persist, even as the oil industry’s activities along the coast of Peru continue to cause environmental disasters.
- These are the latest details of the case, which has continued to affect Peru’s marine ecosystem and the fishers who depend on it to survive.
‘Fatal Watch’: Interview with documentary makers on fisheries observer deaths
- A new documentary, “Fatal Watch,” shows the dangers of work as a fisheries observer, a job that involves collecting scientific data aboard industrial fishing vessels and documenting compliance with conservation and other rules.
- The film focuses on four cases in which fisheries observers died or disappeared on the job during the last decade.
- “Fatal Watch” also casts a critical eye on the fishing industry as a whole, touching on management and transparency issues that the filmmakers see as intertwined with the observer safety problem.
- The film will premiere in California on March 21 at the Sonoma International Film Festival and play in Washington, D.C., on March 24 at the DC Environmental Film Festival, where Mongabay is a media partner.
How one researcher walked thousands of miles along India’s shores to conserve sea turtles
- ‘Turtle Walker’ is a 75-minute documentary on the life and career of turtle conservationist Satish Bhaskar, who surveyed more than 4,000 kilometres of the India’s coastline.
- In this interview with Mongabay India, Taira Malaney, the director of Turtle Walker talks about why she chose Bhaskar as the subject of her documentary, the challenges of filming with turtles and the role of environmental films.
- The film is set to be screened at the DC Environmental Film Festival 2025, where Mongabay is a media partner.
World Rewilding Day: Four species bouncing back from the brink of extinction
March 20 marks World Rewilding Day. Established just four years ago by the Global Rewilding Alliance, the day celebrates the herculean effort behind rebuilding ecosystems and reminds us that nature can bounce back. Mongabay has reported on rewilding efforts from Southeast Asia to South America and beyond, with teams restoring habitats and releasing captive-bred species […]
Seal ‘oceanographers’ reveal fish abundance in Pacific Ocean’s twilight zone
- The open ocean’s twilight zone, a vast deep ecosystem rich in fish biomass, is poorly understood because it is expensive and challenging for humans to reach its depths 200–1000 meters (660–3,280 feet) below the surface.
- A new study used northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) — marine predators that forage in the twilight zone — to help understand fish abundance deep down, both five decades into the past and two years into the future.
- The findings illustrate how apex marine predators, such as elephant seals, can serve as sentinels in understanding how fish abundance cascades through marine food webs.
- Given increased interest in fishing in the twilight zone and the unfolding effects of climate change, seals and other deep-diving marine predators could help keep an eye on changes in the oceans’ depths.
USAID funding cuts jeopardize creation of Ghana’s first Marine Protected Area
- The U.S. foreign aid freeze blocks the establishment of Ghana’s first Marine Protected Area (MPA).
- The MPA was being created under the Ghana Fisheries Recovery Activity (GFRA), a USAID-funded program that aimed to restore pelagic fish stocks crucial for the country’s food security.
- Ghana’s small pelagics, consisting mostly of sardines, anchovy and mackerels, make up about 60% of local fish landings and serve as a primary source of protein for almost two-thirds of the country’s population.
- The West African nation depended heavily on U.S. foreign aid to preserve its small pelagic fisheries sector, and without other funding, there could be cascading impacts on its economy.
Caribbean reef sharks rebound in Belize with shark fishers’ help
- Endangered Caribbean reef sharks (Carcharhinus perezi) and other shark species are making a striking recovery in Belize after plummeting due to overfishing between 2009 and 2019, according to recent observations.
- Experts say the establishment of no-shark-fishing zones around Belize’s three atolls in 2021 is what enabled the population boom.
- A remarkable cooperation and synergy among shark fishers, marine scientists and management authorities gave rise to the shark safe havens and led to their success, experts say.
To save a Honduran reef, locals craft custom gear and hunt invasive lionfish
Without a natural predator, invasive lionfish, which damage coral reefs, have become widespread throughout the Caribbean over the last several decades. To prevent further harm off the northern coast of Honduras, locals have resorted to crafting their own spears to effectively and safely hunt lionfish, reports Mongabay contributor Fritz Pinnow. Julio San Martín Chicas, program […]
A bird last seen by Darwin 190 years ago reappears on a Galápagos island
The Galápagos rail, a small, black, ground bird, hadn’t been seen on Floreana Island in the Galápagos since 1835, when Charles Darwin first described it. That changed recently when researchers monitoring birds on Floreana recorded the rail at three different locations. These new sightings after 190 years are likely the result of efforts to eradicate […]
Scientists identify more than 800 new species in global Ocean Census
The Ocean Census project has identified 866 new marine species, many from the deep seas, less than two years since its launch. The project announced its findings on March 10, marking the first phase of its goal to document 100,000 new species in the Earth’s oceans. “The ocean covers 71% of our planet, yet only […]
Initiative sets sights on rewilding three New Zealand islands
Three New Zealand islands will join an international initiative to remove invasive species and restore native wildlife. With the addition of Maukahuka (Auckland) Island, Rakiura (Stewart) Island and Chatham Island, the Island-Ocean Connection Challenge (IOCC) will have 20 ongoing projects aimed at restoring and rewilding 40 globally significant island-ocean ecosystems by 2030. “New Zealand’s three […]
Researchers track Florida’s crocodiles to increase acceptance amid urbanization
Researchers in Florida, U.S., have attached satellite transmitter tags on 15 crocodiles to learn more about their movement patterns in urbanized areas. Through the multi-year study, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), aims to better understand the behavior of American crocodiles (Crocodylus acutus) to help minimize human-wildlife conflict. Native to south Florida and […]
From Kenya to Madagascar, massive effort aims to put seagrasses on the map
In 2019, scientists set out to map the extent of seagrass in Seychelles, an island nation off the eastern coast of Africa. There, they hit upon a startling number: More than 90% of the country’s “blue carbon,” or the carbon stored in marine ecosystems, is contained within seagrass meadows. Under the Large-scale Seagrass Mapping and […]
Study finds signs of tuna abundance outside marine protected areas
- Experts debate the degree to which marine protected areas (MPAs) that are closed to industrial fishing boost fish population abundance or fishing success outside their borders.
- A recent study indicates that large-scale no-fishing MPAs do provide “spillover” benefits: It showed purse seiner vessels caught more tuna per unit of fishing effort in the 100 nautical miles (185 kilometers) surrounding large MPAs than they would have if the MPAs did not exist.
- Such findings could strengthen the case for establishing large MPAs, which could be on the table once international agreements, including the High Seas Treaty, are rolled out in coming years.
- Some fisheries scientists argue that MPAs are not a good method of fisheries management; one critiqued the recent study.
New Zealand blocks tighter trawling rules at South Pacific fisheries meeting
- The South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (SPRFMO), a multilateral body that regulates fishing in the vast waters of the South Pacific Ocean, held its annual meeting Feb. 17-21 in Santiago, Chile.
- At the meeting, Aotearoa New Zealand blocked an effort to implement a rule that would reduce bottom trawling, a fishing practice that disrupts the seabed, in areas occupied by vulnerable marine ecosystems.
- Conservationists lambasted New Zealand’s move, while a New Zealand official defended the country’s approach.
- In other meeting news, the parties raised the fishing quota for jack mackerel above scientifically advised limits and, at the same time, moved forward toward adopting a harvest strategy for the stock that could prevent such abrupt quota hikes in the future.
Funerary practices in Fiji protect marine areas while honoring the deceased
- Indigenous (iTaukei) people across Fiji have historically protected their freshwater and marine areas in memory of chiefs and community members who have passed away. These are called aquatic funerary protected areas (FPAs).
- Researchers published a study to shine a light on this sustainable resource management practice, which they say could present a community marine conservation solution in the region but is largely absent from scientific literature and rarely implemented as a strategy.
- FPAs differ in size and practice but can stretch from shoreline to fringing reefs and tend to ban fishing and harvesting of many species for 100 nights after they are declared.
- From 1960 to 2019, communities established a total of 188 FPAs where 44% of FPAs were protected for 100 nights, and 47% protected all resources and associated ecosystems form fishing and harvesting.
Concerns of illegal sea turtle trade persist in Bali as police foil smugglers
- Seizures of large consignments of live turtles in northwest Bali in January have raised concerns among conservationists that trade in the protected species may remain pervasive despite recent progress by civil society and law enforcement.
- Six of the world’s seven species of sea turtle live in the waters around Indonesia, the world’s largest archipelago country.
- WWF Indonesia said the scale of the seizures in January indicated that the trade may be to supply turtle meat for consumption, rather than just for Hindu ceremonial uses.
- A 2019 investigation found authorities in Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam seized at least 2,354 whole turtles and more than 91,000 eggs from 163 law enforcement operations between 2015 and July 2019.
The U.S. terminated its 30×30 conservation plan but this also presents an opportunity (commentary)
- “We should be proud of the progress that was made over the last years, but conservation priorities have always evolved [to] save the whales, save the rainforest, to today’s focus on climate change and area targets,” and the recent U.S. withdrawal from the global 30×30 conservation initiative won’t change that, a new op-ed argues.
- The U.S.’s 30×30 goal was central to President Biden’s America the Beautiful for All initiative and mobilized federal funding, new protections, and an all-of-government approach to conservation.
- “We should not accept these rollbacks as permanent defeat,” the authors say, but rather as “an opportunity to make our efforts sharper and more effective.” The loss of 30×30 should not be seen as a rejection of conservation values, but as a call to reimagine a conservation strategy that works for more people in more places.
- This post is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the authors, not necessarily Mongabay.
Baja California tourism poses mounting challenges for conservation, critics say
- Baja California Sur attracts more foreign tourism investment than any other state in Mexico, but the rapid development also poses threats to protected areas, marine habitats and the traditional customs of small communities.
- Numerous hotel projects underway this year could level sand dunes and encroach on protected areas, overwhelming many environmental activists who aren’t sure how to combat the rapid development.
- Some critics question the eco-tourism model that has been applied to coastal fishing villages, many of which regret trading in their customs for tourist businesses.
Conservationists suspect fishing nets, increased tourism for sea turtle deaths in Bangladesh
- More than 100 olive ridley turtles were found dead in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar Beach in the last few weeks.
- Conservationists blame the uncontrolled use of fishing nets and increased tourism during the turtle nesting period to have played a key role in the incident.
- The olive ridley’s main nesting grounds are the various islands in the southeastern district, Cox’s Bazar in the Bay of Bengal, and they come to the beaches to lay eggs before returning to the sea.
- Over the last three years, Bangladesh saw there was an increased number of olive ridley turtles and hatchlings thanks to different conservation programs.
Wisdom, the world’s oldest known bird at 74, has a new chick
Wisdom, the world’s oldest known wild bird, made headlines recently for laying an egg with a new partner, her first egg in four years. The egg has now hatched, and Wisdom, a Laysan albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis), or mōlī in Hawaiian, was spotted caring for her chick, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Pacific region […]
Conservation groups look for new strategies, tech to halt vaquita decline
- Experts believe fewer than 10 vaquita, the world’s smallest porpoise, survive in Mexico’s Gulf of California, also known as the Sea of Cortez, the only place the species lives.
- Illegal fishing has decimated their population, forcing environmental groups to come up with innovative conservation solutions.
- Vaquitas get caught in illegal gillnets that fishermen use to target totoaba, a fish whose swim bladder can go for tens of thousands of dollars per kilo on the international black market.
- Some environmental groups have focused on patrolling vaquita habitats with ships, sonar, radar and drones, while others maintain that dismantling the organized crime groups behind the totoaba trade is a better use of resources.
How a Philippine town is dealing with the fallout of its own popularity
El Nido in the Philippines was once a small fishing town, but promotion on social media over the last decade led to a dramatic influx of tourists. Tourism has helped the local economy, but also resulted in coastal water contamination, Mongabay’s Keith Anthony Fabro reports. Home to 50,000 residents, El Nido welcomed 10 times that […]
Order restored in Indonesia as fishers recapture scores of farmed crocodiles
- On Jan. 13, several hours of extreme rain over Indonesia’s Batam archipelago, a one-hour ferry from Singapore, caused a breach in the perimeter of a large saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) farm on the east of Bulan Island.
- More than 100 of the stir-crazy predators reportedly escaped in the storm, causing panic among the population while halting local fishing activities.
- Elected representatives in Batam have since called for the farm to be closed, citing tax irregularities.
- The global supply of reptile skins remains concentrated in northern Australia for the fashion industry, which claims to operate high animal welfare standards despite allegations of extensive suffering on farms.
Lawsuit is latest push to curb bottom trawling in protected European waters
- The fishing practice of bottom trawling continues in European marine protected areas (MPAs) despite conservation concerns over its destruction of seabed habitats and indiscriminate catches.
- Four NGOs have sued the Netherlands to stop bottom trawling in the Dutch section of Dogger Bank, an MPA in the North Sea, citing its ecological importance.
- Advocacy efforts across Europe, including other lawsuits, have led to some restrictions on the practice, such as the closure of the U.K. section of Dogger Bank to bottom trawling, but most European MPAs remain insufficiently protected, a 2024 study indicates.
- Fishing interests often disagree with the NGOs’ position on bottom trawling in MPAs, saying that regulated bottom trawling can coexist with conservation goals and support communities socioeconomically, and that blanket restrictions risk marginalizing fishing communities without addressing broader environmental challenges like pollution or climate change.
Mass salmon deaths hit Scottish farms as government investigates
- Hundreds of thousands of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) died on fish farms in Scottish waters in the final months of 2024.
- Poisonous jellyfish, disease and parasites were behind the mass mortality events, despite major investments by the salmon industry to combat these threats.
- In January, a parliamentary committee concluded an inquiry into the industry, saying it was “disappointed” by the lack of progress on environmental pollution and animal welfare issues.
Unchecked illegal trawling pushes Indonesia’s small-scale fishers to the brink
- Small-scale fishers in Indonesia face declining catches as illegal trawlers deplete fish stocks in near-shore waters, violating exclusion zone regulations.
- Trawling, a destructive fishing method banned in certain areas, is widely practiced due to weak law enforcement, with local authorities citing budget constraints for lack of patrols.
- The impact on traditional fishers has been severe, with daily catches and incomes plummeting, leading to economic hardship, job changes and social issues, such as increased poverty and divorce rates.
- Fishers and advocacy groups are calling for stricter enforcement of fishing laws and government action to protect small-scale fishers’ rights and livelihoods.
The world’s kelp needs help — less than 2% is highly protected
- Kelp forests support a kaleidoscope of biodiversity and perform crucial ecosystem functions, yet they are in trouble globally.
- A recent journal commentary shows that just 15.9% of kelp forests are in protected areas, and only 1.6% of them are in areas with the highest levels of protection.
- The authors said they hope their findings will motivate policymakers to include kelp forests in international conservation targets, such as the “30×30” mandate to protect 30% of Earth’s land and sea by 2030.
Tourists are back at this Instaworthy Philippine town, but can its sewage system keep up?
- The town of El Nido on the Philippine island of Palawan, known for its stunning limestone cliffs and azure waters, has become a popular tourist destination due to heavy social media promotion.
- But tourism has caused severe coastal contamination, with consistently high fecal coliform levels in the sea off El Nido, despite efforts like a new sewage treatment plant.
- Policies like tourist caps and subsidies for sewage connections have been introduced, but the system’s pipeline network remains insufficient, with only 3.3% of households in the town center connected to the system.
- Experts blame poor planning, overpromotion on social media, and prioritization of economic gains over environmental health, and urge stronger waste management, regulatory enforcement, and social media campaigns promoting responsible tourism.
Study suggests algal blooms disorient whales, putting them in danger
- Harmful algal blooms (HABs) in the ocean produce toxins that can sicken humans and marine animals.
- A new study has found an increase in large-whale deaths and injuries near HABs on the U.S. East and West Coasts, mainly due to ship strikes and entanglement in fishing gear.
- The authors propose the reason may be that HAB toxins disorient whales, decreasing their ability to avoid ships and fishing gear. However, they say more research is needed to confirm the link.
- They recommend using advanced HAB prediction models to reduce whale deaths by limiting activities like fishing when HABs and whales overlap.
Underwater volcano in Barents Sea reveals diverse marine life, study finds
What’s new: Following the discovery of the underwater Borealis Mud Volcano on the Arctic seabed in 2023, researchers have now confirmed that the methane-spewing volcano is home to a diverse array of marine life thriving in the unique habitat. What the study says: In 2023, scientists from UiT The Arctic University of Norway discovered the […]
Over 1,100 dead olive ridley turtles wash ashore in southern India
More than 1,100 dead olive ridley turtles have washed ashore on the beaches of Tamil Nadu state in southern India this month. Most were found near the state capital, Chennai. “I never heard [of] such large numbers of turtles stranded at any beaches of Tamil Nadu at least in the last three decades,” K. Sivakumar, […]
Underwater citizen science reveals the specter of ghost fishing in Thailand
- Teams of scientists and hobbyist scuba divers have assessed the extent of discarded fishing gear on Thailand’s marine wildlife, finding it poses a pervasive threat to a huge range of species.
- Discarded or “ghost” fishing gear comprises 10% of all marine plastic debris in the ocean, persisting for decades and passively catching and killing species from sea snails to whale sharks.
- Thailand is famed for its recreational diving, and efforts are underway to retrieve ghost gear from the ocean and rescue animals found entangled, as well as to work with fishers to help them recycle their old equipment.
- Experts say preventing gear from entering the ocean in the first place is paramount; solutions must extend beyond cleanup and recycling efforts to encompass policy reform, economic incentives, and improved infrastructure.
Marshall Islands protects ‘pristine’ Pacific corals with first marine sanctuary
The Marshall Islands government has announced it will protect an area of the Pacific Ocean described as one of the most “remote, pristine” marine ecosystems on Earth. The 48,000-square-kilometer (18,500-square-mile) marine sanctuary covers two of the country’s northernmost uninhabited atolls, Bikar and Bokak, and the surrounding deep sea, and it is the first federal marine […]
Salmon farms under fire on U.S. East Coast after being shuttered on West Coast
- An advocacy group has sued the last company in the U.S. still farming salmon in sea cages, citing alleged violations of the Clean Water Act.
- Cooke Aquaculture runs more than a dozen sites in the northeastern state of Maine. The lawsuit accuses the company of illegally discharging pollutants, exceeding limits on effluents and nutrient buildup, and reporting violations.
- The legal action comes the same month that the state of Washington banned industrial salmon aquaculture over environmental concerns, making Maine the only U.S. state where the practice continues.
- Critics argue that netpen salmon farming not only pollutes the marine environment but also threatens wild salmon populations, while requiring the harvest of too much wild fish and krill for feed.
In Panama, major port construction begins at key mangrove site
- The Puerto Barú project, located outside the town of David in the Pacific province of Chiriquí, will be a new industrial port on Panama’s west coast, where channels and lagoons support mangroves, breeding grounds and nurseries for a variety of marine species.
- The project requires dredging a riverbed and increasing maritime traffic of cargo ships, cruise ships and yachts.
- More than 50 conservation groups have organized a “No to Puerto Barú” campaign, but an initial injunction to stop construction was shot down in court.
As Gálapagos ecotourism booms, top naturalist guide urges sustainability
- Galápagos National Park and the marine reserve protecting the islands’ surrounding waters welcome 300,000 visitors a year and support sustainable fisheries and tourism jobs for about 30,000 residents.
- The Ecuadorian government restricts the number of visitors accessing each island or dive site daily, and requires each tourist or group to hire a guide to accompany them, ensuring that maximum ecological information is shared and that park rules aimed at protecting the unique flora and fauna are followed.
- Many hundreds of Galápagos residents work year-round in this capacity, like veteran guide Marco Andres Vizcaino Garcia, who Mongabay interviewed about the challenges and opportunities he sees for ecotourism, conservation and research across these iconic islands he calls home.
The force is strong with new giant ‘Darth Vader’ sea bug found off Vietnam
What’s new: From the seafood markets of Vietnam, researchers have identified a species of giant crustacean or “sea bug” that’s new to science. They’ve named it Bathynomus vaderi, for its distinctly shaped head reminiscent of the helmet of Star Wars villain Darth Vader, according to a recently published study. What the study says: Bọ biển […]
Global ocean temperatures set new record in 2024
- Average temperatures across the world’s oceans reached an all-time high in 2024, according to a multi-team study published Jan. 10.
- The temperatures surpassed even those of 2023, which themselves represented a marked uptick over any previous years on record.
- Each of the two main metrics for ocean temperature hit a record high in 2024, while a commonly cited overall metric that accounts for both land and sea temperatures also reached a new high.
- The findings fit with a decades-long trend of ocean heating. The long-term rise is both a result of climate change and a cause of climate change effects like sea-level rise and increased likelihood of extreme weather.
1 in 4 freshwater species worldwide at risk of extinction: Study
The most extensive global assessment of freshwater animals to date has revealed that a quarter of all freshwater animal species on the IUCN Red List are threatened with extinction. The largest number of these threatened species are found in East Africa’s Lake Victoria, South America’s Lake Titicaca, Sri Lanka’s Wet Zone, and India’s Western Ghats […]
2024’s top ocean news stories (commentary)
- Marine scientists and policy experts from nine international research and conservation institutions share their list of the top ocean news stories from 2024.
- Hopeful developments this past year include advancing innovations in mapping technologies, legal strategies and financial instruments to protect the ocean and greater inclusion of Indigenous peoples and coastal communities into high-level ocean planning.
- At the same time, 2024 was the hottest year on record as a result of climate change, surpassing 2023, and scientists declared the fourth global coral bleaching event, a major setback for the world’s coral reef ecosystems.
- This post is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the authors, not necessarily Mongabay.
Atlantic puffins are perilously attracted to artificial light, new study shows
- When they make their first journey into the ocean, fledgling Atlantic puffins are prone to being stranded on land, imperiling them. For years, scientists have wondered what leads to these strandings.
- A new study provides experimental evidence to show that artificial light lures young puffins toward land, contributing to strandings.
- The study found pufflings don’t have a strong preference for any particular light source or color. However, once stranded, they move more under darkness and high-pressure sodium lights than under LED lights.
- Reducing artificial lights along the coast and offshore could save puffin lives, say conservationists, as Atlantic puffin populations are decreasing in parts of Europe. It can also save other threatened seabirds, such as Leach’s storm petrel found off Canada’s coast.
We need a North Pole Marine Reserve to secure a healthy future for Arctic waters (commentary)
- In 2024, the cod fishing moratorium on Newfoundland’s Grand Banks was lifted, 32 years after a historically significant ecological collapse of the fish’s population was caused by overfishing.
- The Central Arctic Ocean Fisheries Agreement signed in 2019 provides an example of how to address the threat from such overfishing by using the precautionary principle, international collaboration and science led evaluations of fish stocks.
- The future health of Arctic marine ecosystems can be secured by establishing a North Pole Marine Reserve, a new op-ed argues.
- This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily Mongabay.
New evidence spells massive trouble for world’s sharks, rays and chimaeras
- A third of the world’s sharks, rays and chimaeras are threatened with extinction, and their numbers have dwindled since 1970, finds a new IUCN report and a study.
- Overfishing is the biggest threat to these marine fish, halving their populations in five decades, followed by the international trade in shark parts, habitat degradation and pollution.
- Scientists call for immediate actions to prevent extinction, regulate trade and manage shark fisheries to promote sustainability.
Sunken ships in Sri Lanka’s Colombo attract more fish than coral reefs
- Shipwrecks host more diverse fish assemblages compared with natural coral reefs off the coast of Colombo, Sri Lanka’s commercial capital.
- Research shows that shipwrecks provide more complex structures with various microhabitats, attracting fish and offering both food and safety, making them more appealing than coral reefs.
- Scientists used the diver operated video recording method, in which a diver carries a video camera along a predefined transect, for allowing species identification and quantification later in the laboratory.
- Sri Lankan waters contain 115 known shipwrecks, with the oldest being the Godawaya wreck, dating back to the second century BCE, and they play a significant role in dive tourism.
Marine protection efforts in 2024 were still a drop in the ocean
In 2022, the world agreed at a U.N. biodiversity summit to protect 30% of Earth’s land and water by 2030. While protected areas already account for almost 15% of the planet’s land, protection for the world’s oceans is lagging far behind, at just over 8%. In 2024, several new marine protected areas (MPAs) helped nudge […]
Photos: Top new species from 2024
- Scientists described numerous new species this past year, from the world’s smallest otter in India to a fanged hedgehog from Southeast Asia, tree-dwelling frogs in Madagascar, and a new family of African plants.
- Experts estimate that fewer than 20% of Earth’s species have been documented by Western science, with potentially millions more awaiting discovery.
- Although such species may be new to science, many are already known to — and used by — local and Indigenous peoples, who often have given them traditional names.
- Upon discovery, many new species are assessed as threatened with extinction, highlighting the urgent need for conservation efforts.
Pioneer expedition: new findings reveal the state of the Amazonian Rivers
AMAZON RIVER, Brazil – Those who have visited the Amazon know the importance that the rivers have to the local communities, whose livelihoods depend on them. They provide drinking and cooking water, abundant fishing opportunities, and vital transportation routes for people and goods. Simply put, the rivers are the heart of life in the Amazon. […]
Pacific’s ‘Blob’ heat wave killed millions more seabirds than thought: Study
In 2016, scientists became aware of a die-off of common murres, seabirds resembling flying penguins, that were found washed ashore from Alaska to California. A 2020 study estimated, based on an extrapolation from carcasses found on beaches, that roughly 1 million murres may have died, calling it “unprecedented and astonishing,” even “biblical.” However, a new […]
‘These stories deserve to be told’: Shining a light on secretive fisheries managers
In 2024, the U.N.’s climate and biodiversity conferences, COP29 and COP16, drew the attention of more than 3,500 media delegates and 1,000 journalists, respectively. Though these massive global negotiations are consequential for international policy on the environment and have human rights implications, there were also international negotiations this year on managing the majority of the […]
Electrochemical removal of ocean CO2 offers potential — and concerns
- Stripping seawater of carbon dioxide via electrochemical processes — thereby prompting oceans to draw down more greenhouse gas from the atmosphere — is a geoengineering approach under consideration for largescale CO2 removal. Several startups and existing companies are planning projects at various scales.
- Once removed from seawater, captured carbon dioxide can be stored geologically or used commercially by industry. Another electrochemical method returns alkaline seawater to the oceans, causing increased carbon dioxide absorption over time.
- In theory, these techniques could aid in carbon emission storage. But experts warn that as some companies rush to commercialize the tech and sell carbon credits, significant knowledge gaps remain, with potential ecological harm needing to be determined.
- Achieving the scale required to make a dent in climate change would require deploying huge numbers of electrochemical plants globally — a costly and environmentally risky scenario deemed unfeasible by some. One problem: the harm posed by scale-up isn’t easy to assess with modeling and small-scale projects.
Coral destruction for toilet construction: Interview with a Malagasy fisher
- Toamasina, a coastal city in eastern Madagascar, is surrounded by an extensive network of coral reefs that are home to near-threatened species.
- For decades, these reefs have been under threat from an unusual activity: The use of coral in the construction of septic tanks.
- Mongabay spoke with Abraham Botovao, a boat skipper and the president of a local fishers’ association, who has been closely monitoring this trade and its impact on the local marine environment.
- “It frustrates me every time I see them when I’m out fishing, but unfortunately all I can do is watch without being able to do anything,” Botovao said.
A port is destroying corals to expand. Can an NGO rescue enough to matter?
- The ongoing expansion of the port of Toamasina in eastern Madagascar is set to destroy 25 hectares (62 acres) of coral reefs.
- Tany Ifandovana, a Malagasy NGO, removed a small portion of these corals before construction began, and transplanted them to a coral island several kilometers away, as a way to ecologically compensate for the losses, at least in part.
- The NGO faces major challenges, including a lack of resources, little support from the port, and locals destroying corals around the island transplant site.
- “As an environmentalist, it hurt my heart to know that these corals were just going to be filled in,” Tany Ifandovana’s vice president told Mongabay. “Something had to be done.”
European Commission to review Greek oil activity permits in whale habitat
The European Commission will reportedly “seek clarification” from Greece about its recent approvals for offshore oil and gas activities in areas critical for threatened whales and sea turtles. That’s according to the NGO ClientEarth, which, alongside WWF Greece and Greenpeace Greece, filed a formal complaint with the European executive body in 2023 alleging that the […]
Hundreds of whales to be harpooned as Iceland issues new hunting licenses
- On Dec. 6, Iceland’s interim government announced it had issued five-year commercial whaling permits to hunt fin and minke whales.
- The permits, issued to domestic whaling companies Hvalur hf and Tjaldtangi, allow the hunting of 209 fin whales and 217 minke whales each year in Icelandic waters.
- The move follows recent government decisions to briefly pause whaling based on welfare concerns about using grenade-tipped harpoons for hunting, and then resume it again.
- Conservationists say the new whaling decision is a blow to marine conservation and question its timing by an interim government that’s soon due to hand over power to a coalition that isn’t pro-whaling.
Scientists in Bali find what could be the world’s largest coral colony
When a massive coral colony was recently discovered in the Solomon Islands, it was believed to be the largest in the world. Then last week, scientists found an even bigger one in the waters off the Indonesian island of Bali. Coral restoration nonprofit Ocean Gardener announced that Indonesian marine biologists had measured a Galaxea astreata […]
‘Shifting baselines’ in Cabo Verde after 50 years of declining fish stocks
- In Cabo Verde, as in many low-income countries in Africa, the historical record of fish catch is incomplete, making it hard to know what’s been lost and what’s required to fully rebuild.
- In a new study, researchers interviewed fish workers to understand how catches have changed over the last five decades, finding evidence of a major decline in volume of catch and maximum size of key species.
- The study also shows that young fishers and fishmongers don’t fully realize the scale of the loss — a case of what scientists call “shifting baselines.”
- Fishing communities on the West African mainland tell a similar story of decline, pointing to the urgency of centering local knowledge when devising fisheries management and conservation policies.
Research vessel E/V Nautilus spots multiple nautiluses for the first time
The crew of the research vessel E/V Nautilus erupted in excited chatter as they watched live video from a remotely operated vehicle traversing the German Channel in the Pacific island state of Palau. “It’s finally happened!” someone could be heard saying as the camera on board the ROV Hercules zoomed in to reveal a lone […]
Time for a ‘moral reckoning’ of aquaculture’s environmental impacts
Aquaculture is often promoted as a solution to declines in wild fish populations, and has outpaced the amount of wild-caught fish by tens of millions of metric tons each year. But it carries its own myriad environmental impacts, to the detriment of both humans and the ocean, says Carl Safina, an ecologist and author. He […]
After historic 2024 coral bleaching, hope remains for Mesoamerican Reef
- The Mesoamerican Reef, the longest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere, stretches 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) along the Caribbean coasts of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and Honduras.
- The latest instalment of the Mesoamerican Reef Report Card, a periodic health assessment, finds that in 2024, the worst coral bleaching event on record reduced the reef’s coral cover.
- Although the overall health of the Mesoamerican Reef remains “poor,” according to the report, its health actually improved for the first time in five years.
- The report attributes this positive development to an increase in fish populations due to effective enforcement of fisheries rules by regional authorities.
Coca-Cola cuts back on reusable plastic pledge
Coca-Cola is reducing its plastic recycling targets from previous commitments, which advocacy groups say is an abandonment of its reuse goals. The beverage giant’s announcement comes just as talks for a global plastic treaty stalled this month. In a statement published Dec. 2 on its website, Coca-Cola said it has updated its voluntary environment goals […]
As Thailand’s blue swimming crabs decline, crab banks offer a sustainable solution
- Fishing of blue swimming crabs in Thailand has historically exceeded sustainable levels, leading to a decline in both the number and size of crabs that fishers were catching.
- Understanding the urgency of recovering the crab population, fishers, government agencies, NGOs and the private sector have rolled out a series of initiatives to make the fishery more sustainable.
- These include seasonal bans on harvesting egg-carrying crabs, restrictions on trawling and certain kinds of fishing gear, and the establishment of crab banks, where egg-bearing females are nurtured, with their hatchlings later released into a secure marine site.
- Fishers and experts welcome the crab banks, but emphasize the need for a “sustainable holistic scheme,” given that a reliance on crab banks alone won’t rebuild blue swimming crab populations.
In Chile, discovery of shallowest red hydrocoral forest yet surprises scientists
- Scientists have discovered massive marine forests in southern Chile’s Kawésqar National Reserve, formed by the red hydrocoral species Errina antarctica.
- These colonies, found at depths ranging from 1.23 to 33 meters (4 to 108 feet), are the world’s southernmost and shallowest known to date.
- Experts emphasize the importance of protecting these fragile ecosystems and hope the newly discovered forests will be considered in the reserve’s management plan.
Traditional fishers in Peru guard the coast from illegal fishing
- In Chimbote, north of Lima in Peru, fishers have been working for years to protect the Peruvian grunt (Anisotremus scapularis), a fish species in high demand for its meat, along a 1.5-kilometer (almost 1-mile) stretch of coast.
- Illegal fishing methods such as explosives have become common in this area, and the authorities have failed to deter them.
- The fishers, who use traditional methods to catch the grunt from shore, keep watch for illegal activities in the area in hopes that the species will not disappear.
Norway kills first round of Arctic deep-sea mining permits amid opposition
Norway has cancelled the first licensing round for deep-sea mining in the Arctic after pressure from activists and a small environmentalist political party. Plans to mine Norway’s seabed minerals were largely expected to sail through with little opposition, as the government eyed the start of commercial mining in 2030. But the country’s Socialist Left Party […]
No deal to curb plastic production as latest negotiations fizzle
Negotiations for a global plastics treaty ended on Dec. 2, without a consensus on how to curb plastic pollution despite its increasing negative impacts on people and nature. The fifth meeting of the U.N. Environment Programme’s Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) in Busan, South Korea was expected to produce a legally binding global treaty covering the […]
‘Tragic’ mass fish die-off devastates Amazon River channel amid historic drought
A mass fish die-off in Brazil’s Amazon River region has killed an estimated 20-30 metric tons of fish and other aquatic animals, following one of the worst droughts in Amazonian history. On the night of Nov. 12, fishers from the riverine community of Igarapé do Costa, near the city of Santarém in northern Brazil, began […]
Desalination plants proposed for Texas Gulf Coast spur broad opposition
- Corpus Christi is a city on the Texas Gulf Coast located close to water hungry industries in the drought plagued state, attracting multiple proposals to build desalination plants that would turn saltwater into freshwater for plastic manufacturers and other industrial end users.
- Desalination uses a lot of energy but also produces brine, which can be twice as salty as seawater and can contain elevated levels of heavy metals.
- This brine is set to be pumped back into Corpus Christi Bay or further out into the Gulf of Mexico, causing an array of stakeholders from the fishing community to birdwatchers to oppose the ‘desal’ plants.
- The director of one of the grassroots action groups discusses the situation in an interview with Mongabay.
Elephant seal colonies in Argentina face long recovery after ‘catastrophic’ avian flu
- Avian flu, also known as H5N1, spread through marine mammal colonies in Argentinian Patagonia in August 2023, nearly doubling the death rate among southern elephant seals in some areas.
- In a recent land survey, researchers found no new cases of the disease among the seals, signaling an end to the outbreak, at least for now.
- But they also found that the total number of elephant seals had decreased by as much as 66% in some areas, the direct result of the high mortality rates during last year’s outbreak.
- Colonies will only recover with undisturbed seasons of breeding and molting, as well as access to abundant food, experts said.
Leaders fail to address overfishing near Europe at ‘fraught’ international meeting
- The North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC) held its annual meeting in London Nov. 12-15.
- NEAFC is a regional fisheries management organization, a multilateral body that controls fishing in international waters; its remit includes certain fish stocks in the Northeast Atlantic, near Europe.
- Among these, mackerel and herring have been overfished for years, yet NEAFC member countries did nothing to address the issue at the meeting.
- NGO observers have criticized NEAFC and its members for failing to address governance issues they say led to the overexploitation.
Let’s rethink debt-for-nature swaps toward greater sustainability & integrity (commentary)
- Debt-for-nature swaps are financial mechanisms that allow countries to reduce their debt burdens in exchange for committing to environmental conservation: Ecuador’s marine conservation program benefited greatly from this kind of agreement recently.
- These are powerful tools, but to fully unlock their potential, we must rethink their structure and governance, a new op-ed argues. A more inclusive, transparent, and robust framework is needed—one built on the principles of Global Public Investment, which places equity and shared responsibility at the heart of climate and biodiversity finance.
- “Let’s turn the potential of debt-for-nature swaps into a powerful force for change, unleashing the transformative power of finance to build a sustainable and just future for all,” the authors write.
- This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the authors, not necessarily Mongabay.
Philippine plastic law shows promise, says report, but critics stress flaws
A recent report says that a new Philippine law meant to hold companies responsible for their plastic waste is showing “promising results,” with most of the country’s largest plastic packaging producers going beyond the minimum recovery target. But critics say the law has several shortcomings. The Philippines’ Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) law of 2022 requires […]
Protecting 2.6% of oceans could prevent deadly whale-ship collisions: Study
Ship strikes are a leading threat to large whales, with global shipping routes overlapping 92% of their habitats, a new study finds. But protecting whales in the most dangerous collision hotspots would require action over just 2.6% of the ocean’s surface, researchers conclude, potentially saving thousands of whales with minimal disruption to global trade. The […]
India advances deep-sea mining technology in the Andaman Sea
- The National Institute of Ocean Technology recently conducted an exploratory deep-sea mining trial in the Andaman Sea.
- Even as the International Seabed Authority (ISA), is yet to finalize the mining code for commercial purposes, those with exploratory licenses have been conducting mining trials in international waters.
- The opposition to deep-sea mining, citing environmental impact, is also at an all-time high.
Scottish salmon farms seek growth despite mounting fish deaths and environmental concerns
- Scotland is the world’s third-largest producer of farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), after Norway and Chile.
- The industry is seeking to significantly increase production in Scotland, driven by growing export demand.
- However, it faces ethical concerns over mounting fish mortality, as well as environmental concerns about pollution, the proliferation of sea lice affecting wild salmon, and opposition from several local communities.
- Industry members acknowledge the challenge of growing salmon amid rising sea temperatures, but say Scottish salmon farms have made progress in managing sea lice and other health challenges.
A father and son duo fight invasive lionfish on a Honduran reef
- Live coral covers 68% of Tela Bay, on the northern coast of Honduras, creating a complex ecosystem that’s part of the wider Mesoamerican Reef system.
- Among stressors including overfishing and coral bleaching due to climate change, is the invasive lionfish — a spectacular-looking, venomous, striped fish native to the Indo-Pacific that, with no natural predators here, is wreaking havoc on marine ecosystems throughout the Caribbean.
- To protect Tela Bay’s embattled coral reef, a local father and son are mounting a single-minded lionfish hunting effort to limit the fishes’ spread, hunting the fish themselves and organizing hunting competitions.
44% of reef-building coral species at risk of extinction: IUCN
Some 44% of the world’s warm-water, reef-building coral species are facing risk of extinction, according to the latest update by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. This is a significant increase compared to the last assessment in 2008, when a third were considered threatened. The latest assessment covers all known coral species that build […]
World’s largest known coral — visible from space — found in Solomon Islands
Scientists aboard a National Geographic research vessel recently discovered the largest known coral in the world. The massive coral, which is 34 meters wide (112 feet) and 32 meters (105 feet) long, is visible from space. It’s a coral of the species Pavona clavus, which typically grows to just 2-3 meters (6.5 to 9.8 feet) […]
Mapping ‘gloop and mud’ sheds light on seabed carbon storage
- Two new reports showing the extent of carbon storage in the marine sediments around the coasts of Canada and the U.K. are helping to build the case for greater protection of the seabed, as part of efforts to mitigate climate change.
- They also highlight some of the threats to this underwater carbon sink, particularly sediment disturbance caused by bottom trawling, a fishing method.
- A new project funded by the U.K.’s Natural Environment Research Council is set to investigate whether or not continued disturbance poses the risk of turning the seabed into a source of CO₂.
Coral biodiversity hotspot at risk from fossil fuel expansion, report warns
- A new report warns that the expansion of oil, gas and liquefied natural gas projects in the Coral Triangle region in the Western Pacific risks unleashing more oil spills, direct damage to coral reefs, noise pollution and ship traffic, not to mention greenhouse gas emissions.
- More than 100 offshore oil and gas blocks are currently in production, and more than 450 additional blocks are earmarked for future exploration, according to the report. If these projects are approved, the production and exploration blocks would cover 16% of the Coral Triangle, an area the size of Indonesia, the report states.
- The report notes there is already overlap between oil and gas operations and critical conservation zones, including 16% of the Coral Triangle’s marine protected areas.
- The Coral Triangle is one of Earth’s most biodiverse regions, stretching across the waters of the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and the Solomon Islands. It’s home to 76% of all known coral species, as well as numerous endangered marine species.
Peruvian fishers help red sea urchins recover from overfishing
- For 20 years, fishers from the district of Marcona, on Peru’s southern coast, have been recovering populations of red sea urchin, thanks to an alliance with the government.
- According to a monitoring study by the Peruvian Institute of the Sea, there are more urchins in the area where Marcona fishers work than in other areas.
- Part of the success is rooted in the spatial management of coastal areas that the artisanal fishers’ associations are applying; they are pioneers of this practice in the country.
New ‘Cali Fund’ plans to make companies pay for benefiting from nature
A new global fund for conservation seeks to make corporations share part of their profits of benefiting from using genetic data from animals, plants or microorganisms in nature. Named the Cali Fund, the new finance mechanism was born out of the recently concluded United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity summit, or COP16, held in Cali, […]
Court throws out permits for controversial Baja California hotel project
- The Tres Santos hotel project in Baja California Sur will have to conduct new environmental impact studies in order to obtain permits that it failed to comply with when breaking ground nearly a decade ago.
- Over the last decade, residents said the environmental impact became worse than what had originally been described to them. Some wetlands were filled in and rivers and streams were being diverted.
- Earlier this year, a court found that the original environmental impact study didn’t justify the development that was carried out. It should have been rejected and done again before construction even started.
How the oceans fared at the COP16 biodiversity conference in Colombia
- The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity summit (COP16) took place in Cali, Colombia, from Oct. 21 to Nov. 2.
- Several oceans-related decisions, as well as the formal inclusion of Indigenous peoples and local communities in negotiations going forward, were bright spots at the summit, observers said.
- A key development for the ocean was the agreement, culminating eight years of negotiations, on a protocol for identifying unique areas of the high seas, the two-thirds of the world’s oceans that are international waters, for protection.
- Other important developments included the announcement of new marine protected areas and new funding for ocean conservation.
Indonesia fisheries minister eyes aquaculture expansion under Prabowo
- Indonesia’s new president, Prabowo Subianto, has retained incumbent fisheries minister Sakti Wahyu Trenggono to oversee expansion in productivity in captive fisheries over the next five years.
- Sakti has pledged to revive ailing aquaculture ponds, most of which are located on the northern coast of Java, where numerous village fishing economies are struggling amid depleted near-shore fish stocks and coastal development.
- In July, Indonesia’s then-vice president, Ma’ruf Amin, told a fisheries summit that climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental damage had hindered the output of near-shore fisheries in the world’s largest archipelagic country.
Population crash means African penguins are now critically endangered
Africa’s only resident penguin species is now officially critically endangered, according to a recent assessment by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Over the past century, the African penguin (Spheniscus demersus) has suffered precipitous declines in its population. In the mid-1950s, there were an estimated 141,000 breeding pairs of African penguins, or 282,000 […]
‘Don’t call it the high seas treaty’: Ocean biodiversity risks being sidelined in new deal
The global treaty designed for the “objective of the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction,” adopted last year, has more recently gained an inaccurate, but popular, nickname, and lacks independent enforcement, according to some observers. Known officially as the BBNJ agreement (biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction), it has since […]
The Azores creates largest marine protected area network in the North Atlantic
The Azores, an autonomous Portuguese archipelago, has approved legislation to create the largest marine protected area network in the North Atlantic Ocean. Spread across 287,000 square kilometers (about 110,800 square miles), the new marine protected area network covers 30% of the ocean surrounding the archipelago. Half of the MPA network is “fully protected,” while the […]
At COP16, the ocean needs action, not more promises (commentary)
- As delegates to COP16 debate conservation measures like 30×30 initiatives, a new op-ed by the environment director of Bloomberg Philanthropies, Antha Williams, and the founder of Pristine Seas, Dr. Enric Sala, says that protecting our ocean is more than a conservation measure — it’s a lifeline.
- Well-managed and highly protected marine areas (MPAs) help restore ecosystems, ensuring food security and livelihoods for the billions who depend on them, but a new analysis shows that only 8.3% of the world’s ocean is protected in this way, and that most MPAs are either protected weakly or in name only.
- “Ocean protection has never been more urgent. As leaders gather in Cali, they must ensure that ‘protecting our ocean’ means truly protecting it. The 30×30 target will only be meaningful if we protect areas effectively — not just on paper,” they argue.
- This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the authors, not necessarily Mongabay.
More krill fishing and no new protected areas for Antarctic seas after latest talks
- The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) held its annual meeting Oct. 14-25 in Hobart, Australia.
- The international body comprised of 27 members is charged with conserving marine life in Antarctic waters, an area that is changing rapidly due to human-caused climate change.
- In 2009, the CCAMLR pledged to create “a representative network” of marine protected areas in the Southern Ocean, yet negotiations over four proposed MPAs have been at a standstill for years, due to repeated vetoes by the Chinese and Russian delegations.
- Despite a year of interim negotiations, CCAMLR members failed again at the latest meeting to reach agreement on creating any new marine protected areas and rolled back regulation of the burgeoning Antarctic krill fishery.
Protecting coral reefs boosts fish numbers by 10%: Study
- New research has found that the protection of coral reefs has boosted the amount of fish they harbor by around 10%.
- The study used survey data from about 2,600 reefs with varying levels of protection from overfishing.
- The team then built a statistical model to predict what would have happened if all reefs had not been protected, and the biomass, or collective weight of the resident fish, dropped by more than 10%.
- The scientists note their findings demonstrate that protections like marine protected areas are working and that greater coverage could lead to even more gains in fish biomass.
New abuse allegations hit China ghost ships in Indonesia waters
- In mid-April this year, several Indonesian crew members aboard the China-based Run Zeng 03 fishing vessel jumped into the Arafura Sea following a pattern of alleged mistreatment on board.
- One of those who jumped didn’t survive, while the others were rescued by a fishing boat that happened on the crew members fighting for life in the water.
- Authorities in Indonesia may have missed opportunities to confine boats operated by Donggang Runzeng Ocean Fishing Co Ltd, a Chinese company based in a port on the country’s border with North Korea.
- The Indonesian fisheries ministry’s head of supervision explained in an interview that his history of contact with the manager of the boats’ operator was part of a law enforcement operation.
Debate over Chile’s fisheries law exposes industry influence on fish management
- A new fisheries law is being debated in Chile’s Chamber of Deputies.
- Three members of Congress have recommended more than 200 changes to the proposed law that align with the main arguments put forward by large fishing conglomerates belonging to the country’s main industry group.
- One of these recommendations seeks to remove an article that would limit bottom trawling, a fishing method many scientists criticize due to its impact on marine ecosystems.
- The debate is exposing the industry’s influence on fisheries management in Chile, some experts say.
Near-extinct North Atlantic right whales get a small population boost
The population of the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale increased by five individuals, bringing the estimated total to 372 in 2023, according to an Oct. 22 report. The North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) population has declined since 2011. However, the slight rise in recent years may signal some stability for these ocean giants, […]
Studies identify microplastics contamination along entire Brazilian coastline
- Numerous projects are measuring the impacts of plastics in Brazilian seas; methods range from beach sampling to analysis of mollusk digestive tracts.
- Brazil discards 3.4 million tons of plastic every year, a third of which reaches the coast; it is estimated that between 86 million and 150 million tons of plastic residue have accumulated in the ocean here.
- A bill has been introduced in Brazil to promote plastic recycling. On the global level, the Global Plastics Treaty is being negotiated by 175 nations to diminish single-use plastic pollution.
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