Oceans
From tackling marine plastic pollution to coral reef restoration, learn about humanity’s latest efforts to protect ocean habitats and marine wildlife.
Scientists discover prehistoric dolphin species in landlocked Switzerland
Paleontologists have recently made an extraordinary discovery in landlocked Switzerland: two new species of dolphin dating back to 20 million years ago. Ancient dolphin species Located in the heart of Europe, Switzerland is entirely landlocked. Millions of years ago, however, the area used to Read More...
Study reveals planktons' unexpected resilience to global warming
With our changing climate, protecting all impacted organisms on Earth is a huge priority. The planet has gone through previous cycles of heating and cooling, and looking at these periods can give us clues about what may happen. An international team of researchers has done just that, by studying Read More...
Scallop-attracting LED “disco” lights lead to more eco-friendly fishing technique
Marine scientists have accidentally stumbled upon an unexpected technique for catching scallops that has the potential to reduce some of the environmental damage caused by conventional fishing practices. Dr. Rob Enever, a specialist in reducing the impacts of fishing on the marine environment, Read More...
How the Belize Barrier Reef is coming back to life
When Hurricane Iris hit Belize in 2001, it ravaged almost all of the country’s coral reefs. The devastation signaled bad news not only for the surrounding marine life but also for the local communities who rely on reefs for food, work, and protection from storms and erosion. Now, thanks to a Read More...
How a century-old cargo schooner is bringing back emissions-free shipping
The shipping industry is responsible for 2.5 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions — putting about 940 million tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere every year. Before 1960, however, when containerization started to take off, cargo schooners were transporting goods around the world Read More...
“Blue Corridors”: using science and animal instinct to save fish populations
We’ve all marveled at the intrepid salmon swimming against the current, up waterfalls, and avoiding predators to return to its native spawning grounds, or at least we’ve all seen it on a nature show. This behavior is called philopatry, an animal’s tendency to return to its area of birth, and Read More...
New desalination system uses Teflon-like membrane to make seawater potable
Clean drinking water is already in short supply in many places around the world, but the situation is only expected to get worse with climate change. Figuring out ways to desalinate brackish water or seawater in an efficient and scalable way is key to mitigating the global water crisis. A Read More...
This is the world’s first ocean carbon-removing machine
Cutting greenhouse gas emissions at the source should be the main goal when tackling climate change, but the most recent IPCC report also recommends carbon capture and storage technologies as key parts of the effort to limit global warming to 1.5°C. The startup Heimdal is well aware of the need Read More...
Rare highfin dragonfish spotted by MBARI researchers
Some creatures’ adaptations help them camouflage so well that, along with predators, naturalists and researchers find it hard to spot them. This is the case with the rare highfin dragonfish (Bathophilus flemingi), which researchers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) have Read More...
Stanford’s first new school in decades is dedicated to the climate crisis
For the first time in 70 years, Stanford University is opening a new school—The Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, a school dedicated solely to studying the climate crisis. The doors of Stanford’s school of sustainability will open this fall, an event made possible by generous Read More...