Breaking Waves: Ocean News

Threatened species: court asked to compel Australian ministers to create recovery plans

admin — Tue, 04 Mar 2025 01:11:14 +0000

The Wilderness Society launches legal action in hope of helping animals on brink of extinction

Killer whales amaze Seattle onlookers with rarely seen bird hunt

admin — Tue, 04 Mar 2025 00:08:43 +0000

Gasps from dockside crowd watching Bigg’s orca pod in event described as ‘once-in-a-lifetime experience’

A pod of orcas swam close to shore and amazed onlookers in Seattle by treating the whale watchers to the rare sight of the apex predators hunting a bird.

The pod of Bigg’s killer whales visited Elliott Bay and were seemingly on a hunt underwater just off Seattle’s maritime industrial docks. The pod exited the bay close to the West Seattle neighborhood across from downtown, where people were waiting to catch sight of them.

Bog standard? Study seeks most effective toilet training methods

admin — Tue, 04 Mar 2025 00:01:30 +0000

UCL team is inviting parents to share their experiences, as age at which children in west acquire the skill rises

Storybooks about potties, underpants featuring superheroes, rewards for doing a wee: toilet training is a rite of passage for any child. But with the average age of toilet training steadily creeping upwards, scientists are now hoping to crack the question of which methods are most effective.

Trump orders swathes of US forests to be cut down for timber

admin — Mon, 03 Mar 2025 20:02:39 +0000

President’s move to expand tree cutting across 280m acres evades rules to protect endangered species

Donald Trump has ordered that swathes of America’s forests be felled for timber, evading rules to protect endangered species while doing so and raising the prospect of chainsaws razing some of the most ecologically important trees in the US.

Caribou case study offers a new model to manage species at risk

admin — Mon, 03 Mar 2025 19:11:00 +0000

Researchers are suggesting a more comprehensive approach for identifying at-risk wildlife populations -- such as caribou -- based on individual movement patterns. The article uses a long-term dataset of caribou wearing GPS collars across Western Canada. It identifies six distinct behavioral groups that would each deserve their own conservation actions.

Spain’s rewilding of Iberian lynx at risk after lobbying by hunters and farmers

admin — Mon, 03 Mar 2025 17:39:15 +0000

Regional governments bow to pressure from agricultural industry, often amplified by far-right Vox party

Only last year it was hailed as a conservation success story: the Iberian lynx, which had been close to extinction, had sprung back to life thanks to a two-decade-long effort to expand the population.

Trump purge raises extinction threat for endangered species, fired workers warn

admin — Mon, 03 Mar 2025 12:00:02 +0000

Scientist sounds alarm over ‘canary in the coalmine’ species including beetles and spiders

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Donald Trump’s blitz on federal science agencies has increased the risk of endangered species going extinct, fired government experts have warned.

Weather tracker: Polar vortex collapse could chill North America and Eurasia

admin — Mon, 03 Mar 2025 11:35:59 +0000

Sudden stratospheric warming event expected to develop in next two weeks and will probably weaken the jet stream

A sudden stratospheric warming event is expected to develop over the next two weeks, leading to a rapid collapse of the polar vortex.

This will be the second and probably final disruption of the polar vortex this winter in the northern hemisphere, the first having taken place earlier last month, which was associated with a severe cold spell across much of the eastern half of the US.

Earth’s strongest ocean current could slow down by 20% by 2050 in a high emissions future

admin — Mon, 03 Mar 2025 07:00:32 +0000

Melting Antarctic ice is releasing cold, fresh water into the ocean, which is projected to cause the slowdown

Mystery donor’s £17.5m gift could turn Scottish estate into rewilding showcase

admin — Mon, 03 Mar 2025 00:01:24 +0000

Scottish Wildlife Trust plans to create rainforest, restore peatland and end deer stalking on Highland sporting estate

Scottish conservationists hope to convert a Highland sporting estate into a rewilding showcase after a mystery benefactor gave them more than £17.5m to buy it.

The Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT), best known for its small nature reserves, has bought Inverbroom estate near Ullapool in north-west Scotland, complete with an 11-bedroom lodge that boasts an indoor swimming pool.