Breaking Waves: Ocean News

More Canadian wildfire smoke shrouds US midwest, mid-Atlantic and north-east

admin — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 20:31:59 +0000

109 million people face another day of poor air quality as smoke from blazes in Ontario drifts over the US

Southern Water fined £7m after illegally dumping sewage off Kent coast

admin — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 14:56:01 +0000

Firm pleaded guilty to 13 offences over discharges at Margate and Broadstairs wastewater pumping stations

Southern Water has been fined more than £7m after illegally dumping sewage off the Kent coast between 2019 and 2021.

The company, described by the judge as having a “record of criminality” that was “an exceptionally serious aggravating factor”, pleaded guilty to 13 offences at Medway magistrates court last April over sewage discharges at Margate and Broadstairs wastewater pumping stations between 2019 and 2021.

Biodiversity fears as human-bred hybrid fish integrate into Philippines lake

admin — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 14:00:31 +0000

Escaped flowerhorn cichlids are causing concern for native species and about parasites capable of infecting humans

Escaped ornamental aquarium fish have integrated into a local ecosystem in the Philippines, but scientists say they may be threatening the native biodiversity of the lake.

Flowerhorn cichlids – human-bred hybrid fish prized for their bright-gold colour and prominent head humps – are believed to have escaped from breeding facilities into Lake Sampaloc, which sits in a volcanic crater, during a typhoon.

Jackdaw gasfield would create only 27 direct full-time jobs, documents show

admin — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 12:30:23 +0000

Campaigners say field will bring minimal benefit for UK economy, as industry lobbies Burnham for go-ahead

More people can fit on to the top deck of a standard London bus than will be directly employed on the new Jackdaw gasfield in the North Sea, industry documents show.

California braces for its sharkiest summer in a decade – but experts say don’t panic

admin — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 10:00:04 +0000

Young great white sharks are returning in large numbers, but researchers say humans are not on the menu

Surfers, swimmers and fishermen across California will be sharing the waves with an influx of visitors this summer: young great white sharks.

Juvenile white sharks are already appearing along the coastline, fleeing warmer than usual waters in Mexico during what’s expected to be an incredibly strong El Niño.

Climate change driving more rains that lead to deadly flash floods, experts say

admin — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 10:00:04 +0000

Over the last month, states across the country have experienced record rainfall and flash flooding

Climate change is driving increasingly common bouts of heavy rain in the US that cause deadly and damaging flash floods that will only become more frequent and intense as the crisis worsens, experts say.

Week in wildlife: a stuck raccoon, a hardy mouse and a well-camouflaged wildcat

admin — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 07:00:00 +0000

This week’s best wildlife photographs from around the world

Shifting baselines and maritime jurisdiction in the Pacific

admin — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 04:00:00 +0000

npj Ocean Sustainability, Published online: 17 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s44183-026-00230-0

Shifting baselines and maritime jurisdiction in the Pacific

‘We are waiting with bated breath’: experts alarmed as BoM says gathering El Niño could be strongest on record

admin — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 15:00:41 +0000

Most Australian capital cities have at least 80% chance of unusually warm and dry spring as climatologists watch developing system with increasing alarm

Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates

Private schools offer 41% more tree shade than state schools in England

admin — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 14:37:19 +0000

Analysis reveals stark socioeconomic divide, with schools with highest free school meal eligibility having fewer trees

Private school grounds in England offer 41% more tree cover than at state schools for cooling and shade in extreme temperatures, research has found.