Breaking Waves: Ocean News

Federal ‘God squad’ exempts oil and gas drilling in Gulf of Mexico from endangered species rules

admin — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 15:26:49 +0000

Critics say exemption exploits White House’s ‘self-made gas crisis’, and could doom the rare Rice’s whale

UK’s smallest bird of prey among 200 species at risk of extinction, study finds

admin — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 15:00:01 +0000

Merlin could disappear in worst-case scenario, with British isles facing ecological ‘point of no return’

The merlin, Britain’s smallest bird of prey, is one of more than 200 species that will become extinct in the UK if action is not taken to curb emissions and unsustainable land use, a study has claimed.

According to the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH), there is a 20-year window in which decisions on climate and land use will determine the fate of dozens of Britain’s native species.

Deepwater discoveries: scientists find more than 110 new fish and invertebrate species in the Coral Sea

admin — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 13:01:55 +0000

Brittlestars, sea anemones and a catshark among new-to-science species collected during expedition off the Queensland coast

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Marine scientists have discovered more than 110 new fish and invertebrate species in the Coral Sea – a figure they believe could exceed 200 as more are identified.

Trump’s Iran war and energy policies outline ‘dangerous volatility’ of fossil fuel push

admin — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 12:00:54 +0000

Critics say president is locking into 20th century energy systems even as his ‘bet’ on oil and gas ‘isn’t going so well’

By attacking Iran and threatening to seize its oil while taking extraordinary measures to block clean energy back in the US, Donald Trump has inadvertently highlighted the dangerous volatility of the fossil fuel era, critics say.

‘Something out of the ordinary’: why are Japan’s oysters dying en masse?

admin — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 10:00:51 +0000

A death rate of up to 90%, attributed to warming seas, is threatening the trade in Hiroshima prefecture, which produces most of the country’s farmed oysters

The Kure oyster festival is doing a brisk trade in beer and grilled meat on sticks. But the longest queues are in front of the oyster stalls, where chefs shuffle piles of mottled shellfish across griddles, waiting for their hinges to ease and reveal their fleshy interiors.

More drilling in North Sea ‘not the answer’ for UK energy security, say former military leaders

admin — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 05:00:32 +0000

Government told to focus on transition to mix of wind, solar, tidal and nuclear energy

More drilling in the North Sea would do nothing to improve the UK’s energy security, former military leaders have said, as a new analysis finds no fossil fuel importer is safe from chokepoints in the global supply chain.

The government should focus on a rapid transition to a mix of wind, solar, tidal and nuclear energy to ensure the UK’s future security, the former military leaders told the Guardian, as well as a programme of energy efficiency and a “major renewal” of the electricity grid.

‘A national scandal’: trawlers scour seabeds of supposedly protected UK waters

admin — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 05:00:31 +0000

‘Precious ocean life is being pushed to the brink,’ say campaigners, arguing that overfished marine areas are ‘protected only on paper’

Almost 40% of England’s seas are designated as marine protected areas. Their purpose, the government says, is “to protect and recover rare threatened and important marine ecosystems … from damage caused by human activities”.

Rubbish and recycling in England: what’s changing and why it matters

admin — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 04:00:29 +0000

Nationwide reforms aim to standardise collections and expand food waste recycling to tackle stagnating rates

Recycling rules across England have long been inconsistent – but that will change from Tuesday when the government’s Simpler Recycling legislation comes into effect.

A turning point for nature: Canadian scientists call for federal leadership on conservation

admin — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 04:00:00 +0000

npj Ocean Sustainability, Published online: 31 March 2026; doi:10.1038/s44183-026-00194-1

Vanuatu Indigenous leaders raise concerns over plans to build resort for cruise tourists

admin — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 00:40:18 +0000

Exclusive: Environmental impact assessments are ‘incomplete’, say leaders, and private beach club could harm fragile ecosystems

Indigenous community leaders in Vanuatu have raised concerns over plans by the cruise operator Royal Caribbean to build a private beach club on the island of Lelepa, arguing environmental impact assessments by the company are “incomplete” and “misleading”.