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Massive Iceberg Breaks Off Antarctic Brunt Ice Shelf

A 1550 square km (963 sq mi.) iceberg, designated A81 broke off Antarctica’s Brunt Ice Shelf.

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Scientists make jarring discovery while analyzing coastal waters

As the artificial grass breaks down, small pieces of plastic can make their way into soil and waterways, contributing to plastic pollution.

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Global sea levels spiked dramatically in 2023

Satellite observations spanning the past 30 years: global average sea levels have risen by a shocking 4 inches since 1993. To make matters worse, the rate is accelerating.

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Hurricane Idalia provided cooldown for Florida coral reefs while bleaching continues across Caribbean

Hurricane Idalia may have provided the cooling relief to save some of Florida's coral reefs. El Niño-fueled coral bleaching is ongoing in the Atlantic and Caribbean.

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Scientists will unleash an army of crabs to help save Florida’s dying reef

The key is in the crabs’ diets: These critters consume enormous quantities of seaweed, also known as macro algae. Algae has been choking reefs... especially in Florida.

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Microplastic exposure linked to changes in behavior and brain alteration

Microplastic exposure in mammals, including humans, is a serious health concern. Among other complications, the researchers found a potential link to Alzheimer’s disease.

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Wary of Rising Plastic Concerns, More Brands Are Turning to Compostable Disposables

A plastic that turns into dirt might sound like the answer we’ve all been waiting for. But like most sustainability issues, it’s complicated.

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High ocean temperatures are harming the Florida coral reef and rescue crews are racing to help

A coalition of groups has rushed to the Florida Keys to rescue coral from historic bleaching amid abnormally high temperatures.

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Depressing find at the bottom of the Mariana Trench is a warning to the world

The Mariana Trench, the deepest point in the ocean, was once believed to be untouched by humans. However, new discoveries have revealed the disturbing extent of plastic pollution.

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Coral reefs benefit from reduced land–sea impacts under ocean warming

Direct human impacts on local scales are fundamentally restructuring these important marine communities.

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The Discovery Of Blackbeard's Shipwreck Tells Us More About Pirates Than We Knew Before

Uncovering the Mystery of Blackbeard's Sunken Ship.

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A 1,500-pound great white shark named 'Breton' is currently swimming off the coast of North Carolina

'Breton' was first tagged near Nova Scotia in September 2020 with an electronic tracker, which pings whenever he breaks the water's surface.

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UN report: Window for limiting global warming is closing

A stark new U.N. climate change report warns that humanity stands at the precipice of a more dangerous world.

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Many Antarctic glaciers are hemorrhaging ice. This one is healing its cracks

Treks deep into Kamb Ice Stream crevasses revealed ice refreezing into green globs, sealing gaps.

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‘Plasticosis’ in Seabirds Could Herald New Era of Animal Disease

Ocean animals are growing sicker from ingesting too much plastic.

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Several whale species in Seattle area rebounded in 2022

It was a banner year for several whale species in Seattle-area waters with double the sightings of one species of orca from a mere five years earlier...

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Earth’s ozone layer on course to be healed within decades, UN report finds

The ozone layer is showing signs of continuing recovery from man-made damage and is likely to heal fully by 2060, new evidence shows.

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Join thousand who have already signed on to protect over 50 vulnerable species of sharks at CITES

PADI AWARE is calling on our community to sign a letter urging governments to vote yes, enforcing greater protection of sharks. Letters presented directly to CITES 2023.

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This coral reef resurrected itself — and showed scientists how to replicate it

About half a billion people worldwide depend on the ecosystems created and sustained by corals. And climate change is threatening coral's survival...

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Year After Year, Plastic Recycling Declines Even as Plastic Waste Increases

U.S. households generated an estimated 51 million tons of plastic waste in 2021, only 2.4 million tons of which was recycled.

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Deep in Taiwan’s Forests, Microplastics Are Found in Bear Feces

The pollution was found in fecal matter from protected species in Taiwan including black bears, sambar deer, otters, yellow-throated martens and leopard cats...

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No rainwater that falls anywhere on Earth is safe to drink

Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink. No, really.

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The Solution to Plastic Waste? Stop Making New Plastic

A panel of experts last week made a simple, common-sense recommendation for dealing with the U.S.’s plastic pollution problem: Stop making so much plastic.

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An enzyme that digests plastic could boost recycling

This week John McGeehan of the University of Portsmouth, in Britain, and his colleagues report details of a bacterial enzyme called “PETase” that can digest plastic...

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SOME GOOD NEWS: Coral levels in some parts of the Great Barrier Reef are at the highest in 36 years

The amount of coral in some areas of the Great Barrier Reef is at its highest in 36 years, according to a new report from the Australian Institute of Marine Science.

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Shark attack saves man's life in a surprising twist of fate

In a surprising twist of fate, a shark attack actually saved a California man's life.

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Climate change: IPCC scientists say it's 'now or never' to limit warming

Global emissions of CO2 would need to peak within three years to stave off the worst impacts. Even then, we would also need technology to suck CO2 from the skies by mid-century.

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The Last Glacier

The most comprehensive film ever produced about the relationship between climate change, mountain environments, and glaciers.

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New Jersey's Ban on Plastic Bags & Polystyrene Goes Into Effect May 4th, 2022

Starting May 4, New Jersey retail stores, grocery stores & food service businesses may not provide/sell single-use plastic carryout bags & polystyrene foam food service products.

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Microplastics Detected in Human Blood in New Study

Scientists have detected microplastics near the peak of Mount Everest, in the Mariana Trench and even in baby poop. But researchers have now found them in human blood.

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ARE YOU READY TO #UNWRAPTHEFUTURE?

The TOM FORD Plastic Innovation Prize is the only global competition focused exclusively on creating scalable & biologically degradable alternatives to thin-film plastic polybags.

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In a First, an Ice Shelf Collapses in East Antarctica

Scientists say a period of unusual weather, combined with record-low sea ice, led to the disintegration of the Conger ice shelf. (Image: Agence France-Presse —Getty Images)

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Microplastics and the environment

Explore the mischievous ways microplastics flow into our environment through wastewater and how we can stop them at the source.

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The charge to keep EV batteries out of the trash

As electric vehicles grow in popularity, there's a related challenge on the horizon: how to dispose of worn-out EV batteries.

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Welcome to the Underwater Photographer of the Year winner's collection of 2022

UPY celebrates underwater photography in all its forms. We are delighted that this year’s awarded images represent many genres, produced by photographers from around the world.

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The Doomsday Glacier

In the farthest reaches of Antarctica, a nightmare scenario of crumbling ice – and rapidly rising seas – could spell disaster for a warming planet.

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Nobel in chemistry honors 'greener' way to build molecules

The work of Benjamin List and David W.C. MacMillan has allowed scientists to produce molecules more cheaply, efficiently, safely—and, most importantly, environmentally cleaner.

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Swimming in an Uncertain Sea

What have the sharks taught you about being human? Life changes. Eventually you do have to change. Not everything is the same forever.

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Protected Too Late: U.S. Officials Report More Than 20 Extinctions

The animals and one plant had been listed as endangered species. Their stories hold lessons about a growing global biodiversity crisis.

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Selective breeding can produce heat-tolerant corals

Coral populations have genetic potential to adapt to warming oceans, according to new research by Southern Cross University researchers.

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What Does It Mean That Greenland Sharks Could Live for Hundreds of Years?

A languid fish has a story to tell about longevity, lifestyle, and loss.

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Coral reef taller than the Empire State Building discovered in Australia's Great Barrier Reef

The reef is located off the coast of North Queensland, in the area around Cape York. Seven other detached reefs have been discovered in this region since the late 1800s.

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The Return of White Sharks to Cape Cod

According to Greg Skomal’s research, Cape Cod is the largest aggregate site in the North Atlantic for white sharks.

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‘Code red’: UN scientists warn of worsening global warming

Under each scenario, the report said, the world will cross the 1.5-degree-Celsius warming mark in the 2030s, earlier than some past predictions.

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The fungus and bacteria tackling plastic waste

The fungus had eaten its way through the plastic sponge intended to seal it in, breaking it down and assimilating it like any other food.

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Is This the Beginning of Runaway Global Warming?

It’s Beginning to Feel Like We’ve Finally Pushed the Planet Past its Final Tipping Point.

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Women In Science: Megan Winton Is 1st Staff Scientist Hired By Atlantic White Shark Conservancy

Winton explains her job combines everything she is passionate about. She first became interested in sharks when she was in elementary school...

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$4 Million Secured for Carysfort Reef Restoration

Coral Restoration Foundation was recently awarded a grant of just under $2 million by UWCK to expand work at Carysfort Reef off northern Key Largo.

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Amazon rainforest now emitting more CO2 than it absorbs

Cutting emissions more urgent than ever, say scientists, with forest producing more than a billion tonnes of carbon dioxide a year.

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Jill Banfield hasn’t been this excited about a discovery since CRISPR

Borgs are giant extrachromosomal elements with the potential to augment methane oxidation. Anaerobic methane oxidation exerts a key control on greenhouse gas emissions...

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Toxic ‘forever chemicals’ are contaminating plastic food containers

Harmful PFAS chemicals are being used to hold food, drink and cosmetics, with unknown consequences for human health.

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Reefs, Restoration, and Rum make the perfect mix with Golden Age Spirits!

Bill Atkinson of Golden Age Spirits yearns for oceans as clean and blue as the days when Pirates were the worst enemy in them.

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In South Padre, Texans Have Rescued More Than 4,000 “Cold-Stunned” Sea Turtles

Conservationists worked to bring the endangered animals to shore—but getting the turtles warm amid a blackout is the next challenge.

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More than 1.5 billion face masks to pollute oceans, will take 450 years to break down

"Single-use face masks are made from a variety of meltblown plastics and are difficult to recycle due to both composition and risk of contamination and infection."

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The Strange and Gruesome Story of the Greenland Shark, the Longest-Living Vertebrate on Earth

Using carbon dating and a new method involving proteins in the lens of the eye, Danish scientists have unraveled the mystery of how long Greenland sharks live.

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A simple burst of bubbles is keeping this canal clear of plastic

In Amsterdam, the Great Bubble Barrier is a simple solution to plastic pollution: creating an invisible barrier that helps collect the trash that ends up in the water.

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Dolphins May Be Able to Control Their Heart Rates

Along with other marine mammals, and even humans, dolphins slow their heart rate before a dive.

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Megalodons, the Ocean’s Most Ferocious Prehistoric Predators, Raised Their Young in Nurseries

Fossils shed light on how these sharks were raised and what led to their ultimate demise

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Atlantic Ocean now hottest in 3,000 years as scientists warn of ‘storms and mass extinction’

The past decade has seen the Atlantic Ocean at its hottest temperatures in three thousand years... A new study found recent spikes in temperature go well beyond natural patterns.

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Underwater Meadows of Seagrass Could Be the Ideal Carbon Sinks

Many ecosystems absorb and store vast amounts of carbon dioxide, and seagrass is one of the most efficient natural carbon storage environments.

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Why Has No One Seen a Whale Shark Give Birth?

A world-first ultrasound and chance sightings of potential mating rituals could help in the urgent work to save these gentle giants from extinction.

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Scientists found the cleanest air on Earth, and it’s nowhere near you

Thanks to some quirks of the global climate and weather patterns, the clouds over the Southern Ocean around Antarctica are pristine.

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Activists raise alarms over virus litter

A French environmental group is finding this virus-era detritus littering the Mediterranean floor and is trying to raise awareness and clean it up.

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Humpback Whale Population Bounces Back From Near-Extinction—From Just 450, to Over 25,000

Conservationists are rejoicing after new research showed that whales in the South Atlantic have rebounded from the brink of extinction.

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Cutting the kill count

The ultimate goal of CITES listings is fewer dead sharks and rays. That means hard work globally to implement trade regulations. A major new SCF-funded program will plays key role.

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How Big Oil and Big Soda kept a global environmental calamity a secret for decades

Every human on Earth is ingesting nearly 2,000 particles of plastic a week. These tiny pieces enter our unwitting bodies from tap water, food, and even the air...

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Even in the middle of a pandemic, Seth Bloomgarden is focused on our coastal environment

Here’s how the longtime waterman, adventurer and athlete is keeping the surf culture alive at home.

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Earth's oceans are hotter than ever — and getting warmer faster

The world's oceans hit their warmest level in recorded history in 2019.

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Nearly $1 million worth of shark fins seized by wildlife inspectors in Florida

Due to the shark fin soup trade, shark populations such as hammerhead and oceanic whitetip, have declined by more than 90%, a 2018 study in Marine Policy reported.

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Coral bleaching: Scientists 'find way to make coral more heat-resistant'

Scientists in Australia say they have found a way to help coral reefs fight the devastating effects of bleaching by making them more heat-resistant.

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Environmental group volunteers stranded in coral reef coronavirus castaway drama

Natalie Poole arrived to help protect Myanmar's Kyun Pila island coral reef, but then coronavirus hit.

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White sharks and whale sharks are among the species at risk of extinction over the next century

Great whites and whale sharks are among the species at risk of extinction over the next century, a new study has found.

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This researcher created an algorithm that removes the water from underwater images

Why do all the pictures you take underwater look blandly blue-green? The answer has to do with how light travels through water.

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The Biggest Exporters of Plastic Waste in the World

Plastic waste, which is still imported by some countries for recycling, has been making headlines recently after China decided to prohibit its import amid environmental concerns.

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Planet Earth

Do you know when the world will run out of seafood? Find shocking environmental facts and statistics on everything from child labor and slavery to toxic waste and climate change.

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Coral Reefs - Fast Facts

Coral reefs are essential to healthy coasts and vibrant economies, playing a critical role in everything from protecting lives and property to supporting thousands of businesses.

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Giant Floating Solar Farms Could Make Fuel and Help Solve the Climate Crisis, Says Study

Millions of solar panels clustered together to form an island could convert carbon dioxide in seawater into methanol, which can fuel airplanes and trucks.

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Fishing gear to blame for majority of plastic pollution in ocean

Think of marine plastic pollution and the image of a sea turtle stuck in a six-pack ring may leap to mind. Or in more recent days, the hotly contested plastic straw.

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Great Pacific Garbage Patch threatens seabird population in Hawaii

Midway is at the center of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a vast area of floating plastic collected by circulating oceanic currents.

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See the First Playable Record Made from Recycled Ocean Plastic

Sharp’s Brewery, Nick Mulvey, Keynvor and vinyl manufacturer Tangible Formats have teamed up to create the first record composed of recycled single-use plastic.

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Costa Rica Plans To Be The First Plastic-Free AND Carbon-Free Country In The World By 2021

Costa Rica is one of the top 5 of countries in the world leading the way in renewable resources. It might be tiny but it has a huge impact environmentally.

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This island paradise is made entirely from plastic

French entrepreneur Eric Becker hopes to inspire people to recycle more — one plastic bottle at a time. See his stunning island creation, made entirely of waste he has collected.

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The Surfrider Foundation Miami Transformed Nikki Beach

The Surfrider Foundation celebrated a tropical evening highlighting and celebrating local environmental game-changers who protect what we love- our oceans, beaches and waves.

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Conservation Spotlight: Shark Allies

Started in Hawaii by a dedicated team of divers, Shark Allies has become a key player in protecting sharks in the U.S. and worldwide with campaigns centered on the shark fin trade.

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The coffee cup gets a radical, desperately needed redesign

Unocups, the brainchild of a product designer and an architect, are able to hold hot liquids without the use of a conventional plastic lid.

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