Category Archives: Oceans

World’s deepest waters becoming ‘ultimate sink’ for plastic waste

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Scientists say it is likely no marine ecosystems are left that are not affected by pollution

The world’s deepest ocean trenches are becoming “the ultimate sink” for plastic waste, according to a study that reveals contamination of animals even in these dark, remote regions of the planet.

For the first time, scientists found microplastic ingestion by organisms in the Mariana trench and five other areas with a depth of more than 6,000 metres, prompting them to conclude “it is highly likely there are no marine ecosystems left that are not impacted by plastic pollution”.

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‘Wiped out before our eyes’: Hawaii offers bold plan to stop shark killings

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Proposal law would protects any shark or ray in state waters and be first of its kind in US

Sharks could soon become more numerous in Hawaii waters – and advocates say that’s a good thing.

Lawmakers in Honolulu advanced a proposed ban on killing sharks in state waters on Wednesday, after receiving hundreds of calls and letters of support from around the country. The law, which would provide sweeping protection for any shark, rather than select species, could be the first of its kind in the United States.

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Cavity two-thirds the size of Manhattan discovered under Antarctic glacier

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Disintegration of rapidly melting Thwaites ice mass could threaten coastal communities worldwide

Scientists have discovered a giant cavity at the bottom of a disintegrating glacier in Antarctica, sparking concerns that the ice sheet is melting more rapidly than expected.

Researchers working as part of a Nasa-led study found the cavern, which they said was 300 metres tall and two-thirds the size of Manhattan, at the bottom of the massive Thwaites glacier.

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Shark attacks around world fell by about one-quarter in 2018

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Four fatalities recorded, with the US and Australia experiencing the most attacks

The number of shark attacks around the world fell by about one-quarter last year, with the US and Australia reporting the highest number of them.

There were four fatalities worldwide, in line with the long-term average of six, according to the annual release of the Florida-based International Shark Attack File.

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Diver filmed with huge great white: sharks must be ‘protected not feared’

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Ocean Ramsey, a shark researcher, came face-to-face with what could be one of the largest great whites ever recorded

Two shark researchers who came face to face with what could be one of the largest great whites ever recorded are using their encounter as an opportunity to push for legislation that would protect sharks in Hawaii.

Ocean Ramsey, a shark researcher and conservationist, told the Associated Press that she encountered the 20ft (6m) shark Tuesday near a dead sperm whale off Oahu. The event was documented and shared on social media by her fiance and business partner, Juan Oliphant.

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Australia’s global beach ambassador on what makes a great beach

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What tickles your fancy when land meets sea? Brad Farmer recommends choosing your ‘best beach’ discerningly

• Vote for Australia’s best beaches
• Open thread: tell us about your favourite beach

As a child, a day at the beach was pure bliss and the salty, splashing, bucket and spade days went on to form the greatest of lasting memories. Now, as an adult, each time I go to the beach – any beach – the ephemeral experience on this thin strip of sand where land meets sea still fascinates and delights me as a celebration of the senses.

I have my favourites of course, many from those carefree, halcyon days as a sun-kissed kid. But are they the “best” beaches of Australia’s honour roll of 11,761 beaches and does it really matter?

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Taiwan’s Guidebook of Marine Debris – in pictures

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The environmental education association Re-Think has launched The Guidebook of Marine Debris to highlight the 101 most commonly found plastic items washed up on Taiwan’s beaches. From Hello Kitty toys to cigarette lighters from thousands of kilometres away on the Midway Islands, Re-Think photographed the items in a bid to educate young people on the extent of the problem. The project took a year to complete with the help of beach clean-up volunteers around Taiwan and the Society of Wilderness.

The oldest piece of waste was a military food pack found in Kinmen dated 1988. It still carried the slogan: “Unite against the Communists and promote love for our compatriots.”

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Global warming of oceans equivalent to an atomic bomb per second

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Seas absorb 90% of climate change’s energy as new research reveals vast heating over past 150 years

Global warming has heated the oceans by the equivalent of one atomic bomb explosion per second for the past 150 years, according to analysis of new research.

More than 90% of the heat trapped by humanity’s greenhouse gas emissions has been absorbed by the seas, with just a few per cent heating the air, land and ice caps respectively. The vast amount of energy being added to the oceans drives sea-level rise and enables hurricanes and typhoons to become more intense.

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‘What is the sea telling us?’: Māori tribes fearful over whale strandings | Eleanor Ainge Roy

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New Zealand’s whale whisperers worry that manmade changes in the ocean are behind the spike in beachings

Whale whisperer Hori Parata was just seven years old when he attended his first mass stranding, a beaching of porpoises in New Zealand’s Northland, their cries screeching through the air on the deserted stretch of sand.

Seven decades later, Parata, 75, has now overseen more than 500 strandings and is renowned in New Zealand as the leading Māori whale expert, called on by tribes around the country for cultural guidance as marine strandings become increasingly complex and fatal.

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