According to a new report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), February 2024 was the planet’s ninth consecutive record-warm month. February’s average global temperature on land and the ocean’s surface was 2.52 degrees Fahrenheit above the century’s average of 53.8 degrees Fahrenheit — the warmest February in the 175-year NOAA planetary climate record. […]
One of the most visible indicators of ocean surface temperature warming due to climate change is the bleaching of coral reefs. Environmental changes like warming waters can cause corals to expel the algae that live on them and provide them with nutrients, turning the corals white. A new study has found that, while most of […]
Quick Key Facts The Endangered Species Act To understand what “endangered species” means, it’s important to unpack the Endangered Species Act (ESA), which followed the Endangered Species Preservation Act of 1966, the first piece of federal endangered species legislation. Enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1973, the ESA states that the federal government has a […]
A new study has detected heavy metals and other toxins in whales and dolphins that became stranded in Florida and Georgia over a 15-year timeframe. Researchers analyzed tissue and fecal samples of 90 odontocetes (toothed whales), spanning nine different species, that had stranded in Florida and Georgia from 2007 to 2021. In total, the team […]
Quick Key Facts What Are ‘Coral Reefs’? Coral reefs consist of hundreds of thousands of coral polyps — marine animal invertebrates with hard calcium carbonate exoskeletons. Different species grow to form a variety of measurements and shapes — from the size of a pinhead to as large as a foot in diameter. Coral colonies are […]
In 1980, Greg Kauffman — founder of nonprofit Maui Pacific Whale Foundation (PWF) — started World Whale Day. A celebration of the humpback whales who grace Maui’s waters each winter, the holiday is observed on the third Sunday of February and is an opportunity to raise awareness about threats to the species. This year, World […]
According to a new report from fossil fuel accountability organization the Center for Climate Integrity (CCI), the plastics industry has known for decades that the widespread recycling of its products was not feasible, but continued to promote it and mislead the public. Many of the fossil fuel companies that were aware and deceived the public […]
Parts of an oil spill first detected near the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago on February 7 are drifting into the Caribbean Sea, putting the country’s coral reefs, as well as other nations, at risk. The spill was determined to have been caused by an overturned barge being pulled by a tugboat called Solo […]
A new study led by researchers at Australia’s University of Queensland (UQ) has found that the planet has more coral reef area than previously believed. Scientists have identified 134,364 square miles of shallow coral reefs at depths of up to 65.6 to 98.4 feet deep, according to Dr. Mitchell Lyons of the School of the […]
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