Environment

March, 2018

• 1 March

  Dying reefs bigger threat to coasts than rising seas

  

  The death of coral reefs is a more significant factor in the erosion of tropical coastlines than rising sea levels, a new international study has revealed.  

February, 2018

• 28 February

  Disturbing footage shows baby bird’s stomach cut open to show more than 200 pieces of plastic inside

  

  The disturbing footage was filmed by the United Nations to highlight the devastating impact discarded plastic has on the world’s sea life. The researcher said the plastic was ‘no doubt’ the cause of the bird’s death.  
• 28 February

  Pesticides are accumulated in the fat tissue

  

  Pesticides are accumulated in bodies with high fat content. This conclusion was made by the scientists from the Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU) that have been studying seabirds and marine mammals of the Sea of Okhotsk and the Bering Sea for several years.   
• 27 February

  Nerul residents go online to save Maharashtra’s Talawe wetlands

  

  Residents of Nerul and adjoining areas have launched an online campaign to save the Talawe wetlands. The residents have taken to the grievance redressal portal of the Maharashtra government and have been posting their complaints online in addition to a Facebook page being run to save the wetlands.  
• 24 February

  Mangroves free of 500 tonne plastic

  

  The participation by citizens too has risen from 720 to 14,400 within a couple of months time.  
• 23 February

  Acid oceans will dissolve coral reef sands within decades

  

  Carbonate sands on coral reefs will start dissolving within about 30 years, on average, as oceans become more acidic, new research published today in Science shows. 
• 23 February

  Untreated wastewater at Patong Bay takes its toll on soft corals

  

  It has been confirmed today that untreated wastewater being released into the sea at Patong Bay is starting to bleach the soft corals in the area. 
• 23 February

  More than half the world’s oceans are being hit by ‘industrial fishing’

  

  Commercial fishing boasts a larger global footprint than agriculture, according to a new study. China, Spain, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea are the main players in the space. 
• 22 February

  First evidence of surprising ocean warming around Galápagos corals

  

  A new analysis of the natural temperature archives stored in coral reefs shows the ocean around the Galápagos Islands has been warming since the 1970s.    
• 22 February

  First evidence that seals can consume microplastics via their prey

  

  Microplastics can transfer up the food chain from fish to top predators, such as seals, reveals new research by Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML), University of Exeter and the Cornish Seal Sanctuary.  
• 21 February

  Giving seagrass its due

  

  Seagrass meadows play a crucial role in reducing coastal erosion, making their conservation key for combating rising sea levels due to climate change. 
• 21 February

  Over 90 species of animals facing extinction in Pakistan: report

  

  Currently around 90 species of mammals, birds and reptiles are facing a threat of extinction in Pakistan according to the Ministry of Climate Change, reports a local English daily.