Big Blue Bulletin #10

Marine mammal rescue, abandoned dreams, and a puffin protection row

May 17, 2024

Welcome to the latest edition of the Big Blue Bulletin – a weekly roundup of marine conservation news and updates. Expect good news, bad news, and a cute creature in your inbox every Friday.

Let’s dive in 🐬

Ocean news

💡 Thought piece -

☀️ Brutal heatwaves and submerged cities: what a 3C world would look like

“Climate scientists have told the Guardian they expect catastrophic levels of global heating. Here’s what that would mean for the planet.”

🏭 UK ‘net zero’ project will produce 20m tonnes of carbon pollution, say experts

“Government told Net Zero Teesside gas scheme will be massive polluter despite its carbon capture claims.”

🐋 Malaysian scientists save marine mammals by listening to the sounds of the sea

“Scientists at MareCet Research Organisation listen carefully as the sea shares secrets about marine conservation.”

🇧🇷 Brazilian athletes drop Olympic dreams to help flood victims

“Brazilian athletes from the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul are giving up their dreams to compete and staying at home to help with the rescue of victims of the severe floods.”

🐬 Abandoned dolphins left to starve in Bahamas

“At an abandoned captive dolphin amusement park at Blackbeard Cay, Nassau, Bahamas, eight dolphins have died and five remain abandoned and starving.”

🏞️ Untreated sewage illegally pumped into Windermere

“Millions of litres of raw sewage were illegally pumped into one of England's most famous lakes after a fault.”

🔥 Summer 2023 was the hottest in 2,000 years, study says

“The intense northern hemisphere summer heat drove wildfires across the Mediterranean, buckled roads in Texas and strained power grids in China last year.”

🐦 The river is calm again, bringing a wealth of new flora and fauna

“After its winter spate, this unstable habitat is thriving once again, with a common sandpiper the star of the show.”

🇯🇵 Japan plans to commercially hunt vulnerable fin whales, enraging conservationists

“Japan has announced plans to add fin whales — the second-largest animal on Earth — to its list of commercial whaling species.”

🐟 'Significant' number of dead fish in waterway

“A "significant number" of dead fish have been found in a waterway in Boston, the Environment Agency has said.”

🦈 Illegal wildlife trafficking is stubbornly prevalent, U.N. report says

“Illegal trafficking of plant and animal wildlife remains stubbornly prevalent and it is critical governments focus on more than just "iconic" species.”

🦞 The Gulf of Maine is warming fast. What does that mean for lobsters and everything else?

“Brian Skerry has been diving in the Gulf of Maine for more than 40 years. After learning these waters were a harbinger of climate change, he set out to document the rapid shift and its ripple effects.”

🦅 Hundreds of ‘emaciated’ and stranded pelicans turn up along California coast

“State’s department of fish and wildlife says the brown pelicans are showing signs of malnutrition, but that the cause is still unclear.”

🇬🇧 UK's puffin protection laws at centre of post Brexit row

“The endangered puffin - one of Britain’s most iconic seabirds - is at the centre of a row over the UK’s post Brexit freedoms.”

⛵ Orcas sink sailing yacht in Strait of Gibraltar

“An unknown number of orcas have sunk a sailing yacht after ramming it in Moroccan waters in the Strait of Gibraltar, Spain's maritime rescue service said.”

📈 Michael Mann: “Defeatism is as much of a threat as climate denial”