Rainforest protectors, carbon heroes, and Moo Deng's rise to fame
Big Blue Bulletin #28
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
🗞️ Big news of the week -
🎣 More than 80% of EU marine protected areas are ineffective, study shows
“Activities such as mining, dredging and bottom trawling in most MPAs mean conservation targets will be missed, say researchers.”
🪨 Coal mine plan quashed by High Court
“Plans to build the UK's first deep coal mine in more than 30 years have been quashed.”
🌊 A new blue carbon map of the UK gives mud new meaning
“It’s long been understood that ocean habitats play a key role in storing carbon from the atmosphere, but until now, nobody has known exactly how much ends up in kelp, seagrass meadows, salt marshes and sediment in the seabed.”
🌴 The warrior protecting huge swathes of Amazon rainforest from drilling
“After co-founding the Ceibo Alliance and Amazon Frontline, Nemonte and her partner, Mitch Anderson, have won a landmark case against the government, which is now under threat again from being overturned.”
🇬🇧 Lammy’s Kew speech seeks to put UK at centre of a reinvigorated climate fight
“Foreign secretary’s stirring words on climate are welcome change from Sunak era. But now it is time for action.”
🦞 Charities call for action on seabed trawling
“A group of wildlife charities are calling for greater protection of the seabed around the South West.”
⚫ Claim of ‘dark oxygen’ on sea floor faces doubts
“Find would mean Earth has a completely new source of oxygen, but critics say evidence is weak.”
🦀 A toxic chemical blamed for killing thousands of Teesside crabs
“Our recent research outlines why this “pyridine hypothesis” is wrong. It was based on inaccurate and unpublished science, and the theory was propagated through mistrust in government, toxic local politics, and inaccurate media coverage.”
🐢 How green turtles made a major comeback on Cyprus beaches
“Beaches home to two British military bases have seen a significant increase in protected green and loggerhead turtles.”
🛤️ Campaigners call for unlimited ‘climate card’ UK rail pass
“Research says flat-fee train travel would bring economic and health benefits as well as simplifying ticket fares.”
“An orca has been born to the southern residents: L128, calf of a first-time, 31-year-old mom, L90.”
🐧 Tribute unveiled to 'world's oldest' penguin
“A tribute has been unveiled to what was believed to be the world's oldest Humboldt penguin after her death aged 32.”
🪱 Meet the carbon-cycling creatures thriving beneath the seabed
“Our current research brings the seabed to the surface of public consciousness, shedding light on the bustling community of animals living there and their importance to planetary health, the carbon cycle, and perhaps even in providing a solution to climate change.”
😒 New ‘Grumpy’ fish species discovered in Red Sea
“The rare red fish looks perpetually unhappy and sports some serious canines.”
🦭 Shocked seal scooped up by huge humpback whale
“A naturalist was left astounded after taking a photograph of a bewildered seal in the mouth of a humpback whale after the 40-ton marine mammal accidentally swallowed it.”
🌊 Could a controversial plan to add iron to the ocean help it capture more carbon?
“There has been public backlash against the controversial technique, known as ocean iron fertilisation, in the past.”
🪸 Hope for coral reefs after IVF colonies survive record heat event – study
“Scientists found 90% of young coral surveyed remained healthy compared with 25% of older corals, after mass bleaching event in the Caribbean.”
🎨 Marine art deepens our understanding of the oceans – here’s how it has evolved through the centuries
“From seascapes and ship portraits to underwater wildlife and coastal scenes, artworks on display this month at the Royal Society of Marine Artists Annual Exhibition 2024 illustrate the diversity of marine art.”
🦛 Thailand’s adorable pygmy hippo Moo Deng has the kind of face that launches a thousand memes
“Only a month after Thailand’s adorable baby hippo Moo Deng was unveiled on Facebook, her fame became unstoppable.”
🐟 Shock after rare fish discovered on river walk
“A guide has told of the "hugely exciting" moment one of his groups discovered a rare species of fish near Coventry.”
🌍 Huge landslide in Greenland triggered ‘mega-tsunami’ that caused Earth to vibrate for nine days
“A colossal rockslide that triggered a mega-tsunami caused the Earth to ‘hum’ for days, an event scientists say is directly linked to climate crisis.”
🇦🇶 Antarctic krill store as much carbon as the world’s mangroves, salt marshes and seagrass beds
“While humans pump ever more carbon into the atmosphere, krill are working in reverse. They are nature’s heroes, helping to transport carbon out of the atmosphere and store it deep inside the ocean.”
🐢 New tunnels allow turtles to migrate while keeping foxes at bay
“The problem: a fence that protects eastern quolls threatens long-necked turtles in Booderee national park at Jervis Bay. The solution? Turtle tunnels.”
💙 Sir David Attenborough: 'The world would be worse off without our stories'
“Seventy years after he first fronted a wildlife programme, Sir David Attenborough is keenly aware of the impact they can have.”
❗ Ocean Action
🏊🏼♀️ Dip a Day in October
“Dip a Day brings together ocean activists and water lovers from across the UK, dipping every day in cold water throughout October, to raise vital funds to help protect the wild blue spaces we love.”
📚 Ocean Research
🧊 Rapid loss of Antarctic ice after 2100 likely under current emissions, climate scientists find
“A study by more than 50 climate scientists worldwide provides the first clear projection of how carbon emissions may drive the loss of Antarctica's ice sheet over the next 300 years.”
Have a great weekend! 📸
Cover image by Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP