Outcry as Faroe Islands slaughter 1,400 dolphins in a day
The government of the Faroe Islands, an autonomous Danish territory, faced an outcry on Tuesday over the culling of more than 1,400 white-sided dolphins in a day in what was said to be the single biggest hunt in the northern archipelago......»»
UN"s Guterres issues "global SOS" over fast-rising Pacific ocean
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres sent out a global climate "SOS" at a Pacific islands summit on Tuesday, unveiling research that shows the region's seas rising much more swiftly than global averages......»»
Big polluters urged to pay as key Pacific summit opens in Tonga
Emissions-belching nations were challenged to stump up for climate-related damage as a key Pacific islands summit opened on Monday, with low-lying Tuvalu declaring: "If you pollute, you should pay.".....»»
Islands in the sky: Could steep-sided hilltops offer safe haven to threatened species?
Species are disappearing at an alarming rate around the world. But Australia's extinction crisis is especially severe—since European colonization, we have lost about 100 species of animals and plants. The loss of 33 mammal species is largely due to.....»»
New evidence from West Papua offers fresh clues about how and when humans first moved into the Pacific
In the deep human past, highly skilled seafarers made daring crossings from Asia to the Pacific Islands. It was a migration of global importance that shaped the distribution of our species—Homo sapiens—across the planet......»»
Microsoft’s Paint 3D was once the future of MS Paint, but now it’s going away
User outcry ushered in a renaissance for classic MS Paint, and Paint 3D faded. Enlarge / Paint 3D, once the future of the Paint app, is getting the axe in November. (credit: Andrew Cunningham) In October of 2017, Microso.....»»
Invasive insect herbivore alters ecosystem services delivered by cycads
A study published in the June 2024 issue of the journal Pedosphere looks at how a non-native armored scale insect alters the leaf litter decomposition dynamics of the novel host cycad species on newly invaded islands. The scale insect, known as cycad.....»»
From tree holes to trash—the breeding behavior of a frog endemic to the Andman Islands of India
A team of biologists from the University of Delhi and Zoological Survey of India, Harvard University, and the University of Minnesota has discovered a unique breeding behavior in a species of frog endemic to the Andaman Islands of India. In a new stu.....»»
The Galapagos Islands and many of their unique creatures are at risk from warming waters
Warm morning light reflects from the remains of a natural rock arch near Darwin Island, one of the most remote islands in the Galapagos. In clear, deep blue water, thousands of creatures—fish, hammerhead sharks, marine iguanas—move in search of f.....»»
3D models show dolphins already used narrow-band sound waves for orientation 5 million years ago
Senckenberg researcher Dr. Rachel Racicot and her former student Joyce Sanks from Vanderbilt University have examined the inner ear of the extinct dolphin genus Parapontoporia. In their study, published in the journal The Anatomical Record, they show.....»»
Rare rodent prefers an invasive noxious weed over native vegetation, study finds
In a twist to the native animal survival story, new research shows that a threatened rodent that only survives on offshore islands prefers one of Australia's most invasive weeds for food and shelter......»»
Waters along Bar Harbor, Acadia, home to billions of microplastics
Along the shores of Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor and the Schoodic Peninsula are the vast, briny waters of Frenchman Bay. With 98 square miles of water and 39 islands, the bay is vital to shorebirds, fish, lobstermen and outdoor recreationists. Un.....»»
Off Ecuador"s Galapagos, a former shark-poaching ship"s new mission
When Ecuador's navy seized a Chinese-flagged ship off the Galapagos Islands in 2017, its hold brimmed with tons and tons of poached fish, many of them threatened species like hammerhead and thresher sharks......»»
Adding to the story of ancient human migration: Evidence of early maritime activities in Indonesia"s Tanimbar islands
New evidence of human occupation in southeast Indonesia dating back 42,000 years offers fresh clues about the route taken by some of the first humans to arrive in our region, according to a study from The Australian National University (ANU). The res.....»»
Rural belts around cities could reduce urban temperatures by up to 0.5°C, study suggests
The key to cooling 'urban heat islands' may lie in the countryside, according to a new study, published in the journal Nature Cities, from scientists at the University of Surrey and Southeast University (China)......»»
Slower metabolism of warm-blooded animals on islands correlated with higher risk of anthropogenic extinction
A multi-institutional team of zoologists and animal behavioral specialists in China and Germany has found an association between the slower metabolism of island-dwelling, warm-blooded animals and an increased risk of anthropogenic extinction......»»
Cape Cod"s fishhook topography makes it a global hotspot for mass strandings by dolphins
The recent stranding of more than 100 dolphins on Cape Cod, the largest such event involving dolphins in U.S. history, is partly due to the peninsula's geography, with its gently sloping sand flats, tidal fluctuations and proximity to productive feed.....»»
Q&A: "We lost instruments chewed or crunched by bears and sea otters"—how a researcher listens for elusive belugas
Dr. Manuel Castellote studies the behavior and conservation of whales and dolphins. After beginning his academic career in Spain, he now works in the United States, applying acoustic techniques to learn more about cetaceans—especially beluga whales.....»»
Hurricanes Are Trapping Small Island Nations in Ever-Worsening Spirals of Debt
Damage from tropical storms like Beryl saddles islands with debt, which they have no hope of clearing before the next storm hits......»»
Algae instead of corals: A reef island adapts to changing environmental influences
Although it is surrounded by stressed coral reefs, an island in the Indonesian Spermonde Archipelago has not shrunk but continued to grow. Reef islands hence react dynamically to environmental changes that disturb their reef systems, according to a n.....»»
At-risk islands are missing from climate change models, researchers warn
Urgent international cooperation is required to provide small island states and territories with the information they need to respond effectively to the existential threat of climate change......»»