Latest news with #coralReef
Forbes
23-05-2025
- Science
- Forbes
Dancing Turtles Rock: Why Turtle Survival Demands Urgent Action
Sea turtle swims under water on the background of coral reefs. Maldives Indian Ocean coral reef. May 23rd is World Turtle Day and the theme for 2025 is 'Dancing Turtles Rock!'. This is a joyful call to action for one of Earth's oldest and most threatened species. Turtles have been in existence for 200 million years according to and that is in itself a testimony of their resilience even in the midst of the negative actions of humanity. In 2021 the global sea turtle population is estimated at 6.5 million according to the Olive Ridley Project, but many species are under critical threat. The hawksbill turtle, for instance, has declined so drastically that only 57,000 to 83,000 individuals remain worldwide. However, not all news is grim. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reported over 100,000 nesting turtles on monitored beaches, reflecting decades of conservation gains. Big group of sea turtles just steps on the beach toward the sea. Climate change is altering the very biology of turtles, with rising global temperatures threatening to skew natural sex ratios and shrink populations. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Ocean Service, turtle eggs incubated at temperatures below 27°C typically produce males, while those above 31°C result in females. As global temperatures rise, the proportion of male hatchlings is sharply declining, a trend that could drastically reduce reproductive success over time. Fewer males mean fewer opportunities for mating, which could accelerate population declines for already vulnerable species. According to Conservation Ontario, climate change is also degrading turtle habitats by reducing wetland surface area, lowering freshwater quality, and increasing the frequency of droughts and extreme weather events. These changes threaten to erode biodiversity and make survival even harder for freshwater and land turtle populations. The long-term survival of turtles depends not only on direct conservation action but also on broader efforts to mitigate climate change and protect critical ecosystems. HATAY, TURKIYE - A sea turtle (Caretta Caretta) is seen amid ghost nets of fishers despite the ... More efforts of conservation, many die due to plastic wastes every year (Photo by Ozge Elif Kizil/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) The resilience of the turtles is evident as global efforts are making an impact. For example, according to the Times of India, Operation Olivia, a conservation initiative by the Indian Coast Guard, protected over 698,000 Olive Ridley turtles during a single nesting season. This large-scale effort has been instrumental in reducing poaching and ensuring safe beach conditions for mass nesting events along India's eastern coastline. According to a March 2025 review published by NOAA Fisheries and featured in Nature Reviews Biodiversity, most sea turtle populations are rebounding globally thanks to decades of conservation work. The review analyzed nearly 300 nesting records across all seven sea turtle species and found that population increases were six times more frequent than declines, signaling a major marine conservation success. Key drivers of this progress include the reduction of artificial beachfront lighting, widespread bans on hunting, and the adoption of turtle-friendly fishing practices. For example, in Cape Verde, annual loggerhead turtle nests surged from 500 in 2008 to over 35,000 by 2020, while four out of five green turtle populations showed growth. However, the report notes that leatherback turtles remain in serious decline, and climate change still poses a major threat, especially through warming sands that skew hatchling sex ratios toward females. Encouragingly, loggerhead turtles in the Mediterranean have begun nesting in cooler areas potentially a natural adaptation to buffer against extreme warming. NOAA researchers emphasize that public attitudes have shifted too, with communities once reliant on turtle hunting now benefiting from eco-tourism. LADY ELLIOT ISLAND, AUSTRALIA - A Hawksbill sea turtle is seen swimming (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty ... More Images) World Turtle Day 2025 is a call to recommit to one of Earth's most remarkable species. Under the theme 'Dancing Turtles Rock!', we are reminded that while turtles have endured for millions of years, their future depends on us. Climate change, habitat loss, and pollution continue to threaten their survival. The beauty of it is that we know what works, protecting habitats, eliminating plastic waste, and funding conservation can help these ancient creatures to thrive:
Times
21-05-2025
- Science
- Times
Glitter could stop sea creatures forming shells
Glitter may seem like a nuisance to parents after a child's birthday party, but its effect on sea life can be far worse. Researchers at Trinity College Dublin found that glitter, which is made of plastic and aluminium, alters the chemistry of seawater — potentially interfering with the growth of coral, molluscs and sea urchins and other marine life. The affected species build their bodies out of calcium crystals in the water. However, researchers found that when glitter is submerged in seawater, calcium crystals begin to form upon it within minutes, far faster and in different shapes than they would form in unpolluted water. The scientists fear creatures struggle to build shells with these sorts of crystals, which form on specks of glitter after they
Jordan Times
11-05-2025
- General
- Jordan Times
Aqaba Marine Reserve passes first phase of UNESCO World Heritage bid
Director of the Aqaba Marine Reserve Naser Zawaydeh on Sunday announces the completion of the first phase of the reserve's nomination for inclusion on UNESCO's World Heritage List (Petra photo) AMMAN — Director of the Aqaba Marine Reserve Naser Zawaydeh on Sunday announced the completion of the first phase of the reserve's nomination for inclusion on UNESCO's World Heritage List, having passed the initial technical evaluation. Speaking during a meeting chaired by Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) Chief Commissioner Nayef Fayez, Zawaydeh said the reserve has entered a strategic partnership with the Red Sea Transboundary Centre to develop advanced coral reef monitoring tools. The initiative includes the use of artificial intelligence-supported 3d imaging and environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis to enhance scientific understanding of the Gulf of Aqaba's marine ecosystem, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. Zawaydeh highlighted the reserve's continued efforts to preserve the region's unique biodiversity, noting several scientific and field achievements that 'strengthen' its reputation as a model for environmental management locally and internationally. As part of its conservation work, the reserve has launched the second phase of its coral farming project in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), including the establishment of new nurseries and the creation of three artificial reefs. He added that the reserve's visitor centre and beach facilities have recently been upgraded, including the installation of new entry gates, the construction of an accessibility ramp at Al Azraq Beach, and the renovation of public halls. In a move to enhance ecological value and visitor experience, the reserve also expanded green spaces and planted 160 new palm trees at Palm Beach. To protect fish stocks, the reserve has implemented, for the third consecutive year, a seasonal fishing ban during the breeding period of endemic species, from January 1 to April 30. The measure, based on the 2020 regulations for fishing and marine life in the Gulf of Aqaba, is supported by financial compensation for licensed fishermen to balance environmental protection with community livelihoods. Zawaydeh also noted the daily efforts of monitoring teams to prevent ecological violations, including some 80 underwater cleanup campaigns along the central beach area, which have led to a noticeable reduction in marine debris. He also announced that Al Azraq Beach has earned the 2025 "Blue Flag" certification, an international eco-label awarded for adherence to high environmental and quality standards.
ABC News
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- ABC News
David Attenborough: Ocean comes out on the beloved presenter's 99th birthday, and it's a furious call to arms
After 71 years on our screens, the warm, plummy tones of David Attenborough's voice are easy to bring to mind. Take this quote from his new documentary, Ocean, where he's talking about a coral reef. "One could spend days swimming above it and never tire of the colours, the movement, the interactions; it's life at its most mesmerising." (Admit it, you read that in his voice, didn't you?) The voice is back with gusto in Ocean, delivering goosebumps and shivers aplenty. But, there is something new here. Soaring cinematography takes us to the awe-inspiring depths of the ocean, filling our hearts with wonder at its treasures. But then it flips: the aquamarine Edens we've been careening through suddenly go greyscale and the music stops. "In this film, we make wonderful discoveries, uncover why our ocean is in such poor health and, perhaps most importantly, show how it can bounce back to life,' Attenborough says of his new documentary. ( Supplied: Disney+ ) After conjuring underwater magic, the shots become shockingly lifeless. Smashed coral, murky water and debris is all we see in the aftermath of And the voice is now filled with icy cold rage. As expected, Ocean is about the glory of the watery world — which feeds us, cleans our air and could save us from climate catastrophe. But it is also about how we are killing it. The day of the film's release, May 8, is David Attenborough's 99th birthday — and he has come to the party ready to fight. You see a lot change in (almost) 100 years Born in Isleworth, Middlesex in 1926, David Attenborough has seen the world buck and writhe through unbelievable change and innovation. He was 17 years old when the first ever successful scuba dive took place. Before then, the ocean was thought of as dark and ominous, and largely empty. Attenborough photographed the day after his appointment as controller of BBC2 in 1965. ( Getty: Ron Burton ) "When I first saw the sea as a young boy, it was thought of as a vast wilderness to be tamed and mastered for the benefit of humanity. But now, as I approach the end of my life, we know the opposite is true," he says in Ocean. It all changed once people could see what was going on under there. Attenborough can still remember the first time he got to use scuba gear. "I was so taken aback by the spectacle before me, I forgot, momentarily, to breathe," he says. "Nothing I'd ever seen on land could come close to the sensory overload of so much life, so much diversity, right before my eyes." He, in turn, has helped change the way the world sees our natural environment. Starting in 1954 with a little three-part show on BBC called Zoo Quests (which he only got to host after the original talent fell ill), Attenborough went on to become synonymous with nature documentaries. He has produced countless shows, has won three Emmy Awards for Outstanding Narration, and is the only person to have won BAFTA awards in black-and-white, colour, high-definition, and 3D and 4K resolution. Even at 99, Attenborough maintains an impish school-boy delight as he talks about giant kelp forests and sea mountains that soar to three miles high. "After living for nearly 100 years on this planet," he says in Ocean, "I now understand the most important place on Earth is not on land, but at sea." 'My lifetime has coincided with the great age of ocean discovery," Attenborough says of his extraordinary career ( Supplied: Disney+ ) 'Modern colonialism at sea' We see a lot more of Attenborough in Oceans than we normally do in his documentaries. In between riotously colourful camera pans through coral cities, we cut to David alone in a room, hair starkly white against the dark background, staring down the barrel with his steely gaze. Previously, the beloved presenter has been criticised for not saying enough about threats to the natural world, particularly around animal extinction and the climate crisis. In 2018, he said in an interview with The Observer that he didn't want to sound the alarm so frequently that it would become a "turn-off" for his shows, which are "not ecological programs, not proselytising programs". Later that year, he did appear at UN climate talks and said climate change was "our greatest threat in thousands of years". "If we don't take action, the collapse of our civilisations and the extinction of much of the natural world is on the horizon," Attenborough told a 2018 UN climate summit. ( Supplied: Disney ) Now that he's out from behind the camera, he's batting aside any previous concerns to ensure the message comes through. He doesn't shield the emotion from his voice as he talks about all the ways humans are destroying the ocean — with a particular emphasis on the large-scale destruction caused by bottom trawling. Sometimes, he seems like he might weep. At other times, he's disappointed. But mostly, he is angry. Photo shows An aerial photograph of pale green coral colonies peaking out of blue water like islands. The massive "architects" of Ningaloo Reef are bleaching as widespread coral death pulls into focus. Scientists and tourism operators are calling for action ahead of the looming season. Acknowledging that he is nearing the end of his life, he is not interested in going gently into that good night. "If I asked you, how much of the ocean was fully protected, what would you say? 20 per cent? At least 10, surely? The answer is less than 3 per cent. In practical terms, none of it." He rails against bottom trawling happening across the world, apoplectic over the fact that the practice is not only legal, but encouraged by government subsidies from numerous countries' governments. He points out how crucial the ocean is for humanity and how it can help us avoid complete climate catastrophe (did you know ocean plankton removes almost a third of our carbon emissions?). "Three billion people rely on our ocean for food. But ships sent by a few wealthy nations are starving coastal communities of the food source they have relied on for millennia," he rages. "This is modern colonialism at sea." He sits on a beach alone, white hair blowing wildly in the wind, blue parka a bright blob in the mist, and looks defeated. "We have drained the life from our ocean … Now, we are almost out of time." A case for hope The thing about living for 99 years, though, is that nothing is new. When he was a young man, large-scale commercial whaling had pushed populations almost to extinction: the blue whale, the largest of them all, was hunted until just 1 per cent was left. "I remember thinking that was it. There was no coming back. We had lost the great whales," Attenborough recalls. But then, after many years of work and campaigning, public pressure forced global powers to enact a moratorium on commercial whaling, which came into effect in 1986. David Attenborough signs his book, The Living Planet, in a Sydney Bookstore in 1985. ( Getty: Patrick Riviere ) "What followed was beyond our wildest dreams. The number of humpback whales in the south Atlantic tripled in just 10 years," he says. It was after this, in 2001, that Attenborough got to see a blue whale for the first time, and the world saw it with him on screen in The Life of Mammals . "A blue whale born today could live for over 100 years if we apply the same foresight to save her home as we once did to save her species," he says now. Despite Attenborough's anger, there is still the distinct pulse of love evident whenever he speaks. And not just for the ocean and the natural world, but for humans, too. Dang it if Attenborough isn't going into his 100th year with hope. Photo shows An ocean-going turtle swims towards the camera with a plastic bag hanging from its mouth You might have caught the latest David Attenborough documentary in your summer downtime. But do these programmes spur viewers into environmental action? He's not letting us off the hook, but he is dropping all pretence of neutrality and urging his beloved viewers, the generations of people who have travelled with him to the most remote parts of the world, to do something to protect the world's oceans. In the new documentary, he shows us places where strict restrictions have led to remarkable ocean recovery, but in a way that has also supported fishing communities to thrive. He points to the 2022 UN Ocean Conference, where a (voluntary) global commitment was established to protect at least 30 per cent of the world's ocean by 2030. There is another conference happening in June this year, where there will be a push to enforce the protections "It is my great hope that we all come to see the ocean, not as a dark and distant place with little relevance to our lives on land, but as the lifeblood of our home," he says. "I'm sure that nothing is more important." Loading YouTube content David Attenborough: Ocean is in cinemas now.
