Latest news with #humanImpact
The Independent
13 hours ago
- Science
- The Independent
What over-fishing has done to the size of cod in just 30 years
Excessive fishing has caused Baltic cod to undergo genetic changes, halving their size over the past 30 years. A study published in Science Advances is the first to demonstrate that decades of overfishing and environmental changes can profoundly alter the genetic makeup of a fully marine species. Researchers found a 48 per cent decrease in the asymptotic body length of Eastern Baltic cod between 1996 and 2019, with genetic variations indicating evolution driven by human interference. The study revealed that the genomes of fast-growing cod systematically differed from slow growers, with fast-growing individuals nearly disappearing from the Baltic Sea. This phenomenon is described as evolution in action driven by human activity, where the consistent removal of larger fish gives smaller, faster-maturing fish an evolutionary advantage.
Arab News
5 days ago
- Climate
- Arab News
Heavy rains, lightning strikes kill at least six people in Pakistan's northwest
ISLAMABAD: Heavy rains and lightning strikes killed at least six people and injured five others in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province this week, the KP Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said on Sunday. A total of seven houses were damaged due to rains, strong winds and flash floods that have lashed the province since June 20, according to a PDMA report. The accidents occurred in Mansehra, Buner, Lower Dir, Upper Dir, Malakand and Kohistan districts of the province. 'The deceased include three men, one woman and two children, while the injured include three men and two women,' it said. The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) this week forecast pre-monsoon rains in Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and Punjab and KP from June 20 till June 23. 'The PDMA has already issued a letter to the district administrations to remain alert and take preventive measures,' it added. Last month, rains and thunderstorms killed at least 26 people in KP and Punjab provinces, authorities said. Pakistan has seen erratic changes in its weather patterns which have led to frequent heat waves, untimely rains, storms, cyclones and droughts in recent years. Scientists have blamed the events on human-driven climate change. In 2022, devastating floods, blamed on human-driven climate change, killed more than 1,700 Pakistanis, affected another 33 million and caused the country over $30 billion in economic losses.
