May 4, 2020 By Rob Picheta CNN
All of the defining images of the coronavirus pandemic seem to feature one thing: plastic. Surgical masks, gloves, protective equipment, body bags — the Covid-19 crisis has spurred a rapid expansion in the production of desperately-needed plastic products, with governments racing to boost their stockpiles and regular citizens clamoring for their share of supplies.
May 4, 2020 By Torsten Thiele, Marie-Christine Imbert, Timothy Bouley chinadialogueocean
Covid-19 is forcing the world to rethink our economies, supply chains and science. Widespread inconsideration of biology and ecology in planning have in part led to the challenging circumstances we are now in.
May 2, 2020 By Kaitlyn Kraybill-Voth Bay Nature
Gray whales are experiencing what scientists have labeled an “unusual mortality event” on the West Coast of North and Central America, while humpback whales are experiencing an unusual mortality event on the East Coast. Scientists want to understand the lives and deaths of these whales to eventually piece together what’s happening to our oceans.
May 1, 2020 By Alex Fox Smithsonian Magazine
Deep-sea mining, which requires extracting minerals and metals from the seafloor, has scientists and environmentalists worried because a growing body of research suggests its environmental damages are likely to be long-lasting and severe. New research published this week underscores these risks, finding that deep-sea microbes may take half a century to recover from the disturbance of mining
May 1, 2020 By Kieran Mulvaney National Geographic
As public opinion changes and consumption of whale meat declines, commercial whaling may be one step closer to a permanent end in Iceland and possibly the world. For the second year in a row, Iceland, one of three remaining whaling nations, will not hunt any whales.