ocean life

Lefteris Arapakis comes from a long line of fishers. For five generations his family has plied the bountiful waters off southern Greece, netting the same cod and red mulls that have sustained Greeks…

'Significant portion’ of billions of masks and gloves used each month end up in seas. The pale blue of a mask is easy to spot among the dry-brown reeds.

Wide-ranging review finds whales, dolphins, turtles and seabirds at mortal risk from marine debris. Plastic bags and flexible packaging are the deadliest plastic items in the ocean, killing wildlife…

  Deep sea mining is leading private mining firms and arms companies to carve up the seabed in plans that should be halted by an international ocean treaty, argues a new report from Greenpeace.

Proposals cite climate change as most severe threat to US reefs, which may be in danger of disappearing in some places.

Oceans 21 is a Conversation international series examining the history and future of the world’s ocean. Five profiles open our series on the global ocean, delving into ancient Indian Ocean trade…

Some of the most cherished world heritage sites are under increased threat from the climate crisis. The outlook for the Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest coral reef, has been determined to be…

Governments to reduce pollution in oceans and end subsidies that contribute to overfishing. Governments responsible for 40% of the world’s coastlines have pledged to end overfishing, restore…

Fourteen nations have made an unprecedented and welcome commitment to use marine ecosystems sustainably. It is equally important to establish a system to hold them to account. Next year sees the…

Two decades ago scientists and volunteers along the Virginia coast started tossing seagrass seeds into barren seaside lagoons. Disease and an intense hurricane had wiped out the plants in the 1930s,…

In the South Atlantic Ocean, a tiny island of 250 people has made a significant contribution to global marine conservation by protecting a huge swath of ocean under its control.

Crucial fish stocks could disappear within five years without urgent action, so desperate fishers are using a new smartphone app to log alleged crimes. Illegal and destructive practices by…

A new study gives the U.S. the bronze medal China and Japan are among the “ many, many countries “ flooding U.S. beaches with plastic waste.

Calls for transparency grow as scientists say substance is ‘unlike anything we’ve seen spilled before’ In July this year, the Japanese cargo ship MV Wakashio, chartered by Mitsui OSK and owned by…

From coral farming to 3D printing, scientists are using novel methods to save a vital part of our ecosystem.

It makes a total of eight tall detached reefs in the area, including at​ ​Raine Island, home to the world’s most important green sea turtle nesting area A vast, detached coral reef has been…

A century ago Virginia’s coastal lagoons were a natural paradise. Fishing boats bobbed on the waves as geese flocked overhead. Beneath the surface, miles of seagrass gently swayed in the surf, making…

Warming ocean contributes to sea level rise and to more extreme weather such as hurricanes. Even the pitch black, nearly freezing waters at the bottom of the ocean – far from where humans live and…

Microplastics can be found everywhere from Antarctica to the Pyrenees. A significant amount of plastic waste ends up in the ocean, but very little has been known about how much ends up on the ocean…

Bacterial infection alongside speed of temperature rise may have triggered mortality, suggests study. High temperatures and the persistent warming of oceans have triggered profound changes in marine…