Tag Archives: oceans

Scientists studying the sperm whales that live around the Caribbean island of Dominica have described for the first time the basic elements of how they might be talking to each other, in an effort that could one day help better protect them. Like many whales and dolphins, sperm whales are highly social mammals and communicate by squeezing air through their …

An aquarium in South Africa is stretched beyond capacity after more than 500 baby sea turtles were washed up on beaches by a rare and powerful storm and rescued by members of the public. The little turtles are mostly endangered loggerheads and should be cruising the ocean. Most of them instead will spend the first few months of their lives …

The world’s oldest known wild bird may have lost her mate, but she was recently seen courting new suitors. The Laysan albatross, or mōlī, known as Wisdom has been photographed dancing with potential mates at the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge in the North Pacific Ocean, according to SWNS, the British news service. The seabird is recognized by her well-known …

A plan by federal agencies to rebuild the sardine population in the Pacific was not properly implemented and failed to prevent overfishing, a judge in California ruled this week. Monday’s decision by U.S. Magistrate Judge Virginia DeMarchi was a victory for environmentalists who said officials did not ensure sardine stocks would bounce back within a legally required timeframe. The nonprofit …

Many animals can glow in the dark. Fireflies famously blink on summer evenings. But most animals that light up are found in the depths of the ocean. In a new study, scientists report that deep-sea corals that lived 540 million years ago may have been the first animals to glow, far earlier than previously thought. “Light signaling is one of …

A 16-year-old boy in Australia died after being attacked by a large crocodile in the Torres Strait, authorities say. The incident occurred off the waters of Saibai Island, a relatively-remote island of around 500 people, on Thursday morning. While Saibai Island is geographically close to Papua New Guinea, it is part of the Australian state of Queensland, and is around …

Greece aims to create two large marine parks as part of an $830 million program to protect biodiversity and marine ecosystems, with the plans to be formally announced at an international oceans conference starting in Athens Tuesday. But the plan has irked Greece’s neighbor and regional rival, Turkey, while environmental organizations say the initiative doesn’t go far enough, noting that …

A 9-year-old Oklahoma boy’s unorthodox choice of pet has gone viral on TikTok as he’s adopted an octopus that he named Terrance. Cal Clifford’s parents said their son wanted an octopus as a pet more than anything in the world, starting when he was just a toddler, according to The Associated Press. While they attempted to fulfill his little-boy dreams …

Coral reefs around the world are experiencing global bleaching for the fourth time, top reef scientists declared Monday, a result of warming ocean waters amid human-caused climate change. Coral reef bleaching across at least 53 countries, territories or local economies has been confirmed from February 2023 to now, scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and International Coral Reef …

An adventure-loving tween from Miami landed two state records and three world records (with one pending) while fishing off the Florida Keys earlier this year — reeling in sizable cobia, a snapper and a grouper that any fisherman would be proud to catch. This weekend, Julia Bernstein, age 12, will accept the Fleming Species Award, the highest junior honor, from …