Mongabay - Marine

The global trade in sea cucumbers has grown since 2013 and continues to decimate the populations of many species, according to a recent study that cites “escalating impacts” and calls …

A new study identified more than 1,000 conflicts in Africa over an 11-year period and found that nearly 75% were disputes over access to spaces and resources. The study calls …

A global modeling study found that 73% of marine protected areas are exposed to nitrogen pollution from wastewater — often at higher levels than in nearby unprotected waters. The findings …

Scientists have discovered what may be one of the world’s largest cold-water coral reef systems, located about 1,000 meters (3,300 feet) deep in Argentina’s territorial waters, with much of it …

Alannah Acaq Hurley, executive director of the United Tribes of Bristol Bay, has been awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize for organizing opposition to what would have been the largest open-pit …

Governments have designated vast marine protected areas and pledged to conserve 30% of the ocean by 2030, enforcement often lags behind these commitments. Research shows that the ecological benefits of …

A once-common reef fish in the Galápagos has not been seen since 1983, raising the question of whether it has already disappeared. A recent study by Jack Stein Grove and …

Nearly half of migratory seabird species are in decline, in part because conservation systems stop at borders while the birds do not. A new study maps six “marine flyways” spanning …

In May, José Manuel Bolieiro, president of the Portuguese-administered Azores region, will be honored at the international Peter Benchley Ocean Awards, known as the “Oscars for the Ocean.” Bolieiro played …

Delegates to the latest meeting of the Convention on Migratory Species of Wild Animals adopted new protections for 40 migratory species, including 33 marine animals like sharks, seabirds and shorebirds. …

Data from the World Database on Protected and Conserved Areas (WDPCA) indicate that more than 10% of the ocean is now protected, marking a significant milestone for ocean conservation efforts. …

Delegates at a recent World Trade Organization summit in Cameroon agreed to continue “Fish Two” negotiations aimed at a deal to curb government subsidies that support unsustainable fishing, but progress …

Indigenous Wiyagar leaders in Indonesian Papua oppose a planned state-backed fishing village, saying it’s being pushed without proper consultation on their customary land. The project is part of a nationwide …

Communities on the east coast of Papua New Guinea’s New Ireland province report that contact with the seawater there has made people sick since December 2025; residents have also reported …

Following the March 4 sinking of an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean, fishers and coastal communities have spotted an oil patch along the Hikkaduwa coast in southern Sri Lanka, …

Seagrass is known for its blue carbon potential, but meadows also play an important role in coastal protection by helping reduce wave intensity and stabilizing sediments, both of which are …

Coral reefs absorb incoming waves, protecting shorelines from tropical storms. A recent Earth’s Future study examines flood risks from tropical storms to communities in Florida, if coral reefs keep degrading …

The 14th meeting of the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (SPRFMO) took place in Panama City from March 2-6. The intergovernmental organization regulates fishing activities in the high seas …

The new documentary “A Life Illuminated” traces the career arc of U.S. marine biologist Edie Widder, an expert on bioluminescence who’s made headlines for decades. The film documents her team’s …

Bangladesh has seen a sudden rise in illegal shark and ray fishing and consumption in recent years. A decrease in catch of traditionally consumed fish species and the lower prices …

In August 2025, Canada’s only entertainment park with cetaceans, Marineland of Canada, closed for good, prompting concern about the fate of 30 beluga whales and four dolphins remaining at the …

Türkiye has become a major destination for plastic waste recycling, notably from Europe and the U.K. Most of this scrap heads to the roughly 180 waste facilities handling plastic in …

Up to roughly 20% of aquatic products are intentionally mislabeled as the wrong species or otherwise fraudulent, posing environmental and health risks, according to a new report. Inaccurate representation of …

A new report from U.K.-based NGO the Environmental Justice Foundation draws on interviews with 81 fishers, mainly Indonesian sailors who worked between 2021 and 2025 on 60 Chinese vessels targeting …

Experts confirmed that seven young northern elephant seals on the beach at California’s Año Nuevo State Park carried a deadly form of avian influenza, H5N1, the first recorded infection in …

Researchers have developed an Ocean Equity Index that seeks to measure how equitable ocean initiatives are based on 12 criteria. The index, which was introduced alongside an academic study, can …

On Mexico’s Pacific coast, sea level rise and infrastructure projects have eroded 8.4 meters of coastline per year since 1967. In the community of Cuauhtémoc, San Mateo del Mar, at …

Unintentional catch is a major reason that more than a hundred shark species are threatened with extinction. A new study found that creating a small electric field around fishing hooks …

A law establishing the Azores Marine Protected Areas Network was approved in October 2024 and took effect recently, on Jan. 1 this year. The network now safeguards 30% of Azorean …

Black carbon emissions (colloquially known as soot) produced by marine shipping contribute to Earth’s warming climate and also reduce ice and snow cover. In the Arctic, those emissions are hastening …

A new review study examines the current research regarding the risks that various geoengineering approaches pose to marine ecosystems. The study looked particularly at a range of marine carbon dioxide …

On the outskirts of the coastal Kenyan city of Mombasa, a women’s organization in Jomvu Creek aims to transform livelihoods and the environment through mud crab farming. A blue economy …

A new study suggests an early way to detect ecological shifts during marine heat waves: Use fishing vessel tracking data. The study found that tracking data could provide early detection …

Tanzania’s boat modernization program aims to empower small-scale fishers with affordable, government-distributed vessels, but has instead left many struggling with unreliable vessels and unsustainable loans. In Kilwa district, fishers say …

Marking the midway point in the U.N. Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, 2025 was a key year for the ocean. The past 12 months brought landslide multilateral wins …

When compared with historical samples, corals show that the Salish Sea and California Current System are acidifying faster than anticipated because of greenhouse gas emissions. Models indicate that at this …

2025 has been a big whale tourism season in Timor-Leste; operators were fully booked during the peak season of September to December. But increasingly aggressive practices fueled by competition between …

Ahead of the recent CITES summit to hash out wildlife trade regulations, South Africa was expected to table a proposal that would have tightened the legal trade in South African …

A new study of major U.S.-based online retailers of marine fish bound for aquariums found that nearly 90% of traded species are sourced exclusively from the wild, including a number …

A new study has identified whale shark stranding hotspots in Indonesia and linked them to seasonal ocean conditions, offering scientists a clearer picture of when and where risks are highest. …

In September, Pakistan declared its third marine protected area, around Miani Hor Lagoon on the country’s central coast. The biodiversity-rich lagoon hosts a lush mangrove forest, numerous bird species and …

The ocean is losing its greenness, a new study has found: Global chlorophyll concentration, a proxy for phytoplankton biomass, declined over the past two decades, especially in coastal areas. Phytoplankton …

Between Oct. 1 and 21, a U.S government-funded vessel, the E/V Nautilus, conducted an expedition in the Cook Islands’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ), following an agreement between the U.S. and …

Marine experts at the Indonesian Seagrass Symposium in Bali warned that seagrass ecosystems — vital for carbon storage, biodiversity and coastal protection — remain largely overlooked in national policy and …

The annual meeting of the international body responsible for the conservation of Southern Ocean marine ecosystems concluded Friday with no progress on two contentious issues before it: the creation of …

A new environmental report warns that expanding nickel mining is placing Raja Ampat’s coral reefs, forests and Indigenous communities under intensifying threat. Using geospatial mapping and field evidence, researchers document …

The Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT), a multilateral body that manages the stock of southern bluefin tuna, held its annual meeting Oct. 6-9 in Bali, Indonesia. …