Pacific island nations have shaped the international response to climate change. At the United Nations summit in Glasgow, they’ll draw a line in the sand.
Solar geoengineering could theoretically cool the Earth to slow global warming, and it has been controversial. Still, countries should research its risks and benefits.
Blue sharks, which are prized for their fins, swimming off Cape Point in South Africa.
Morne Hardenberg
Alison Kock, South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity
Sharks grow slowly and produce few young compared to bony fishes. In many cases, this means that their populations are fished out faster than can be replenished if not well managed.
Morgan Pratchett, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies
A study of 183 coral reefs worldwide quantified the impacts of ocean warming and acidification on reef growth rates. Even under the lowest emissions scenarios, the future of reefs is not bright.
Joël Guiot, Aix-Marseille Université (AMU) and Wolfgang Cramer, Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS)
The Mediterranean region, with its biodiversity, climate, demographics, and economic activities such as tourism, agriculture and fisheries, is particularly vulnerable to environmental risks.
The Galapagos Marine Reserve is home to nearly 3,000 marine species.
(Shutterstock)
Mar Benavides, Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD)
In the ocean, phytoplankton helped by diazotrophs play an outstanding role in withdrawing CO₂ from the atmosphere. But climate change is disturbing this delicate balance.
The Pacific Ocean produces oxygen, helps regulates the weather, provides food and livelihoods. It’s a place of fun, solace and spiritual connection. But its delicate ecology is under threat.
CT scan of a catshark hatchling head. Note the ridged scales.
Rory Cooper, Kyle Martin & Amin Garbout/Natural History Museum London
What if the nightly news had regular updates on forest clearing, ocean temperatures and fossil fuel consumption? These indicators sit alongside temperatures as signs of climate change.
The IPCC report provides fresh details on scope of the effects of climate change.
John B. Weller
A new Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report makes clear human-induced climate change threatens the health and function of the ocean and cryosphere - the frozen regions of the Earth.
Resilient corals are offering hope for bleached reefs.
Emma Camp
Acidic oceans are disrupting a major part of the carbon cycle, slowing how seas absorb carbon from the atmosphere. This could massively speed up the effects of climate change.v
A healthy coral reef at Swains island, American Samoa.
NOAA/NMFS/PIFSC/CRED, Oceanography Team.
In a study that cultivated coral ‘gardens’ with varying numbers of species, plots with more species were healthier. This finding could inform strategies to help coral reefs survive climate change.