Ecology
Rare Coral Reef Discovered Near Tahiti by a UNESCO Mission
A scientific research mission supported by UNESCO has discovered one of the largest coral reefs in the world off the coast of Tahiti. The pristine condition of, and extensive area covered by, the rose-shaped corals make this a highly valuable…
It’s Time to Shift to Net-Zero Emissions Plastics
There are two sides to everything – and that goes for plastics, too. Let’s start with the positive side. Plastics shape and facilitate the whole of modern life. They are found in everything from smartphones to shoe soles, in spectacle…
Another Wake-Up Call: Sea Ice Loss is Speeding Up
Last week, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) confirmed the highest temperature ever recorded in the Arctic, 38C, on 20 June 2020. This warming is causing previously permanently frozen permafrost below ground to thaw. The Arctic is now amongst the fastest-warming regions on…
Dragonflies Threatened as Wetlands Around the World Disappear
The destruction of wetlands is driving the decline of dragonflies worldwide, according to the first global assessment of these species in today’s update of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™. Their decline is symptomatic of the widespread loss of…
Plastic Planet: How Tiny Plastic Particles are Polluting our Soil
The millions of tons of plastic swirling around the world’s oceans have garnered a lot of media attention recently. But plastic pollution arguably poses a bigger threat to the plants and animals – including humans – who are based on…
A Healthy Environment as a Human Right in Coastal East Africa
In October 2021, the United Nations Human Rights Council recognized that having a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment is a human right. So what does this mean in practice – especially in places where economies, food security, and cultural identiy…
The first scientific conference within the Biosphere Reserve Mura-Drava-Danube
The lifelineMDD online mid-term conference, organized by the project team at the end of November, gathered over 100 researchers, scientists, nature conservationists, water management representatives and other participants from Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary, Serbia. The aim was to present the…