1. Bass: Plastics, You and the Global Treaty This year, Earth Day (April 22) marks the start of the fourth round of negotiations for a global plastics treaty. Without much public fanfare, delegates from 175 countries — together with hundreds of observers representing industry, academia, health organizations, and environmental groups — will gather in Ottawa, Ontario, to chart the course for the future of plastics and plastic pollution. The stakes could not be higher. Eleven million metric tons of plastic waste flow into the ocean yearly, irrefutably fueling the climate change crisis. Low-inco ..read more

1. Navigating the Future: New Jersey’s Quest to Harmonize Offshore Wind and Whale Conservation New Jersey, USA: New Jersey is stepping up its commitment to renewable energy and marine conservation with a new initiative to understand offshore wind farms’ impacts on whale populations. With fresh funding, researchers are set to embark on a comprehensive study, employing advanced technologies to monitor and mitigate any potential adverse effects on these majestic marine mammals. This proactive approach underscores New Jersey’s dedication to harnessing the wind’s power to meet its energy needs an ..read more

1. Navigating the Future: New Jersey’s Quest to Harmonize Offshore Wind and Whale Conservation New Jersey, USA: New Jersey is stepping up its commitment to renewable energy and marine conservation with a new initiative to understand offshore wind farms’ impacts on whale populations. With fresh funding, researchers are set to embark on a comprehensive study, employing advanced technologies to monitor and mitigate any potential adverse effects on these majestic marine mammals. This proactive approach underscores New Jersey’s dedication to harnessing the wind’s power to meet its energy needs an ..read more

1. EU Takes Historic Step to Protect Marine Life: Mandatory Limits on Underwater Noise Pollution Communicated to Member States BRUSSELS — The European Commission is now setting limits for underwater noise pollution. In light of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) advocating the need to reduce this pollution, measures have now been developed in the context of the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSDF). Half of underwater noise pollution is produced by the commercial shipping industry. IFAW’s Blue Speeds campaign calls for the EU to set a speed at 75% of the maximum speed o ..read more

1. Hong Kong Customs Officers Have Seized HK$6.4 Million Worth of Dried Shark Fins HONG KONG – Officers intercepted the vessel in the city’s northwestern waters at 12.10 am on Tuesday, the Customs and Excise Department said. The suspected scheduled shark fins were found mixed with declared goods such as electronic products, dried seafood and household items in one of the containers aboard the vessel. Samples of the seized shark fins were tested by staff from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, which confirmed they were from endangered species. An investigation into the or ..read more

1. Toxic Depths: The Shocking Discovery of DDT and Radioactive Waste in the Pacific The Los Angeles County coastline, famed for its picturesque beaches and scenic views, hides a darker legacy beneath its waves—an extensive history of industrial waste dumping now coming to light. In 2020, scientists from UC Santa Barbara, employing deep-sea robotics, uncovered a disturbing underwater site near Santa Catalina Island: a vast seabed littered with leaking barrels. High concentrations of DDT, a pesticide banned half a century ago, were discovered near these barrels, indicating a significant underw ..read more

1. 5 Gyres Leads 23-Park Plastic Cleanup; Strategic Partner, Sea Save, Concentrates on Channel Islands-Cali Coast Waters The 5 Gyres campaign was an extensive environmental initiative that targeted 23 National Parks across the United States, aiming to address and mitigate the issue of plastic pollution. Within this broad campaign, the Sea Save Foundation played a pivotal role, but with a specific focus. As a crucial project partner, Sea Save Foundation’s efforts were concentrated exclusively on the waterway between the Channel Islands National Park and the California Coast. This targeted app ..read more

1. Melting Greenland Has Lost 1 Trillion Tons More Ice Than Thought The Greenland ice sheet, an expanse of frozen water about three times the size of Texas, is disappearing much faster than previously thought, and the difference may be affecting the distribution of heat around the world. The mass of ice lost between 1985 and 2022 has been underestimated by as much as 20%, or more than 1,000 gigatons (1 trillion metric tons). That’s due to the overlooked impact of calving around Greenland’s perimeter, where the sheet’s glaciers meet the sea. The shrinking of Greenland’s ice sheet is contribut ..read more

1. Supreme Court to Decide on Federal Regulatory Reach in Landmark Fishing Case, Are your Fish and Chips Shark? USA – The U.S. Supreme Court is reviewing a case that challenges the authority of federal regulators, centered on a conflict between commercial fishermen and the National Marine Fisheries Service over a herring conservation program. The fishermen argue that Congress didn’t authorize this program. A key aspect of the case is its potential to affect “Chevron Deference,” a 1984 precedent that allows courts to rely on agency interpretations of unclear laws. The outcome of this case cou ..read more

1. Thailand’s Coastal Otters – Paparazzi Rescue A new camera-trap study of Thailand’s otter population now highlights the importance of expanses of natural habitat, such as coastal forests and wetlands, for two species of otter living along the increasingly modified southern coasts. It was found that while otters can live within human-modified landscapes, tracts of natural habitat offer them vital refuge from many threats, like road collisions, prey depletion due to pollution, and conflict with fish and shrimp farmers. The findings were used to create maps that show where conservationists an ..read more