Ecuador's booming shrimp industry is driving deforestation of vital mangrove ecosystems, impacting shellfish gatherers and local communities. Despite regulations, mangrove clearing and pollution from farms continue, with weak enforcement and limited political will hindering conservation efforts.
Mongolia's permafrost is rapidly thawing due to climate change, impacting local ecosystems, herder livelihoods, and releasing greenhouse gases. This transformation offers crucial insights into global permafrost dynamics and future Arctic conditions.
Ghost nets and plastic waste are severely impacting marine ecosystems in Asia, particularly in Indonesia. Coastal communities and conservationists face the burden of collection, with limited regulations to stop vessels from discarding nets. A 2024 report highlights Indonesia's significant plastic waste production and its discharge into the marine environment.
Ecosystems are often described using functional language, implying they have purposes they can fail to perform. This essay argues that ecosystems lack intrinsic ends and cannot truly "break down," challenging the "ecosystem services" framework and advocating for clearer thinking about environmental crises.
New research reveals Burmese pythons in Florida's Everglades are unintentionally spreading plant seeds by consuming fruit-eating birds and mammals. This unexpected role could significantly alter vegetation distribution and impact sensitive habitats.
Marine heatwaves have tripled since the early 1990s, signaling the ocean's strain from absorbing over 90% of Earth's excess heat. The Earth's energy imbalance, a key climate change indicator, has doubled, leading to rising temperatures, melting ice, and intensified weather extremes. Monitoring systems are under threat, just as clarity is most needed.
Europe's pharmaceutical sector faces decline due to geopolitical instability and lack of domestic support, falling behind the US and China in innovation, R&D, and clinical trials. Urgent action is needed to rebuild its ecosystem.
Florida and other US states are increasing efforts to combat the invasive Argentine black-and-white tegu lizard, which reproduces quickly and threatens local wildlife. The warning coincides with the species' hatching season and Florida's growth as a tech hub.
Researchers discover the Earth's deepest and most extensive whale fossil graveyard, with fossils dating back 5.3 million years, reshaping understanding of whale-fall ecosystems and cetacean evolution.
Scientists have discovered the world's deepest and most extensive whale graveyard in the south-eastern Indian Ocean, with fossils dating back over 5 million years. The site, located in the Diamantina fracture zone, reaches depths of over 7km and teems with life, offering insights into biodiversity and adaptation in extreme environments.
Costa Rican nonprofit Costas Verdes has restored deforested Pacific coastlines by planting over 100,000 native trees across 34 beaches since 2011, reviving wildlife habitats and combating deforestation from cattle farming.
Taitung County's Green Island and Orchid Island are significantly behind in sewage treatment compared to Pingtung's Xiaoliuqiu, raising concerns among local councilors about marine pollution and its impact on tourism and ecosystems.
Delhi's extreme summer heat, exceeding 45°C, is crucial for creating the low-pressure systems that drive the Indian monsoon. This heat also plays a vital role in pest control, soil health, fruit ripening, and wildlife migration patterns.
On Biodiversity Day, the UN highlights the critical role of local communities and traditional knowledge in conservation efforts, emphasizing that grassroots actions are vital for global ecological and socio-economic resilience.
Blue carbon ecosystems like seagrass and mangroves offer sustainable livelihoods for coastal communities through activities like handicrafts, ecotourism, and aquaculture, alongside their carbon sequestration benefits.
NSW parliament passed the Water Management Amendment (Easements for Inundation) Bill, allowing private land inundation for environmental water flows. While a river ecologist supports it, some landholders oppose it, citing lack of consultation and compensation.
Canaima National Park in Venezuela, home to unique tepui mountains, offers unparalleled isolation and biodiversity. Inspiring 'The Lost World' and 'Up', it features endemic species and Angel Falls, the world's tallest waterfall.
Scientists discovered fossilized amber beneath the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, proving Antarctica was once a warm rainforest. This finding challenges perceptions of the continent and impacts climate history simulations.
US President Donald Trump’s landmark visit to China comes as the US-Iran war disrupts global energy supplies, fuels economic uncertainty and adds fresh strain to Washington-Beijing ties. In this story, part of a series examining how rivalry, interdependence and geopolitical crises are reshaping the relationship between the two powers, we examine how artificial intelligence (AI), chip controls and competing technology ecosystems are redefining US-China rivalry. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang was the...
Nights are warming faster than days globally, impacting crops, ecosystems, and human health. Cities trap heat due to concrete and lack of green cover, while rising greenhouse gases act like a thicker blanket, preventing heat escape. This 'asymmetric warming' alarms scientists, indicating a fundamental shift in the planet's ability to cool itself.
China’s rapid technological gains and aggressive pricing are making it increasingly difficult for South Korean firms to find profitable areas of industrial synergy with their Chinese counterparts, according to experts. Speakers at a recent forum in Beijing urged firms from both countries to pivot towards building more interdependent ecosystems in high-growth sectors such as batteries and artificial intelligence, while also calling for the advancement of negotiations towards an upgraded...
China and the United States are taking divergent paths to developing artificial intelligence (AI), putting their technology ecosystems increasingly at odds. This divergence was on show on April 24 when start-up DeepSeek launched its next-generation V4 AI models that were optimised for use with the Ascend chips and associated software tools of tech giant Huawei Technologies. China has for years been pursuing technological self-reliance, a policy reiterated by the Communist Party’s Politburo at...
The sides announced closer integration between Armenian and EU digital ecosystems, including in high technology, artificial intelligence, and semiconductor manufacturing
Nuclear meltdown in 1986 reshaped ecosystems and human lives. Four decades on the legacy of the Chernobyl disaster is still unfolding.
