Ill winds: calm weather puts Great Barrier Reef at risk
Australian researchers have identified weather patterns that can raise the risk of coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef, and winds play a key role.
oceans
Warming seas threaten billion-dollar salmon industry
Climate change could cost Tasmania's salmon industry millions of dollars in revenue and force major changes to farming operations, a report has warned.
Pacific head rebukes Australia’s focus on pre-COP costs
Tuvalu's climate minister says he was "very happy" with pre-COP attendance, but alarmed by new fossil fuel projects being green-lit in Australia.
‘Long memory’: Pacific faces decades of global warming
Cutting all greenhouse gas emissions will not immediately reverse the effects of climate change on the world's largest ocean, a study has found.
Rain fails to dampen climate mission at pre-COP31 event
The government has defied critics and bad weather to highlight climate threats to Pacific nations but pre-COP31 also turned the spotlight on its commitments.
Besieged nation warns COP31 can’t be climate talkfest
The tiny Pacific nation of Tuvalu has hosted presidents and prime ministers to demonstrate the starkest impacts of rising sea levels before major climate talks.
Antarctic blind spot emerges as major sea-level threat
Australia could lead an international research mission to go where no ship has gone before: an enormous ice basin capable of raising global sea levels.
Counting the cost: tool estimates fossil fuel impacts
From additional heat to the loss of coral and glaciers, an online tool promises to calculate the effect of coal, oil and gas developments.
Rising sea levels threaten more than 267,000 properties
Rising seas and storm surges could cost Australia more than $855 billion, endangering homes, businesses, infrastructure and land.
‘Bloody dangerous’: world to exceed 1.5-degree warming
Earth is on track to exceed 1.5 degrees of warming within years, the United Nations has warned, exposing communities to more extreme weather.
Australia’s coral reefs retreat as heatwaves intensify
Marine heatwaves are threatening coral reefs, including those in Australia, but research shows they could recover if given a break between bleaching events.
Whale feeding a delight for both tourism and science
A collaboration between Australian researchers and tourism operators has unearthed surprising results about the feeding habits of migratory humpback whales.
‘Walking dead’: plastic ingestion’s seabird impact
A world-first study has proven a seabird is suffering from population decline due to ingestion of plastic waste, with afflicted birds dubbed "the walking dead".
Progress and poor marks: Reef earns a mixed report card
Efforts to cut pollution in waterways feeding Australia's Great Barrier Reef are making progress but still falling short of targets.
Coral returns to Great Barrier Reef but risks remain
The world's largest coral reef system is showing positive signs of recovery but experts warn severe climate challenges lay ahead.
Rare humpback birth caught in Australian drone footage
A humpback whale has been captured giving birth off the Australian coastline in what is believed to be just the fourth public film of its kind.
Third fatal shark attack in a month sparks warnings
Three spearfishers have died in shark attacks in just 21 days as an expert warns of the risks involved in the activity.
Coral protest takes aim at needless reef harvesting
Chipping off healthy Great Barrier Reef corals to sell to private aquariums no longer passes the pub test, according to a green group opposed to the practice.
Cyclone-hammered reefs can take many years to recover
Coral reefs and their fish populations can take many years to recover after being hammered by severe tropical cyclones, researchers say.
How mirroring nature might just save the humble oyster
Oyster reefs are already a restoration priority and Australian research could boost survival rates of the water-filtering, habitat-providing species.
‘Incredibly difficult’: boy in shark attack hanging on
More than $120,000 has been raised for a 12-year-old boy mauled by a shark as he fights for life and his family brace for the worst possible outcome.
How swimmers can stay safe from surging shark attacks
Swimmers are being encouraged to stay 'shark smart' after four recent attacks, as attention turns to safety measures designed to control the apex predators.
Shark attacks close beaches amid stormy weather warning
Sydney beaches remain closed after a spate of shark attacks as experts outline the factors that are increasing the chances of close encounters.
Woman dead but man heroically saved after shark attack
A shark has mauled Swiss tourists at a national park beach, leaving a woman dead, but quick thinking from a passer-by helpead a man to fight on in hospital.
Heatwaves, climate extremes ‘normal’ for oceans by 2040
Even if the Paris Agreement is met, Australia's marine life will still be under pressure to adapt or move in response to climate pressures, and fast.
Time running out for ‘irreplaceable’ $95b reef
The Great Barrier Reef is an ecological and economic jewel, but a growing body of research shows it will be lost without swift and decisive action.
US memo urges countries to reject UN plastic caps
Hopes for a "last-chance" ambitious global treaty that tackles the full life cycle of plastic pollution have dimmed.
Warmer seas could bring more sharks to popular beaches
Popular beaches could have some unwelcome predatory guests for increasingly longer periods as warmer sea temperatures lure sharks closer to shore.
Push to turn promises into protection at UN ocean meet
The United Nations Ocean Conference is opening in France as pressure mounts to turn promises into action on protecting the ocean.
environmental issue
environmental pollution
global warming
marine science
oceans
science and technology
‘Lifeline’ for coral at risk of rising sea temperatures
Australian researchers have discovered coral bred from reefs in warmer oceans are more able to survive in extreme heat stress.
Go bold: calls for Australia to lead on ocean health
Acting on the threats of deep-sea mining and climate change are among the asks of environmental groups heading into a global event.