Breaking Waves: Ocean News

Wildlife rescue group Wires faces crunch vote amid volunteer discontent over funds raised after bushfires

admin — Fri, 12 Jul 2024 15:00:59 +0000

Donations grew dramatically after Australia’s black summer but animal carers say they didn’t receive enough

National Trust celebrates birth of baby beaver one year after reintroduction

admin — Fri, 12 Jul 2024 14:14:51 +0000

Four animals released in Wallington estate in Northumberland last year have transformed the landscape

The first beavers in Northumberland for more than 400 years have been stupendously busy. There are new dam systems, as well as canals and burrows, new wildlife-rich wetlands and, thrillingly, a baby beaver.

Whether it is male or female remains to be seen. “Beavers don’t have external genitalia,” said Heather Devey, an expert. “They are really hard to sex. It’s really only through their anal glands that you can tell.”

Floods fuelled 19% drop in income from farming in England in 2023

admin — Fri, 12 Jul 2024 12:49:07 +0000

Low yields combined with low prices for some crops also led to a 13% drop in farm output compared with 2022

Income from farming in England plummeted by 19% last year after floods meant harvesting many crops was impossible.

Week in wildlife – in pictures: a rare blue frog, a cheeky heron and climbing bears

admin — Fri, 12 Jul 2024 07:00:48 +0000

The best of this week’s wildlife photographs from around the world

Heatwave tourism in Death Valley – in pictures

admin — Fri, 12 Jul 2024 06:00:45 +0000

Hundreds of Europeans touring the American west and adventurers from around the US are being drawn to Death Valley national park, even though the desolate region known as one of Earth’s hottest places is being punished by a dangerous heatwave, which was blamed for a motorcyclist’s recent death

As British butterflies head north, scientists ask public to help track migration

admin — Fri, 12 Jul 2024 05:00:46 +0000

With up to 80% of butterflies in decline, people are being asked to spend 15 minutes to record number and type witnessed

Scientists are calling on the public to help track how British butterflies are moving north as the climate heats up.

Examining 50 years of data, researchers from the wildlife charity Butterfly Conservation, which runs the annual Big Butterfly Count, have identified a clear northerly shift among many species, including the familiar garden favourites the comma, peacock and holly blue.

Lower air pollution may help preserve older people’s independence – study

admin — Fri, 12 Jul 2024 05:00:45 +0000

Researchers estimate 730,000 people a year in the US lose their ability to live independently due to traffic pollution

Reducing air pollution may help elderly people to live independent lives for longer, research has found.

‘Frog saunas’ could save species from deadly fungal disease, study finds

admin — Thu, 11 Jul 2024 19:00:31 +0000

Australian scientists create brick refuges in greenhouses to help green and golden bell frogs survive infection

A “sauna” treatment for frogs has been used by researchers in Australia to successfully fight a deadly fungal disease that has devastated amphibians around the world, according to a new study.

Britons asked to send slugs by post for research into pest-resistant wheat

admin — Thu, 11 Jul 2024 17:06:49 +0000

Snail mail replaced with slug mail as scientists need 1,000 grey field slugs to explore their impact on various crops

It may be known as snail mail, but researchers are hoping the public will use the postal service to send them a different kind of mollusc: slugs.

A team of scientists and farmers carrying out research into slug-resistant wheat say they need about 1,000 of the creatures to explore how palatable slugs find various crops.

Global population predictions offer ‘hopeful sign’ for planet, UN says

admin — Thu, 11 Jul 2024 16:30:27 +0000

Projected high of 10.3bn people is lower and will come earlier than expected, analysis suggests

The global population is likely to peak earlier than expected and at a lower level, according to new UN projections that officials have said offer hope of reduced pressure on the environment.

The analysis predicts there will be about 10.3 billion people by the mid-2080s, up from 8.2 billion this year.