biodiversity

Protecting the strange sea pangolin and other animals: Q&A with deep sea biologist Chong Chen

7 August, 2019

Source: Mongabay
Author: Shreya Dasgupta

  • Creatures living in deep-sea hydrothermal vents lead a unique life that researchers are only now beginning to understand. Yet these animals are at risk of disappearing because of deep-sea mining before we even learn about them.
  • A deep-sea hydrothermal vent mollusk, the scaly-foot snail (Chrysomallon squamiferum), for example, debuted as endangered on the IUCN Red List this year because of threats from mining.
  • Mongabay spoke with deep-sea biologist Chong Chen, who has been assessing deep-sea hydrothermal vent species for the IUCN Red List, about his work and why listing these species on the IUCN Red List matters.

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High seas treaty: race for rights to ocean’s genetic resources

7 August, 2019

Source: Chinadialogue Ocean
Author: Li Jing

The ocean is home to millions of species, many of which are still unknown to humans. It supplies us with oxygen and each year absorbs nearly 25% of the greenhouse gases we produce by burning fossil fuels. However, vast areas of the high seas, which cover nearly half of the Earth’s surface, remain unregulated.

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3 reasons we should all care about biodiversity

11 April, 2019

Source: World Economic Forum
Author: Johnny Wood

The total number of animals has halved since the 1970s in what some scientists have termed the start of Earth’s sixth mass extinction.

Seismic eruptions, ice ages, continental collision and asteroid impact are thought to be some of the causes of the previous five mass extinctions. This time though, humans are to blame. Never before has a single species exerted such influence on the planet and the evolution of its inhabitants, or put its own survival in such jeopardy.

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Why companies should help pay for the biodiversity that’s good for their bottom line

30 November, 2018

Source: The Conversation
Author: Joanne Burgess and Edward Barbier

In the “The Lorax,” an entrepreneur regrets wiping out all the make-believe truffala trees by chopping them down to maximize his short-term gains. As the Dr. Seuss tale ends, the Once-ler – the man responsible for this environmental tragedy – tells a young child that “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”

Likewise, many corporations that profit from nature’s bounty, such as Unilever, Patagonia and Interface, appear to be reaching a similar conclusion. They are realizing that it’s time for the business world to do more about conservation.

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What Happens If We Don’t Protect the High Seas?

16 October, 2018

Source: Nature Conservancy
Author: Maria Damanaki

There’s a proverb I’m fond of: “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.” I thought of this proverb as I followed the recent UN negotiations around a treaty to establish international governance for the high seas.

The high seas—the part of the ocean that lies outside of any national territory—cover almost 50 percent of the planet, but as of now they are subject to few regulations of any kind. The proposed UN treaty aims to establish guidelines “for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction.” With three more negotiation sessions to come, the goal is to ratify by the spring of 2020.

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Closing the High Seas to Fishing Probably Won’t Hurt Global Food Security

10 September, 2018

Source: Hakai Magazine
Author: Marcus Woo

Recent research suggests fisheries closures would have minimal effect on global food security, but some scientists think the case isn’t so clear cut.

Far offshore are the high seas—waters beyond any country’s jurisdiction and the focus of a contentious debate. The high seas, which cover nearly two-thirds of the ocean’s surface, have recently seen an increase in fishing and other activities, such as deep-sea mining. To protect the biodiversity of this vast environment, delegates attending a meeting currently underway in New York are negotiating for a new international treaty, an addition to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Continue reading Closing the High Seas to Fishing Probably Won’t Hurt Global Food Security

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Researchers discover mesmerizing underwater world teeming with new life

7 August, 2018

Source: MNN
Author: Christian Cotroneo

If the planet stands any chance of keeping a secret from prying humans, it’s deep in the oceans.

In fact, we’ve long known there are sprawling ranges — called seamounts — deep underwater, many as breathtakingly grand as anything we’ve seen on terra firma.

Being in the deepest depths, those clandestine cliffs and nebulous valleys elude not just human eyes, but even sea-probing satellites and sonar-equipped ships.

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Mining the deep seabed will harm biodiversity. We need to talk about it

8 June, 2018

Source: World Economic Forum

In 2017, Japan became the first country to test mining ocean minerals on a significant scale. While its operation took place at depths of about 1,600 metres, many deep seabed minerals are much deeper – more than four kilometres down. These are pitch-black environments in which pressures are bone-crushingly high, and life operates on a completely different timescale. At these depths, mistakes can be costly for both industry operators and the environment.

Continue reading Mining the deep seabed will harm biodiversity. We need to talk about it

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