PLANET IN PERIL

The Guardian Oil spill disaster reduced biodiversity in sites closest to spill, report finds, as White House rolls back conservation measures. More here.

Larry, Never has our blue planet been more under threat.  And never before have we had a better sense of what's at stake. Come watch the latest film that will captivate and motivate you to join a global movement working to save our oceans. Greenpeace Canada is sponsoring a special Winnipeg screening of BLUE  — the critically-acclaimed and award-winning documentary film which takes you deep into our planet’s threatened oceans and seas.  This one-night-only screening is an on-demand event.  It only takes place if 50 tickets are sold. Reserve your spot now  — and portion of ticket sales will go towards supporting Greenpeace's vital work to protect our oceans and the planet.  WHAT: Special screening of BLUE — an award-winning documentary film WHEN: Monday 25th June, 7pm WHERE: Cineplex Odeon McGillivray Cinemas ( 2190 McGillivray Blvd, Winnipeg, MB, R3Y 1S6 ) HOW: Tickets are $14.50 and you can order yours here

WORLD RESOURCES INSTITUTE Mangroves in Benin. Such vegetation provides an important  buffer from the ravages of ocean storms and currents. Photo credit - Ji-Elle.  The ocean contributes  $1.5 trillion annually  to the overall economy and assures the livelihood of  10-12 percent of the world’s population. But there’s another reason to protect marine ecosystems—they’re crucial for curbing climate change. More here.

Yale Environment 360 Drift ice in the  archipelago of Svalbard. Photo by  AWeith   The “Atlantification” and “Pacification” of the Arctic has begun. As warmer waters stream into an increasingly ice-free Arctic Ocean, new species — from phytoplankton to whales — have the potential to upend this sensitive polar environment. More here.

EcoWatch  North Polar flight with Air Berlin: Pole overflight (Photographer: Basti, Editor: Hedwig) Scientists found record levels of  microplastics  in  Arctic   sea ice , a study published Tuesday in  Nature Communications  revealed. More here.

The Conversation Fish farming in Greece. Photo by  Jebulon Salmon farming is facing a huge challenge in the form of a tiny pest. The parasitic sea louse is infecting salmon stocks worldwide, causing devastating losses for salmon farmers and increased prices for shoppers. But scientists are working hard to tackle this global problem, with a combination of new ways to biologically and mechanically remove the lice and to make the salmon more resilient to infection. More here.

ScienceDaily Fishing activity now covers at least 55 percent of the world's oceans -- four times the land area covered by agriculture -- and can now be monitored, in near real time, to the level of individual vessels. More here.

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY At current rates of plastic production, by 2050 the total mass of plastics in our oceans will outweigh the biomass of fish.  — World Economic Forum. More here. Pieces of plastic that washed ashore after a storm.  Pacific Ocean beach in San Francisco. Source:  Plastic Oceans. Author: Kevin Krejci.

ScienceDaily An Atlantic sturgeon. US Fish & Wildlife Service. New study finds microplastics in the stomachs of 73 percent of mesopelagic (medium-depth) fish caught in the Northwest Atlantic -- one of the highest levels globally. More here.

nature Maintaining momentum is crucial as nations build a treaty to safeguard the high seas. More here. A ribbon seal in the Bering Sea.  Photo by NOAA.

COMMON  DREAMS Experts say the data indicates that humans must urgently "reduce the heating of our planet by using energy more wisely and increasing the use of clean and renewable energy." Story here. Coral reefs.  A Wikimedia photo.

Common  Dreams Mt. Herschel, Antarctica. Photo by  Andrew Mandemaker. "We are in desperate need for governments to come together and do what is best for these amazing ecosystems." More here.

ScienceNews Rising temperatures are skewing population ratios toward extreme imbalance. Story here. Photo by Karla

NATIONAL OBSERVER A Mexican beach. PinP photo. Almost two dozen marine scientists from around the world have issued a warning about an often-overlooked side effect of climate change and pollution. Story here.

YaleEnvironment360 The Beaufort Gyre, a key Arctic Ocean current, is acting strangely. Scientists say it may be on the verge of discharging a huge amount of ice and cold freshwater that could kick off a period of lower temperatures in northern Europe. Story here.

Science Nine nations and the European Union have agreed to place the central Arctic Ocean off-limits to commercial fishers for at least the next 16 years. The pact will give scientists time to understand the region’s marine ecology and the potential impacts of climate change. Story here. Fishing boat in the Arctic. Photo by J osef Knecht

CBC news Fishing lines killed at least 2 whales, and 2 others were freed by rescuers.  Story here. We destroy our kindred creatures in ways that are varied and wondrous. This northern right whale was run over by a ship. Photo by NOAA.

ScienceDaily Quantitative analysis has evidenced the acceleration system of melting ice: dark water surfaces absorb more heat than white ice surfaces, thus melting ice and making more water surfaces in the Arctic Ocean. Details here.

NATURE|NEWS Geological processes send more meltwater from glaciers and ice sheets to Earth's mid-latitudes. Story here. Greenland. Photo by Uffe Wilken

ScienceDaily Great White shark. Photo by Pterantula  (Terry Goss)  Fish are expected to shrink in size by 20 to 30 per cent if ocean temperatures continue to climb due to climate change. Story here.