Countries agree on decisive and urgent actions to restore marine world to health as Ocean Conference concludes

Universal agreement on need for measures to reverse ocean deterioration. Details here.

As climate change intensifies, here’s what could happen to Falkland Islands

NATIONAL

OBSERVER

Port Stanley, Falkland Islands. Photo by Tom L-C.

The melting of ice in Antarctica due to a warming climate threatens to upend the economic livelihoods of Falkland Islands residents, says its representative to Canada. STORY HERE.

Over 60 wildlife species at risk in Canada's changing North

CNW

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Some populations of Lake Sturgeon (above), a large, very long-lived species affected by historical 

overfishing, are now on the endangered list (COSEWIC). US Fish & Wildlife photo.

Atlantic Walrus and Eastern Migratory Caribou are at risk of extinction. So concluded the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), which met recently in Whitehorse. The number of Canadian northern wildlife species considered to be at risk now stands at 62. Details here.

Do Marine Reserves Provide a Buffer Against the Ravages of Climate Change? Yes, say experts!

by Larry Powell

An international team of scientists is calling for more marine reserves as a way to lessen the impact of manmade climate change. 

The researchers believe, even if greenhouse gases are reduced in order to meet targets set out in the Paris Climate Accord, life on Earth will still face “serious stress and damage.” So more still needs to be done. 

A blue rockfish in the Channel Islands Marine Sanctuary. NOAA Photo Library

Marine reserves are areas of ocean where fishing and development are declared illegal. They’ve been shown to result in greater biodiversity, density, mass and size among fish and other marine life living there. Yet only a very small percentage of the world’s oceans have been set aside for this purpose.

The team suggests, well-managed marine reserves would help people adapt to “five prominent impacts” of climate change. These are; ocean acidification, sea-level rise, worsening storms, the distribution of marine life and decreased productivity and availability of oxygen. The scientists call marine reserves “a viable low-tech, cost-effective adaptation strategy that would improve the outlook, both locally and globally for the environment and people into the future.”   

A dozen scientists from several countries were involved in the study. Their findings were published recently in the proceedings of the prestigious National Academy of Sciences in the U.S.

RELATED: Obama promises a huge marine preserve (video).

Song diversity hints at thrushes' evolutionary past

AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY

Photo by Matt MacGillivray

The Hermit Thrush is famous for its melodiously undulating song, but we know very little about whether its songs vary across the large swath of North America that it calls home in the summer. A new study from "The Auk" provides the first thorough overview of geographic variation in Hermit Thrush song structure and hints at how isolation and adaptation shape differences in the tunes of a learned song within a species. Details here.

Climate change and the world’s oceans

UN News Centre

NOAA photo centre.

The vital link between oceans and climate change is among the issues at the forefront of discussions at the United Nations Ocean Conference taking place in New York from 5 to 9 June. Story here.

It's World Oceans Day. Tell Canada to Protect Them.

Canada should keep its 10 per cent marine protection promise Dear Larry,  I’ve loved oceans my whole life. So I’m watching as world leaders gather in New York this week to discuss how to conserve and sustainably use them. Canada’s government is starting to take action on its 10 per cent marine protection commitment. But with less than one per cent protected, there’s still a long way to go. Please encourage the federal government to meet its targets while creating high-quality protection for orcas, belugas, salmon, puffins and more. Send your letter to government now. Protect oceans now

Italy rebuked for failure to prevent olive-tree tragedy

nature

European Commission reveals widespread delays by the country’s authorities to halt spread of deadly plant disease. Story here.

Coming Soon. Planet in Peril Will Soon Provide You With a Valuable Insight Into the Impact Rising Sea Levels are Already Having on Canada. (Video Preview)

Donald Trump, climate saviour?

THE NATIONAL OBSERVER Donald Trump tried to pull the rug from under climate action by pulling out of the Paris  accord. But it looks more and more like Trump’s move may have the opposite effect,  giving the global climate movement what it most lacked — a clear enemy. Story here.

‘It’s going to be grim, but there will still be coral’: Scientists call for realism about reefs

The Washington Post

With coral reefs all over the world suffering ongoing bleaching and death at the hands of warming ocean waters — from remote coral atolls in the Indian Ocean to Australia’s iconic Great Barrier Reef — the future of these beloved marine ecosystems appears increasingly grim. But while experts almost universally agree that climate change will continue to shape the future of the world’s corals, some scientists insist that there’s still hope for them. Story here.