Breaking Waves: Ocean News

‘Shocking and sobering’: UK bird populations fall to lowest level on record

admin — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 15:08:25 +0000

Nearly half of species are in decline, with farmland birds and seabirds the worst hit, conservation bodies have said

Wild bird populations in the UK have fallen to their lowest level since records began, figures show, with nearly half of species in decline.

Flying foxes in NSW and Victoria face mass starvation amid food shortages

admin — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 14:00:06 +0000

Rescuers respond to surge in callouts for the vulnerable bat species, which usually feeds on blossoms and tree nectar

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Indonesia wildfire fuelled by El Niño razes almost 300 homes

admin — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 12:44:44 +0000

Hundreds of people displaced in Bangka Belitung province as shift in wind direction drove blaze towards settlement

A forest fire on Indonesia’s Sumatra island fuelled by El Niño has razed nearly 300 homes, forcing hundreds of people to evacuate, an official said on Tuesday as the country battles devastating blazes and haze.

Residents first spotted the fire approaching their village in Bangka Belitung province on Saturday and tried to put it out themselves with portable water pumps, said the head of South Bangka regency, Riza Herdavid.

Scientists deploy a 24-armed secret weapon to save California’s kelp forests

admin — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 12:00:01 +0000

Team works to restore the sunflower sea star as 95% of these key underwater ecosystems have been decimated along the Pacific coast in past decade

Off the coast of Monterey, California, a team of researchers is gearing up for its first dive of the day into the cold and choppy waters of the Pacific Ocean.

Trill seekers: can scientists use AI and tutors to help birds remember lost songs?

admin — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 09:00:19 +0000

When populations fall, fledglings can struggle to learn the right notes to attract mates. But research on how birds communicate offers hope for species’ survival

Listening to birdsong is one of life’s great joys, but when researchers heard a particular tune emerging from a tree in a Buenos Aires park, they were especially jubilant. This arrangement was among those chirped by the local rufous-collared sparrows in the 1960s, but had since disappeared from the area.

Honeybee's stinger continues to pump venom once detached from body, new footage shows – video

admin — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 07:10:38 +0000

High-speed video captures a previously unknown process that lets a honeybee’s two-millimetre stinger pump venom even after detaching from the insect’s body. Using a clear gel that mimics human skin as a target, researchers from Macquarie University detached the stingers and then filmed them in action pumping venom

Coastal erosion in England has claimed at least 183 homes in past 16 years

admin — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 06:00:17 +0000

Exclusive: Homes demolished along east coast after being deemed too vulnerable to live in, figures reveal

Seaside communities along the east coast of England have lost at least 183 homes to coastal erosion and landslides over the past 16 years, figures obtained by the Guardian reveal.

After councils judged properties across the Yorkshire and East Anglian coasts too vulnerable to remain safely occupied, the homes were proactively demolished.

Hurricane Simon and Tropical Storm Rachel kill five people on Mexico’s Pacific coast

admin — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 04:29:46 +0000

Security forces use helicopters to rescue dozens of people as the two storms damage infrastructure and cause flash flooding

At least five people have died after Hurricane Simon and Tropical Storm Rachel pummelled Mexico’s Pacific coast, causing flooding that downed trees and electricity poles, blocked roads and inundated homes.

Simon claimed the life of a 71-year-old man who died when a wall collapsed in Chilpancingo in the southern state of Guerrero, governor Evelyn Salgado said at a press conference.

Argentina temporarily closes Iguazu Falls after El Niño-fuelled surge in water levels

admin — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 03:03:48 +0000

National park officials took the precautionary measure to limit tourist access after heavy rain caused the Iguazu River to flow at six times the normal rate

Heavy rainfall fuelled by a supersized El Niño weather pattern briefly forced Argentinian authorities to close tourist access to the famed Iguazu Falls, amid fears that rapidly rising water levels would cause the river to burst its banks.

IMF warns global economy ‘could soon test the limits of resilience’

admin — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 02:00:11 +0000

World Economic Outlook says states’ oil stocks are low and budgets are overstretched, as it upgrades UK GDP growth forecast for 2026

Threat of AI share crash puts world financial stability at risk, says IMF

The global economy “could soon test the limits of resilience”, as emergency oil stocks run low and government budgets become overstretched, the International Monetary Fund has warned.