Breaking Waves: Ocean News

Older than the dinosaurs: scientists finally unlock secret of the mayfly’s dance

admin — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 06:00:48 +0000

The bizarre vertical flight pattern has long puzzled experts but new research reveals why it may play a crucial role in the insect’s survival

On a spring evening along the banks of the River Thames, thousands of mayflies can be seen engaging in what may be one of the world’s oldest dances. In the fading light, the males make a steep vertical climb, flip over and float back to Earth – wings and tail outstretched in a skydiving posture so as to drop slowly through the sky.

Babies exposed to air pollution during pregnancy take longer to learn to speak, research finds

admin — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 05:00:46 +0000

A KCL study has found that exposure during the first trimester of pregnancy delayed speech development

Babies exposed to higher levels of air pollution in the early stages of pregnancy take longer to learn to speak than those exposed to lower levels in the womb, new research suggests.

A study by researchers from King’s College London found exposure to nitrogen dioxide and fine and ultra-fine particulate matter during the first trimester of pregnancy delayed speech development at 18 months.

Urban areas host 80% of England’s homes at high risk of flooding, study finds

admin — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 05:00:45 +0000

Exclusive: 839,000 homes in urban areas face threat of surface-water flooding, with social housing tenants most vulnerable to costs

Eight in 10 of the homes that are at high risk of flooding in England are now in towns and cities, according to analysis by the National Housing Federation (NHF), which said social housing tenants are disproportionately vulnerable to the financial cost.

Research found that 839,000 homes in urban areas are now classed as being at high risk of surface water flooding, a threefold increase since 2018.

Anthony Albanese rules out gas export tax on existing contracts and criticises ‘populist’ campaign

admin — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 02:00:24 +0000

Prime minister says the middle of a global fuel crisis is ‘the worst possible time to jeopardise’ Australia’s partnerships with Asian trading partners

Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates

Trump administration blocks US wind energy projects in switch to oil and gas

admin — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 21:37:43 +0000

US representatives Jared Huffman and Jamie Raskin earlier this month called agreements outrageous and unlawful

Stranded whale Timmy swims on to barge in German rescue attempt

admin — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 17:09:12 +0000

Rescuers hope to move young male humpback from Baltic to North Sea after being stranded for a month near Lübeck

Rescuers trying to save a stranded humpback whale off Germany’s Baltic coast have coaxed the mammal on to a barge in the hope the vessel can take it to safety in deeper waters.

Amid intense media attention, the high-stakes rescue mission, funded by two multi-millionaires, is being watched by hundreds of onlookers, many of whom are camped nearby to monitor the spectacle.

Singing activists disrupt NatWest meeting over ‘climate backtracking’

admin — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 15:22:11 +0000

AGM briefly adjourned after protesters wearing T-shirts labelled ‘No more big oil’ burst into song

The chair of NatWest was forced to defend the bank against accusations of “climate backtracking” at a chaotic annual shareholder meeting, which was temporarily suspended owing to singing protesters.

Not long after the meeting began in Edinburgh, it was adjourned for about half an hour after a protester interrupted Rick Haythornthwaite’s opening speech.

One year after Spain’s blackout, its shift to renewables and grid evolution power on

admin — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 13:47:48 +0000

Though solar was initially incorrectly blamed for crisis, renewables have helped insulate Spain from gas price rises caused by war in Middle East

Trump’s attempt to crush clean energy progress not going to plan, experts say

admin — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 12:30:09 +0000

US generated more power from renewables including solar and wind than gas last month in a first

Donald Trump has wielded the full might of his administration to crush the progress of clean energy, which he has called a “scam” and “stupid”. But there are signs this assault is not going to plan.

Middle East crisis could cost world $1tn while oil firms make ‘obscene’ profit, analysis finds

admin — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 11:00:09 +0000

Climate group calls for urgent windfall tax on excess fossil fuel profits, as delegates tell Colombia conference their nations are suffering

The Middle East oil and gas crunch will impose as much as a trillion dollars of additional costs on the global economy while petroleum companies rake in spectacular profits from elevated fuel prices, analysis has revealed.

The uneven distribution of risk and reward comes amid rising concern that the US-Israeli attack on Iran is worsening inequality, poverty and hunger across a world that has become dangerously dependent on fossil fuels.