Climate change drives sharpest Great Barrier Reef coral loss in nearly 40 years

The Great Barrier Reef is experiencing its most severe coral loss in nearly 40 years due to climate change-induced heat stress, cyclones, and coral-eating starfish. An Australian Institute of Marine S...

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Carbon sink declining in European forests: Study

A study published in Nature highlights the declining ability of European forests to act as carbon sinks due to climate change-induced extreme weather and human activities. Factors such as increased ha...

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Air and wastewater may drive H5N1 spread on US dairy farms, warns study

A study from Emory University highlights the potential spread of the H5N1 avian influenza virus on US dairy farms through air and wastewater. The virus, first detected in California dairy cattle, has ...

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Scorched Amazon forests remain overheated for decades, study finds

A recent study reveals that Amazon forests in Brazil, once scorched by fires, remain significantly hotter than intact forests for up to 30 years, with temperatures averaging 2.6°C higher. This persist...

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Alien plant species taking over native ecosystems: Study

Alien plant species, introduced by humans directly or indirectly in different geographical regions of the world, are now spreading at an unprecedented pace, res

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In search of new homes

The Asiatic lions could be settling in a new territory outside their protected turf in Gujarat, at least so it seems. On March 16, a lion was spotted lounging b

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Tree leaves in Western Ghats crossing critical heat thresholds, finds study

A recent study has revealed that leaves of several tropical forest and agroforestry species in the Western Ghats are already reaching temperatures that could lead to irreversible heat damage. Research...

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Turn a new leaf

Every now and then, biologist Deepak Barua takes a break from his usual assignments at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune, and

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It’s official, nearly 84% of coral reefs are affected in the most widespread mass global bleaching event

Scientists have confirmed that the world’s worst ongoing global coral bleaching event has now affected nearly 84 per cent of the world's coral reefs.The US Nati

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Scientists may take at least a year to grasp full scale of world’s largest coral bleaching event

The world is witnessing the most extensive coral bleaching event recorded, with scientists predicting it may take another year to fully assess the damage. Since January 2023, the fourth global coral b...

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Microplastics now deeply embedded in ocean structure, altering biogeochemical processes

Microplastics have infiltrated the ocean's structure, profoundly affecting biogeochemical cycles, according to a study in Nature. Researchers discovered microplastic particles embedded at depths of up...

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Scientists may take at least a year to grasp full scale of world’s largest coral bleaching event

The world is witnessing the most extensive coral bleaching event recorded, with scientists predicting it may take another year to fully assess the damage. Since January 2023, the fourth global coral b...

downtoearth.org.in

It’s official, nearly 84% of coral reefs are affected in the most widespread mass global bleaching event

Scientists have confirmed that the world’s worst ongoing global coral bleaching event has now affected nearly 84 per cent of the world's coral reefs.The US Nati

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Temperatures in Pune breached ‘critical environmental limits’ for the elderly multiple times in April: Scientists

During April, Pune city experienced multiple days when peak day temperatures hovered between 40 and 43 degrees Celsius. Even higher temperatures were experience

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Turn a new leaf

Every now and then, biologist Deepak Barua takes a break from his usual assignments at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune, and

downtoearth.org.in

Two per cent of world’s amphibians already experiencing temperatures higher than tolerance levels

Researchers have found that 104 of the 5,203 amphibian species they studied are already exposed to overheating in shaded terrestrial conditions, concluding that

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Major cities worldwide are witnessing surge in rat populations — and climate change could be the reason why

A new study has revealed that climate change is creating the perfect conditions for a surge in rat populations in major urban centres worldwide. The research, p

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Tiger occupancy in India increased by 30% in 20 years, declined in high poverty, armed conflict regions

Tiger occupancy and local extinction from areas in India have close linkages with poverty, armed conflict and land-use changes, a new study has revealed.The stu

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Catastrophic coral bleaching strikes southern Great Barrier Reef, 44% of corals lost

The southern Great Barrier Reef (GBR) saw catastrophic coral bleaching in May 2024, with a staggering 44 per cent mortality rate in protected areas, triggered b

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Brazil’s wildfires devastate over 30 million hectares, highest since 2019

Brazil closed out 2024 with another grim milestone, following its worst drought on record. Between January and December, over 30.87 million hectares of wilderne

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Trends for 2025: New pathogens lurking

The next pandemic could strike by 2030, says the UN Environmental Programme in a report released in July 2024. The warning, however, appears to point to an immi

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Nearly 20% of species residing in UNESCO’s world heritage marine sites live in unsuitably warm waters

Nearly 20 per cent of species found in 21 of 51 UNESCO World Heritage marine sites have reached or exceeded their living thermal limits, according to an analysi

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