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The high seas treaty could become law by the end of the year, affording protection to marine life in the vast swaths of ocean that belong to no one.

The treaty was adopted by UN member states in June 2023. It has been ratified by 31 nations plus the European Union, and comes into force 120 days after its 60th ratification.

But at the UN Ocean Conference this week, hosts France said around 50 countries have ratified the pact, bringing it within reach of enactment. [...]

The preserved area is more than 1,000 square miles, larger than New York City and Los Angeles combined. When Field Museum scientists visited the region in 2016 to conduct an inventory of wildlife, they estimated that the area is home to at least 3,000 species of plants, 550 fish species, 110 amphibians, 100 reptiles, and 160 mammals.

Although Caribbean island nations account for only a small fraction of global greenhouse gas emissions, they are disproportionately affected by climate change. This has prompted calls for the world’s wealthiest nations to provide substantial financial support to help small island nations strengthen their adaptive capacity.

“We can’t make it the responsibility of these small island states, when the world’s richest countries have historically been the largest emitters of greenhouse gases,” Cloos said.

The study: What can be said about risks, vulnerabilities, and adaptation to climate change in Caribbean small island developing states (SIDS)? The case of Dominica. A qualitative study

Ocean acidification has already crossed a crucial threshold for planetary health, scientists say in unexpected finding

Until now, ocean acidification had not been deemed to have crossed its “planetary boundary”. The planetary boundaries are the natural limits of key global systems – such as climate, water and wildlife diversity – beyond which their ability to maintain a healthy planet is in danger of failing. Six of the nine had been crossed already, scientists said last year.

However, a new study by the UK’s Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML), the Washington-based National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Oregon State University’s Co-operative Institute for Marine Resources Studies found that ocean acidification’s “boundary” was also reached about five years ago.

The study titled, "Expansion of the genomic and functional diversity of global ocean giant viruses," was published on April 21, 2025 in the journal Nature npj Viruses.

The study: Impact of heatwave amplitude, duration, and timing on parasite fitness at different baseline temperatures

NGO says Afghan capital’s 7 million people face existential crisis that world needs urgently to address

The Mercy Corps report can be found here: Kabul’s Water Crisis - An Inflection Point for Action

Now, teams of government scientists are reporting widespread coral death, which they say is the worst bleaching to hit the state. There are still areas of live coral, and some bleached coral will recover, but as scientists gather data, the scale of mortality has left many shocked.

Dr Thomas Holmes coordinates the marine science program at the WA government’s Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. [...] “I’m not afraid to use the word unprecedented,” he says.