Scientists have made a depressing discovery – the first marine fish of modern times has been declared extinct. The smooth handfish has officially been wiped from the south-eastern Australian waters due to habitat decline, pollution and destructive fishing practices. The bottom-dweller was one of 14 species of handfish, which use highly modified pectoral fins to … Read more
Land animals are, on the whole, smarter than marine creatures and scientists now believe this is because complex landscapes sped up the evolution of intelligence. Animals first left the seas and colonised land around 385million years ago but their brains were far more primitive than modern-day species. This, scientists say, is because the simplicity of … Read more
A Russian court found ex-U.S. marine Paul Whelan guilty of spying for the United States on Monday and sentenced him to 16 years in jail after a closed trial which U.S. diplomats said was unfair and opaque. Whelan, who holds U.S., British, Canadian and Irish passports, has been in custody since he was detained by … Read more
Marine species are edging closer to Earth’s poles at an average pace of 3.7 miles per year as climate change causes global ocean temperatures to rise Experts reviewed 258 studies into shifting habitat ranges with climate change They used this to make a database, BioShifts, that covers some 12,000 species Marine species are moving poleward six times faster … Read more
‘Most damaging invasive fish species known to science’: Venomous lionfish are thriving on the Southern European coast and threatening native marine life in the Mediterranean Lionfish — Pterois miles — were first seen off the coast of Cyprus eight years ago Researchers fear that the species has now established a significant population They found individual lionfish … Read more
One in five of the world’s large marine animals could go extinct in the next 100 years, according to a new study. Megafauna are most at-risk from climate change and 18 per cent of the oceans’ largest species could be lost forever by the year 2120, UK scientists say This could rise to 40 per … Read more
Think of a scientist and a lab-coat-wearing bod staring at a petri dish tends to spring to mind. Dr Mike Gil is a living reminder that being a scientist can also involve adventuring in some of the earth’s most remarkable and remote spots – amid some of its most astonishing creatures. Mike, 34, you see, … Read more