The effect of climate change on the ecology of krill and whales in the Southern Ocean urgently needs monitoring, a group of Australian scientists warn.
The Australian Antarctic Division scientists say the effects of climate change on the sea ice that breeds krill which feeds whales can no longer be ignored.
Earth Changes
Scotland's population of honeybees could be wiped out by a mystery virus.
Known as the Marie Celeste Syndrome, it has already killed million of insects around the world.
Beekeepers say Scottish swarms - which total half a billion bees - are at risk because defences against the virus are "woefully inadequate".
In Marie Celeste Syndrome, also known as Colony Collapse Disorder, worker bees disappear without trace and never return.
Known as the Marie Celeste Syndrome, it has already killed million of insects around the world.
Beekeepers say Scottish swarms - which total half a billion bees - are at risk because defences against the virus are "woefully inadequate".
In Marie Celeste Syndrome, also known as Colony Collapse Disorder, worker bees disappear without trace and never return.
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| ©Unknown |
| Arctic leech |
Call it the invasion of the marine bloodsuckers. As conditions in Antarctica continue to heat up, new species of leeches, which are known vectors for viruses and bacteria, have slowly begun infiltrating the frigid waters -- putting many commercially valuable fish species at risk.
Tanana, Alaska -- With a sickening thud, another hefty and handsome salmon lands in the waste barrel, headed for the dogs.
"See, it's all of the biggest, best-looking fish," said Pat Moore, waving a stogie at the pile of discards. "It breaks my heart. My dogs cannot eat all that. The maggots will get them first."
"See, it's all of the biggest, best-looking fish," said Pat Moore, waving a stogie at the pile of discards. "It breaks my heart. My dogs cannot eat all that. The maggots will get them first."
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| ©Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times |
| Faith Peters and Haley Brigham, 12, help Kathleen Zuray cut king salmon into strips at a fish camp on a stretch of the Yukon River called the Rapids. Eagerly awaited each year, king salmon are the biggest and most prized fish migrating upriver to spawn in the Yukon's headwaters, in Canada |
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| ©Getty Images |
| A widespread Arctic melt would have major impacts on wildlife |
Arctic sea ice is melting even faster than last year, despite a cold winter.
Data from the US National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) shows that the year began with ice covering a larger area than at the beginning of 2007.
But now it is down to levels seen last June, at the beginning of a summer that broke records for sea ice loss.
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| ©Zobaer Hossain Sikder |
| Vehicles slog through knee-deep water on the main thoroughfare at Bahadderhat in Chittagong after deluge throughout yesterday swamped much of the port city. Photo: Zobaer Hossain Sikder |
Life became paralysed in Chittagong yesterday as major parts of the port city were submerged in knee-deep water following heavy rains throughout the day.
Besides, two walls collapsed at Lalkhan Bazar and Surson Road in the morning due to the downpour, but none was hurt.
According to the Met Office at Patenga, over 202 millimetres (8 inches) of rainfall was recorded in last 24 hours till 3:00pm yesterday.
Wednesday's huge fire that devastated 14 kilometres of brush land in the Larnaca and Limassol districts was the work of arsonists, it emerged yesterday.
Despite initial reports that suggested the fire was a result of a re-ignition of a small fire in the area, the Fire Services yesterday said that the blaze appeared to be an arson attack.
Despite initial reports that suggested the fire was a result of a re-ignition of a small fire in the area, the Fire Services yesterday said that the blaze appeared to be an arson attack.
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| ©AFP |
| Workers examine the closed memorial bridge as water crosses it from the flooding Mississippi River June 18, 2008 in Quincy, Illinois. Rising waters burst through an overtaxed levee on the Mississippi River Tuesday, sending gushing torrents into an Illinois town as the sodden US midwest reeled from days of epic flooding. The levee break left Highway 34 at Gulfport, on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River, under water, prompting officials to close a bridge to the neighboring town of Burlington and creating havoc for commuters. |
Chicago -- Rising waters burst through an overtaxed levee on the Mississippi River Tuesday, sending gushing torrents into an Illinois town as the sodden US midwest reeled from days of epic flooding.
The levee break left Highway 34 at Gulfport, on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River, under water, prompting officials to close a bridge to the neighboring town of Burlington and creating havoc for commuters.
More than 1,000 Illinois National Guard troops were working alongside hundreds of inmates from the state's prisons to shore up levees throughout the state, a spokeswoman with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency told CNN.
The New York Times said people in dozens of Mississippi towns facing flooding were working Tuesday to shore up about 30 levees.
TOKYO -- The search for people still missing after a deadly earthquake in northern Japan was halted Thursday amid fears of mudslides as a rain front moved in, officials said.
Eleven people are still unaccounted for in the northern part of Japan's main Honshu island, which was hit on Saturday by a powerful 7.2 Richter-scale earthquake that also killed 11 people.
The Japan Meteorological Agency said the rainy season was believed to have started in the region, raising concerns that small dams formed naturally by the quake would break and trigger mudslides. The region has experienced very little heavy rain since the disaster.
Rescuers searching for the missing had to pull out before sunset due to worries over mudslides, said a local official in the hard-hit town of Kurihara. "It started drizzling shortly after noon today (Thursday)," said the official. "We have to carefully study the weather forecast to decide what we can do tomorrow."
Eleven people are still unaccounted for in the northern part of Japan's main Honshu island, which was hit on Saturday by a powerful 7.2 Richter-scale earthquake that also killed 11 people.
The Japan Meteorological Agency said the rainy season was believed to have started in the region, raising concerns that small dams formed naturally by the quake would break and trigger mudslides. The region has experienced very little heavy rain since the disaster.
Rescuers searching for the missing had to pull out before sunset due to worries over mudslides, said a local official in the hard-hit town of Kurihara. "It started drizzling shortly after noon today (Thursday)," said the official. "We have to carefully study the weather forecast to decide what we can do tomorrow."
TOKYO -- Japanese police on Friday arrested two Greenpeace activists on allegations of stealing whale meat as part of the environmentalists' campaign against whaling.
Police raided five places including the environmental group's Japan headquarters in Tokyo's bustling Shinjuku district, officials said.
Police arrested Junichi Sato, 31, a prominent voice in the media against whaling, and fellow Greenpeace member Toru Suzuki, 41, a police spokesman said.
Greenpeace, along with Western countries led by Australia, is strongly opposed to Japan's whaling programme, which kills some 1,000 of the ocean giants a year.
The Japanese government, which says whaling is part of the culture, carries out the hunt using a loophole in a 1986 international moratorium that allows "lethal research" on whales.
Police raided five places including the environmental group's Japan headquarters in Tokyo's bustling Shinjuku district, officials said.
Police arrested Junichi Sato, 31, a prominent voice in the media against whaling, and fellow Greenpeace member Toru Suzuki, 41, a police spokesman said.
Greenpeace, along with Western countries led by Australia, is strongly opposed to Japan's whaling programme, which kills some 1,000 of the ocean giants a year.
The Japanese government, which says whaling is part of the culture, carries out the hunt using a loophole in a 1986 international moratorium that allows "lethal research" on whales.
Comment: See the SoTT focus article: To Bee or not to Be