Breaking Waves: Ocean News https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-waves/node/14 en Drone footage shows severe drought hitting river in Brazil – video https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/drone-footage-shows-severe-drought-hitting-river-brazil-video <p>Drone footage from 17 September shows the Araguaia River drying up, as severe drought grips parts of Brazil. The country is preparing for potential El Niño impacts in late 2026-27, with the Tocantins-Araguaia basin already experiencing severe drought conditions</p> <p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2026/sep/18/drone-footage-shows-severe-drought-hitting-brazils-northern-river-video">Continue reading...</a></p> Fri, 18 Sep 2026 14:04:13 +0000 admin 104602 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org US veterans have greater levels of Pfas in their blood than civilians, new study finds https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/us-veterans-have-greater-levels-pfas-their-blood-civilians-new-study-finds <p>Soil and water around military bases show elevated levels of Pfas pollution due to chemicals used in firefighting foam</p> <p>Many US military veterans have much higher levels of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/pfas">Pfas</a> “forever chemicals” in their blood than non-veterans, <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/evhpaz/article/doi/10.1021/EHP.6c00631/5429563/Serum-PFAS-Concentrations-Among-US-Veterans-NHANES">new peer-reviewed research finds</a>, raising more questions about health risks the nation’s service members face after serving at polluted bases.</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/us-veterans-have-greater-levels-pfas-their-blood-civilians-new-study-finds" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Fri, 18 Sep 2026 14:00:19 +0000 admin 104601 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org Fat Bear Week has returned – and the salmon are swimming for their lives https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/fat-bear-week-has-returned-and-salmon-are-swimming-their-lives <p>The public will, for the 12th year in a row, vote for the fattest of brown bears in Alaska’s Katmai national park</p> <p>The bears have returned to the river and are packing on the pounds as another Fat Bear Week begins at Katmai national park.</p> <p>The 12th annual Fat Bear Week, in which the public will vote for the fattest of Katmai’s brown bears as mothers, cubs and males gather along the salmon-run at Brooks river in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/alaska">Alaska</a> begins on Monday.</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/fat-bear-week-has-returned-and-salmon-are-swimming-their-lives" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Fri, 18 Sep 2026 13:00:18 +0000 admin 104603 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org Private jets pollute up to 14 times as much as commercial planes and are undertaxed in US, report says https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/private-jets-pollute-14-times-much-commercial-planes-and-are-undertaxed-us-report-says <p>Number of private jets has surged in recent years, but they do not pay commensurate portion of fees to FAA operations</p> <p>A new report has put a spotlight on the rapid expansion of private jet travel in the US, revealing that owners are not paying their fair share of aviation tax despite the average owner’s wealth being $190m and private jets being up to 14 times more polluting than commercial flights.</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/private-jets-pollute-14-times-much-commercial-planes-and-are-undertaxed-us-report-says" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Fri, 18 Sep 2026 12:00:19 +0000 admin 104600 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org US wheat farmers navigate uncertainty amid drought and geopolitical chaos https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/us-wheat-farmers-navigate-uncertainty-amid-drought-and-geopolitical-chaos <p>Some experts worry factors affecting wheat exports could push global food prices even higher than they are now</p> <p>Wheat prices are at their highest level in three years, which means farmer Merrill Nielsen should be getting more for his crops out of his 2,500-acre (1,010-hectare) <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/kansas">Kansas</a> farm.</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/us-wheat-farmers-navigate-uncertainty-amid-drought-and-geopolitical-chaos" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Fri, 18 Sep 2026 11:00:17 +0000 admin 104599 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org Week in wildlife: swimming pigs, circling sharks and a fox on the cricket pitch https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/week-wildlife-swimming-pigs-circling-sharks-and-fox-cricket-pitch <p>This week’s best wildlife photographs from around the world</p> <p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2026/sep/18/week-in-wildlife-swimming-pigs-circling-sharks-and-a-fox-on-the-cricket-pitch">Continue reading...</a></p> Fri, 18 Sep 2026 07:00:11 +0000 admin 104598 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org MPs urge ministers to break off Thames Water talks with US hedge funds https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/mps-urge-ministers-break-thames-water-talks-us-hedge-funds <p>Efra committee calls for emergency legislation enabling government to take public control of the company </p> <p>Andy Burnham is under further pressure to take control of ailing Thames Water from a cross-party group of MPs who are calling for ministers to break off talks with the US hedge funds who are effectively running the company.</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/mps-urge-ministers-break-thames-water-talks-us-hedge-funds" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Fri, 18 Sep 2026 05:00:09 +0000 admin 104597 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org Trump officials move to dismantle key protection for US endangered species https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/trump-officials-move-dismantle-key-protection-us-endangered-species <p>Fish and Wildlife Service memo calls for change in what it means to ‘take’ an endangered species</p> <p>More than 1,600 critically imperiled species protected under the US Endangered Species Act (ESA) face losing further federal protections following a new reinterpretation of the 1973 law by the Donald Trump administration.</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/trump-officials-move-dismantle-key-protection-us-endangered-species" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Thu, 17 Sep 2026 21:28:15 +0000 admin 104604 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org New cat species identified for first time in more than a century in Bolivia https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/new-cat-species-identified-first-time-more-century-bolivia <p>New species of wild feline was discovered in Bolivia’s Yungas forest that is smaller than the average domestic ⁠cat</p> <p>A diminutive wild cat that inhabits Bolivia’s ⁠cloud forest has been identified as a previously unknown species, marking the first time a new living feline species has been formally named and described in more than a century.</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/new-cat-species-identified-first-time-more-century-bolivia" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Thu, 17 Sep 2026 20:43:38 +0000 admin 104596 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org The Guardian view on the Nepal-Tibet floods: a spur to action on climate | Editorial https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/guardian-view-nepal-tibet-floods-spur-action-climate-editorial <p>New research links last month’s disaster to fossil fuel pollution. Supporting disaster-hit countries must be at the centre of climate politics</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/guardian-view-nepal-tibet-floods-spur-action-climate-editorial" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Thu, 17 Sep 2026 17:47:01 +0000 admin 104595 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org