Global | Public Parks

A manatee, also known as a 'seacow.' These herbivores are listed in the US as a federally endangered species.

Amid crushing biodiversity loss, nations race to hit “30 by 30” target

December 17, 2024

Monarch butterflies were once so numerous in North America that it took little effort to go outside and spot them. Now the United States government says they’re at risk of extinction. Years ago, hundreds of […]

A lone Gentoo Penguin on Booth Island, to the west of the Antarctic Peninsula.

Life lurks beneath frozen Antarctic lake

December 2, 2024

Unique lifeforms have been discovered thriving in a continuously frozen lake in remote Antarctica, shedding new light on where and how life on Earth can survive. An entire ecosystem has been discovered thriving deep beneath […]

Annual global surface air temperature anomalies (°C) relative to 1850–1900 from 1940 to 2024. The estimate for 2024 is provisional and based on data from January to October. Data source: ERA5.

Hottest year on record but little hope of breakthrough at climate talks following Trump win

November 8, 2024

After losing soundly and decisively to Joe Biden in 2020, Donald Trump will return to the White House in 2025 as American voters have soured on the Democratic Party. Meanwhile, yet another round of international […]

A palm plantation in the middle of Colombia's Catatumbo rainforest.

Biodiversity crisis underscores the need for protected areas

October 18, 2024

Earth’s biodiversity has been decimated since the 1970s, a new study has revealed. The only thing that will save what’s left is the strong protection of more lands and waterways under strict conservation laws. Last […]

NOAA diver Keo Lopes conducts research on a reef amidst a school of giant trevally / ulua aukea (Caranx ignobilis) at Pearl and Hermes Atoll, Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.

Marine protected areas barely protect 10% of coral reef fish—study

October 8, 2024

Conservation policies such as marine protected areas and enforced fishing restrictions barely cover 10% of global reef fish stocks worldwide, according to a new assessment. This is despite government ...

Gourdin Island near the Antarctic Peninsula.

The Antarctic Peninsula is “greening” at a faster clip

October 4, 2024

Global warming is seeing vegetation rapidly expanding on the Antarctic peninsula, scientists reported today. Their findings were published online this morning in the journal Nature Geoscience. Th...

A school of rainbow runners swimming near an atoll in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, Hawaii.

Ocean no-fishing zones improve fishing success

August 6, 2024

Banning or heavily restricting fishing from certain areas actually enhances fishing nearby, according to a new study. Researchers from the University of Hawaii at Manoa said that a study of global mar...

Reef systems everywhere are threatened by climate change-induced coral bleaching events.

Coral bleaching events will get worse—study

July 3, 2024

Coral bleaching events are starting earlier, becoming more frequent, and are set to worsen over time, scientists are now warning. An assessment of recorded bleaching events, the climatic conditions th...

Antarctic tourism boom challenges conservationists and regulators alike

January 18, 2024

Tourism’s final frontier is getting more popular by the year, raising concerns about environmental impacts in the absence of any strong managing authority. Antarctica is considered international terri...

COP28 talks end with call for more protected lands and waters

December 14, 2023

Nations gathered in Dubai this week pledged to redouble their efforts toward tackling climate change and transitioning away from fossil fuels. The 28th Conference of Parties to the United Nations...

The Atlantic salmon has moved from Least Concern to Near Threatened on the IUCN list.

Rising number of threatened species underscores the need for more protected areas

December 14, 2023

44,016 species now face the risk of extinction if more isn’t done to save them, according to the latest assessment by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. In the latest update of the fa...

Elephants drinking water at Kruger National Park in South Africa.

Expectations low as COP28 talks near

November 28, 2023

Managers of protected areas will be watching the start of this week’s climate change negotiations in the Middle East closely with great anticipation, but very few real expectations. The latest Confere...