Mongabay

A new report on the state of the world’s oceans paints a grim picture. The ninth annual Copernicus Ocean State Report finds “No part of the ocean is untouched by the triple planetary crisis, as pollution, biodiversity loss, and climate change are putting pressure on the ocean worldwide.” The EU-funded report draws on decades of historical and current observational data as well as satellite measurements to create a resource for policymakers, scientists and citizens to more fully understand the challenges facing the world’s oceans. “With all this information we can ensure that we are better prepared … to ensure that we can live with these situations which are evolving,” Karina von Schuckmann who worked on the report as senior adviser at Mercator Ocean International, told Mongabay at a press conference. Ocean change Global ocean temperatures are rising at unprecedented rates, and marine heat waves are intensifying worldwide. Sea surface temperatures have been increasing each decade since satellite records began in 1982. The northeastern Atlantic Ocean bordering Europe has been warming nearly twice the global rate at 0.27° Celsius (0.49° Fahrenheit) per decade since 1982. Tropical regions of the North Atlantic, including the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico, experienced record-breaking marine heat waves in 2023; some areas were affected for up to 300 days. Polar regions are also seeing dramatic changes: Arctic sea ice is declining, and the Southern Ocean is warming and freshening, contributing to shifts in global currents. At the same time, plastic is polluting every ocean basin…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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DUNOY, Philippines — In the dense, tropical rainforests of the Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park, an ancient predator drifts silently beneath the surface of still rivers. For Indigenous Agta elders, this reptile is not a menace, but a guardian. “We have always coexisted peacefully with crocodiles, and today I am passing on to my grandchildren the same advice my parents gave me,” says Olalia Infiel, an Agta elder of Dunoy. “I often encountered crocodiles while washing clothes or bathing in the river. My parents always told me to speak to the crocodiles first and ask for their permission to share the same space.” The Philippine crocodile (Crocodylus mindorensis), a severely threatened crocodile species, is staging a slow but hopeful comeback in the wild, thanks to an alliance between science, tradition and community-led conservation. Once widespread across the Philippine archipelago, the species is listed as critically endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Fewer than 250 individuals survive in the wild today, local conservationists say, and most are confined to these rivers and wetlands of northeast Luzon. According to local conservationists, the Philippine crocodile’s survival in recent decades is highlighting how Indigenous knowledge, when integrated with conservation science, can support efforts to protect even the most endangered species. In the mythology and folklore of Indigenous peoples such as the Agta, crocodiles play a prominent role. In many cases, crocodiles are regarded as the embodiment of benevolent ancestors, known as anito, who are venerated as personal guardians and…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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