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• Mongabay Latam and Data Crítica examined and compared official data of oil spills in the Gulf of Mexico, including satellite images by scientists studying oil spills and evidence compiled by fishing communities. Their analysis found that most oil spills are not reported.
• Occasionally, even the spills that are reported are played down. The volume of the Ek’ Balam oil spill in 2023 — the most serious spill in Mexico in recent years — was under-reported by 10 to 200 times, according to calculations performed by scientists using satellite images of the disaster.
• Between January 2018 and July 2024, the government of Mexico initiated 48 sanctioning processes against oil companies, but fines were only imposed in fewer than half of those cases. And only eight of those fines have been paid.
• Fishers are demanding oil companies release actual data and take responsibility and the government take action to protect their environment and livelihood.

[archived](https://web.archive.org

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• The recent “Assessment of the Ecological Health of the Gulf of California” report shows a decline in several populations of animals throughout the narrow sea flanked by the Mexican mainland and Baja California.
• The report was compiled by the Next Generation Sonoran Desert Researchers (N-Gen) in the U.S. in collaboration with Prescott College’s Kino Bay Center field station in Mexico, and draws on long-term monitoring studies.
• Many of the assessed groups, such as seabirds, whales, giant squid, crabs, starfish and fish, are in decline.
• Basic primary productivity, which nurtures species diversity and abundance in the Gulf of California, remains stable.

Archived (Wayback Machine):

• Mongabay article
• [report cited (PDF)](https://web.archive.org/web/20250425190949/https://nextgensd.com/wp-content/uploads/202

Today, the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition (DSCC) launches a landmark report exploring the critical opportunities available to the International Seabed Authority (ISA) and the world under a moratorium or precautionary pause on deep-sea mining.

Download the executive summary here

Download the full report here

Harmful bleaching of the world's coral has grown to include 84% of the ocean's reefs in the most intense event of its kind in recorded history, the International Coral Reef Initiative announced Wednesday.

cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/21218983

Coral reefs around the world have been subjected to unprecedented heat stress since early 2023. A new report finds heat-related coral bleaching has damaged corals in more than 80 countries, making it the most extensive bleaching event ever recorded, with no clear end in sight.

Between January 2023 and April 2025, heat stress impacted 84% of coral reefs worldwide, from the Mesoamerican Reef in the Caribbean to so-called supercorals in the Red Sea, an area previously believed to be resilient to damage caused by extreme temperatures.

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report cited (Wayback Machine)

cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/21218330

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cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/21241294

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• El informe “Evaluación de la Salud Ecológica del Golfo de California” revela una preocupante disminución de poblaciones en niveles tróficos superiores a lo largo del Golfo de California.
• El escrito fue compilado por la organización Nueva Generación de Investigadores del Desierto Sonorense (N-Gen), en colaboración con la estación de campo Prescott College Kino Bay Center.
• La mayor parte de los grupos evaluados, como aves marinas, ballenas, calamar gigante, cangrejos, estrellas de mar y peces están en deterioro.
• La productividad primaria básica, que alimenta la diversidad y abundancia del Golfo de California, se muestra estable.

archivado (Wayback Machine):

• artículo de Mongabay
• [reportaje citado (PDF)](https://web.archive.org/web/20250425190949/https://nextgensd.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Health-of-the-Gulf-fi

• The EU has agreed binding rules to reduce plastic pellet pollution, aiming to tackle up to 184,000 metric tons of annual leakage into the environment.
• Provisional measures will require companies to prevent spills, implement risk management, and report losses — but reliance on self-reporting may limit accountability, environmental groups argue.
• Campaigners have welcomed the deal but criticized loopholes, delays for maritime transport, and lighter rules for small businesses, warning these could undermine the regulation’s impact.

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• Norway’s plans to mine seabed minerals in Arctic waters remain in limbo after the first licensing round was delayed in December 2024. However, the government maintains that progress will resume soon, with a licensing round tentatively set for 2026.
• Some deep-sea mining companies have faced significant financial struggles due to the delay, with one company going bankrupt and another slashing costs; yet, other firms remain optimistic, insisting the industry’s future is still secure.
• Experts warn that considerable knowledge gaps must be addressed before deep-sea mining can proceed, particularly regarding environmental impacts.
• In Norway, the industry also continues to face heavy opposition from environmental groups, the fishing sector, and several political parties.

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Hotter seas supercharge storms and destroy critical ecosystems such as kelp forests and coral reefs

“The only solution is cutting the burning of fossil fuels. This is a very clear relationship,” said Marcos. “More than 90% of the extra heat [trapped by greenhouse gas emissions] is stored in the ocean. If you stop warming the atmosphere, you will stop warming the ocean.”

cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/20764621

archived (Wayback Machine):

• Mongabay article
• study from Japan (PDF)