The phenomenon of coral bleaching is advancing at the Great Barrier Reef.

A new report from experts accounts for the massive phenomenon of coral bleaching registered at the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. The impressive natural structure is damaged to the point of no return. There were rumors that the Great Barrier Reef was already dead. Researchers state that it is not entirely dead yet, but many of the ecosystems are not active anymore.

The recent report shows that no less than ninety-five percent of the coral reefs in Australia are now dead. Coral bleaching turns them white. Specialists explain that fish still use the corals as habitat a while longer after they are dead, but, eventually, they leave the site.

The new survey was conducted by specialists at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies in Australia. The discovery came as no surprise for them because they could as well anticipated such an outcome. However, facing the facts is still a shock.

The phenomenon of coral bleaching was brought about by climate change. The rising temperatures in the atmosphere determined rising temperatures in the ocean too. This new environment and climate conditions put stress and pressure on corals, as specialists explain.

Corals and algae have a strong bond, and they depend on each other to survive. However, corals resent warm water, and they experience an aggressive reaction. This makes them reject the colorful algae that inhabit them. The corals don’t die immediately, and the sea plants can return to them, but if the water temperature stays the same, the structures go through the same reaction and eventually die.

The algae render color to coral reefs. They are also the ones that attract different fish species to inhabit the reef. Fish help corals by providing them with food. However, if the algae are gone, the white and lonely corals are not longer able to attract fish and have no food source to rely on.

Statistics show that more than eighty reefs were affected by coral bleaching. As a result, the structures no longer exist. The specialists at ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies have investigated only fifty of the sites so far.

A previous survey in March showed that many of the reefs at the Great Barrier were ill. The recent research revealed that many of them didn’t survive. However, the researchers also state that the Southern area of the Great Barrier Reef is in good shape.

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Two-thirds of the wild species are endangered by human activities.

The World Wildlife Fund has recently published a new report which shows the alarming situation of wild species. Thousands of them are on the verge of extinction because of the loss of habitat, global warming, and human activities. The specialists in charge of the report warn that two-thirds of the animal species known today will be severely affected by 2020.

The new statistics were revealed by the Living Planet Report, on October 25. The results are based on previous reports, accounting for the situation of the wildlife between 1970 and 2012. The findings show that more than half of the species are exposed to the risk. If put into statistics, fifty-eight percent of the wild species are already experiencing severe declines in their population numbers.

The specialists at World Wildlife Fund warn that the current situation must be curbed. If urgent action is not taken, over two-thirds of the wild species will go extinct sooner than anyone might have expected. They estimate that the next four years are crucial for the faith of the wild animals. Although humans got them in this situation in the first place, it is still them the ones that have to solve the problem.

The researchers are warning about the low numbers of individuals in the wildlife populations. Their number will continue to drop, and it won’t be long until species entirely disappear. However, the 2020 deadline is concerned with the alarmingly low numbers of the population, and not with the extinction of species.

The report accounts for the desperate situation of almost four thousand wildlife species. Specialists blame it on factors related to human activities. There are five main elements which triggered this catastrophe, namely global warming, habitat loss, exploitation, pollution and invasive species which disturb the balance of natural ecosystems.

Both marine and land species are affected by the decline in population numbers. The African elephants, whales, polar bears, and the corals at the Great Barrier Reef are just a few examples. Specialists state that aquatic species which live in freshwater experience the most severe drops. The statistics show that they lost approximately eighty percent of their population members.

Deforestation, poaching, and overfishing take their toll on the planet and humans’ life quality, no doubt about it. Millennia of evolution showed us that the planet could heal itself and survive all sorts of calamities. However, specialists can’t help to wonder what the effects will be, as well as what will happen to wildlife and human life.

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Believe it or not, sloths were declared the slowest animals on Earth.

In case you had any doubts, sloths have officially been declared the slowest animals on Earth. Their distinctive title was revealed around International Sloth Day, which was celebrated worldwide on October 20. The animals gain the title thanks to their slow metabolism, which remains unbeaten in the animal kingdom.

Specialists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison spent seven years studying sloths. The study concluded that the mammals are the slowest animals on Earth. Experts state that this behavior can be explained by their lack of energy. At the same time, the sloths’ organism doesn’t require much energy.

Expert Jonathan Pauli and his team of researchers were in charge of the new study. They analyzed several types of sloths with two and three toes. They compared the animals to other mammals that feed on plants and observed that three-toed sloths are unbeatable.

The new study shows that this variety of sloths only needs one hundred sixty-two kilojoules per day per kilogram of energy. The two-toed sloth needs seventy-two more kilojoules than their close relatives. The animals save their energy while they sleep, and they spend a significant part of the day doing just that: sleeping.

It is common knowledge that sloths can sleep up to twenty hours a day. They have such slow movements that they can only advance about forty yards a day. However, they also possess the remarkable ability to regulate their body temperature. This helps them save energy while they sleep.

Three-toed sloths are so slow that vegetation such as moss can grow on their back. Due to their extremely sedentary lifestyle, many insects and even algae and fungi get installed inside their thick fur.

Sloths are endangered mostly by deforestation and poaching. The animals are so slow that they can’t escape the felling of the trees they cling on.

Today there are two families of sloths, including six species, but in the past, they were much more numerous. Historical evidence accounts for no less than fifty species. The mammals have gigantic ancestors that could reach eight thousand pounds. Their sizes were impressive, even more, if considering the fact that the animals were plant-eaters, just like today.

Sloth species used to live both on land and water. As a matter of fact, modern-day sloths still can hold their breath underwater and swim.

Sloths have long claws which are quite similar to that of anteaters. Also, more often than not, we picture them on trees. What other features of sloths can you think of?

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Wildlife authorities are especially concerned about Key deer males.

The Florida Department of Agriculture is facing a severe problem. The native Key deer species is confronting a terrible outbreak which is decimating the populations. The numerous cases that the officials reported lead them to believe that they are dealing with an outbreak.

Screwworms are larvae of a carnivorous type of fly. The insects lay their eggs in the open wounds of animals, and the larvae feed on living tissue. Infected animals tend to leave their groups. According to specialists, they die within one or two weeks.

The Key deer is an endangered species which has been severely affected by the outbreak. The first cases were reported in September, and much more followed. Authorities are in charged with tracking the infected animals and euthanize them in order to put an end to their suffering.

Specialists are highly concerned about Key deer males. They are prone to injuries because they engage in fights and get scratches because of their opponents’ horns. Such scratches are enough to attract flies, and this is why the bucks are an easy target for the carnivorous insects.

Statistics show that there are only one hundred Key deer individuals in the world. The species is considered to be endangered, and the recent plague has already killed sixty of them. Wildlife specialists are doing their best to stop the outbreak. They hope to save the animals and eliminate the threat as soon as possible.

Experts say that the flies and their mischievous behavior can’t affect humans. However, other pets can be affected. This is why they decided to check on pets and other animals in order to make sure that the infection doesn’t spread further.

Florida faced screwworm outbreaks in the past. The last one occurred more than fifty years ago, and people were concerned about their livestock. Authorities curbed the rapid spreading of the flies by introducing sterile males in the wild so that females wouldn’t lay eggs anymore. Wildlife experts think it is a good solution that will pay off this time too.

The one thousand Key deer individuals stand as a proof of the environmentalists’ efforts to save the species. The Key deer was one of the first animals protected under the Endangered Species Act. They were added to the list back in the 1950s when there were less than thirty of them in the wild.

Wildlife specialists hope that they will be able to save the Key deer, just like they did in the past.

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Hurricane Sandy caused massive floods in the United States

A recent study shows that there is a high possibility for the city of New York to face massive floods more often. The research points out that extreme phenomena could occur every two decades. They estimate that the impact of these future storms will be similar to that of Hurricane Sandy.

The warning of massive floods goes for the so-called Tri-state area, including parts of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. The researchers in charged of the study explain that the findings are concerning. The possibility of storms like Hurricane Sandy should be small, as the phenomenon occurs every four hundred years. However, the recent study points out that they will be more likely to take place every twenty years from now on.

Hurricane Sandy left a painful memory for the residents of the United State. Four years ago, more than one hundred people died because of the massive storm. Houses and facilities were destroyed, and there were damages of $50 billion. According to the new study from specialists, the New York residents might go through five more similar experiences within the next century.

In addition to this, scientists also warn that the rate of the phenomenon is up to seventeen times higher.

The study is based on a simulated model of how climate conditions will develop in the years to come. What the scientists observed during the study was that sea levels were a major influence for the massive floods. The fact that the sea levels are on the rise is quite alarming too.

In other words, the massive floods which will affect New York residents are due to climate change. Global temperatures are rising, which causes ice and snow at the Poles to melt. The oceans’ temperature is also increasing, and so are the water levels. Warm oceans are also the fuel source of aggressive hurricanes. It is a cause-effect situation which environmentalists and scientists need to solve.

World leaders and organizations are highly concerned about the broad range of problems brought by climate change. The new study showing the high possibility of massive floods amounts to the list of damaging effects of global warming.

The researchers who conducted the study are aware of the importance of their findings. They encourage the decision of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. They also hope that specialists will come up with more and more solutions to stop global temperatures from rising.

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Forest fires doubled due to human activity.

A new study found that forest fires doubled due to human activity. The last thirty years were characterized by an increased number of forest fires, as the scientists point out. Although wildfires do break out without notice and help from humans, man’s activities led to the accelerated phenomenon of global warming.

The report from scientists is mostly concerned with the situation in the West of the United States. The Cascade Mountains and parts of the Rocky Mountains are among the spots where most of the wildfires broke out. The damages of fires include burning the vegetation, causing loss of habitat for wild animals, to which the possibility of extending to inhabited areas is added.

Scientists also warn that this is only the beginning. They warn that such phenomena will become quite frequent, as climate change is advancing. Droughts and forest fires are among the natural disasters that people have to brace themselves.

The summer season is the most likely period for wildfires to occur. Warm temperatures, the dry vegetation and lack of humidity are ideal factors which boost the process of burning and increase the chances of a forest fire.

Calculations from researchers show that in less than forty years, the forests’ aridity increased by approximately fifty-five percent. Specialists used data gathered between 1979 and 2015. They also used climate models and aridity measurements for their new study.

Apart from human activities which induce global warming, there were also natural factors which contributed to the situations in the West of the United States. Rains and storms didn’t reach these parts because of the way weather develops in the Pacific Ocean.

Pest and climate conditions make trees weak and prone to catching fire. Tree populations are decimated by forest fires, a phenomenon which can only bring bad outcomes. Specialists suggest that action must be taken immediately.

Experts warn that urgent solutions are needed so that human-caused wildfires should be as rare as possible. If proper methods are not applied soon, the fires will become even more frequent and more damaging. Judging by the at which rate they are occurring, they might as well run out of natural fuel to burn, as the researchers explain.

So far, forests have lost approximately sixteen thousand square miles due to wildfires caused by human activities.

The report showing the situation of wildfires was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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Two captive rhinos laying down

The efforts of British biologists have eventually paid off. Two captive rhinos were released in the wild four years ago, and now researchers are positive that they gave birth. They were released in Tanzania, and they mate with a male rhino, which was also raised in captivity.

The two former captive rhinos are called Zawadi and Grumeti. They were both black rhino females, and the species is critically endangered. The news about newborn baby black rhinos is a significant achievement for researchers in charged with the species conservation.

Zawadi and Grumeti were kept at the Aspinall Foundation. They were transferred in Tanzania via several transportation means, including truck, boat, and plane. They were released by the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro. This is where black rhino male Jamie was also released. He was born in a special shelter in the Czech Republic.

The British specialists kept track of the two females. This is how they know that both mated with Jamie and had healthy pregnancies. The gestation period last fifteen months for rhinos. Zawadi’s and Grumeti’s babies are now only a few weeks old.

Specialists say that the babies are healthy and they are growing and developing normally. Each of them weighs seventeen pounds. Specialists also thought about giving them proper names. Grumeti’s offspring is called Mobo. Zawadi’s baby is younger, and it hasn’t been named yet.

According to experts,  Zawadi and Grumeti will be quite busy for the years to come. Rhino babies spend more than three years with their mothers, who must feed them and keep them safe from predators. Researchers hope that their former captive females will be great moms, keeping their babies safe.

Conservationists are concerned about the faith of black rhinos. There are only seven hundred individuals in the wild and it is difficult for them to stay alive. The main threat against them is poaching. People hunt rhinos for their horns, which are widely used in traditional medicine.

The Aspinall Foundation has an active role in wildlife conservation. They make their best to save endangered species by raising individuals in captivity and relocating them in the wild. Eight rhinos were retrieved to Africa thanks to their program. The same thing happened with Zawadi and Grumeti.

Although the species is critically endangered, the two babies are the biologists’ new hope. There are seven rhinoceros subspecies. Despite their denomination, they are not only black, as their appearance can have several shades, from brown to gray.

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The Pacific walrus groups coming to Alaska shouldn’t be disturbed by residents.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announce that some Pacific walrus groups gathered on the Alaska shores again. It is the eighth year in a decade when specialists account for this behavior from the large sea mammals. Researchers believe that global warming is driving the animals to the islands.

Authorities state that, so far, there are about one thousand individuals on the Pacific walrus groups gathered on the Alaska shores. They are located near Point Lay. However, researchers expect much more individuals to arrive, as this is only the beginning. Last year, no less than thirty-five thousand individuals spent the cold season in Alaska.

Walruses are marine animals which like to spend their time of the sea ice at the North Pole. However, the lowering bed of ice made them leave the area in search of new proper places. They found Alaska’s rocky shores just as good. They started they tradition nine years ago, back in 2007.

It was easy for researchers to link the walruses tendency of coming to Alaska to climate change. This year, they expected the animals to show up earlier, as they did it each fall. However, authorities in Point Lay announced the arrival of the Pacific walrus groups only on October 7.

Walruses use the sea ice to hunt and be safe from predators, such as polar bears. However, the shrinking of the Arctic sea ice endangers them too. On the other hand, they have the advantage of being good swimmers, something which polar bears lack. So the latter are threatened by climate change to a larger extent than walruses.

The Pacific walrus groups which gather on the Alaska shores are protected by local authorities. People in the community do hunt the animals, but there are specially assigned areas for the task. Authorities required residents not to disturb the mammals resting on their shores.

Biologists draw people’s attention that if they interfere with the walruses activity, the animals could get scared. They fear that they would rapidly head towards the water for an escape, and they would crush babies under they large bodies. Male adults can weigh more than two thousand kilograms.

People in the Arctic have a rich tradition in hunting walruses. The animals are hunted for they meat, fat and tusks. Human activities have often led to the decline of the animals’ populations. Some of them haven’t recovered yet. This is why authorities impose strict regulations about the Pacific walrus groups which have recently arrived on the Alaska shores.

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Killer whale making a leap

The scientific community is now concerned about the safety of their methods. Reports from specialists suggest that a killer whale died this spring because of a dart from scientists. They intended to place a tracking device on the great mammal. However, the dart seems to have led to an infection, causing the death of the animal.

Specialists at the The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration  tried to gather more information on the population of killer whales. To do so, they had to track and monitor the animals. In February they found a pod and tried to tag one of the individuals. They knew it as L95, and it was a twenty-years-old orca male.

Scientists remember making several attempts of hitting the killer whale’s fin. They eventually succeeded but little did they know that they would hear from the whale quite soon. In March, the death of a killer whale was reported near the shores of Vancouver Island. L95 still had the dart attached to its fin.

One of the first reactions of biologists at NOAA was to stop using the darts for tagging animals. A recent autopsy showed that the dart allowed a fungus to spread an infection in the whale’s body. The orca was believed to be extremely healthy before the tracking initiative. The report was released earlier this week.

It seems like there was a slip about the way the biologists handled the procedure of shooting the dart at the killer whale. They missed initially, and then they used the same dart for the second shot. They took it out of the water and reintroduced it in the rifle without making sure it was sterile.

L95 was part of a quite small killer whale population. There were eighty-three individuals before its death. Scientists know that now there are only eighty-two left and that they contributed to the situation.

The satellite program was supposed to help researchers track endangered killer whales. Information on their whereabouts and migration habits would help scientists develop proper strategies to protect the animals. The method used with L95 was also used with more than fifty other killer whales, as well as other species two. The dart is supposed to fall off the animals’ body a few weeks or moths after being implanted. No other similar cases occurred.

Officials at NOAA announced that no endangered whale would be submitted to the dart tagging method. They also intend to reanalyze all their methods of tracking animals. They want to make sure that no other action from them will stand as a threat to the species that they want to defend and protect.

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This is the natural habitat of glacier stoneflies

As the temperatures keep rising, wildlife couldn’t possible experience other than unpleasant effects. Mammal, birds and insect species are equally threatened by the process of climate change, and scientists predict that a fight for survival awaits them.  Glacier stoneflies are no exception, as the ever-warming environment affects them too.

Just like the animals living in the Arctic, glacier stoneflies are also among the main victims of global warming. They rely on a constant low temperature in order to survive. Their natural habitat and life conditions are severely affected, as specialists suggest.

Authorities at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are concerned about the situation of insects living in alpine areas. This is why they decide to take action. They require the protection of the Endangered Act Species for two insect species, namely the meltwater lednian stonefly, and the western glacier stonefly. They are both considered to be threatened.

Wildlife experts explain that these insects live by cold streams and rivers originating from glaciers. However, if global warming keeps advancing at the estimated rates, glaciers might melt and disappear. Specialists believe that they will last for less than twenty years from now on. As a result, glacier stoneflies might be on the verge of extinction.

Conservation strategies are widely concerned about mammals such as wolverines and grizzly bears, but scientists warn that these insects are important too. They have an important role in local ecosystems. Experts highlight the fact that presence of glacier stoneflies by cold waters suggests the well-being of the ecosystem. They also stand as the base of the food chain.

Some of the specialists indicate that one of the best solutions for saving insects in alpine regions is moving them somewhere else, where there are proper conditions for them. They also consider the possibility of taking the insects to laboratories.

Glacier stoneflies are one of the few species that are directly threatened by climate change, as experts state. There are other species protected by law, but they also face other primary threats, other than global warming. For the time being, only polar bears are listed as the species severely affected by warm temperatures.

Climate change affects not only species but the entire ecosystem. Regions characterized by snow, ice, and low temperatures are the best indicators of the phenomenon. If asked to observe the effects of global warming, the Poles and alpine areas should be the first to look at. However, environmentalists hope to save as many species as possible.

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