biodiversity
Newsletter
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New satellite data shows parts of New Orleans sinking rapidly, threatening flood defenses
Parts of New Orleans are sinking up to two inches per year, with key flood protections including levees and wetlands losing elevation quickly, raising concerns about the city's ability to withstand future storms.
In short:
- A new satellite-based study found rapid subsidence in areas of New Orleans, including the airport, wetlands, and parts of the levee system, with some spots sinking nearly two inches annually.
- Sinking infrastructure compromises the city’s storm surge defenses, especially as sea levels in the Gulf of Mexico rise faster than anywhere else in the U.S.
- The study provides detailed elevation maps to help prioritize levee maintenance, now overseen by Louisiana with support from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Key quote:
“If the wetlands are subsiding this much, they are slowly dying.”
— Simone Fiaschi, remote sensing expert and study lead author
Why this matters:
New Orleans sits below sea level, ringed by levees and flood walls built after Hurricane Katrina to keep storm surge and rising waters at bay. But new research shows that vital flood protections are sinking faster than expected. This poses a major threat as sea levels rise and hurricanes intensify. Subsiding wetlands also disappear as protective buffers, leaving the city more exposed to water from both the Mississippi River and the Gulf. The loss of wetlands damages ecosystems, fisheries, and biodiversity. Knowing which parts of the city are sinking fastest is vital for directing limited repair resources and defending one of the United States' most flood-prone cities from future catastrophe.
Read more: Rising sea levels accelerate faster than expected
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China’s rare earth mining boom leaves toxic legacy in water and soil
China’s dominance in rare earth metals has come at a steep environmental cost, with radioactive waste and polluted land plaguing communities near key mining sites in Inner Mongolia and Jiangxi.
In short:
- The Bayan Obo and Ganzhou regions, which supply most of the world’s rare earths, face severe contamination from toxic mining waste, including radioactive thorium and heavy metals.
- Despite government efforts to regulate and reduce the number of mines since 2012, satellite data and firsthand accounts show ongoing expansion and damage to farmland and drinking water sources.
- Villagers near mine sites report illegal land grabs, landslides, and health issues linked to fluoride and arsenic exposure, with little recourse or protection from state-owned mining firms.
Key quote:
"We ordinary people don’t have the answers… Farmers like us, we’re the vulnerable ones. To put it simply, we were born at a disadvantage. It’s pretty tragic."
— Huang Xiaocong, farmer
Why this matters:
Rare earth elements power much of today’s technology, from smartphones and electric vehicles to wind turbines and missile systems. But extracting them often leaves behind an invisible, toxic footprint. Mining produces vast quantities of waste laced with radioactive and chemical contaminants, which can seep into soil, water, and food supplies. In places like Bayan Obo and Ganzhou, local residents face long-term health threats from exposure to fluoride, arsenic, and other toxicants, with some reporting deformities and cancer clusters. As global demand for these metals grows, the environmental and human toll threatens to rise unless extraction practices change.
Related: The hidden cost of powering your phone might be someone else’s cancer
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Melting glaciers may trigger more volcanic eruptions, new research warns
As ice sheets thin in volcanic regions, scientists warn that eruptions could increase, potentially speeding up climate change and ice melt in a dangerous feedback loop.
In short:
- New research in the Chilean Andes shows that melting glaciers during the last ice age unleashed volcanic eruptions by reducing pressure on magma systems.
- More than 100 volcanoes lie beneath Antarctica’s West Antarctic Ice Sheet, where melting could destabilize ice from below and send ash and gases into the atmosphere.
- Rising sea levels from ice melt may also increase seismic activity by adding water weight, a phenomenon observed around large reservoirs.
Key quote:
“When you take the load off, it’s just like opening a Coca-Cola bottle or a champagne bottle.”
— Brad Singer, University of Wisconsin–Madison geoscientist and leader of the research
Why this matters:
Glacial melt is often seen as a symptom of climate change, but it may also be a driver of it. As thick ice sheets retreat from volcanic regions, they lift the heavy lid that has kept pressure on underground magma systems. This sudden release can trigger explosive eruptions, sending heat-trapping gases and ash into the atmosphere and, in Antarctica, melting ice from below. That dual effect not only accelerates global warming but threatens sea level rise on a much faster timeline. Volcanoes beneath the West Antarctic Ice Sheet could destabilize a region already vulnerable to warm ocean currents.
Read more: Scientists document the global disappearance of glaciers
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Mediterranean Sea faces record-breaking marine heat wave driven by warming climate
Water temperatures in the Mediterranean Sea have surged past historic highs, reaching over 85 degrees Fahrenheit in parts of the western basin, signaling one of the planet’s most intense marine heat waves.
In short:
- The Mediterranean Sea is experiencing a marine heat wave with water temperatures up to 12.6°F above normal, weeks ahead of the typical summer peak.
- High-pressure systems over southern Europe and the Mediterranean are amplifying the heat, with little wind or cloud cover to cool the water.
- Extreme ocean warmth threatens marine ecosystems and could worsen storms and coastal humidity, with the heat wave likely to persist into late July.
Key quote:
“This particular event is a very concerning one.”
— Karina von Schuckmann, senior adviser on ocean science for policy at Mercator Ocean International
Why this matters:
Ocean heat waves, especially in semi-enclosed seas like the Mediterranean, carry wide-ranging environmental and public health consequences. Warmer waters disrupt marine food chains, bleaching coral and decimating temperature-sensitive species. These changes ripple outward, threatening fisheries, food security, and biodiversity. Heat stored in the sea can also feed back into the atmosphere, intensifying storms and raising temperatures on land, especially in coastal cities. As ocean temperatures rise earlier in the year and stay elevated longer, the ecosystems and communities that rely on predictable seasonal patterns face growing risks. The Mediterranean’s trend mirrors a global pattern of warming oceans, which absorb over 90% of excess heat from greenhouse gas emissions.
Learn more: Ocean heatwaves now last three times longer due to fossil fuel-driven climate change
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Scientists test crossbred corals near Miami in effort to protect reefs from rising ocean heat
Scientists have begun planting crossbred coral species off the coast of Miami in a novel effort to help Florida's reefs survive warming oceans and future bleaching events.
Cody Jackson and Freida Frisaro report for The Associated Press.
In short:
- Researchers from the University of Miami, Florida Aquarium, and Tela Marine are transplanting coral bred from Florida and Honduras to test if hybrid offspring can better withstand heat stress.
- The project uses Elkhorn corals from a warm reef in Tela, Honduras, where corals thrive in temperatures two degrees Celsius warmer than Florida waters, mimicking future climate scenarios.
- This marks the first time international coral crossbreeding has been permitted for planting on wild reefs, with scientists monitoring the hybrids’ performance through the summer.
Key quote:
“We’ve lost maybe more than 95% of the Elkhorn corals that were on Florida’s reefs at that point.”
— Andrew Baker, professor of marine biology and ecology at the University of Miami
Why this matters:
Coral reefs are essential to ocean biodiversity and serve as natural storm barriers for coastal communities. Florida’s reefs, especially iconic Elkhorn corals, have been devastated by climate-driven bleaching — an event where corals expel the algae that sustain them due to rising ocean temperatures. Once bleached, they often die, leading to collapse of the reef structure and the ecosystems that depend on it. Warmer, more polluted waters predicted for Florida’s future resemble current conditions in parts of the Caribbean where certain coral species continue to thrive. Studying crossbred corals offers a window into whether strategic gene mixing could slow the decline.
Learn more: Scientists find IVF coral better survives marine heatwaves than older coral colonies
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Brazil shifts from asbestos to rare earths amid global mineral race
Minaçu, a Brazilian city built on asbestos mining, is betting its future on rare earth elements as global demand surges and geopolitical tensions strain China’s dominance over supply chains.
In short:
- Minaçu, once home to the Americas’ only asbestos mine, is now producing rare earth minerals critical for electric vehicles and wind turbines, aiming to become a key player outside Asia.
- Although the Serra Verde mine promises safer, water-based extraction, residents report environmental concerns including water pollution and cattle miscarriages, with little company response.
- Despite mining royalties, the city has seen persistent poverty, and past mining booms failed to deliver broad economic benefits, raising doubts about rare earths repeating the pattern.
Key quote:
“The fact that more than 20% of the population remains socially vulnerable shows that the profits from asbestos mining do not result in quality of life for the local population.”
— Ricardo Gonçalves, geography professor at the State University of Goiás
Why this matters:
Rare earth elements are essential for modern technology — from smartphones to renewable energy to missile systems — but their extraction is often dirty, dangerous, and politically fraught. China has long dominated this market, but tensions with the U.S. are prompting new investments in alternatives like Brazil, which holds the world’s second-largest reserves. Yet mining communities such as Minaçu face a dilemma: while rare earths promise economic renewal, they may repeat the extractive harm of asbestos, a mineral that killed thousands and left environmental scars. Without safeguards, Brazil risks trading one toxic legacy for another. As the energy transition accelerates, ensuring it doesn't replicate old injustices is a challenge for both health and the environment.
Related: The hidden cost of powering your phone might be someone else’s cancer
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Ocean salinity shifts are melting Antarctic sea ice faster, scientists find
Rising salt levels near Antarctica are altering ocean dynamics, drawing up warm water and accelerating sea ice loss, new satellite data reveal.
In short:
- A new study finds increasing ocean salinity near Antarctica is driving warmer water to the surface, which speeds sea ice melt and hinders winter ice formation.
- The research, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, used advanced satellite algorithms and ocean buoy data to detect changes in water salinity over the past decade.
- Scientists warn the shift may mark a long-term transition in Antarctic ice behavior, with the feedback loop between melting, warming, and salt levels posing broad climate risks.
Key quote:
“We are entering a new system, a new world.”
— Alessandro Silvano, senior scientist at the University of Southampton
Why this matters:
Sea ice acts as the planet’s reflective shield, bouncing solar radiation back into space and helping to regulate Earth’s temperature. The loss of Antarctic sea ice not only exposes darker ocean water that absorbs more heat but also disrupts global ocean currents and weather systems. Rising salinity near Antarctica hints at a larger, destabilizing feedback loop: Warmer waters melt more ice, which then reinforces ocean mixing and heat absorption. This shift threatens to reshape sea level patterns and intensify extreme weather across the globe. As the climate warms, monitoring Antarctic changes becomes increasingly urgent, but recent U.S. cuts to satellite data programs could leave scientists with fewer tools to track these tipping points.
Read more: Melting ice and microplastics signal deepening disruption in Antarctica’s climate system
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