Breaking Waves: Ocean News

Hundreds killed in Madagascar, Mozambique and Malawi in what may be longest-lasting tropical cyclone on record Cyclone Freddy, which developed over the Indian Ocean more than a month ago, has dissipated this week, after making landfall a second time in southern Africa. The death toll had exceeded 300 across Madagascar, Mozambique, and Malawi by Thursday, with more than 700 people injured, 40 missing and 80,000 displaced. The devastation was caused by severe flooding and landslides, which swept away roads and buried homes in mud. Power outages in Mozambique have affected small villages since last weekend, hindering rescue efforts as people await food and medical assistance. Continue reading...

Exclusive: rare purple organism preys on trapdoor spider in behaviour reminiscent of its ‘zombie’ relatives that feature in apocalyptic TV show The Last of Us Scientists believe they have discovered a new parasitic fungus which preys on trapdoor spiders in Brazil’s Atlantic rainforest. The rare organism, which is purple, belongs to a group of fungi that infect invertebrates and take over the host. A closeup image shows the fungus wrapped around the body of a trapdoor spider, poking out of the burrow from which the arachnid grabs insects. Continue reading...

Grief at death of Kiska, Canada’s last captive killer whale, tempered by recognition of how she inspired a bill improving protection for cetaceans Sometimes known as “the world’s loneliest orca”, Kiska the killer whale spent more than four decades in captivity at MarineLand, a theme park in Niagara Falls, Canada. For the last 12 of those years, despite wild orcas being social and intelligent animals that live in tight-knit family pods that hunt together and communicate through underwater clicks and calls, Kiska swam alone, in a featureless tank, with no calves, mate or mother by her side. She was the last captive orca in Canada. Continue reading...

Eben Schwartz has a lengthy history working on plastic pollution and marine debris, topics on which he has become one of the country’s leading authorities.  He has led California’s Coastal Cleanup Day, chaired the West Coast Marine Debris Alliance, was awarded an Aspen Institute Fellowship, served as one of the inaugural Catto Fellows for emerging leaders in the environment and energy sector, and has travels around the world to talk about the challenges and potential solutions for marine debris and plastic pollution.  In 2020, Eben was appointed to serve for 18 months on the National Academies.  Committee on the United States Contributions to Global Ocean Plastic Waste (https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26132/reckoning-with-the-us-role-in-global-ocean-plastic-waste).  Join host Lesley Ewing in conversation with Eben Schwartz about his decades long environmental career and some of the books and events that influence his life path.