Killer starfish threaten Great Barrier Reef Crown-of-thorns starfish have a voracious appetite and waves of carnivorous starfish are eating their way through Australia's Great Barrier Reef - and sugar cane farming is being blamed. Researchers at Australia's Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), just outside Townsville, Queensland, in north-east Australia, have mapped the pattern of destruction. "Coral cover is half of what it was 27 years ago, coral cover is going down at an alarming rate." Dr Katharina Fabricius, coral reef ecologist and AIMS principal research scientist, told the BBC World Service programme Discovery. She said the biggest culprit was the Crown of Thorns Starfish (COTs). "There are three main sources for the coral decline, one is storms, however 42% is attributed to Crown of Thorns Starfish - and just 10% due to bleaching. This compares with 70% due to bleaching for reefs elsewhere in the world , such as in the Caribbean." “Crown of Thorns are very fecund animals - each female can produce between five and 20 million eggs ” John Brodie, James Cook University Bleaching occurs when corals are stressed by changes in conditions such as temperature, light, or nutrients. They expel the symbiotic algae living in their tissues, causing them to turn completely white. Australian scientists are now looking at ways to reduce the destruction wreaked by starfish, which have the ability to smother coral and digest the fleshy parts.

Japan dolphins and other sea species 'face extinction' The EIA says that dolphins are trapped and then sold to aquaria or slaughtered for consumption Japan's hunting of dolphins, smaller whales and porpoises is threatening some species with extinction in its coastal waters, a report by a British environmental group has said. The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) report says that more than a million such creatures have been killed in Japanese hunts in the past 70 years. It says that each year thousands are killed despite conservation concerns. The Japanese government has not commented on the report. But it has consistently defended its coastal whaling as a longstanding tradition, a source of livelihood and necessary for scientific research. The government has also argued that small cetaceans should be excluded from the International Convention on Whaling. 'Grave concerns' The BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes in Tokyo says that the Japanese practice of driving many dolphins and porpoises onto beaches to be slaughtered has drawn international condemnation. Japanese hand-harpoon hunting vessel The EIA says that porpoises, dolphins and small whales are often chased until they become exhausted and within range of hand-held harpoons. The EIA says that it is also unsustainable, and a danger to human health. Studies have found high levels of mercury and industrial chemicals like PCBs in dolphin and porpoise meat. One study found people living in one dolphin-eating community in central Japan have mercury levels five times higher than normal.

Researchers found levels of plastics in Lake Garda similar to those in marine environments 'Microplastic' threat to shores Pollution with plastic waste is not confined to the oceans but poses a growing threat to lakes as well. That is the view of researchers who found significant concentrations of the substance in Italy's Lake Garda. They say the levels are similar to those found in samples taken from marine beach sediments. They are concerned that these tiny plastic particles are accumulating in freshwater species and are "likely" to get into the food chain. The research is published in the journal, Current Biology. The problem of large amounts of plastic polluting the world's oceans has been well documented in recent years. As well as bigger pieces that can choke sea creatures when ingested, there is an equally serious issue with very small fragments called micro-plastics. But research on the problems caused by plastic in lakes has been lacking. This new study looked at Lake Garda, a large, sub-alpine body of water. The researchers found significant concentrations of plastic in sediment samples. On the north shore they found around 1,000 larger particles per square metre and 450 micro-plastic particles in the same area. "We were surprised," lead author Prof Christian Laforsch from the University of Bayreuth told BBC News.

Zimbabwe elephants poisoned by cyanide There has been a recent rise in the killing of elephants in parts of Africa More than 80 elephants have been killed for their ivory by poachers who used cyanide to poison a water hole in Zimbabwe's largest game park. Tourism Minister Walter Mzembi confirmed the toll on Tuesday after touring Hwange National Park. Wildlife department officials said the chemical also killed smaller animals and predators which feed on them. Nine poachers were arrested after rangers tracked them to a cache of ivory hidden in the park. "When we left Hwange National Park on Sunday, the total number of elephants that had died from cyanide poisoning was 81," Jerry Gotora, a director of the Zimbabwe parks department, told AFP. "Several other animals have also died, but we don't have the total number yet." The elephant death toll includes more than 40 elephants discovered following a poisoning incident in the 4,650-sq km (1,795-square mile) national park earlier this month. There has been a rise in the killing of elephants and rhinos in parts of Africa in recent years, mostly to feed demand for horns and tusks in Asia.

Current methods of measuring the full material cost of imported goods are highly inaccurate say researchers. In a new study, they found that three times as many raw materials are used to process and export traded goods than are used in their manufacture. Richer countries who believe they have succeeded in developing sustainably are mistaken say the authors. The research has been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Many developed nations believe they are on a path to sustainable development, as their economic growth has risen over the past 20 years but the level of raw materials they are consuming has declined. But this new study indicates that these countries are not including the use of raw materials that never leave their country of origin. Heavy footprints The researchers used a new model that looked at metal ores, biomass, fossil fuels and construction materials to produce what they say is a more comprehensive picture of the "material footprint" of 186 countries over a 20 year period. In 2008, around 70bn tonnes of raw materials were extracted worldwide but just 10bn tonnes were physically traded. Over 40% were used to enable the processing and export of these materials. "By relying on current indicators, governments are not able to see the true extent of resource consumption," said Dr Tommy Wiedmann from the University of New South Wales.

Arctic Ocean 'acidifying rapidly' Photo1: Saunders Island and Wolstenholme Fjord with Kap Atholl in the background is shown in this picture taken during an Operation IceBridge survey flight in April 2013. Photo 2: arctic volcano. The Arctic seas are being made rapidly more acidic by carbon-dioxide emissions, according to a new report. Scientists from Norway's Center for International Climate and Environmental Research monitored widespread changes in ocean chemistry in the region. They say even if CO2 emissions stopped now, it would take tens of thousands of years for Arctic Ocean chemistry to revert to pre-industrial levels. Many creatures, including commercially valuable fish, could be affected. They forecast major changes in the marine ecosystem, but say there is huge uncertainty over what those changes will be. It is well know that CO2 warms the planet, but less well-known that it also makes the alkaline seas more acidic when its absorbed from the air.