• Animals

Australia’s Koala Numbers Down 30% in 3 Years

• Australia
• IUCN
• Koala
• wildfires

By Amy Lupica, ODP Daily Editor According to the Australian Koala Foundation, 30% of the nation’s Koalas have been lost to drought, bushfires, and logging in just three years. The population has dropped to 58,000 from more than 80,000 in 2018, and no regions saw positive population growth. These findings arrive just days after the […]

• Animals

One Cool Thing: International Red Panda Day

• endangered animals
• IUCN
• red list
• red panda

Today is International Red Panda Day! These iconic and adorable creatures are worth celebrating for many reasons, but they’re also in need of serious protection. This cat-sized, fluffy-tailed animal is listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list.    Climate change and rising temperatures are reducing the red panda’s […]

• Ocean

No to Seabed Mining From World Conservation Congress

• deep sea
• IUCN
• mining

By Ashira Morris, ODP Staff Writer A motion rejecting deep-sea mining was largely supported by delegates at the IUCN World Conservation Congress, currently meeting in Marseille, France. The motion calls for a moratorium on extracting minerals from deep below the ocean surface, as well as reforms for the International Seabed Authority, which is responsible for […]

• Animals

Komodo Dragons Threatened to Extinction by Climate Change

• extinction crisis
• IUCN
• Komodo dragon
• threatened species

By Natasha Lasky, ODP Staff Writer The Komodo dragon, the largest lizard on Earth, has been added to the IUCN “red list” — a sign that the species is near extinction. The cause? Climate change. Komodo dragons live on land very close to sea level, so the rising water levels could flood or destroy 30% […]

• Animals

IUCN Introduces New Standard Assessing Species Recovery

• conservation
• endangered animals
• IUCN

by Natasha Lasky, ODP Staff Writer The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has set a new conservation standard, called the IUCN green status of species. This standard will not only suggest how close a species is to extinction but also how close it is to recovering its original population size and health. […]

• Animals

Advocates Urge Shipping Speed Limits to Protect Endangered Gulf Whale

• #30x30
• Bryde's whale
• bycatch
• endangered
• Gulf of Mexico
• IUCN
• marine mammal
• species
• whales

By Amy Lupica, ODP Staff Writer

A coalition of environmental groups is urging the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to set an 11.5 mph limit on shipping speeds in an 11,500 square mile stretch of water off the Gulf Coast of Florida and Alabama. 

Why This Matters: Whales, despite operating at the top of their food chains, face mass casualties and mortal threats from human activity.