Banner image: Methane seeping (NOAA)

This is methane hydrate, which consists of water molecules forming crystalline cages that trap methane gas inside. Vast deposits lie buried in sediments along continental margins and beneath Arctic seas, holding more carbon than all known fossil fuels combined.

And yet, despite their scale, they remain one of the least understood systems on Earth.

US President Donald Trump has rescinded a series of federal environmental protections, including reversing the long-standing “endangerment finding” that classified greenhouse gas emissions as harmful to public health. The decision has been widely reported as one of the most consequential climate policy reversals in recent years. Environmental organisations have criticised the move, legal challenges are expected, and analysts warn that it could slow US emissions reductions if upheld by the courts.

The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) has delivered a petition with more than 258,000 signatures to the European Commission, calling for mandatory speed limits for commercial vessels in EU waters. Advocates say slower speeds would significantly reduce underwater noise, protect whales and dolphins from ship strikes, and lower greenhouse gas emissions.

The United Nations High Seas Treaty has officially crossed the threshold for ratification, with 60 countries now signed on. The agreement, finalised in 2023 after years of negotiations, will come into force in January 2026. It represents the first legally binding framework to protect biodiversity beyond national jurisdictions, covering nearly half the planet’s surface.

Seaweed in the Atlantic

These sprawling masses of seaweed, often stretching for miles, have been observed in the Atlantic over the past few years. While such occurrences are not entirely new, their increasing frequency and size have raised concerns about their potential environmental impacts.

A recent in-depth exploration by BBC Future sheds light on the phenomenon, unraveling the complex factors behind the enigmatic seaweed blooms.

For more than two years, researchers on board the French expedition ship Tara sailed through the Pacific, stopping at almost 100 coral reefs to take thousands of water and coral samples. The expedition ended in 2018, and the analysis of the massive amount of data collected has taken five years.

Now, the initial results of the data analysis have been published. The findings should help us to better understand the living conditions of corals, to check their health status and to open up new possibilities for nature conservation.