Earthweek: a diary of the planet

For the week ending Friday, June 7.

Gotham leviathans

the number of whale sightings around new york city has made an extraordinary leap in the past year, with 272 spotted offshore. the citizen science group gotham whale, which partners with a cruise line for whale watching, says almost all of the whales observed were humpbacks. the species was nearly hunted to extinction before a global whaling moratorium helped it to recover. improvements in the quality of water flowing into the atlantic from the hudson river in recent decades is also said to be contributing to the whales’ return.

Plastic hive

scientists in argentina say they have found a wild bee nest made of plastic debris. a researcher made the discovery after examining nests at the edges of crops in san juan province. one of the nests she and colleagues encountered had been built with bits of blue strips the consistency of plastic shopping bags, along with thicker pieces of other plastic material. experts fear the plastic lining of the nest cells could harm the bees by trapping moisture and harboring diseasecausing organisms.

Etna eruption

sicily’s mount etna burst to life in the middle of the night on may 31 with fountains of molten lava that lasted for days. new cracks appeared on the towering volcano, sending lava streaming.

Early migration

east africa’s annual wildebeest migration began nearly a month early because of unusual weather patterns this season. the premature start in late may caught many safari resorts and tour operators off guard. “climate changes such as heavy rains in tanzania as well as depletion of resources in one area are among the reasons we are having an early wildebeest migration,” said shadrack ngene of the kenya wildlife service.

Plastic food

humans on earth eat at least 50,000 particles of microplastic on average each year and inhale a comparable amount as well, according to research that looked at data from 26 previous studies. some experts estimate the level being absorbed by people is much higher. the plastic pollution is entering the human food chain and environment because of the disintegration of litter.

Tectonic sea rise

a study says that sinking caused by seismic activity around some pacific islands may pose a greater threat to their survival than rising sea levels. researchers found that sea levels around american samoa rose at five times the global average because of the sinking effect brought on by 2009 samoatonga quakes. they found the predicted subsidence is as much, if not more, than the amount projected from climate change.

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