As economic case for deep-sea mining weakens, industry should halt urgency to begin operation (commentary) (May 28, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/as-economic-case-for-deep-sea-mining-weakens-industry-should-halt-urgency-to-begin-operation-commentary/
- Deep-sea mining in international waters is a unique proposition, given that the seabed is considered a global commons, so any extraction should be justified for the benefit of all humankind.
- But given the likely environmental and social costs and the increasingly weak economic arguments for it, its proponents must address why there is a supposed urgency to begin commercial production.
- “The financial case for deep-sea mining is being dismantled one argument at a time. As a small number of actors attempt to rush toward seabed mining, it is only a matter of time until more financial institutions join the momentum against [it],” a new op-ed argues.
- This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay.
Brazil Congress passes bill to bar use of Amazon deforestation satellite tool (May 28, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/brazil-congress-passes-bill-to-bar-use-of-amazon-deforestation-satellite-tool/
Brazil’s Congress has passed a bill prohibiting environmental agencies from using satellite images to restrict the commercial use of illegally deforested lands. Instead, areas suspected of illegal deforestation will have to be confirmed by authorities on the ground. Supporters say satellite-only enforcement infringes upon farmers’ right to a fair defense. Its critics, which include the […]
Risk of saltwater intrusion into coastal groundwater spans the globe: Study (May 28, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/risk-of-saltwater-intrusion-into-coastal-groundwater-spans-the-globe-study/
- Coastal sites throughout the world are seeing notable declines in groundwater levels, putting them at risk of saltwater intrusion, according to a new study.
- About half of drinking water and a quarter of irrigation water comes from groundwater, so this trend threatens a vital source of freshwater for humanity.
- The study authors found that more than 10% of monitored locations showed a significant years-long decline in groundwater levels, indicating a susceptibility to saltwater intrusion, which can render water unusable.
- Many large-scale studies on groundwater and saltwater intrusion are model-based, but this one analyzed data from wells across much of the world.
Household mosquito repellents may stop bumblebees from finding their way home (May 28, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/household-mosquito-repellents-may-stop-bumblebees-from-finding-their-way-home/
A chemical used in mosquito repellents may disorient bumblebees, stopping them from finding their way back to their nests, a recent study found. Researchers in Finland exposed 123 buff-tailed bumblebees (Bombus terrestris), one of the most abundant bumblebee species in Europe, to a standard consumer mosquito repellent containing prallethrin, a type of pyrethroid insecticide. One […]
Has Ecuador started fracking? New oil project causes confusion and concern (May 28, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/has-ecuador-started-fracking-new-oil-project-causes-confusion-and-concern/
- State-owned oil company Petroecuador announced a new project involving “hydraulic fracturing” in an oil block in the Ecuadorian Amazon, creating confusion about the level of risk posed to the environment.
- The announcement concerned oil in Block 57, also known as the Shushufindi Libertador block, located in Sucumbíos province, which is largely covered by Amazonian rainforest.
- Conservation groups said they want more transparency from the government as it attempts to boost sagging oil production numbers.
How much suffering do invasive species cause? Researchers are measuring that (May 28, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/how-much-suffering-do-invasive-species-cause-researchers-are-measuring-that/
- Researchers have developed a new framework for measuring the suffering caused by invasive species, which they hope will complement the existing global standard for assessing these species’ impact on native biodiversity.
- Initial case studies from around the world assessed by the Animal Welfare Impact Classification for Invasion Science (AWICIS) suggest that the suffering caused by invasive ants and flies has been systematically overlooked. Focusing on welfare impacts also challenges conservationists to consider how management might harm invasives themselves.
- Results from AWICIS were, however, skewed by a relative lack of research describing invasive welfare impacts in lower-income countries. Its authors hope AWICIS’ adoption will encourage conservationists to record suffering more regularly and systematically.
A Nigerian teen is turning agricultural waste into biodegradable sanitary pads (May 28, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/a-nigerian-teen-is-turning-agricultural-waste-into-biodegradable-sanitary-pads/
- Nigerian teenager Raheema Auwal-Panti founded ‘Pantipads’ to tackle the problem of access to sanitary products and the prevalence of non-eco-friendly sanitary pads.
- She designed pads that use low-grade agriculture waste that decomposes easily.
- Auwal-Panti’s project was selected in a shortlist of 35 global teams for the 2026 Earth Prize, instituted by the Earth Foundation, a Switzerland-based non-profit that empowers, educates and inspires young people to tackle environmental challenges.
Most wildlife AI focuses on the ground. This model looks up in the trees (May 28, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/most-wildlife-ai-focuses-on-the-ground-this-model-looks-up-in-the-trees/
- Scientists have developed a new artificial intelligence model that can detect and identify tree-dwelling species.
- TropiCam-AI can recognize 84 taxa, including 63 species, with the tool showing an accuracy of 95% with the majority of the taxa.
- AI is widely used to automate the detection of animals from camera-trap data sets that can run into millions of images.
- However, the existing AI models developed for this purpose focus primarily on ground-dwelling animals, with tree-dwelling species largely overlooked.
New species of ghost pipefish named after Sesame Street character found in Australia (May 28, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/new-species-of-ghost-pipefish-named-after-sesame-street-character-found-in-australia/
It’s “hairy,” bright orange or red and “exceptional” at camouflaging. Meet the hairy ghost pipefish, whose recent formal description demonstrates that even well-studied marine environments like the Great Barrier Reef still hold remarkable secrets for science. In a recent study, researchers shared the name of the ghost pipefish, Solenostomus snuffleupagus, for its “conspicuously shaggy appearance,” […]
European Commission linked leather to deforestation, then ignored it (May 28, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/european-commission-linked-leather-to-deforestation-then-ignored-it/
- According to the European Commission’s own research, leather could account for up to 17% of the deforestation footprint tied to European Union Deforestation Regulation-covered imports. This is roughly 390 square kilometers (149 square miles) of forest lost a year, an area twice the size of the Italian city of Pisa.
- Despite the evidence, Brussels moved earlier this month to drop bovine hides from the scope of the EUDR. The commission says it considered “qualitative considerations” in its decision.
- The move comes after intense lobbying by the leather industry. The main groups representing the sector held at least 22 meetings with European lawmakers since 2021, according to lobbying records, with more than a third occurring in the past year as the regulation neared implementation.
- Environmental campaigners argue that removing leather would create a loophole: beef remains covered, but leather — a high-value product in the same supply chain — could still enter EU markets without the same traceability obligations.
Loopholes undermine palm oil industry’s antideforestation pledges (May 27, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/loopholes-undermine-palm-oil-industrys-antideforestation-pledges/
- More than a decade after the palm oil industry adopted “No Deforestation, No Peat, No Exploitation” (NDPE) commitments, new satellite data show forest clearing for palm oil in Indonesia persists, with more than 31,000 hectares (nearly 77,000 acres) lost in 2025.
- Campaigners say deforestation increasingly slips through structural gaps in the system, including incomplete traceability, fragmented smallholder supply chains, and loopholes that allow companies linked to forest clearing to continue selling into supposedly deforestation-free markets.
- Investigators cite cases in Indonesia, the top producer of the commodity, as examples of how palm fruit from deforestation-linked plantations can still enter global supply chains through third-party mills and opaque ownership structures.
- Analysts warn these unresolved weaknesses could create major problems for compliance with the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which will require firms to prove commodities sold in the EU are not linked to recent deforestation.
A ‘symphony’ of wildlife suggests carbon financing is working in Sierra Leone (May 27, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/a-symphony-of-wildlife-suggests-carbon-financing-is-working-in-sierra-leone/
- A study conducted in Sierra Leone’s Gola Rainforest National Park found that the United Nations Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+) financing program, set up to ensure that forests sequester carbon, also confers some benefits to the park’s animal biodiversity.
- Compared to a neighboring protected area without REDD+ funding and a bordering community-owned agroforestry area, the national park had higher soundscape saturation, a proxy for biodiversity. However, the authors also found that the agroforestry area had a higher diversity of insects than the two other study areas.
- The study emphasizes that carbon financing programs can provide benefits outside of storing carbon, but experts also highlight that it shows that on-the-ground monitoring can be cheaply, effectively added to programs like REDD+ to help better conserve forests as whole ecosystems.
US prepares to auction leases for seabed mining blocks in federal waters (May 27, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/us-prepares-to-auction-leases-for-seabed-mining-blocks-in-federal-waters/
- The U.S. government is preparing to conduct lease sales to auction off blocks of the seabed for deep-sea mining in federal waters of American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Alaska.
- If the lease sales proceed, they would mark a major step toward commercial-scale deep-sea mining, making the U.S. one of the first players in the industry.
- While many oppose these plans to start mining the deep sea and say the government’s timeline is rushed, others are more supportive.
- A spokesperson for the U.S. agency managing the sales, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, told Mongabay it is pursuing this process in a responsible manner.
Brazil to invest $75 million in highway through Amazon and unveils environmental protection plan (May 27, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/brazil-to-invest-75-million-in-highway-through-amazon-and-unveils-environmental-protection-plan/
SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s government has announced a $75 million investment in the BR-319 highway, a move environmentalists fear could speed up Amazon deforestation. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva claims it will be the most environmentally advanced road in the world. The highway, linking Amazonas and Rondonia, remains mostly unpaved since its 1976 […]
Nepal’s infrastructure risks wildlife habitats beyond protected areas, study warns (May 27, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/nepals-infrastructure-risks-wildlife-habitats-beyond-protected-areas-study-warns/
- A WWF Nepal mapping study has identified 515 “biodiversity important areas” across Nepal, many of which overlap with existing or planned road, railway and power line projects.
- Conservationists warn that Nepal’s infrastructure boom could fragment wildlife habitats and movement corridors, especially in wetlands, river valleys and mid-hill forests outside protected areas.
- Experts say Nepal doesn’t need to halt development, but must integrate wildlife safeguards early, including route changes, underpasses, overpasses, canopy bridges, and bird-safe power-line designs.
Ebola outbreak draws attention to longstanding virus spillover risks in western Uganda (May 27, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/ebola-outbreak-draws-attention-to-longstanding-virus-spillover-risks-in-western-uganda/
- In western Uganda, especially in districts bordering the Democratic Republic of Congo, human-bat interactions are frequent and can increase viral spillover risk, experts say.
- The Bundibugyo ebolavirus, a genetically distinct Ebola strain first identified in Uganda’s Bundibugyo district in 2007-2008, is driving the current outbreak.
- Experts warn that current Ebola vaccines and treatments, largely developed for the Zaire strain of ebolavirus, may offer limited protection against the Bundibugyo strain, underscoring major preparedness gaps.
- Field research highlights how humans may be exposed to these viruses including through hunting and consumption of bats in some communities, raising concerns about potential transmission of zoonotic pathogens.
Reintroduced platypus population ‘tracking well’ in Australia’s oldest national park (May 27, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/reintroduced-platypus-population-tracking-well-in-australias-oldest-national-park/
Platypuses reintroduced to Australia’s oldest national park are breeding and appear to be on a good population trajectory with 20 known individuals now, scientists say. For more than 50 years, the platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus), a semiaquatic, egg-laying mammal, had been absent from Royal National Park, a protected area located just south of Sydney in the […]
Luxury yacht maker Sunseeker pleads guilty to violating a US environmental law (May 27, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/luxury-yacht-maker-sunseeker-pleads-guilty-to-violating-a-us-environmental-law/
Luxury yacht manufacturer Sunseeker has pleaded guilty to violating a U.S. environmental law by using illegally sourced teak from Myanmar on two of its yachts imported into the U.S. The U.K.-based Sunseeker International Limited, which describes itself as “the world’s leading brand for luxury motor yachts,” along with its U.S. subsidiary pleaded guilty on May […]
Building bridges for human-wildlife coexistence: Interview with Yap Jo Leen (May 27, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/building-bridges-for-human-wildlife-coexistence-interview-with-yap-jo-leen/
- Conservationist Yap Jo Leen launched the Langur Project Penang after witnessing dusky langurs, an endangered monkey she was studying for her Ph.D. research, getting struck by vehicles on Malaysia’s Penang Island.
- Since 2019, her group has built three canopy bridges made from repurposed fire hoses to help langurs and other tree-dwelling wildlife safely cross busy roads, with no recorded langur roadkill deaths at the first bridge site since its installation.
- The project combines wildlife conservation with citizen science and environmental education, training volunteers to track langur movements, collect ecological and social data, and work with local communities to reduce human-wildlife conflict.
- Yap says the long-term goal is not simply to build more wildlife bridges, but to foster a broader culture of coexistence and community stewardship for urban wildlife across Malaysia.
Australia is failing to meet its environment targets, argues ecologist (May 26, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/podcast/2026/05/australia-is-failing-to-meet-its-environment-targets-argues-ecologist/
Australia is one of 17 “megadiverse” countries that account for 70% of Earth’s biodiversity. However, Australia is unique in having the highest mammalian extinction rate in the world. That makes conservation on the island continent, where most of the wildlife is found nowhere else on Earth, all the more urgent. Conservation and environmental scientists have […]