These divers are killing a beautiful coral to save Brazil’s marine life (November 7, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/video/2026/11/these-divers-are-killing-a-beautiful-coral-to-save-brazils-marine-life/
RIO DE JANEIRO — Beneath the surface of Brazil’s coastal waters, a silent invasion is transforming marine ecosystems. Sun coral (Tubastraea coccinea and Tubastraea tagusensis), an invasive coral native to the Indo-Pacific, is spreading along Brazil’s coastline, threatening native species. First seen in Brazil in the 1980s, attached to an offshore oil platform in Rio […]
This riverside border town is fueling an illegal gold rush (November 7, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/11/this-riverside-border-town-is-fueling-an-illegal-gold-rush/
Mongabay’s reporter Max Radwin went to Suriname’s Amazon to investigate the advance of illegal gold mining on Indigenous territories. Despite a government pledge to combat the activity, Indigenous Wayana communities are facing an influx of miners who cut down the forest and pollute rivers with mercury on the border of French Guiana. To learn more […]
Guatemala faces a human rights court over violent evictions of Indigenous communities (November 6, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/11/guatemala-faces-a-human-rights-court-over-violent-evictions-of-indigenous-communities/
Years after Indigenous communities in Guatemala were forcibly evicted from their ancestral land, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) is asking a court to hold the government responsible and provide reparations. On Oct. 28, the IACHR announced it had referred a case to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, which rules on human rights violations […]
Peru’s drive for critical minerals threatens a disappearing glacier (November 6, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/11/perus-drive-for-critical-minerals-threatens-a-disappearing-glacier/
- Peru’s recently-inaugurated President Keiko Fujimori has joined the international push for transitional minerals, signing a regional agreement with Argentina, Bolivia and Chile to deepen cooperation and investment.
- Activists fear that Peru’s energy transition could lead to the acceleration of lithium and uranium projects close to the Quelccaya glacier –— the second largest tropical ice cap in the world —– while questions remain over whether the country’s regulatory framework is ready for uranium mining development.
- According to scientists, the Falchani, Macusani and Quelcaya projects, all owned by Canadian firm American Lithium, could accelerate the effects of climate change on the already disappearing glacier, a vital source of fresh water for much of the country.
- Communities around Quelccaya remain divided. While some fear the consequences of mining development, others hope that it will bring much needed employment and investment to one of Peru’s poorest regions.
As loggerhead turtles spread west, Mediterranean beach resorts learn to share the sand (November 6, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/11/as-loggerhead-turtles-spread-west-mediterranean-beach-resorts-learn-to-share-the-sand/
- Loggerhead turtles in the Mediterranean are expanding their nesting range westward to the coastlines between Italy and Spain.
- Researchers say rising sea temperatures due to global warming are accelerating juvenile loggerhead growth in the foraging grounds of the Western Mediterranean, causing turtles to reach sexual maturity earlier when they’re thousands of kilometers away from their ancestral, eastern rookeries.
- These new loggerhead nesting sites have resulted in conflict between the turtles and the many beach clubs that occupy Italy and Spain’s coastlines; light pollution in these areas also poses risks to hatchlings.
- As the Mediterranean continues to warm, scientists are rushing to identify which beaches pioneer turtles will choose next and to establish protective measures before the animals arrive on crowded shores.
Scientists discovered an unknown baby right whale off Canada. They say it’s a cause for joy (November 6, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/11/scientists-discovered-an-unknown-baby-right-whale-off-canada-they-say-its-a-cause-for-joy/
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Scientists who study whales are heartened by an unexpected discovery of a baby right whale off Canada. Researchers in Canada captured images of an unidentified baby North Atlantic right whale, one of the rarest sea mammals in the world, off Anticosti Island in Quebec in September. Scientists with the New England […]
Drought driven by climate change is redefining how disease spreads, study finds (November 6, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/11/drought-driven-by-climate-change-is-redefining-how-disease-spreads-study-finds/
- Climate change is causing drought to worsen globally which can increase the spread of water-dependent infectious disease, an effect known as the drought-disease paradox.
- Researchers in a recent study concluded that proximity promotes spread: When water sources dry up or shrink, animals and pathogenic microorganisms concentrate in the remaining water sources, allowing easier transmission.
- As drought deepens worldwide, scientists say a better understanding of the workings of the drought-disease paradox, conservation, vector control and vaccination will be required to help forecast and combat infectious disease outbreaks.
- They say that tracking pathogen response to drought could help predict future disease outbreaks. Introducing mosquito-eating dragonflies to minimize disease transmission is one example of an ecological approach to curbing infectious disease at its source.
‘Stringing me along’: After 7 years, trial in Indigenous forest guardian killing delayed again (November 6, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/11/stringing-me-along-after-7-years-trial-in-indigenous-forest-guardian-killing-delayed-again/
- Expected in 2026, the long-awaited trial for the 2019 killing of forest guardian Paulo Paulino Guajajara and the attempted killing of fellow guardian Láercio Guajajara, in the Brazilian Amazon, was pushed again, the court told Mongabay.
- A year ago, the advisory staff to the judge in the case told Mongabay that the case wouldn’t be held in 2025 for lack of time; one year after it said “there are no available slots on the court’s hearing calendar,” sparking outrage among Guajajara Indigenous, activists and authorities.
- “There appears to be no justification provided by the judge for why the plenary session for the jury trial has not been held throughout 2026, especially given that the last procedural step took place back at the end of 2025,” Alfredo Falcão, the federal prosecutor leading the case, told Mongabay.
- The Federal Public Ministry will analyze “the actual reasons for the delay in this trial” and, if applicable, “take the appropriate procedural steps to ensure that the trial takes place as quickly as possible,” he added.
Mediterranean fisheries commission adopts species management plans but punts on deep-sea protections (November 6, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/11/mediterranean-fisheries-commission-adopts-species-management-plans-but-punts-on-deep-sea-protections/
- The General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean approved new management plans for several iconic species during its latest meeting, held Oct. 26-30 in Rome.
- However, the organization did not pass expected fishing restrictions, including a proposal to expand protections for deep-sea areas and another to protect an ecologically important cold-water coral reef.
- Both proposals had widespread support from commission members just a few months earlier, leading some observers to conclude the U-turn by certain countries was related to political concerns that had little to do with fisheries.
Kenya launches $160 million conservation initiative to support communities and biodiversity (November 6, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/11/kenya-launches-160-million-conservation-initiative-to-support-communities-and-biodiversity/
- The 10-year initiative brings together the Kenyan government, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), NGO The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Enduring Earth and other conservation partners.
- Areas identified under the program cover 31 of Kenya’s 47 counties, and partners say it is a step towards achieving Kenya’s goal of bringing at least 30% of its lands, inland waters and near-shore ecosystems under effective conservation and management.
- According to the Protected Planet database, around 13% of Kenya’s terrestrial area and less than 1% of its marine and coastal areas currently enjoy protections.
- Investments under the new initiative are expected to support approximately 7,800 direct jobs and 15,000 indirect jobs by creating opportunities in ecotourism, carbon initiatives, sustainable grazing and other nature-based enterprises.
India repatriates seized orangutan, raising hopes for five more (November 6, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/11/india-repatriates-seized-orangutan-raising-hopes-for-five-more/
A juvenile orangutan seized from an apartment in the Indian city of Mumbai in 2024 has been repatriated to its native Indonesia, following two years of health and procedural delays. The endangered animal was transferred to the Sumatra Rescue Alliance facility on the island of Sumatra, where experts plan to prepare it for eventual release […]
Scientists confirm horseshoe crabs in a second Philippine province, urge conservation (November 6, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/11/scientists-confirm-horseshoe-crabs-in-a-second-philippine-province-urge-conservation/
Philippine researchers have confirmed the presence of horseshoe crabs in the southern island province of Tawi-Tawi for the first time through interviews with local residents. Previously, scientists had recorded the arthropods’ existence only in the country’s Palawan province. In a recent study, fishers and coastal residents described two distinct horseshoe crab species with features resembling […]
Extreme heat is creating a workplace health crisis in Bangladesh’s garment industry (November 6, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/11/extreme-heat-is-creating-a-workplace-health-crisis-in-bangladeshs-garment-industry/
Rising temperatures in Bangladesh are creating an occupational health crisis for the 4.2 million workers in the country’s garment industry, reports Mongabay contributor Usraat Fahmidah. A World Bank report shows that maximum temperatures across the country have climbed by about 1.1° Celsius (2° Fahrenheit) since 1980. The country’s capital, Dhaka, hit a record 40.6°C (105°F) […]
Singapore sand imports threaten an already sinking Cambodian fishing community, again (November 6, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/11/singapore-sand-imports-threaten-an-already-sinking-cambodian-fishing-community-again/
- Sand exports from Cambodia to Singapore have resumed after a nine-year ban, with Cambodian trade statistics showing that more than 694,000 tons of sand, valued at $3.47 million, were exported from June-September 2026.
- Sand mining is occurring along the Trapeang Rung River in Cambodia, in an area described as having “astonishing” biodiversity, drawing fears of lasting damage to seagrass beds, mangrove forests and the ecosystems and fisheries they support.
- Fishers in the area, who are already struggling with dwindling fish stocks and rising fuel prices, say their access to fishing grounds has been blocked by mining operations, and fear the dredging operation will do long-term damage to fisheries.
Nigeria’s shifting rainfall wreaks havoc with a beloved edible green, the waterleaf plant (November 5, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/11/nigerias-shifting-rainfall-wreaks-havoc-with-a-beloved-edible-green-the-waterleaf-plant/
- In Nigeria, the waterleaf plant, one of the country’s most widely eaten vegetables, is succumbing to changing rainfall patterns and flooding.
- Farmers say their plants aren’t reaching maturity amid months of relentless rain; meanwhile, market vendors are faced with diminished supplies, while buyers balk at increased prices.
- While technology-powered farming methods and better water management can offer solutions, many of Nigeria’s smallholder farmers cannot afford the price of these improvements.
Amazon mapping shows cacao expansion without deforestation in Brazil (November 5, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/11/amazon-mapping-shows-cacao-expansion-without-deforestation-in-brazil/
- New mapping by Brazil’s agricultural research agency, Embrapa, found that the area on which cacao grows in Pará state rose 33% between 2022 and 2024, with 96% of mapped cacao on land cleared before 2020.
- That record leaves Amazon cacao well positioned to meet the EU’s new deforestation rules, with the sector keen to secure better prices for farmers who grow cacao without clearing forest.
- Most new plantings are full-sun monocultures, which are less sustainable than agroforestry, but sources say Brazil is unlikely to follow West African countries in clearing forest for cacao.
Money laundering complaints target JBS, Barclays over profits linked to illegal deforestation (November 5, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/11/money-laundering-complaints-target-jbs-barclays-over-profits-linked-to-illegal-deforestation/
A coalition of legal and environmental groups has filed money laundering complaints against JBS, the world’s largest meat processor, and 12 financial institutions, investors and advisers, including the U.K. bank Barclays. The complaints allegedly tie JBS profits to illegal deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. The Transnational Legal Coalition filed 14 complaints with prosecutors and financial […]
Mali’s ‘Moringa Queen’ wins UN recognition for restoring degraded land (November 5, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/11/malis-moringa-queen-wins-un-recognition-for-restoring-degraded-land/
Rokiatu Traoré, president of a social enterprise in Mali that uses agroforestry to restore degraded land and create jobs for women and youths, has been named a Changemaker at the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals Action Awards. “I work in Mali, where lands are becoming drier every year. Many farmers struggle with degraded soil, smaller […]
3M agrees to pay more than $7 billion to settle ‘forever chemical’ groundwater contamination claims (November 5, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/11/3m-agrees-to-pay-more-than-7-billion-to-settle-forever-chemical-groundwater-contamination-claims/
Chemical manufacturer 3M will pay up to $7.35 billion to settle lawsuits by people who say they were sickened by groundwater contamination from compounds used in firefighting foam and other consumer products. The St. Paul, Minnesota-based company announced the settlement Tuesday. It will pay the money over nine years to as many as 120,000 people […]
This entire Indigenous territory didn’t get to vote in Brazil’s elections (November 5, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/11/this-entire-indigenous-territory-didnt-get-to-vote-in-brazils-elections/
With no local polling station or means of getting to one from their remote community, residents of the Tumucumaque Indigenous Park in northern Brazil weren’t able to vote in October’s general elections. That’s according to Mitore Tiriyo Kaxuyana, a leader of the Tiriyó and Kaxuyana Indigenous peoples who spoke to Mongabay. On Oct. 22, just […]