‘Prolific’ killer whale matriarch Wake presumed dead after nearly a year without a sighting

An orca matriarch known as “one of the most prolific female killer whales” on record is presumed dead after nearly a year without a sighting on the West Coast, according to B.C. researchers. T46, also known as Wake, was a transient or Bigg’s killer whale thought to have been born in 1966. Jared Towers, a … Read more

New study investigates threat of ‘watermelon snow’ to mountain glaciers

The Rocky Mountains conjure up images of grey rugged peaks capped with white. But within the upper reaches of the harsh mountain landscapes, a rosier hue often blooms. Watermelon snow, also known as glacial blood, is caused by algae that turns the snow a startling shade of red. The algae blooms in summer, forming on … Read more

Trans Mountain to present pipeline variance arguments at hearing with regulator

The Canada Energy Regulator will hear arguments Friday from the company building the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion on its request for a pipeline variance. The Trans Mountain pipeline is Canada’s only oil pipeline to the west coast, and its expansion will boost the pipeline’s capacity to 890,000 barrels per day from 300,000 currently. The project’s … Read more

Why scientists are hoping landscaping gravel can help restore Nova Scotia’s kelp

In a converted shipping container perched oceanside in Ketch Harbour, N.S., a group of people gather to peer into tanks filled with fuzzy pieces of gravel.  The rocks are covered with tiny blades of sugar kelp. Soon, the squares of steel mesh they’re fixed to will be suspended in the water at a kelp farming demonstration … Read more

Why scientists are hoping landscaping gravel can help restore Nova Scotia’s kelp

In a converted shipping container perched oceanside in Ketch Harbour, N.S., a group of people gather to peer into tanks filled with fuzzy pieces of gravel.  The rocks are covered with tiny blades of sugar kelp. Soon, the squares of steel mesh they’re fixed to will be suspended in the water at a kelp farming demonstration … Read more

Olive oil is getting more expensive — and these Italian farmers can tell you why

On a warm, blustery December afternoon outside the De Laurentis olive oil-producing co-op in the white hilltop town of Ostuni, Puglia, Luigi D’Amico holds out his palm, revealing an olive picked earlier in the day. Instead of resembling the plump, gleaming green and black fruit overflowing in bins around him, this one is half-consumed, dry … Read more

Canada’s top 10 weather stories of 2023: Wildfires, smoky skies, a record hot summer and more

Every year, Environment and Climate Change Canada ranks the top 10 Canadian weather stories. Senior climatologist David Phillips compiles the list and this year, there was no doubt about what would take the number one position: the record-setting wildfires. “There’s no drum roll here,” Phillips said.  “The fires dominated everything…. In 28 years of putting … Read more

Atlantic halibut thrive in warming Maritime waters, study finds

Warming ocean temperatures caused by climate change will provide favourable conditions for Atlantic halibut, according to a new study, although what happens to their prey is uncertain. A paper published in the journal FACETS links an exponential increase in Atlantic Canadian landings over the past decade to warming ocean temperatures and predicts that trend is … Read more

Volcano in Iceland erupts after weeks of activity, evacuation of town

A volcanic eruption started Monday night on Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula, turning the sky orange and prompting the country’s civil defence to be on high alert. The eruption appears to have occurred about four kilometres from the town of Grindavik, the Icelandic Meteorological Office said. Grainy webcam video showed the moment of the eruption as a flash of … Read more