Author: Alex Morrison

A study of clam shells suggests Atlantic Ocean currents may be approaching a “tipping point”. Scientists studied records of quahog clams (which can live for over 500 years) and dog cockles – because shell layers provide an annual record of ocean conditions. They studied these natural archives to understand long-term patterns in Atlantic Ocean currents such as the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) and the subpolar gyre (SPG). Recent studies have debated possible AMOC and SPG tipping points…

A new podcast series will explore what will happen when global warming exceeds 1.5°C. The four-part documentary – called Overshoot: Navigating a world beyond 1.5°C – is released 10 years after the landmark Paris climate agreement set a goal of limiting warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. That goal is being lost, and the series examines the misconceptions about what will happen next, drawing on rich and surprising stories of the people and places on the frontline. Overshoot…

Most coral reefs will soon stop growing and may begin to erode – and almost all will do so if global warming hits 2°C, according to a new study in the western Atlantic. An international team, led by scientists from the University of Exeter, assessed 400 reef sites around Florida, Mexico and Bonaire. The study, published in the journal Nature, projects that more than 70% of the region’s reefs will stop growing by 2040 – and over 99%…