Save a wolf, save a beaver: You know that old adage about how all species are connected? Turns out it’s called a “trophic cascade,” and here's a great example: wolves force elk to browse more cautiously, leading to bigger stands of aspen, leading to better habitat for beavers, whose ponds provide homes for fish, frogs, and birds (not to mention flood control for the hairless, bipedal primates who live along the river’s edge). Still, that knowledge hasn't stopped the Fish and Wildlife Service from removing Wyoming wolves from the Endangered Species List, to the glee of hunters. Apparently USFWS were absent on “Everything is Connected!” day back in 7th-grade biology. New York Times
Guilty until proven innocent: Australia has suffered five fatal shark attacks this year, but its response still reeks of, well, overkill: the country has announced plans to preemptively slaughter any shark that gets "too close" to beachgoers. One official dismissed conservation concerns by saying, “This is, after all, a fish –– let's keep it in perspective." Some perspectives just count for more than others, we guess. The Guardian
Return of the Cold War?: The nationwide natural gas boom facilitated by the rise of fracking could have serious geopolitical repercussions, turning the U.S. into a net gas exporter and breaking Russia’s stranglehold on the European market. Now what's that you were saying about "water contamination" and "methane leakage?" What are you, unpatriotic? Seattle Times
Soapy tsunami: A fifty-foot-high tidal wave of foam swept down a river in southern China after rains washed a chemical deodorant over a waterfall. But if you’re concerned about the impromptu foam party’s impact, don’t be! Unnamed Chinese officials assure that the only negative result has been “one or two dead fish.” And if you can’t trust unnamed Chinese officials when it comes to environmental mishaps, well, who can you trust? Daily Mail
Marine migraines: Pacific Gas & Electric plans to map earthquake zones near its Diablo Canyon nuclear plant by blasting the bottom of the ocean with 250-decibel “air cannons.” Can't imagine that could possibly bother the whales or sea otters down there... Los Angeles Times
Acid redux: Every four years, scientists gather to discuss the growing problem of ocean acidification. This year's conference in Monterey Bay, like those before it, "is filled with reports and indices showing our seas are in trouble." But there are also promising signs that the issue of ocean acidification might be easier for people to grasp than, say, climate change -- meaning that it might be easier to inspire action. OnEarth
Beware of shrinkage: Scientists have long known that worldwide fish populations are declining, but as climate change intensifies, individual fish may start shrinking, too. That’s because fish have a harder time growing in warm, oxygen-poor waters, and also because small-bodied tropical species will likely displace the bigger ones that inhabit more temperate waters. In other words: it might soon be easier to angle an angelfish than to track down a tuna. The Guardian
Plankton make the world go round: Rainforests get plenty of credit as the planet’s lungs, but marine phytoplankton actually produce more than 50% of our oxygen. Problem is, we have no idea how climate change will affect these tiny creatures (although we suspect they won't appreciate their habitat being turned into an acid bath). NPR
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