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Australia’s biodiversity is under pressure. 
From farms and cities to reefs offshore, ecosystems are being reshaped by land clearing, fragmentation, climate change and extraction.
Mongabay is launching the Australia Biodiversity Special Reporting Project — delivering in-depth, Creative Commons reporting on species, ecosystems and governance gaps.
Send in your pitches:
https://www.jotform.com/260274347580358
The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is taking early steps that could open 45.7 million hectares of Alaska waters to seabed mining, raising cultural and environmental concerns in a region home to 200+ Alaska Native nations.
Interest from companies is unclear, and the industry remains slowed by regulatory gaps and impact fears.
by Anita Hofschneider
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/indigenous-concerns-surface-as-u-s-agency-considers-seabed-mining-in-alaskan-waters/
#news #criticalminerals #deepsea #mining #environment #indigenous peoples
U.S. President Donald Trump has moved to reopen the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument to commercial fishing, arguing it won’t harm marine species and will support the industry.
Conservationists say the protected area is a vital sanctuary — and warn of wider rollbacks affecting other U.S. marine monuments.
by Edward Carver
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/trump-opens-only-us-marine-national-monument-in-atlantic-to-fishing-again/
#news #biodiversity #environment #environmentalpolicy #environmentalpolitics #fishing #marineprotectedareas
Artificial light at night — already known to disrupt birds and sea turtles — may also worsen human allergies.
A study of the northeastern U.S. found plants exposed to nighttime light produced more pollen and extended pollen season by 1–2 weeks, with impacts comparable to climate change.
Researchers call light pollution a public-health “blind spot” and urge urban planners to factor it into city design.
by Bobby Bascomb
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/02/light-pollution-could-worsen-allergy-seasons-new-study-suggests/
Major soy traders including Cargill, ADM and Bunge are withdrawing from the Amazon Soy Moratorium — a shift observers warn could drive deforestation up 30% by 2045.
Backed by agribusiness-linked groups and politicians, the move may give land speculators a “green light” to clear rainforest, even as forest loss threatens rainfall, crop yields and long-term market stability.
by Fernanda Wenzel
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/amazon-deforestation-may-rise-30-as-major-traders-exit-historic-soy-pact/
#news #amazon #forests #deforestation #climate #agribusiness
Following the removal of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, the U.S. has expressed interest in the country's oil and minerals.
But the current landscape means that a rushed investment could be disastrous for the environment, critics warn.
The country also has massive mineral deposits, many of them in the rainforest and on Indigenous territory.
By Maxwell Radwin
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/01/how-us-intervention-could-deepen-venezuelas-environmental-crisis/
#news #environment #climate #Venezuela #mining #oil