Fish and other marine life may have to flee thousands of kilometers to escape damaging heatwaves, according to research published Wednesday, highlighting the scale of disruption caused by these increasing surges in ocean temperatures.  
 
Hot spells can cause dramatic changes to ocean ecosystems, devastating coral habitats, killing large numbers of seabirds and forcing species like fish, whales and turtles into colder waters.    
 
Researchers said the increasing number of marine heatwaves are a sudden shock to local ecosystems whose effects can last months or in some cases years.  
 
They are an additional stress on oceans that are also seeing long-term warming, says the study published in the journal Nature.  
 
The researchers looked at how far a species caught in a marine heatwave would have to travel to get back to a normal water temperature, in what they term “thermal displacement”.   
 
Previous research focused on measuring the intensity of the temperature change at the location of the heatwave and the effects on static habitats, like kelp forests and coral reefs, researchers said.    
 
Thermal displacement “adds a new dimension” to our understanding of these heatwaves, lead author Michael Jacox of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration told AFP.  
 
“It’s important because we know that many marine species can quickly move long distances to find favorable habitat. They won’t just stay in place when the water is too hot, so the question is how far must they go to find cooler water?” he said.   
 37 years of heatwaves 
 
To answer this, researchers analyzed data of marine heatwaves from 1982 to 2019 and looked at the species displacement associated with these events.  
 
In some areas, cooler water would not be far away, such as where different regions of the ocean meet.   
 
But in tropical waters, where variations in temperatures are relatively small, the study found that species would have to travel more than 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) to find suitable habitat.  
 
This fast-moving displacement of sea life has broad implications, Jacox said.     
 
“Some of the most mobile species — many fish, whales, and turtles — hold great value for humans, whether it’s for fisheries, tourism, or from a conservation perspective,” he said.   
‘The Blob’
 
In 2011, a 10-week ocean heatwave off western Australia shattered the local underwater ecosystem and pushed commercial fish species into colder waters.  
 
At the end of 2013 an unusually warm patch of water that became known as “The Blob” appeared near Alaska and began to expand, stretching all the way to Baja California around 4,000 kilometers away by late 2015.  
 
This vast marine heatwave caused mass strandings of marine mammals and seabirds along the west coast of the United States and Canada and killed off swathes of seagrass meadows and kelp forests.  
 
“Warm-water species such as thresher sharks, hammerhead sharks, and mahi mahi [aka dolphinfish] were sighted farther north than ever before,” said a 2016 report on “The Blob” in the peer-reviewed magazine Oceanography.   
 
Mark Payne of the Technical University of Denmark said marine heatwaves were some “of the most visible signs of an ocean under stress”, in a commentary in Nature.   
 
He noted that species may not always be able to find a suitable habitat to relocate to, or are unable or unwilling to move, such as parents guarding young.   
 
But he said that the study by Jacox and colleagues — which he was not involved in — “expands our perspectives” of these heating events.  
 
These are “expected to increase dramatically in the future, given that the increases are linked to climate change”.  
 
Last year, research published in the US Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences calculated that climate change would empty the ocean of nearly a fifth of all living creatures, measured by mass, by the end of the century.
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Entrepreneur Richard Branson’s aerospace company, Virgin Galactic, announced Monday that it is working with British engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce to develop an aircraft that can travel three times the speed of sound.According to a release, Virgin Galactic says its new aircraft will be designed to carry between 9 and 19 people and will be able to “integrate into existing airport infrastructure.”  The company released images of designs of the aircraft, which is fashioned similarly to the Concorde supersonic aircraft, which Rolls-Royce also worked on in the 1960s.  Concorde was retired in 2003.Virgin Galactic said it completed its Mission Concept Review (MCR) and received authorization from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Center for Emerging Concepts and Innovation. The MCR describes a plane that can travel more than 3,700 kilometers per hour at altitudes higher than 18,000 meters, literally to the edge of space.Earlier this year, Virgin Galactic signed what it called “a space act” agreement with the U.S. space agency, NASA, to encourage commercial orbital space flight to the International space station, and to collaborate on high speed technology for lower orbit travel.  The company says it is also working on developing “sustainable” aviation fuel for the aircraft.
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United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says with schools being forced to shut their doors because of the coronavirus pandemic, the world is facing a “generational catastrophe.” Guterres made the comments Tuesday during a video briefing to launch a new U.N. campaign dubbed In this file photo taken on Feb. 8, 2020, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks during a press conference at the African Union headquarters.The head of the world body said that as of mid-July, more than 1 billion children in at least 160 countries are missing out on formal studies, while at least 40 million children have missed out on pre-school.  Guterres said disabled students, members of minority or disadvantaged communities, as well as refugees and displaced persons, are among those at highest risk of being left behind. The secretary-general noted the world was already in a “learning crisis” before the pandemic, with 250 million children worldwide out of school.  “Now we face a generational catastrophe that could waste untold human potential, undermine decades of progress, and exacerbate entrenched inequalities,”  he said.FILE – Fairfax County Public School buses are lined up at a maintenance facility in Lorton, Va., July 24, 2020.Guterres said getting students back in classrooms “must be a top priority” once the COVID-19 outbreak has been brought under control.  He also called for greater investment in education, with low- and middle-income countries facing an annual funding gap of $1.5 trillion prior to the pandemic, including investments in “digital literacy and infrastructure.” The U.N. chief also said education initiatives must be geared towards those at greatest risk of being left behind.  FILE – Students wear face masks as a preventive measure against the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus in their classroom at the Jean Benoit College in Yaoundé, Cameroon, on June 1, 2020.With the number of confirmed cases around the world, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, now past 18.2 million — and the number of deaths nearing the 700,000 mark — the director of the World Health Organization has warned there may never be a “silver bullet” for stopping the spread of the coronavirus. WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom told reporters Monday that while a number of vaccines are now in late-stage trials, all countries and individuals should employ a  “do it all” strategy — listing testing, contact tracing, social distancing and wearing masks — as some of the necessary things that must continue to be done to stop the spread of the virus.      “A number of vaccines are now in phase three clinical trials and we all hope to have a number of effective vaccines that can help prevent people from infection. However, there’s no silver bullet at the moment and there might never be”-People line up to enter a supermarket hours before a citywide curfew is introduced in Melbourne, Australia, Aug. 2, 2020.Health officials reported 429 new infections and 13 deaths Monday in Victoria state, which includes Melbourne.  Victoria state Premier Daniel Andrews declared Melbourne a COVID-19 disaster on Sunday.     In addition to closing most stores, other industries such as construction and meat production will have to limit their operations starting Friday.   FILE – Police stop drivers at a checkpoint, set up in response to the state of Victoria’s surge in coronavirus disease cases and resulting suburb lockdowns, in Melbourne, Australia, July 2, 2020.Victoria state Premier Daniel Andrews said Tuesday that an additional 500 military personnel will be deployed to the state this week to help local authorities enforce the new stay-at-home orders, including a strict dusk-to-dawn curfew.  Andrews also said anyone caught violating the orders will face more than $3,500 in fines.  Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Monday that workers in Victoria who do not have paid sick leave and have to isolate themselves will be eligible to receive a payment of about $1,000.     Parents and students arrive in their vehicles for health screenings and temperature checks before moving into residence halls at West Virginia State University campus, July 31, 2020, in Institute, West Virginia.In the United States, which has about one-fourth of the world’s confirmed coronavirus cases, negotiations between the White House and congressional Democrats failed again on Monday to reach agreement on a new aid package that would include federal money to help the millions of people who are unemployed.      Many Americans have lost their jobs during the pandemic, due to lockdown restrictions and new consumer habits that have badly hurt the economy. A previous round of federal aid that provided $600 a week to the unemployed expired last week.      The talks come as the United States deals with an ongoing surge in cases that began in June and pushed leaders in some states to reinstate some of the restrictions they had lifted in hopes that economic activity could return without a resurgence of the virus.     President Donald Trump holds up a signed Executive Order on hiring American workers, during a meeting with U.S. tech workers, in the Cabinet Room of the White House, Aug. 3, 2020, in Washington.U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters Monday a “permanent lockdown” policy is not a “viable path forward” in combating the coronavirus pandemic. He noted that other countries have seen a resurgence in cases after lockdowns.  The president lashed out earlier Monday at Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House’s coronavirus response coordinator, who said the U.S. had entered a “new phase” of the pandemic during an interview the day before on the U.S. cable news network, CNN.  Trump said Dr. Birx’s comments  that the coronavirus is spreading uncontrollably were meant to appease House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has criticized the administration’s handling of the crisis.  The president tweeted that Birx “took the bait” and called her “pathetic.”  So Crazy Nancy Pelosi said horrible things about Dr. Deborah Birx, going after her because she was too positive on the very good job we are doing on combatting the China Virus, including Vaccines & Therapeutics. In order to counter Nancy, Deborah took the bait & hit us. Pathetic!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) FILE – White House coronavirus response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx listens as Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci, left, speaks at the White House, April 29, 2020, in Washington.Fauci said Birx was referring to “community spread,” meaning the virus is spreading randomly instead of being concentrated in one spot.   “When you have community spread, it’s much more difficult to get your arms around that and contain it,”  Dr. Fauci said.    Richard Green, Megan Duzor, Chris Hannas    contributed to this report.     
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The World Health Organization says mothers’ milk is best for babies and that even goes for mothers who are infected with the novel coronavirus.  As the world celebrates World Breastfeeding Week (August 1 to 7), health agencies are encouraging women to breastfeed their babies for a healthier planet.    Breastfeeding advocates are concerned that support services for new mothers are being interrupted because of COVID-19.  They say social distancing rules are making it more difficult for them to receive the support and encouragement to nurse their babies.   Lawrence Grummer-Strawn, head of a WHO unit focused on food and nutrition in healthcare systems, says WHO and U.N. Children’s Fund are calling for increased investment to ensure women breastfeed their babies.    “That is particularly important at this time because we have documented through modeling that about 820,000 children’s lives are lost every year because of the lack of breastfeeding.  And, economically, there are losses of about $300 billion per year in economic productivity lost because of the lack of breastfeeding,” he said.    Health agencies say breastfeeding protects children against diarrhea, the top killer in low-income countries.  It protects babies against respiratory infections, leukemia and childhood obesity.  It also protects mothers against breast and ovarian cancers and type-2 diabetes.   Grummer-Strawn tells VOA women sick with COVID-19 should not be afraid of breastfeeding their newborns.  He says their babies will be safe.  He adds mothers who breast feed their infants exclusively for six months will give them the best start in life.     “The reason for that is that the risks of transmission of the COVID-19 virus of a COVID-positive mother to her baby seem to be extremely low,” he said.  “We have never documented anywhere around the world any transmission through breast milk.  That does not mean that it could not be possible somewhere, but it would appear to be extremely rare.”   Grummer-Strawn says the WHO is very concerned about what he calls the underhanded practices of the baby formula industry.   He says companies bribe health care workers to encourage mothers to bottle-feed their babies and provide free samples to mothers to get them hooked on their product.     In the context of COVID-19, he says, many companies present themselves as experts that can provide mothers with advice and support in these difficult times.  He says doctors appearing on their websites offer advice about baby care in the time of COVID-19, which carry negative messages about breastfeeding.    
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United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says with schools being forced to shut their doors because of the coronavirus pandemic, the world is facing a “generational catastrophe.” Guterres made the comments Tuesday during a video briefing to launch a new U.N. campaign dubbed In this file photo taken on Feb. 8, 2020, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks during a press conference at the African Union headquarters.The head of the world body said that as of mid-July, more than 1 billion children in at least 160 countries are missing out on formal studies, while at least 40 million children have missed out on pre-school.  Guterres said disabled students, members of minority or disadvantaged communities, as well as refugees and displaced persons, are among those at highest risk of being left behind. The secretary-general noted the world was already in a “learning crisis” before the pandemic, with 250 million children worldwide out of school.  “Now we face a generational catastrophe that could waste untold human potential, undermine decades of progress, and exacerbate entrenched inequalities,”  he said.FILE – Fairfax County Public School buses are lined up at a maintenance facility in Lorton, Va., July 24, 2020.Guterres said getting students back in classrooms “must be a top priority” once the COVID-19 outbreak has been brought under control.  He also called for greater investment in education, with low- and middle-income countries facing an annual funding gap of $1.5 trillion prior to the pandemic, including investments in “digital literacy and infrastructure.” The U.N. chief also said education initiatives must be geared towards those at greatest risk of being left behind.  FILE – Students wear face masks as a preventive measure against the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus in their classroom at the Jean Benoit College in Yaoundé, Cameroon, on June 1, 2020.With the number of confirmed cases around the world, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, now past 18.2 million — and the number of deaths nearing the 700,000 mark — the director of the World Health Organization has warned there may never be a “silver bullet” for stopping the spread of the coronavirus. WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom told reporters Monday that while a number of vaccines are now in late-stage trials, all countries and individuals should employ a  “do it all” strategy — listing testing, contact tracing, social distancing and wearing masks — as some of the necessary things that must continue to be done to stop the spread of the virus.      “A number of vaccines are now in phase three clinical trials and we all hope to have a number of effective vaccines that can help prevent people from infection. However, there’s no silver bullet at the moment and there might never be”-People line up to enter a supermarket hours before a citywide curfew is introduced in Melbourne, Australia, Aug. 2, 2020.Health officials reported 429 new infections and 13 deaths Monday in Victoria state, which includes Melbourne.  Victoria state Premier Daniel Andrews declared Melbourne a COVID-19 disaster on Sunday.     In addition to closing most stores, other industries such as construction and meat production will have to limit their operations starting Friday.   FILE – Police stop drivers at a checkpoint, set up in response to the state of Victoria’s surge in coronavirus disease cases and resulting suburb lockdowns, in Melbourne, Australia, July 2, 2020.Victoria state Premier Daniel Andrews said Tuesday that an additional 500 military personnel will be deployed to the state this week to help local authorities enforce the new stay-at-home orders, including a strict dusk-to-dawn curfew.  Andrews also said anyone caught violating the orders will face more than $3,500 in fines.  Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Monday that workers in Victoria who do not have paid sick leave and have to isolate themselves will be eligible to receive a payment of about $1,000.     Parents and students arrive in their vehicles for health screenings and temperature checks before moving into residence halls at West Virginia State University campus, July 31, 2020, in Institute, West Virginia.In the United States, which has about one-fourth of the world’s confirmed coronavirus cases, negotiations between the White House and congressional Democrats failed again on Monday to reach agreement on a new aid package that would include federal money to help the millions of people who are unemployed.      Many Americans have lost their jobs during the pandemic, due to lockdown restrictions and new consumer habits that have badly hurt the economy. A previous round of federal aid that provided $600 a week to the unemployed expired last week.      The talks come as the United States deals with an ongoing surge in cases that began in June and pushed leaders in some states to reinstate some of the restrictions they had lifted in hopes that economic activity could return without a resurgence of the virus.     President Donald Trump holds up a signed Executive Order on hiring American workers, during a meeting with U.S. tech workers, in the Cabinet Room of the White House, Aug. 3, 2020, in Washington.U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters Monday a “permanent lockdown” policy is not a “viable path forward” in combating the coronavirus pandemic. He noted that other countries have seen a resurgence in cases after lockdowns.  The president lashed out earlier Monday at Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House’s coronavirus response coordinator, who said the U.S. had entered a “new phase” of the pandemic during an interview the day before on the U.S. cable news network, CNN.  Trump said Dr. Birx’s comments  that the coronavirus is spreading uncontrollably were meant to appease House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has criticized the administration’s handling of the crisis.  The president tweeted that Birx “took the bait” and called her “pathetic.”  So Crazy Nancy Pelosi said horrible things about Dr. Deborah Birx, going after her because she was too positive on the very good job we are doing on combatting the China Virus, including Vaccines & Therapeutics. In order to counter Nancy, Deborah took the bait & hit us. Pathetic!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) FILE – White House coronavirus response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx listens as Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci, left, speaks at the White House, April 29, 2020, in Washington.Fauci said Birx was referring to “community spread,” meaning the virus is spreading randomly instead of being concentrated in one spot.   “When you have community spread, it’s much more difficult to get your arms around that and contain it,”  Dr. Fauci said.    Richard Green, Megan Duzor, Chris Hannas    contributed to this report.     
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