For over 30 years, Mark Erdmann has combined scientific discovery with grassroots conservation in Indonesia, helping communities protect their reefs from destructive practices and documenting more than 220 new species. As a leader behind Raja Ampat’s pioneering community-governed marine protected areas, Erdmann has shown how local stewardship can revive ecosystems—bringing back sharks, rays, and sustainable tourism. By Rhett Butler
Conservation news
Sharks didn’t rebound—so Mark Erdmann is putting them back
For more than three decades, Mark Erdmann has worked where many only dream of diving—on the reefs and in the tangled mangroves of Indonesia’s f...
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A zoo in the U.S. state of Kansas has welcomed the birth of a healthy baby pygmy hippopotamus, raising hope for a species that’s becoming rare in the wild. The yet-to-be-named male pygmy hippo calf, born June 26, is the fifth offspring of parents Pluto and Posie since their arrival at Tanganyika Wildlife Park in the city of Goddard from different zoos in 2014. By Shreya Dasgupta
Conservation news
Rare pygmy hippo born in Kansas zoo offers hope for endangered species
A zoo in the U.S. state of Kansas has welcomed the birth of a healthy baby pygmy hippopotamus, raising hope for a species that’s becoming rare in...
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In March 2024, Mongabay Latam and Ciper published a joint investigation into how a boric acid mining company that operated within protected zones of the Surire Salt Flat was being managed by Chile’s Environmental Superintendency. Following the report’s publication, Chilean authorities — including the Environmental Superintendency, the Ministry of the Environment, and the National Geology and Mining Service — undertook site inspections and initiated formal proceedings.
Environmental Journalism and Education
How investigative reporting led to environmental accountability in Chile’s salt flats - Environmental Journalism and Education
In March 2024, Mongabay Latam and Ciper published a joint investigation into how a boric acid mining company that operated within protected zones o...
A new report documents some of the most widespread and damaging droughts in recorded history, between 2023 and 2025, affecting millions across Africa, the Mediterranean, Latin America and Southeast Asia. More than 90 million people across Eastern and Southern Africa face acute food insecurity or need food assistance, while women and children bear disproportionate burdens. By Liz Kimbrough
Conservation news
Droughts are a ‘slow-moving global catastrophe,’ report finds
“Drought is a silent killer. It creeps in, drains resources and devastates lives in slow motion,” said Ibrahim Thiaw, executive secretary o...
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As oil companies push for drilling on the Amazon coast, an underwater war silences the ocean’s most vocal creatures. Petrobras has been conducting surveys since 2013 using seismic airgun blasts that can destabilize marine ecosystems by interrupting essential communication in the marine food chain.
Conservation news
Seismic noise from oil companies threatens Amazon River Mouth marine life
As oil companies push for drilling on the Amazon coast, an underwater war silences the ocean’s most vocal creatures.
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Swarms of desert locusts are moving across parts of North Africa following ideal breeding conditions in late 2024 and early 2025, raising fears of major locust infestations moving south into the Sahel later this year. The Commission for Controlling the Desert Locust in the Western Region (CLCPRO) has conducted joint surveys and provided equipment and vehicles to strengthen ground response in countries like Libya and Tunisia. By Stephanie Achieng’
Conservation news
Agencies race to prevent new food crisis as locusts return to northern Africa
NAIROBI — Swarms of desert locusts are moving across parts of North Africa. With unusually heavy rains in late 2024 supporting growth of vegetati...
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Several proposals seeking greater protection of more than 70 shark and ray species from commercial trade were raised this week for deliberation at the 20th meeting of CITES, the global convention on the wildlife trade, to be held in November. By Kristine Sabillo
Conservation news
Countries seek urgent CITES protection of more than 70 sharks and rays
Several proposals seeking greater protection of more than 70 shark and ray species from commercial trade were raised this week for deliberation at ...
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As sustainable finance gains traction in climate mitigation portfolios, a lack of oversight has opened the door to exploitation. A Mongabay investigation in early 2024 revealed that several companies with no experience in sustainable finance projects had persuaded Indigenous communities across Latin America to hand over the economic rights to their forests for decades, by falsely claiming the schemes were endorsed by UN agencies.
Environmental Journalism and Education
Mongabay investigation exposes fraud aimed at exploiting Indigenous communities across Latin America - Environmental Journalism and Education
As sustainable finance gains traction in climate mitigation portfolios, a lack of oversight has opened the door to exploitation. A Mongabay investi...
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A new study finds that regional plastic bag bans in the U.S. significantly reduce coastal plastic bag litter compared with areas without such policies. Single-use plastic bags are one of the most ubiquitous forms of plastic litter. They are rarely recycled and degrade quickly into microplastics that are often ingested by wildlife, leading to injury, stress and death. By Bobby Bascomb
Conservation news
Plastic bag bans linked to sharp decline in coastal litter, study finds
New study finds U.S. coastal areas with plastic bag bans saw up to 47% less bag litter, confirming the effectiveness of single-use plastic policies.
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After decades of invasions, pollution and state neglect, the Akroá Gamella Indigenous people have reclaimed part of their ancestral land in the Taquaritiua Indigenous Territory, in Brazil’s Maranhão state, and shut down illegal landfills maintained by local governments. By Felipe Durán
Conservation news
Brazil’s Indigenous Akroá Gamella reclaim and restore their land, one patch at a time
For more than 12 years, the government of Viana municipality in Brazil’s Maranhão state dumped used needles and syringes into three springs in T...
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