Environment — Oceans

Surf’s Up for Pups at World Dog Surfing Championship Where Rosie Leads the Pack (Video)

One of California’s most famous surfers has four legs and a tail. They call her Rippin’ Rosie. She’s a lovable 5-year-old Labrador Retriever with golden fur and almost 340,000 followers on Instagram. “Everyone knows Rosie!” said local surfer Jeremiah Kille in a great video by DOG PPL (view below). The legend of Rosie continued to […] The post Surf’s Up for Pups at World Dog Surfing Championship Where Rosie Leads the Pack (Video) appeared first on Good News Network.

A new plan to preserve Georgia’s marshes: Give them space to migrate

How the Tide Turns at the Mouth of the Elbe

The ocean’s ebbs and flows reveal dynamic tidal flats and a well-traveled shipping route along the coast of Germany.

16-yo Rookie Lifeguard Leads Heroic Ocean Rescue–With Viral Video of Harrowing Effort

The rookie lifeguard didn’t flinch. A giant wave slammed into the California shore and a 10-year-old boy was instantly swept up. Luckily, a 16-year-old lifeguard ran to help, rushing toward a rescue that would go viral on social media, earning Ryder Williams praise across the internet. It’s Ryder’s first summer working as a lifeguard, scanning […] The post 16-yo Rookie Lifeguard Leads Heroic Ocean Rescue–With Viral Video of Harrowing Effort appeared first on Good News Network.

Students Take on Airborne Field Research with NASA

The gusty wind didn’t make it easy to hold tight to a balloon so large. The balloon, a scientific instrument called an ozonesonde, was about to be released into the atmosphere above the Texas Gulf Coast by students from NASA’s SARP (Student Airborne Research Program), which concluded its summer session July 27. The balloon’s job […]

5 New Marine Reserves to Protect Dolphins and Kelp Forests off New Zealand’s South Island

In what is being described as an “important first step,” for marine protections in the island nation of New Zealand, 5 new marine preserves will enter into force next month. Surrounding a district called Otago near the southeastern tip of the South Island, 308 square miles of key marine habitats filled with charismatic species will […] The post 5 New Marine Reserves to Protect Dolphins and Kelp Forests off New Zealand’s South Island appeared first on Good News Network.

Outrage rescued an important ocean research program. Crucial ones remain at risk.

Mermaid Tale Trail in Brooksville, Florida

Scattered throughout Hernando County, the Mermaid Tale Trail is a sprawling scavenger hunt made up of mermaid statues painted by local artists. The project was created to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, the famous Florida attraction where performers have staged underwater mermaid shows since 1947. The trail began with 26 statues unveiled in 2022 and has since expanded to more than 35 mermaids spread across Brooksville, Weeki Wachee, Hernando Beach, and beyond. Each statue starts with the same fiberglass form: a six-foot-tall mermaid modeled from the face cast of a former Weeki Wachee performer named Kristy. From there, local artists transform them into wildly different characters. Some are painted with old Florida wildlife and mangroves, while others lean fully into fantasy, folklore, or psychedelic color palettes. Visitors follow maps and digital passports from downtown storefronts to coastal parks, discovering overlooked corners of Hernando County along the way. The experience feels somewhere between a folk-art road trip and treasure hunt.

First Live White Abalone Found in 5 Years During Channel Islands Survey Sparks Hope for Recovery

This rather charismatic mollusk is the white abalone, a Critically-Endangered species of sea snail that’s Wanted: Alive in the state of California. That’s because it hasn’t been seen in 5 years after populations declined 99% since the 1970s. On May 12th, 2026, a research mission aboard the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration research vessel Shearwater […] The post First Live White Abalone Found in 5 Years During Channel Islands Survey Sparks Hope for Recovery appeared first on Good News Network.

What We’re Reading: Denver’s Newest Clean Energy Source Will Be Sewage

Welcome back to our weekly behind-the-scenes glimpse at what’s getting our team talking. Tell us what you’ve been reading at info@reasonstobecheerful.world and we just might feature it here. Filthy clean energy Denver’s goal is to reduce its greenhouse gases to zero by 2040, which means throwing everything it possibly can... The post What We’re Reading: Denver’s Newest Clean Energy Source Will Be Sewage appeared first on Reasons to be Cheerful.

The Sea Calls You: Green Festival Returns to Haifa with Dozens of Free Activities

Just before summer takes over the beaches, Haifa will become for one weekend a hub of nature, sea, and sustainability: sunset tours, a meeting with turtles, workshops creating art from marine waste, a clothing swap fair, and dozens of environmental activities – all free of charge.

Increased Sightings of World’s Two Largest Whale Species Decimated By Hunting Provides New Hope for Survival

Increased sightings of the world’s two largest whale species offers fresh hope for the future of the endangered ocean giants. More than 40 years since the end of commercial whaling, new research reveals a recent increase in sightings of blue and fin whales in the southeastern Atlantic. Researchers compiled more than 60 years of confirmed […] The post Increased Sightings of World’s Two Largest Whale Species Decimated By Hunting Provides New Hope for Survival appeared first on Good News Network.

What We’re Reading: A Tiny Device That Keeps Microplastics Out of Oceans

Welcome back to our weekly behind-the-scenes glimpse at what’s getting our team talking. Tell us what you’ve been reading at info@reasonstobecheerful.world and we just might feature it here. Catch-all Microplastics are nearly everywhere, including in about 69 percent of our clothing. When those clothes are washed, the machines discharge microplastics... The post What We’re Reading: A Tiny Device That Keeps Microplastics Out of Oceans appeared first on Reasons to be Cheerful.

Rare Split-Colored Lobster Caught Near Cape Cod is Donated to Aquarium: A One in 50 Million Catch (LOOK)

It may not exhibit a split personality, but this lobster is so unique that the chances of catching it are around one in 50 million. The Wellfleet Shellfish Company announced that a split-colored lobster was caught off the coast of Cape Cod by a local fishing crew aboard the Timothy Michael. “Split lobsters like this […] The post Rare Split-Colored Lobster Caught Near Cape Cod is Donated to Aquarium: A One in 50 Million Catch (LOOK) appeared first on Good News Network.

Record Number of Humpbacks Observed Feeding in ‘Supergroup’ Near South Africa

Two photographers recently set a world record for the number of individual baleen whales seen in a single group at 304. It’s not just hard rockers that can form supergroups. Humpback whales seem to like it too, though scientists don’t know why. What they do know, however, is that they will congregate in numbers as […] The post Record Number of Humpbacks Observed Feeding in ‘Supergroup’ Near South Africa appeared first on Good News Network.

The Beloved Oregon Restaurant Rewriting the Rules of Seafood

When foodies head to Newport, Oregon, one place is always at the top of their list: Local Ocean. Repeat diners rave about the roasted garlic and crab soup, studded with fat lumps of local Dungeness; the lightly battered fried rockfish tacos served with citrus slaw, Huichol mayo and pickled veggies;... The post The Beloved Oregon Restaurant Rewriting the Rules of Seafood appeared first on Reasons to be Cheerful.

What We’re Reading: Sperm Whales — They’re Just Like Us

Welcome back to our weekly behind-the-scenes glimpse at what’s getting our team talking. Tell us what you’ve been reading at info@reasonstobecheerful.world and we just might feature it here. When things click How much do you have in common with a sperm whale? More than it would seem: New research has... The post What We’re Reading: Sperm Whales — They’re Just Like Us appeared first on Reasons to be Cheerful.

Jules' Undersea Lab in Key Largo, Florida

Sitting in a lagoon at MarineLab Undersea Park in Key Largo, this pressurized habitat is a compact world of portholes, bunks, and machinery with an uncanny feeling of domestic coziness. MarineLab describes it as the world’s only underwater habitat where recreational divers can experience living and sleeping underwater, and the broader organization traces the habitat’s story back to La Chalupa, an earlier undersea research station in the Caribbean. Over time, the habitat shifted roles from research station to hotel and now to an educational attraction operated by the nonprofit Marine Resources Development Foundation. A three-hour visit to the lab includes a guided dive through the lagoon and entry into the habitat itself. The overnight “Aquanaut Adventure” stretches the fantasy further with meals, free time inside, and the wonderfully absurd promise of hot pizza delivered underwater.