Study discovering dolphins in Sarasota Bay probably acquire the microplastics in food but the study does not report whether that's harmful.

Reeling rods, pulling pots and hauling nets this summer, fishermen from Greece to the U.K. discovered unexpected visitors popping their heads above the surface. In the Aegean, it was silver-cheeked toadfish—an invasive pufferfish with powerful, prominent teeth. In the English Channel, it was the unprecedented arrival of uncommon common octopuses. And in the Adriatic, it […]

Reeling rods, pulling pots and hauling nets this summer, fishermen from Greece to the U.K. discovered unexpected visitors popping their heads above the surface. In the Aegean, it was silver-cheeked toadfish—an invasive pufferfish with powerful, prominent teeth. In the English Channel, it was the unprecedented arrival of uncommon common octopuses. And in the Adriatic, it was the aggressive and aptly named blue crab. Across the continent’s seas and straits, warming waters and decades of overfishing are throwing marine ecosystems off kilter and sending species swimming in new directions. For the fishermen landing unfamiliar tentacled and scaled sea creatures, the novel arrivals haven’t always been welcomed on deck. “The fisheries I found 30 years ago were more or less the species that archeozoologists found in [archaeological] remains many thousands years back. But today, this is changing really fast,” said Anastasia Miliou, the science director at Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation, a Greek nonprofit. “Fishermen are [already] having a hard time because of a lack of fish. Changing temperatures and the new invasive and alien species don’t make it any easier,” said Miliou, noting the surprising spikes in certain stocks were adding financial pressure for artisanal fishermen struggling to survive. This summer...

Reeling rods, pulling pots and hauling nets this summer, fishermen from Greece to the U.K. discovered unexpected visitors popping their heads above the surface. In the Aegean, it was silver-cheeked toadfish—an invasive pufferfish with powerful, prominent teeth. In the English Channel, it was the unprecedented arrival of uncommon common octopuses. And in the Adriatic, it was the aggressive and aptly named blue crab. Across the continent’s seas and straits, warming waters and decades of overfishing are throwing marine ecosystems off kilter and sending species swimming in new directions. For the fishermen landing unfamiliar tentacled and scaled sea creatures, the novel arrivals haven’t always been welcomed on deck. “The fisheries I found 30 years ago were more or less the species that archeozoologists found in [archaeological] remains many thousands years back. But today, this is changing really fast,” said Anastasia Miliou, the science director at Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation, a Greek nonprofit. “Fishermen are [already] having a hard time because of a lack of fish. Changing temperatures and the new invasive and alien species don’t make it any easier,” said Miliou, noting the surprising spikes in certain stocks were adding financial pressure for artisanal fishermen struggling to survive. This summer...

The local lifestyle brand showcases its mission with Shellabration, an annual waterfront fundraiser supporting healthier coastal ecosystems

17th century Naturalistically carved as a large toad with bulbous eyes and warts extending down its back, flanked by a medium-sized toad and seven smaller toads clambering over its body, all resting on a large undulating lotus leaf finely incised with veins, the stone of a glistening greenish-turquoise tone with yellow-ochre patches, the surface smoothly polished to impart a moist, slippery appearance. 11.6cm (4 5/8) long.