Pandas are no longer vulnerable in China, fracking dumps toxic waste into Gulf, no more boiling lobsters alive in UK, never seen deep sea species...

[View in your browser]( [ecowatch]( Top Posts [ [ ​In Today's Eco Update - Giant pandas are no longer endangered in China. - Fracking dumps toxic waste into Gulf of Mexico. - UK ban on boiling lobsters alive. And learn more about a deep-sea study that discovered new species. – summaries below written by [Angely Mercado]( [post_image]( [Giant Pandas No Longer Endangered in China Thanks to Conservation]( Giant pandas are no longer considered an [endangered species]( in China thanks to years of successful conservation efforts. The increase in their population reflects the country's efforts in protecting their habitats, officials recently announced. This comes four years after the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) changed the giant panda's status from an endangered species to [vulnerable](. Over the years, China has worked on expanding and protecting the panda's bamboo forest ecosystem alongside creating large mountain reserves for the pandas to roam in. Other vulnerable species like Siberian tigers and Asian elephants have benefited from the conservation efforts as well. Despite the good news, the adorable species isn't out of the woods yet, the climate crisis could destroy more than 30 percent of bamboo forests by the end of this century. [Read More Button]( [9630b8e6-45a3-4648-9335-a47935d7d092.png]( [twitter]( [linkedin]( [email](mailto:?subject=Giant Pandas No Longer Endangered in China Thanks to Conservation&body= [post_image]( [Fracking Dumps Millions of Gallons of Toxic Chemicals Into Gulf of Mexico]( A [fracking]( boom in the Gulf of Mexico is hurting both human health and local [wildlife]( a new report has found. The Center for Biological Diversity report was [published earlier this week]( and calculated that oil and gas companies dumped more than 66 million gallons of fracking fluid into the Gulf from 2010 to 2020 without government approval. Water and chemicals are blasted into the seafloor to release oil and gas during the fracking process and can get into the Gulf's waters. Those chemicals have been proven to kill marine life and hurt reproductive health and even lead to cancer. Apart from contributing to the climate crisis, fracking also threatens local industries like fishing and tourism, both of which create more jobs along the Gulf than the oil and gas industry. [Read More Button]( [9630b8e6-45a3-4648-9335-a47935d7d092.png]( [twitter]( [linkedin]( [email](mailto:?subject=Fracking Dumps Millions of Gallons of Toxic Chemicals Into Gulf of Mexico&body= [post_image]( [UK May Ban Boiling Lobsters and Other Crustaceans Alive, Landmark Bill Recognizes They Are Sentient Beings]( It may soon be illegal to boil crustaceans alive in the United Kingdom. The potential law comes from animal welfare activists who have pushed for legislation to recognize that lobsters, crabs, squids, octopus, mussels and other invertebrates as sentient beings that can feel pain when being boiled. If the legislation is passed, it would force the government to consider animals when passing new laws and regulations. It's also an extension of the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill, which only previously covered vertebrates. It would mandate chefs to humanely kill mollusks by stunning or chilling them instead of simply boiling them. Other countries have already taken up legislation to recognize animal sentience. It's illegal to boil live lobsters in New Zealand and Switzerland. [Read More Button]( [9630b8e6-45a3-4648-9335-a47935d7d092.png]( [twitter]( [linkedin]( [email](mailto:?subject=UK May Ban Boiling Lobsters and Other Crustaceans Alive, Landmark Bill Recognizes They Are Sentient Beings&body= [post_image]( [Deep-Sea Study Records Species Found Nowhere Else on Earth]( A [new study]( is shedding light on what lies in the deep. This first-ever deep-sea survey of both ends of the Salas y Gómez and Nazca ridges has revealed unique and fragile species. It also spurred a call for the protection of deep-sea habitats. Using baited underwater camera systems, scientists targeted deep-sea communities at depths down to 2,400 meters, said Daniel Wagner, ocean science technical advisor for Conservation International and the study's co-author. They focused on seamounts located on the two ridges. The ridges are adjacent, underwater mountain chains that stretch across 2,900 kilometers in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, between Rapa Nui (Easter Island) and the Peruvian Coast. Researchers recorded over 120 species along the seafloor — including corals, sponges, shrimp, sharks, fishes, eels and more. The location actually has "significant" marine [biodiversity]( and one of the highest rates of unique species on Earth, a [Conservation International press release]( said. According to the organization, that makes these ridges one of the most ecologically important areas on the planet, and there are still deeper waters in this remote region to explore. Wagner explained why these underwater mountain ranges are so diverse and what is it about the geography of the area that allows life to flourish. 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