As the US urges world leaders to ramp up action on climate change, the leader of one small island chain in the North Pacific Ocean has already got the message -- watching helplessly as rising seas slowly erode his birthplace.
North Korea fired another short-range missile into the Sea of Japan on Monday, the latest in a series of missile drills that have been condemned by South Korea and UN chief Ban Ki-moon.
Millions of birds that stop at coastal wetlands during annual migrations could die as rising sea levels and land reclamation wipe out their feeding grounds.
A boat carrying Taiwanese activists headed for disputed Japanese-controlled islands turned back Thursday after coastguard vessels from the two sides converged and duelled with water cannon.
A record 40,000 people braved icy temperatures on the Netherlands's North Sea coast Tuesday to take a cold plunge, setting a new record for the traditional New Year's Day dip.
Rising acidity is eating away the shells of tiny snails, known as "sea butterflies", that live in the seas around Antarctica, leaving them vulnerable to predators and disease.
US President Barack Obama is set to dive into the tumultuous diplomatic waters of the South China Sea on Tuesday at a summit dominated by rival claims to the strategically vital area.
Long spared because of their remoteness, the high seas have become an important hunting ground for fish trawlers and oil prospectors, putting at risk many marine species that call these waters home.
Thousands of anti-Japan protesters rallied across China over a territorial row on Tuesday, a key historical anniversary, as Japanese firms including car giant Toyota shut or scaled back production.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton heads Tuesday to Beijing after talks in emerging US ally Indonesia as she voiced hope for progress in managing soaring tensions in the South China Sea.
US endurance swimmer Diana Nyad pressed on Sunday in her bid to swim from Cuba to Florida after a night of being swarmed and stung by jellyfish as she paddling through choppy seas.
Quadruple amputee Philippe Croizon swam between islands in the icy Bering Strait Friday to cross from America to Asia in the final part of a quest to link all continents.
China's state-controlled media lashed out at the United States on Monday, accusing Washington of "trouble-making" over criticism of Beijing's claims to a wide swathe of the disputed South China Sea.
Brent crude fell below $100 in Asia Tuesday, hours after a Norwegian crude supply disruption due to an oil workers' strike was ended by the government.
The list also includes Lake Baikal, Hawaii, the Galapagos Islands, the Amazon River basin, the Mediterranean Sea, the Yangdze, Indus and Gang Rivers, San Felix and Juan Fernández islands and the Kerguelen Archipelago.