Britain announced today its creation of the world’s largest marine reserve, a move that will protect the Indian Ocean’s Chagos Islands and the quarter of a million square miles of waters that surround them. The Chagos Islands, which have belonged to Britain since 1814, provide a safe haven for dwindling populations of sea turtles and more than 175,000 pairs of breeding sea birds, as well as an extraordinary diversity of deep water habitats. The creation of this Marine Protected Area (MPA) in the British Indian Ocean Territory will include bans on commercial fishing, coral collection, and the hunting of turtles.Foreign Secretary David Miliband, who announced the creation of the reserve, stated that the “territory offers great scope for research in all fields of oceanography, biodiversity and many aspects of climate change,” and some supporters have claimed that it will become as important for research as the Great Barrier Reef or Galapagos Islands. The Chagos Islands and their surrounding waters cover an area that is twice the size of the United Kingdom, and pollution levels in the water and marine life found there are remarkably low, making the region an appropriate global reference baseline that is ideal for study.Conservation groups and scientists have welcomed the British government’s move to protect these waters, which contain the world’s largest coral reef structure, and are home to 220 species of corals and more than 1,000 species of reef fish.While marine scientists and conservationists are celebrating the move to protect the rich diversity of life found in the Chagos, native Chagossians, who were exiled 40 years ago to enable construction of a U.S. military base, are decrying the decision. Chagos refugee groups are accusing Britain of creating this protected area partly in an attempt to prevent Chagossians from ever returning home. About 1,700 U.S. military personnel, 1,500 civilian contractors, and about 50 British personnel currently inhabit Diego Garcia, the primary island in the Chagos archipelago, while the remaining 4,000 native islanders are scattered throughout a diaspora that includes the United Kingdom and Mauritius.Miliband anticipated this response from the displaced Chagossians, saying, “the creation of the MPA will not change the UK’s commitment to cede the Territory to Mauritius when it is no longer needed for defense purposes.”Helen Jupiter is a Los Angeles-based writer and a regular contributor to Mother Nature Network.Related Articles on Mother Nature Network:
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Man’s dog suddenly becomes protective of his wife, Internet clocks the reason right away
The online community came through in a big way.
Reddit user Girlfriendhatesmefor’s three-year-old pitbull, Otis, had recently become overprotective of his wife. So he asked the online community if they knew what might be wrong with the dog.
“A week or two ago, my wife got some sort of stomach bug,” the Reddit user wrote under the subreddit /r/dogs. “She was really nauseous and ill for about a week. Otis is very in tune with her emotions (we once got in a fight and she was upset, I swear he was staring daggers at me lol) and during this time didn’t even want to leave her to go on walks. We thought it was adorable!”
His wife soon felt better, butthe dog’s behavior didn’t change.
Otis knew before they did. Canva Girlfriendhatesmefor began to fear that Otis’ behavior may be an early sign of an aggression issue or an indication that the dog was hurt or sick.
So he threw a question out to fellow Reddit users: “Has anyone else’s dog suddenly developed attachment/aggression issues? Any and all advice appreciated, even if it’s that we’re being paranoid!”
The most popular response to his thread was by ZZBC.
Any chance your wife is pregnant?
ZZBC | Reddit
The potential news hit Girlfriendhatesmefor like a ton of bricks. A few days later, Girlfriendhatesmefor posted an update and ZZBC was right!
“The wifey is pregnant!” the father-to-be wrote. “Otis is still being overprotective but it all makes sense now! Thanks for all the advice and kind words! Sorry for the delayed reply, I didn’t check back until just now!”
Redditors responded with similar experiences.
Anecdotal I know but I swear my dog knew I was pregnant before I was. He was super clingy (more than normal) and was always resting his head on my belly.
realityisworse | Reddit
So why do dogs get overprotective when someone is pregnant?
Jeff Werber, PhD, president and chief veterinarian of the Century Veterinary Group in Los Angeles, told Health.com that “dogs can also smell the hormonal changes going on in a woman’s body at that time.” He added the dog may “not understand that this new scent of your skin and breath is caused by a developing baby, but they will know that something is different with you—which might cause them to be more curious or attentive.”
The big lesson here is to listen to your pets and to ask questions when their behavior abruptly changes. They may be trying to tell you something, and the news may be life-changing.
This article originally appeared last year.
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These trailblazers redefined what a woman could be.
Throughout history, women have stood up and fought to break down barriers imposed on them from stereotypes and societal expectations. The trailblazers in these photos made history and redefined what a woman could be. In doing so, they paved the way for future generations to stand up and continue to fight for equality.
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Why mass shootings spawn conspiracy theories
Mass shootings and conspiracy theories have a long history.
While conspiracy theories are not limited to any topic, there is one type of event that seems particularly likely to spark them: mass shootings, typically defined as attacks in which a shooter kills at least four other people.
When one person kills many others in a single incident, particularly when it seems random, people naturally seek out answers for why the tragedy happened. After all, if a mass shooting is random, anyone can be a target.
Pointing to some nefarious plan by a powerful group – such as the government – can be more comforting than the idea that the attack was the result of a disturbed or mentally ill individual who obtained a firearm legally.
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