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Ocean warming is triggering earlier algae blooms -

New research says that for every degree of warming in the North Atlantic, the blue-green algae Synechococcus (one of the most abundant phytoplankton in the ocean) blooms four to five days earlier. Between 2003 and 2012, the region's bloom shifted by 20 days, and the trend is likely to continue in coming years. The researchers say earlier bloom times could have ripple effects throughout the marine food chain. InsideClimate News

The Northeast gets a brand new national wildlife refuge -

This week the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service finalized the Great Thicket National Wildlife Refuge, which spans 15,000 acres in six states. The land is mostly shrubland, and includes habitat for New England cottontails, American woodcock, and several endangered and threatened species. The refuge is the 18th created under the Obama administration. Christian Science Monitor

Study says wildlife populations fell 58 percent in 40 years -

A new analysis by the World Wildlife Fund and the Zoological Society of London says worldwide, wildlife numbers plummeted by 58 percent between 1970 and 2012—and the losses are on track to reach 67 percent by 2020. Logging, poaching, overfishing, pollution, and destruction of habitat for agriculture were the major causes of the population collapses. While some researchers have concerns about the report's methodology, they agree with the overall message. The Guardian

Sweden is on track to get all of its energy from renewables -

The country plans to get 100 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2040, and this week a regulatory official announced it's well on its way. Renewables accounted for 57 percent of Sweden's power production last year. Reuters

Bearded seals win endangered species protections -

A federal appeals court has overturned a 2014 ruling that said the species didn't deserve an endangered status. The judge ruled that shrinking sea ice and other climate consequences will threaten the seals' survival in decades to come, and the National Marine Fisheries Service does not need to wait until the seal's habitat is destroyed to protect it. The forward-looking decision is a big win for species threatened by climate change. Christian Science Monitor

Banking expert says climate change could trigger the next financial crisis -

Paul Fisher, the former deputy head of the Bank of England's regulatory department, says climate change poses "a systemic risk" by causing sudden, unpredictable shifts in financial markets. ThinkProgress