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Though it may seem like sandy beaches are largely devoid of life, underneath the sand and kelp is a bustling world of tiny animals and plants that live between the grains of sand.

A 25-year-old spider the size of a dinner plate? They exist, right here in Australia.

Scientists find that commercial hunting caused “basin-wide collapse” among aquatic species

Scientists have conducted what they call the first systematic, historical account of the impacts on the Amazon basin of the 20th century international trade in furs and skins. The conclusion: “basin-wide population collapse” for aquatic species, but much greater resilience shown by terrestrial species.

The study focuses on four states in Brazil - Acre, Amazonas, Rondonia and Roraima - and draws on a wide range of historical records including those belonging to the Amazonas state government and the concession owner of the Manaus port. It was published in Science Advances in late 2016, but is reported now to mark UN World Wildlife Day. Here are 10 of the most fascinating - and sometimes horrifying - take-aways:

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Hop on board the Roper River taxi service - the only way in and out of Ngukurr during the wet; a feral cat makes a meal of a snake; young cattle handlers put their best 'hoof' forward; and meet Charlie Dunn the pint-sized shearer.

Proposal would remove environmental justice office, tasked with bridging gap in pollution in black, Hispanic and low-income areas and wealthier white ones

Planned cuts at the Environmental Protection Agency are set to fall heaviest upon communities of color across the US that already suffer disproportionately from toxic pollution, green groups have warned.

Related: New EPA head Scott Pruitt's emails reveal close ties with fossil fuel interests

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The week’s top environment news stories and green events. If you are not already receiving this roundup, sign up here to get the briefing delivered to your inbox

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The new government plans to relocate residents to larger atolls – leaving small islands ripe for development. It says these super resorts, not solar power, will create the money needed to adapt to climate change

When Mohamed Nasheed, the young, first democratically elected president of the Maldives, said in 2008 that he was seeking to buy a new homeland to save his people from being inundated by rising sea levels, it made the country of 1,200 coral islands the moral leader in the UN climate talks and helped persuade rich countries to act.

This week the Maldives, under new president Abdulla Yameen, apparently changed environmental tack, saying that mass tourism and mega-developments rather than solar power and carbon neutrality would enable it to adapt itself to climate change and give its young population hope for the future.

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Poison arrow frogs, a Steller sea lion and a chameleon are among this week’s pick of images from the natural world

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Two skulls found in China shed light on the ancient humans who inhabited the region before the arrival of our own species.

US study reveals how much trees help tackle urban air pollution

Scientists have found something - but no one will admit to causing it.

Exclusive New research indicates the benefits of eating omega-3 fatty acids, but also that pollution particles can penetrate the lungs into many organs, including testicles

Supplements of healthy fats could be an immediate way of cutting the harm caused to billions around the world by air pollution, according to emerging research.

However, the research also shows air pollution particles can penetrate through the lungs of lab animals into many major organs, including the brain and testicles. This raises the possibility that the health damage caused by toxic air is even greater than currently known.

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Guardian Cook is looking to source tips on keeping food packaging waste to a minimum. Share yours via GuardianWitness

For Cook’s green issue next week, we’re asking: how do you keep your use of food packaging to a minimum?

Related: Modern life is rubbish: we don't need all this packaging

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Scientists have created a functioning mouse embryo in the lab

Laxton, Northamptonshire The red kite thrives, and surely there’s no other prodigal English species that brings such pleasure

Kites soar and circle above the small limestone village mentioned in the Domesday book but rebuilt a little over 200 years ago to a design by Humphry Repton. There is a substantial red kite roost near the village, and 40 of them bring the sky to life with their twists and turns, tails contorting and long wings clawing the air.

Related: Red kites exported after success of reintroduction programme in Britain

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Wind farms and new solar parks in Australia are expected to take an increasingly prominent role in providing grid stability services. But not before the fossil fuel incumbents make the most of FCAS costs that have risen five-fold since 2014 – for no apparent reason.

CEC warns Australian regulators not to 'jump at shadows' or 'overreach' on home battery storage guidelines.

As the Finkel review submission deadline arrives it’s time to accept the inevitable and fix the shambles that is our energy policy

Every few years the fossil fuel industry pressures politicians to force “clean coal”, carbon capture and storage (CCS) and more recently coal seam gas (CSG) on an increasingly sceptical community to justify its continued expansion.

This cycle started with the promotion of Adani’s massive Carmichael coalmine in Queensland, for coal export to India. The South Australian blackout followed last September when violent storms blew down transmission towers, prompting instant federal government accusations that excessive reliance on renewable energy was the cause, despite clear advice to the contrary. This also prompted a review of the energy system, led by Dr Alan Finkel, with final submissions due on Friday.

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Siemens to install co-gen, energy and water efficient technology in $11m state government-backed Museums Victoria upgrade.

Denmark’s wind and PV share of generation is much the same as South Australia, yet Denmark’s system is the most reliable in Europe and 3X as reliable as Sydney.