H5N1 bird flu has now killed endangered Australian sea lions, and a new island plan in Singapore could bury about 60% of the country's remaining coral reefs. Andrew Lewin breaks down both stories and the questions that help you read the next headline more clearly.
In this episode:
How H5N1 moved from seabirds into fur seals, a dolphin, foxes and five Australian sea lions in South Australia between August and September 2026
Why sea lions face higher risk: fewer than 12,000 left, found only in Australia, declining about 2% a year
The experimental vaccine South Australia wants to import, and its limits
Singapore's proposed "western island," which could merge up to six islands and reefs about 8,000 years old
What happened when volunteer divers spent 10,000 hours moving corals before Jurong Island was built in the 1990s
The questions to ask whenever a project promises to "relocate" a reef
