The Intergovernmental Oceanography Commission of the UNESCO announced it with emphasis on the Caribbean and the North Brazil shelf.
These are biodiversity rich areas and the coral reefs and fisheries contribute to local economies, to the tune of about 610 million annually.
The North Brazil Shelf was deemed as a Large Marine Ecosystem.
It contains more than 500 species of fish and serves as a natural storm shield.
It has already received an initial funding of 15 million dollars as a global environment facility under the UNDP/GEF PROCARIBE+ Project.
Another major contribution by the GEF towards the initiative is a total of $126.02 million in co-financing.
The other one - Global Fund for Coral Reefs - has raised approximately 225 million to date and seeks to raise up to 3 billion by 2030.
Mount Taranaki - Legal Person
New Zealand has given Mount Taranaki, which now has a formal name of Taranaki Maunga, equal rights as a human being.
This is the third natural feature in the country to receive individual recognition.
The same legal rights were previously granted to the Whanganui River and the Te Urewera National Park.
The Maunga of Taranaki-which is also called Taranaki Maunga in Maori language-is considered by indigenous people as an ancestral being.
Mt Taranaki will be managed by the local tribes, iwi and government, which constitute the effective ownership of Mt Taranaki.
Spotted Hyena in Egypt
Egyptian researchers have found a spotted hyena (Crocutta crocutta) existed in southern Egypt some 5,000 years ago.
Spotted hyena also disappeared in Egypt 5,000 years ago.
There are two other species of hyenas that are found in Egypt; the striped hyena and the aardwolf.
At this time warthogs and zebras also became extinct in Egypt.
Golden-headed Cisticola
Cisticola exilis, the Goldenheaded Cisticola, is commonly found in grasslands and recently was found in the Mathikettan Shola National Park, Idukki, Kerala.
The discovery of the bird is the first in the southern Western Ghats since a long time.
The Golden-headed Cisticola has been previously seen in some areas of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and northern Kerala.
The bird is mostly found in the grasslands within the mountain ranges.