STOPDecrypter is a ransomware decryptor created by Michael Gillespie that decrypts files encrypted by the STOP Ransomware. Using this decryptor, victims who have paid the ransom or were encrypted by an offline key can recover their files for free without having to pay a ransom. [...]

CCleaner is a program that will scan your computer for temporary files or private browser information and deletes it from your computer.  This allows you to keep your computer running efficiently, while protecting your sensitive information. [...]

UCheck is a free program that allows you to scan a computer for outdated programs and automatically update them to the latest version.  UCheck also has the ability to install numerous new programs onto a computer with the click of a button. This makes it incredibly easy to install wanted programs on a brand new computer with one click. [...]

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware for Mac is a free security tool that allows you to scan your computer for common macOS infections and remove them. While focusing on adware infections, Malwarebytes for Mac will also scan for other known infections that are being released for the macOS operaitng system. [...]

GlassWire is a free network monitoring tool that displays and alerts you about the network traffic originating from your computer.  This allows you to quickly see what applications are communicating over the network and the Internet, how much bandwidth they are using, and what hosts they are connecting to. GlassWire also maintains a database of suspicious sites and will alert you when you attempt to visit one of them. Last, but not least, GlassWire includes an easy to use application firewall that allows you to block specific applications from communicating over a network and the Internet. [...]

Emsisoft AntiMalware has become a favorite at BleepingComputer.com.  It's dual scanning engine consists of BitDefender definitions as well as definitions created by Emsisoft,  which when combined, allows for excellent and up-to-date detections. [...]

AdwCleaner is a free program that searches for and deletes Adware, Toolbars, Potentially Unwanted Programs (PUP), and browser Hijackers from your computer. By using AdwCleaner you can easily remove many of these types of programs for a better user experience on your computer and while browsing the web. [...]

Malwarebytes is a light-weight anti-malware program that is excellent at removing the latest detections. MBAM is also able to be used along side any other security programs that you may have installed, which allows it to remove malware that was able to sneak through your normal anti-virus solution. [...]

Qualys BrowserCheck is a cloud service that makes sure your browser and installed plugins are all up-to-date so that you not affected by security vulnerabilities in outdated browser technology. [...]

Windows Repair is a utility that contains numerous mini-fixes for Windows.  This tool will allow you to repair common issues with your computer such as firewall, file permission, and Windows Update problems.  When using this tool you can select the particular fixes you would like to launch and start the repair process.  This tool also comes in a portable version that allows you to use the program from a portable device such as a USB flash drive. [...]

New research has shed light on the factors needed to successfully implement pilot projects designed to reduce the dumping of unwanted fish by fishermen. The analysis of 15 European projects highlights the importance of involving the fishing industry in developing and implementing pilot projects.

Using 'gardening' techniques to actively restore endangered coral reefs is ecologically sound and economically feasible, according to recent research.

Commercial sea fishing has been taking place for centuries. The first analysis of historic data from the UK has indicated that, over the past 118 years, the commercial productivity of UK fisheries has decreased by 94 per cent.

Selective fishing aims to prevent the overexploitation of target fish species and to protect by-catch species, but recent research has indicated that it could be having the opposite effect by damaging biodiversity and sustainability. An alternative approach called 'balanced exploitation' works at the level of the ecosystem instead of selectively removing specific components from the ecosystem.

A recent study has demonstrated that it is possible to identify which human pressures, such as fisheries and environmental pollution, are causing changes in Marine and Coastal by combining the trends in different indicators. This approach can be used as a tool for integrated ecosystem assessment and management.

Understanding the impacts of human activities on Marine and Coastal is important to ensure their sustainability. New research has indicated that seafloor ecosystems are less likely to recover from fishing if they are in rocky or reef habitats and if dredging and bottom trawling equipment is used for shellfish and various fish species. When fishing is combined with the extraction of aggregate for mineral resources, the impacts are even more damaging.

Although a total of 1.3 per cent of global marine areas is currently within Marine Protection Areas (MPAs), this is far from the Convention of Biodiversity's (CBD) 10 per cent target. Significant progress has been made over the last few years, but a new report suggests there is room for improvement as MPA coverage is very uneven and not all eco-regions and habitats are represented. The report makes several recommendations for maximising the effects of MPAs.

A new study has investigated the impacts of human activity on Antarctic Marine and Coastal. Alongside local effects of fishing, pollution and invasive alien species, global climate change is causing sea temperature rises and ocean acidification. Action is therefore needed at all levels to address these impacts.

Data from studies monitoring the amount of plastic eaten by seabirds suggest that levels in the North Sea are well above targets established for the North East Atlantic Ocean by OSPAR (the Oslo and Paris Convention). For the most recent monitoring period, the target amount was exceeded in well over half the birds studied.

Scientists have produced a list of seafloor characteristics to determine the health status of the ecosystem it supports. These indicators could improve the quality and consistency of marine conservation efforts across Europe, particularly where the impact of human activities is high.

The importance of coral reefs in supporting diverse fish communities has been highlighted in a recent study. However, the effects of damaging fishing techniques were also observed in video footage of the reefs studied, located off the coast of Ireland.

Renovating coastal structures, such as breakwaters, groynes, artificial reefs, quays and sea walls, can be destructive to Marine and Coastal as it encourages opportunistic and invasive species, according to recent research. Repairs can be particularly damaging if conducted in spring or summer, so repair schedules should be recognised in marine planning strategies to minimise negative ecological effects, say the researchers.

Between 10 and 50% of marine species and ecosystems are recovering from population declines and degradation, according to recent research, which identified five strategies for successful recoveries. Recoveries are often driven by a combination of factors, which include restricting exploitation, better protection of vulnerable habitats and greater political support and local involvement with conservation.

An experimental wave energy project in the UK has allowed researchers an early view of how the public might respond to large-scale development and the reaction is surprisingly positive. This is encouraging, says the study, but the potential for future conflict between the public and wave energy developers should not be overlooked.

Saltmarsh restoration can contribute to a range of ecosystem services but, according to new research, the effectiveness depends on previous land use. To optimise restoration, more research is needed on the effects of previous land disturbance on the delivery of ecosystem services and the relationships between physical, biogeochemical and ecological processes.

A new study of pollutants in Mediterranean coastal waters assesses the risks posed by difficult-to-detect chemicals present at low concentrations. Coastal monitoring programmes may be required to control discharges of some of these pollutants, which, at current levels, could be harmful to sensitive marine creatures.

Populations of otters, grey seals and sea eagles are slowly recovering in Sweden, which is likely to be thanks in part to a ban on organochlorine chemicals, such as PCBs and DDT, in the 1970s, according to a new study. However, the research shows that negative effects of these chemicals on the reproductive health of female animals persisted for more than 15 years after the ban was introduced.

The lack of clear international regulations is putting ???animal forests??? at risk, a recent analysis concludes. The research examined threats to these important seafloor habitats, and suggests that collective responsibility and coherent ecosystem-based management are needed to prevent their loss.

Some Marine and Coastal have been altered over long periods of time, resulting in a loss of knowledge of their true healthy state, new research suggests. In this UK study, researchers used historical records, samples of sediment and present-day diving surveys to reconstruct the true history of shellfish beds on the east coast of Scotland.

The effects of seafloor trawling can extend further than the immediate fishing grounds, affecting delicate deep-sea ecosystems, new research suggests. In this Mediterranean study, the researchers demonstrated that clouds of sediment from trawling reached deeper habitats, increasing water-borne sediment particle concentrations to a hundred times that of background levels.

Seabed fishing grounds in the UK are made up of intensively fished core areas surrounded by more rarely used marginal areas, new research shows. Excluding these margins, which contain only 10% of the total fishing activity, approximately halves the total area of fishing grounds. Thus reducing the fishing footprint by closing the marginal areas will disproportionately reduce the seabed impact of fishing activity.

'California Mountain Lions,' Episode 7: Human Interaction

4 awesome discoveries you probably didn't hear about this week -- Episode 31

Freshwater from salt water using only solar energy