Conservation

Biologists have created small hotspot shelters that operate like little saunas to help vulnerable and endangered amphibians fight off a fast-spreading and deadly fungal disease that has been a major threat to amphibians for decades. Researchers from Macquarie University and the University of Melbourne developed the shelters as a way to help amphibians ward off […]

Scientists have studied the nutritional profiles of 57 varieties of pollen and discovered that, in order to have a balanced diet of essential amino and fatty acids, bees must forage from a wide array of plants. Urban expansion, farming and climate change have altered the habitats of these crucial pollinators. “Despite public interest and a […]

Alaska is known for its natural beauty and stunning landscapes teeming with vast wilderness and abundant wildlife. But staining the landscape is a strange phenomenon: Dozens of the most remote rivers and streams in the Land of the Midnight Sun are turning from clear blue to cloudy orange. New research has found that the discoloration […]

An aerial survey conducted by wildlife NGO African Parks has revealed the largest land mammal migration on Earth. The Great Nile Migration of six million antelope from the Boma-Badingilo Jonglei Landscape (BBJL) in South Sudan to Ethiopia’s Gambella National Park is more than twice the size of the annual “great migration” of two million zebras, […]

According to a new analysis by a group of conservationists and researchers, expanding another 1.2% of Earth’s land-based protected areas would stop the extinction of most threatened animal and plant species. The coalition of experts identified 16,825 potential conservation sites that need to be prioritized in the next five years in order to save thousands […]

Native species are struggling to keep pace with invasive species in range expansion, which is important for adaptation and survival, a new study has found. According to researchers, species need to be able to shift at least 3.25 kilometers per year to keep up with climate change. However, they found that native species are only […]

A large citizen science survey of rivers in Britain — the Great UK WaterBlitz Report — has found that 75 percent are ecologically unhealthy due to agricultural runoff and pollution from water companies. Monitored by Earthwatch Europe volunteers, the survey found that waterways in the basin of the famed River Thames — as well as […]

A ban on single-use plastic items like bags and straws is closer to becoming reality in Massachusetts after the state Senate approved a broad bill addressing plastics last Thursday. The Senate passed the bill by 38-2. The ban, which has now moved to the state House of Representatives, would ban plastic bags at retailers, charge […]