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South Africa’s frogs and reptiles get their own list of names in local languages

Tue, 29/04/2025 - 15:26
Scientists added descriptive terms to the existing general Indigenous frog and reptile names to make them specific. Fortunate Mafeta Phaka, Senior Postdoctoral Researcher of herptile-human interactions, North-West University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Trump is stripping protections from marine protected areas – why that’s a problem for fishing’s future, and for whales, corals and other ocean life

Wed, 23/04/2025 - 13:46
America’s marine protected areas help fish populations thrive. Trump’s plan to open them to industrial fishing may ultimately harm the fishing industry itself. David Shiffman, Faculty Research Associate in Marine Biology, Arizona State University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Ambitious changes to Canadian conservation law are needed to reverse the decline in biodiversity

Tue, 22/04/2025 - 12:57
Canada needs a biodiversity protection and conservation act that will address current biodiversity decline and prevent future threats. Trevor Swerdfager, Practitioner-In-Residence, Faculty of Environment, University of Waterloo, University of Waterloo Derek Armitage, Professor, School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability, University of Waterloo Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

‘De-extinction’ of dire wolves promotes false hope: technology can’t undo extinction

Wed, 16/04/2025 - 00:24
Claims of ‘bringing back’ any species take away focus from proven solutions that can actually fix the extinction crisis. Martín Boer-Cueva, Ecologist and Environmental Consultant, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid Dieter Hochuli, Professor, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney Marco Salvatori, Post-doctoral Researcher in Ecology, University of Florence Peter Banks, Professor of Conservation Biology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Allowing forests to regrow and regenerate is a great way to restore habitat

Tue, 15/04/2025 - 21:05
New research found regrowth in Queensland provided valuable habitat after 15 years, on average, with some species benefiting from trees as young as 3 years of age. Hannah Thomas, PhD candidate in Environmental Policy, The University of Queensland Martine Maron, Professor of Environmental Management, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Why ‘de-extinct’ dire wolves are a Trojan horse to hide humanity’s destruction of nature

Mon, 14/04/2025 - 17:10
Extinction is, for the time being, forever – and a symptom of our global economic system. Rich Grenyer, Associate Professor in Biogeography and Biodiversity, University of Oxford Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

We study ‘planktivores’ – and found an amazing diversity of shapes among plankton-feeding fishes

Fri, 11/04/2025 - 04:29
Ever since Charles Darwin, scientists have assumed species facing the same problem often evolve similar traits. But that’s not always the case. Isabelle Ng, PhD candidate, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University Alexandre Siqueira, Vice-Chancellor's Research Fellow, School of Science, Edith Cowan University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Good boy or bad dog? Our 1 billion pet dogs do real environmental damage

Thu, 10/04/2025 - 00:26
We don’t want to admit it, but our beloved pet dogs do a lot of environmental damage, from killing or terrifying wildlife to emissions from pet food. Bill Bateman, Associate Professor, Behavioural Ecology, Curtin University Lauren Gilson, Research Associate, Behavioural Ecology, Curtin University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Biosecurity policies can be annoying – but a century of Antarctic data shows they work  

Sun, 06/04/2025 - 21:06
Biosecurity policies may seem onerous and expensive – but they are working to prevent new species from pushing native species out in the Antarctic. Rachel Leihy, Ecologist, Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research Melodie McGeoch, Professor of Ecology, Monash University Steven Chown, Director, Securing Antarctica's Environmental Future and Professor of Biological Sciences, Monash University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Invisible losses: thousands of plant species are missing from places they could thrive – and humans are the reason

Wed, 02/04/2025 - 20:04
Many native plants are missing from habitats where they should thrive – even in wilder areas. Why? Human actions such as logging, poaching and setting fires. Cornelia Sattler, Research Fellow in Ecology, Macquarie University Julian Schrader, Lecturer in Plant Ecology, Macquarie University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Flies are masters of migration – it’s about time they got some credit

Wed, 02/04/2025 - 17:59
Flies are the most ecologically diverse and important migrant group. We just had no idea. Will Hawkes, Insect Migration Researcher, College of Life and Environmental Science, University of Exeter Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

When farmers and scientists collaborate, biodiversity and agriculture can thrive – here’s how

Tue, 01/04/2025 - 16:52
Farmers can take ownership of nature recovery actions and scientific expertise can adapt to local knowledge in the design of environmental outcomes. Charles Masquelier, Associate Professor in Sociology, University of Exeter Carolyn Petersen, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Social Science and the Environment, University of Exeter Matt Lobley, Professor of Rural Resource Management, University of Exeter Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

When a 1-in-100 year flood washed through the Coorong, it made the vital microbiome of this lagoon healthier

Thu, 27/03/2025 - 03:05
The 2022 floods triggered shifts in the Coorong’s microbiome—similar to our gut bacteria on new diets—revealing why freshwater flows are vital to wetland health. Christopher Keneally, Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in Environmental Microbiology, University of Adelaide Justin Brookes, Director, Water Research Centre, University of Adelaide Matt Gibbs, Senior Research Scientist in Hydrology, CSIRO Sophie Leterme, Professor of Biology, Flinders University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Protecting salmon farming at the expense of the environment – another step backwards for Australia’s nature laws

Tue, 25/03/2025 - 22:19
After shelving plans to reform Australia’s nature laws, the prime minister wants to walk back existing protections with new legislation introduced this week. Phillipa C. McCormack, Future Making Fellow, Environment Institute, University of Adelaide Justine Bell-James, Professor, TC Beirne School of Law, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

A budget splash to conserve 30% of Australia’s lands will save species – if we choose the right 30%

Tue, 25/03/2025 - 05:18
Protecting 30% of Australian lands sounds good – but what matters much more is whether we’re protecting dwindling habitat for endangered species. James Watson, Professor in Conservation Science, School of the Environment, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Time to stop blaming bats and newts for blocking development? A new fund could support nature and ease building delays

Mon, 24/03/2025 - 13:42
Tens of thousands of planned new homes are said to be stuck in limbo because of concerns about their effect on nature. Graham Haughton, Professor, Urban and Environmental Planning, University of Manchester Ian Thornhill, Senior Lecturer in Planning and Environmental Management, University of Manchester Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Rain gave Australia’s environment a fourth year of reprieve in 2024 – but this masks deepening problems: report

Wed, 19/03/2025 - 19:07
Favourable short-term conditions kept Australia’s environmental scorecard high in 2024 – but long-term problems are worsening. Albert Van Dijk, Professor, Water and Landscape Dynamics, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University Shoshana Rapley, Research Assistant, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University Tayla Lawrie, Project Manager, Threatened Species Index, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Fungi are among the planet’s most important organisms — yet they continue to be overlooked in conservation strategies

Mon, 17/03/2025 - 16:11
Fungi are essential to our ecosystems, our societies and economies. Jonathan Cazabonne, Doctorant en mycologie et écologie des vieilles forêts, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (UQAT) Danny Haelewaters, Head of Laboratory of Fungal Ecology and Evolution, Biology Centre CAS, Institute of Entomology, Czech Academy of Sciences Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Kultarrs are tiny, cryptic creatures that only come out at night. Scientists are finally learning how they live

Wed, 12/03/2025 - 01:42
Kultarrs might look cute. But these carnivorous marsupials are fierce and feisty predators. Hayley Stannard, Senior Lecturer in Animal Anatomy and Physiology, Charles Sturt University Julie Old, Associate Professor in Biology, Zoology and Animal Science, Western Sydney University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Butterflies declined by 22% in just 2 decades across the US

Thu, 06/03/2025 - 19:00
The causes involve more than just habitat loss, but there are steps you can take to help save these delicate creatures Eliza Grames, Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences, Binghamton University, State University of New York Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.