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Ecosystems

A Caribbean island gets everyone involved in protecting beloved species

Scientists on Saba are introducing island residents to conservation of Caribbean orchids, red-billed tropicbirds and urchins.

Planetary Science

NASA’s DART spacecraft just smashed into an asteroid — on purpose

If the first-ever attempt to knock a space rock off course works, it could provide a blueprint to protect Earth from a killer asteroid.

Anthropology

In Maya society, cacao use was for everyone, not just royals

Previously considered a preserve of Maya elites, cacao was consumed across all social strata, a new study finds.

Environment

Mangrove forests expand and contract with a lunar cycle

The carbon-sequestering trees grow in a roughly 18-year cycle according to tides influenced by the moon’s orbit, a study in Australia finds.