Environment

Animals

Eavesdropping on fish could help us keep better tabs on underwater worlds

Scientists are on a quest to log all the sounds of fish communication. The result could lead to better monitoring of ecosystems and fish behavior.

Environment

How air pollution may make it harder for pollinators to find flowers

Certain air pollutants that build up at night can break down the same fragrance molecules that attract pollinators like hawk moths to primroses.

Plants

Ancient trees’ gnarled, twisted shapes provide irreplaceable habitats

Traits that help trees live for hundreds of years also foster forest life, one reason why old growth forest conservation is crucial.

Earth

Many but not all of the world’s aquifers are losing water

Many aquifers are quickly disappearing due to climate change and overuse, but some are rising because of improved resource management.

Environment

Landscape Explorer shows how much the American West has changed

The online tool stitches together historical images into a map that’s helping land managers make decisions about preservation and restoration.

Animals

This bird hasn’t been seen in 38 years. Its song may help track it down

Using bioacoustics, South American scientists are eavesdropping on a forest in hopes of hearing the song of the long-missing purple-winged ground dove.

Environment

Grassland and shrubland fires destroy more U.S. homes than forest fires

Grassland and shrubland fires destroyed nearly 11,000 homes in the contiguous United States from 1990 to 2020.

Animals

Fake fog, ‘re-skinning’ and ‘sea-weeding’ could help coral reefs survive

Coral reefs are in global peril, but scientists around the world are working hard to find ways to help them survive the Anthropocene.

Animals

Pumping cold water into rivers could act as ‘air conditioning’ for fish

Hundreds of salmon, trout and other fish sought shelter from summer heat in human-made shelters, suggesting a way to help fish adapt to river warming.

Climate

Róisín Commane sleuths out greenhouse gas leaks to fight climate change

From New York City to the Arctic, atmospheric chemist Róisín Commane tries to account for the greenhouse gases in the air.

Animals

In noisy environs, pied tamarins are using smell more often to communicate

Groups of the primate, native to Brazil, complement vocalizations with scent-marking behavior to alert other tamarins to dangers in their urban home.

Climate

‘Our Fragile Moment’ finds modern lessons in Earth’s history of climate

Michael Mann’s latest book, Our Fragile Moment, looks through Earth’s history to understand the current climate crisis.