Conservation
Nature relies on a rich diversity of organisms to keep it in balance. Conservation plays a key role in ensuring that environmental equilibrium is preserved. Learn about the solutions spearheading our efforts to promote biodiversity, safeguard vital ecosystems, and protect endangered species.
New device helps protect endangered whales from crashing into ships
North Atlantic right whale populations used to thrive in the ocean. As of 2021, though, approximately 300 right whales remain in the wild, a steep drop from 480 right whales counted in 2011. Reasons for the decline of the right whale population include entanglement in fishing nets, habitat loss, Read More...
G7 countries plan to stop fossil fuel development overseas
Environmental and energy ministers from the world’s largest economies agreed to stop funding any overseas fossil fuel development by the end of 2022. This will cut off investment in high carbon pollution programs that threaten the world from meeting its climate targets. The G7 countries Read More...
Wildlife Conservation Society builds massive database of Amazonian wildlife
The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) scientists have been working on an enormous project: building an extensive database of the wide array of wildlife in the sprawling Amazon Basin. For this study, an international team of 147 scientists hailing from 122 research institutions and nature Read More...
Marine biologists come up with effective low-tech solution to bycatch
Bycatch, which is the accidental capture of non-target species such as dolphins, marine turtles, and seabirds, is a pervasive problem in the fishing industry. Thousands of whales, dolphins, and porpoises drown from getting entangled in nets and lobster potlines every year. The problem is that Read More...
AI exposes coral reefs “singing”
Coral reefs are essential to ocean ecosystems, providing food and homes to all sorts of organisms. Learning as much as possible about these living creatures is important to protect all the life in the vast seas. A team from the University of Exeter is doing just that, creating an algorithm to Read More...
This recycling program in Catalonia aims to rid streets and beaches of cigarette butts
The Catalan government has launched a clever plan to rid their streets and beaches of cigarette butts. As an added plus, the plan has provided a small source of income for the homeless. According to the environmental organization Ocean Conservancy, cigarette butts are the most plentiful type of Read More...
Fun ways to counter lionfish invasion
You may have heard about the spread of lionfish throughout the western Atlantic Ocean over the last ten years. They’ve also gotten into the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, and more recently they’ve entered the Mediterranean Sea via the Suez Canal. While these spiny, striped fishes are Read More...
Want to keep sharks and beachgoers safe? There’s an app for that
Sharks, as top predators, are a keystone species. This means the balance of whole marine ecosystems relies heavily on sharks' well-being. Protecting and conserving sharks is of the utmost importance, especially since they already face many threats to their survival such as the illegal shark fin Read More...
Scientists discover prehistoric dolphin species in landlocked Switzerland
Paleontologists have recently made an extraordinary discovery in landlocked Switzerland: two new species of dolphin dating back to 20 million years ago. Ancient dolphin species Located in the heart of Europe, Switzerland is entirely landlocked. Millions of years ago, however, the area used to Read More...
Study reveals planktons' unexpected resilience to global warming
With our changing climate, protecting all impacted organisms on Earth is a huge priority. The planet has gone through previous cycles of heating and cooling, and looking at these periods can give us clues about what may happen. An international team of researchers has done just that, by studying Read More...