Environmental Conservation

New study uses modern molecular and evolutionary techniques to reassess a foundational, 67-year-old study in warblers A spat between birds at your backyard birdfeeder highlights the sometimes fierce competition for resources that animals face in the natural world, but some ecologically similar species appear to coexist peacefully. A classic study in songbirds by Robert MacArthur, one of the founders of modern ecology, suggested that similar wood warblers — insect-eating, colorful forest songbirds — can live in the same trees because…

With a prestigious Max Planck Fellowship (2025–2028), microbiologist Gabriele Berg from the Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (ATB) is launching a research collaboration with chemist Markus Antonietti at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces. Together, they’re developing a solution to soil exhaustion and infertility: a custom-made soil created in the lab from plant residues, enriched with carefully selected microorganisms. This biologically active soil is designed to restore microbial balance, support plant health, capture CO₂—and ultimately break…

Hereon researchers develop innovative method to calculate predator-prey relationships more precisely Marine food webs are highly complex. Until now, researchers have been unable to understand exactly how they are affected by climate change, overfishing and other threats. Scientists at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon in Geesthacht have now achieved a breakthrough. They have developed a new computer model that can be used to simulate food webs more accurately than ever before. The work, which has been published in the journal Nature Ecology…

Urgent action is needed to protect endangered species, human health and industry from the impacts of the Caspian Sea shrinking, research led by the University of Leeds has found. Water levels in the Caspian Sea – the world’s largest landlocked water body – are getting lower, as hotter temperatures cause more water to evaporate than is flowing in. Even if global warming is limited to below 2°C, it is likely that the level of the Caspian Sea will decline by 5…

Researchers conduct batch adsorption testing in different soil types to understand the adsorption and aggregation behavior of nanoplastics in soil Plastics are everywhere—from packaging and textiles to electronics and medical devices. As plastic waste breaks down, it releases microscopic particles that can penetrate our ecosystems, hinder plant growth, and potentially transfer harmful pollutants to organisms, including humans. Therefore, these plastic particles are a potential threat to the ecosystem, especially in their nanoparticulate form (1–100 nm diameter), which can penetrate the…

Australia’s exposure to extreme heat continues to grow while the country has emerged as a global hotspot for climate change litigation, according to the latest MJA–Lancet Countdown report. Released today, the report reveals Australia has experienced a 37 per cent increase in excess heat factor over the past 20 years. Lead author and Director of the Lancet Countdown Centre in Oceania, Professor Paul Beggs from Macquarie University, says these findings underscore the importance of long-term tracking of climate hazards and…

Freshwater ecosystems require adequate oxygen levels to sustain aerobic life and maintain healthy biological communities. However, both long-term climate warming and the increasing frequency and intensity of short-term heatwaves are significantly reducing surface dissolved oxygen (DO) levels in lakes worldwide, according to a new study published in Science Advances. Led by Prof. SHI Kun and Prof. ZHANG Yunlin from the Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with researchers from the Nanjing University and the UK’s Bangor…

When wildfires threaten people’s communities, human health is impacted far beyond the inferno. Residual smoke distributes on the breeze, infiltrating homes, schools and offices. To help people protect themselves and their families, researchers have developed a low-cost, durable, do-it-yourself (DIY) air cleaner that works as well as more expensive HEPA filters to clear indoor air of pollutants such as smoke and possibly limit the impact of airborne disease spread. Richard Corsi, dean of the University of California, Davis (UC Davis)…

Sensors attached to animals gather valuable data to track and mitigate the human influence on marine life. The Kobe University review paper emphasizes the importance of integrating data from various sources and advocates for an “Internet of Animals” based on open access and shared standards. Humanity influences marine life through a broad range of activities, spanning from fishing and pollution to noise from boats, construction and mining. To enable a sustainable life together, we need to monitor the influence of…

Large and connected forests are better for harboring biodiversity than fragmented landscapes, according to research supported by Michigan State University. Ecologists agree that habitat loss reduces biodiversity. But they don’t agree whether it’s better to focus on preserving many smaller, fragmented tracts of land or fewer larger and more continuous landscapes. The study, published in Nature and conducted by researchers from Michigan State University, University of Michigan and the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research among others, examined 4,006 species…

Scientists break down plastic using a simple, inexpensive catalyst and air Harnessing moisture from air, Northwestern University chemists have developed a simple new method for breaking down plastic waste. The non-toxic, environmentally friendly, solvent-free process first uses an inexpensive catalyst to break apart the bonds in polyethylene terephthalate (PET), the most common plastic in the polyester family. Then, the researchers merely expose the broken pieces to ambient air. Leveraging the trace amounts of moisture in air, the broken-down PET is…

The bottom of the Calypso Deep, a 5,112-metre deep depression in the Ionian Sea, contains one of the highest concentrations of marine debris in the deep ocean Waste generated by human activities has now reached the deepest point in the Mediterranean: the 5,112-metre-deep Calypso Deep in the Ionian Sea. A total of 167 objects — mainly plastics, glass, metal and paper — have been identified at the bottom, of which 148 are marine debris and 19 others are of possible…

New research has uncovered why different climate models offer varying projections of sea surface temperature (SST) changes in the tropical Pacific, a region critical for global climate patterns. The study, published in Advances in Atmospheric Sciences on March 5, identifies cloud–radiation feedback as the dominant source behind these differences. Reliable projections of the tropical Pacific SST warming (TPSW) pattern are crucial for understanding how global climate will change in a warming world. While the latest climate models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6…

Reliable and accurate monitoring of CO2 emissions is a cornerstone of effective climate change mitigation strategies. While traditional methods largely depend on ground-based measurements and bottom-up inventories, these approaches are often resource-intensive and prone to errors. Satellite Technology has emerged as a promising alternative, but the challenge remains in distinguishing anthropogenic emissions from natural processes. The long atmospheric lifetime of CO2 makes it difficult to pinpoint localized sources of emissions and track changes over time. Additionally, natural emissions and background concentrations can…

Researchers at Göttingen University show keys to nature conservation measures at landscape level How can the loss of species and habitats in agricultural landscapes be stopped? Up to now, measures have mostly been implemented by individual farms. In contrast, agri-environmental measures that are planned across farms at landscape level offer greater potential for creating suitable habitats for different species as a mosaic in the landscape. However, successful landscape level approaches also require cooperation between farms and other stakeholders from local…

Using underwater microphones and machine learning (ML), Cornell University researchers have developed a new method to estimate North Atlantic right whale numbers — offering a potentially safer and more cost-effective way to monitor this critically endangered species. Their study, published in Endangered Species Research, demonstrates how microphones combined with ML and traditional aerial survey methods can help track right whale populations in Cape Cod Bay, a crucial feeding ground where the whales gather each spring. To track this endangered species, researchers…