A new website uses ship location data to track deep-sea mining exploration. Mining companies have claimed more than a million square kilometers of ocean around the world and soon—maybe sooner than you think—will begin sending huge robotic diggers to grind up the seafloor and extract gold, copper, manganese, and other metals to feed our growing hunger […]
conservation
Endangered frog recovers thanks to resistance to deadly fungus
For decades a deadly fungus has been slaughtering amphibians around the world, driving many to the brink of extinction or even beyond. But now one frog’s recovery shows that, with a little luck and habitat preservation, some amphibians may be able to evolve resistance to the fungus. Read more in New Scientist.
The surprising link between the tapirs of Costa Rica and climate change
New studies suggest that protecting tapirs and other large seed-eating mammals is key to preserving carbon storage in rain forests. Esteban Brenes-Mora has been obsessed with tapirs — large, pig-like jungle dwellers — for as long as he can remember. It started with a sticker book his grandfather gave him as a child, and continued […]
Whooping crane recovery puts human chick ‘parents’ out of a job
When this year’s clutch of captive-bred whooping cranes hatch at the International Crane Foundation (ICF) in Baraboo, Wisconsin, they’ll see something that previous generations missed out on – their parents. Read more in New Scientist.
Israel’s botanical gardens face funding crisis
Israel’s 11 botanical gardens are scrambling to cope with deep cuts in funding from the government’s agricultural ministry. Government spending on the gardens, which host research and education programs and are often associated with universities, is down by more than 50% this year. That’s a reprieve from a 98% cut that the ministry announced last […]
Watch a baby sea turtle being hypnotised so we can weigh it
Baby sea turtles are an energetic bunch. As soon as they emerge from their sandy nests they scramble down the beach and swim out to sea. This frantic burst of activity helps the turtles evade predators, but it can be a real headache for researchers who want to gather measurements from these tiny, squirming subjects. […]
Orangutan population in Sumatra more than doubles after census
There are more than twice as many orangutans on the Indonesian island of Sumatra as we thought, according to a new survey. But deforestation and development could still see their numbers plummet over the next decade. A team led by Serge Wich, a primatologist at Liverpool John Moores University in the UK, scoured the Sumatran […]
Alligators help protect bird nests – but still snack on chicks
It’s raining food for alligators in the Everglades – those that act as bodyguards for nesting birds get paid in chicks. It’s not uncommon for one animal to gain protection from a neighbour. In Florida’s Everglades, wading birds like storks and egrets preferentially build their nests where alligators live, because the presence of the big […]
Repelling a Hunter
Scientists are still not really sure if, or how, magnetic shark repellents work. Sharks get a bad rap, though sometimes for good reason. At times they can be a nuisance, or even a threat. They eat endangered seals; occasionally take a bite out of unsuspecting swimmers and surfers; and, to their own detriment, get caught in […]