Tribal violence comes naturally to chimpanzees
It all went to hell when Jane Goodall started handing out bananas. Within a few years, the previously peaceful chimpanzees she was studying split into two warring tribes. Gangs of…
Old fishermen document declining range of the Indus River dolphin
Reduced river flows below irrigation dams decimate freshwater dolphins Rare photo showing two Indus River dolphins in the wild. Photo credit: Albert Reichert, CC-BY.N The Indus River dolphin (Platanista gangetica…
Nano-tags track baby sea turtles during their first few hours
Miniature acoustic tags allow researchers to track newborn sea turtles during 'swimming frenzy' Baby sea turtles vanish after they scamper into the ocean. Years later, juvenile turtles may pop up…
Shark pups may not survive climate change
Researchers find that warming ocean and acidification could hit young sharks hard Fierce predatory sharks rule the oceans from the apex of the food pyramid. But climate change may be…
Without draconian measures, global population boom is ‘locked in’
Little chance of reaching 'sustainable population' in next century According to recent projections, the number of people living on Earth could exceed ten billion by the end of this century.…
Egyptian art helps chart past extinctions of big mammals
What happened to Egypt's Serengeti-like ecosystem? Art helps scientists unravel the past The scientists found that major disappearances coincided with climate and environmental changes. Click here to see a Brazilian…
What happened to the oil from the Deepwater Horizon disaster?
A controlled burning of Macondo well oil from the Deepwater Horizon disaster that rose to the ocean surface. [Credit: David Valentine] Images from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster endure, from…
New marine protected areas key to fighting illegal fishing
A small-scale fisher in Sri Lanka. [Credit: Nishan Perreira/Project Seahorse]. Do you know how that tuna sashimi got to your dinner plate? Probably not—and chances are, the restaurant that served…
Bioluminescent bacteria expose toxic arsenic in Bangladesh
Millions drink toxic arsenic in their water. This German nature lover and microbiologist says bioluminescent bacteria could light the path to safety. Interview by Nsikan Akpan. A knob turns, and…
Gulf of Mexico deep sea may need decades to recover from oil spill
The catastrophic explosion that spewed some five million barrels of oil deep into the Gulf of Mexico in April 2010 will take a heavy toll in the ocean’s lowest layers…
Coal’s future carbon costs may make it more expensive than wind energy
At first glance, a recent report from the U.S. White House on the social cost of carbon reads like a daunting economics exam. A small chart poses the first question…
Tiny algae signal big changes for warming Arctic lakes
A polar bear plods through summer mud in the Hudson Bay Lowlands. Photo by: Jon Sweetman. The mighty polar bear has long been the poster child for the effects of…
Coelacanths might be monogamous, to the surprise of researchers
They evaded humans for millions of years and live very private lives. The hulking, fleshy-finned fish known as the coelacanth has beguiled scientists for generations. But the coelacanth mystique that…
Longline fisheries in Costa Rica hook tens of thousands of sea turtles every year
Hundreds of kilometers of commercial fishing lines slither along coastal waters in Costa Rica, hooking thousands of mahi-mahi and many other marketable fish. But when scientists scrutinized fishermen’s catch, they…
Wolves boost food for Yellowstone’s threatened grizzlies
Wolves and grizzlies aren’t best buddies. Burly bears can barge in on a feasting pack, making off with the wolves’ fresh kill. Wolves have been known to dig into bear…
Flawed from inception? Ecuador’s Yasuní-ITT initiative threatened indigenous groups with simple mapping errors
The plan from Ecuador’s government was simple: Pay us and we won’t destroy the planet's most extraordinary ecosystem. Dubbed the Yasuní-ITT initiative, the plan called upon developed nations to pay…
Locally extinct birds in the Amazon slowly flock back to forests when trees regrow
Some good news out of the Amazon rainforest: given enough time, deforested land can rebound enough to host bird species that had previously deserted the area, according to a recent…
Amazon’s vast rainforest dominated by few tree species
The Amazon rainforest is so vast, and so diverse, that seemingly simple questions— such as which species of trees are most common— remain unanswered. Researchers are finally seeing the forest…
Kids’ stories and new stoves protect the golden snub-nosed monkey in China
Puppet shows, posters and children’s activities that draw from local traditions are helping to save an endangered monkey in China. The activities, which encourage villagers—children and adults alike—to protect their…
Could marine cloud machines cool the planet?
In 1990, British cloud physicist John Latham published a paper arguing he could cool global climate by brightening clouds over the ocean. Most colleagues ignored the paper, titled “Control global…
Special series
Endangered environmentalists
- Peru: Invaders claim their first victim at the Macuya Forest Investigation Center
- Forests and forest communities critical to climate change solutions
- Peru: Madre de Dios land defenders face trouble whether they report crimes or not
Indonesias forest guardians
- Indigenous Iban community defends rainforests, but awaits lands rights recognition
- On the island of Java, a social forestry scheme creates jobs at home
- In Indonesia, bigger catches for a fishing village protecting its mangroves
Amazon infrastructure
- Yanomami Amazon reserve invaded by 20,000 miners; Bolsonaro fails to act
- Amazon infrastructure puts 68% of indigenous lands / protected areas at risk: report
- Amazon fish kill at Sinop spotlights risk from 80+ Tapajós basin dams
Asian rhinos
- Is the rhino horn trade a cartel? Economic analysis suggests it works like one
- Indonesia agrees to attempt Sumatran rhino IVF with eggs from Malaysia
- When it comes to captive breeding, not all Sumatran rhinos are equal
