May 2020 – Page 3 – envirobites

Friday, May 3, 2024

The Unintended Catch: Population Declines in Greater Scaup due to Fishery Bycatch

May 5, 2020May 5, 2020 Jeannie Wilkening 0 Comments BSC4052, bycatch, Conservation, ducks, endangered species, fishing

Aquatic birds play an important role in shallow water ecosystems, affecting the diversity of their prey communities and providing an important link in the food web. Over the years, mortality has increased in many aquatic bird species due to human activity. New research on a population of Greater Scaup (Aythya marila), an aquatic bird species native to Europe, determined that fisheries contribute heavily to its mortality and gives us tools to understand how we can reduce this impact. If no action is taken, this species could become endangered within the next 30 years.

Cities Ecosystems Environmental Science

The five-dimensional road map: how can we foster positive human-nature interactions?

May 4, 2020May 4, 2020 Pernilla Borgstrom 0 Comments

As humans, we interact with nature whether we want to or not. But the interaction and its outcome can look very different, depending on our background, and on where in the world we are. A new paper sets out to map the human-nature relationship, with the hope that we can better understand and foster it.

Environmental Science

The Endangered Species Act doesn’t protect all habitat equally

May 2, 2020May 2, 2020 Sarah Shainker 0 Comments Conservation, endangered species, endangered species act, environmental policy

Biodiversity loss causes a reduction in ecosystem services, a loss of potential medical substances, and a less secure food supply chain. Habitat loss is the top reason for biodiversity loss as it reduces the size of populations and hinders reproductive success.

Environmental Science

These Boots Were Made from Exotic Leather

May 1, 2020May 1, 2020 Jeannie Wilkening 0 Comments BSC4052, Conservation, endangered species, pangolins, wildlife trade

When picturing an American cowboy, images of horses and lassos come to mind, studded in spurs and blanketed in leather. The leather that you imagine is most likely cow hide, tanned and sourced in the United States of America. However, this mental image may require some adjustment. According to a study conducted by Jessica Heinrich and her team, exotic leather within the US is relatively common, particularly leather sourced from scaled mammals known as pangolins and large fish known as arapaima. Conservation efforts are more dire than ever as illegal trade of the two scaly organisms continues.

Environmental Science Human Exposure and Public Health

One Crisis, One Effort, One Health

May 1, 2020November 9, 2022 Riley Lovejoy 0 Comments animals, COVID-19, Medicine, One Health

Understanding COVID-19 cannot be accomplished through strictly human medicine or research. The One Health approach advocates for a cooperative effort toward improving healthcare, and is especially relevant in the context of zoonotic (animal derived) diseases, such as the current pandemic.