Tuesday, June 23, 2026

Author: Ashley Riane Booth

Animal behavior

Hammerhead’s Night Out: The Day-to-Day Life of Hammerhead Sharks

Hammerheads (Sphyrna lewini) are, understandably, one of the most charismatic species in the world of marine biology. However, these sharks have suffered major declines in recent years due to direct hunting and overfishing of their prey.

Read More
Case StudiesEnvironmental Science

Effective Environmental Policy Requires Inclusion

The politicians who designed NEPA understood that inclusion of stakeholders is crucial for policies to be effective, both in implementing change and garnering support for policy-based decisions.

Read More
ClimateEcosystemsScience through time

What is scarier than zombies, ghosts, and witches? A modern mass extinction

When I was a little kid, the things that scared me were a little silly – the slime monster from Ghostwriter, caterpillars, or a sinkhole developing underneath my bed that would swallow me while I slept. While I’ve gotten over these mostly ridiculous fears, being an adult doesn’t mean I am now fearless. Instead, the things that I consider “scary” have shifted. Now, the things that scare me are all too real – things like climate change and mass extinction.

Read More
ClimateEnvironmental Science

Native milkweed supports healthy monarch communities

“Monarch butterflies do really well on the exotic milkweed species that’s being widely sold and planted under current environmental conditions. But under warmer conditions, the exotic plant becomes too toxic and monarchs become less healthy.”

Read More
ClimateEcosystemsEnvironmental ScienceScience through time

Trees, Tempests, and Time: What trees can tell us about weather in the past

For storms along the Gulf Coast, first-person recordings are only reliable for the past 150 years. But knowing more about when storms happened in the past helps us understand how the climate is changing and how to reduce storm risks for coastal communities. To do that, we have to use even more unusual records: tree rings.

Read More