A newly arrived fern makes a splash in freshwater ecosystems
Primary Source: Wahl, C., Kaller, M., and Diaz, R. 2021. Invasion of floating fern alters freshwater macroinvertebrate community structure with
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Author: Sarah Shainker
Diatoms and ducks make a dispersal dream team
Dispersal, or the movement of organisms from one place to another, is a key process in establishing and maintaining biodiversity across space and time. But how do unicellular, sessile organisms manage to move?
Read MoreWhat is to blame for harmful algal blooms?
The world’s largest dam provides a massive amount of energy, but has unintended consequences as well.
Read MoreFrom the mountaintops to the streams: Mountaintop removal mining threatens salamander populations
Primary article: Hutton, J.M et al. Occupancy and abundance of stream salamanders along a specific conductance gradient. Freshwater Science. 2020.
Read MoreWater willow and mussels and deer, oh my!
Primary Article: Lopez, J.W., Parr, T.B., Allen, D.C., and Vaughn, C. C. Animal aggregations promote emergent aquatic plant production at
Read MoreCan we tweet our way to biodiversity conservation?
Twitter is one of the easiest ways to talk and learn about biodiversity conservation, but is it the most effective?
Read MoreFreshwater ecosystems are singing, and scientists are listening
The act of listening is an often-forgotten aspect of natural observation. When scientists listen to ecosystems, what do they learn?
Read MoreBugmeal: The Future of Aquaculture?
With global declines in wild fish stocks, there is an increasing demand for fish grown through aquaculture. Yet current diets for aquaculture fish are mostly made of fish sourced from wild fisheries and from the aquaculture industry itself (Péron et al., 2010), contributing to unsustainable practices in the industry. In an effort to find a more sustainable replacement, researchers at the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences conducted a study looking at the effects of substituting fish protein used in fish diets with protein made from the younger stages of the black soldier fly. The results look promising.
Read MoreThe Endangered Species Act doesn’t protect all habitat equally
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.
Read MoreT.G.I…M.? Why Wildlife Wants Your Vacation to End Sooner
When the workweek ends and the weekend arrives, many people leave their office life to visit the great outdoors. From birdwatching to biking, spending time in nature may be a positive experience for you, but your presence may make the animals living in the natural spaces you visit on the weekend wish it was Monday already.
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