Case Studies – envirobites

In an era of technological progress and collaborative conservation, Indigenous and university researchers worked together to find accessible and effective methods for tribes and other organizations monitoring local wildlife.

Case Studies Climate Ecosystems Environmental Science Restoration

October 13, 2025 Shilpa Saha

Coastal Forests Are Dying—And It’s Not Agriculture to Blame Anymore

The Disappearing Wetlands Wetlands are disappearing and it is more than only the drying of water. It is the silent

Case Studies Ecosystems Environmental Science Human Exposure and Public Health Remote Environments Science through time

April 25, 2025 Christina Andrea Alvear

Diving Deep for Volcanic Deposits: What the Hunga Volcanic Eruption Teaches Us About the Deep Sea

According to Chaknova and colleagues, the Honga Volcano eruption was the largest in the modern satellite era. It produced a 58 km plume, a 20 m high tsunami, and a pressure wave that propagated around the world.

A green iguana resting on a log with green leaves in the background

Animal behavior Case Studies Remote Environments

April 6, 2025 Lauren Glevanik

Island-dwelling Iguanas First Arrived in Fiji by Rafting Across 5000 Miles of Open Ocean

Genetic analyses suggest that a population of island-dwelling iguanas in Fiji first arrived by rafting across 5000 miles of open ocean. Traveling from the homeland of their closest relatives in western North America, this journey breaks records for the longest known overwater dispersal of any land animal.

A yellow-faced bumblebee flies between purple sage flowers.

Animal behavior Case Studies

March 27, 2024 Lauren Glevanik

Hive Minds: Bumblebees Collaborate to Learn Complex Behaviors

In a groundbreaking discovery, bumblebees have been shown to have a more sophisticated social culture than previously known. Bees could learn to solve a challenging puzzle through social interaction, demonstrating their ability to learn new and complex behaviors beyond their individual cognitive abilities. This study suggests that advanced social learning is not unique to humans, and encourages further exploration of collaboration and culture in the animal kingdom.

Case Studies Ecosystems Environmental Science Sustainabililty

December 13, 2023 Cypress Novick

Some Bees Just Want to See The Prairie Burn

Prescribed burns of tall-grass prairies affect ecosystem-wide bee distribution and diversity.

Case Studies Environmental Science Remediation Sustainabililty

July 13, 2023 Cypress Novick

Soil Quality Under Pressure

Industrial agriculture could be putting the soil in a pinch.

Case Studies

April 1, 2023 Andrea Valcarcel

Theory versus Reality: How Biodiversity Indicators Were Re-Evaluated in The Gishwati-Mukura National Park

Chimpanzees were thought to be an indicator of ecosystem biodiversity in the Gishwati-Mukura National Park until a group of scientists found there was no relationship between abundance of chimpanzee and biodiversity in that particular National Park—this does not mean this assumption is inherently wrong, it is just wrong for the area in question, showing us how biodiversity can be a difficult concept to measure.