Monday, July 27, 2026

Ecosystems

EcosystemsEnvironmental Science

Reef Remodeling: How Reef Carpets Could Change How We View Reef Restoration

Coral reefs are one of the most important marine ecosystems in the world, but climate change and other stressors are pushing on their wellbeing and leading to degradation. That’s where reef restoration comes in, where scientists and volunteers work to reproduce tiny corals and transplant them onto degraded reefs—but this restoration mostly focused on survivability, and not variety. In a new approach, a group of scientists have constituted what they call “Reef Carpets”, which are patches of restoration efforts filled with biodiversity. They found that these “Carpets” jumpstart a whole reef ecosystem, leading to better outcomes in the long run.

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ClimateEcosystemsEnvironmental ScienceSustainabililty

Why is There Slime in This Corn? The Salty Experiment

Roughly half of cropland is salt stressed worldwide. Finding ways to enhance crop yield is of great importance. Using bacteria that produce biofilms to protect plants under harsh conditions may be a sustainable solution.

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EcosystemsEnvironmental Science

Raptors on the Brink: Population Declines Over Africa’s Savannas

Savannas across Africa have fewer hawks, eagles, falcons, vultures and secretary birds than in previous decades. Which species are the most at-risk, and what can be done to protect them?

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ClimateEcosystemsEnvironmental Science

The Soil Seed Bank: Plant Communities’ Secret Weapon

Plant communities have a secret survival tool buried underground: the soil seed bank. When the environment changes, the seed bank helps buffer the plant community against those changes. But what if the seed bank can’t survive the environmental changes either? Scientists explore a wetland to learn more about the secretive soil seed bank.

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EcosystemsEnvironmental Science

The Fight for Fish Food: Invasive Armored Catfish vs. Native Fishes

Aquariums are beloved by many. Enthusiasts enjoy nurturing and viewing aquariums full of beautiful and unique fish from around the world. However, the aquarium trade contributes to lots of introductions of fish to ecosystems in which they are non-native. What does this mean for these ecosystems?

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ClimateEcosystems

Giving Them a Fighting Chance: How To Save Insects from Climate Change

Insects, as small as they are, are even more important than you may think. Sadly, climate change and warming are slowly depleting insect populations as our urban spaces grow and the use of pesticides in rural areas increases. Actions like planting native plants and decreasing the concentration of concrete-sealed spaces could help create a world where insects are more resilient to the changing environment.

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