Monday, July 6, 2026

Environmental Science

EcosystemsEnvironmental Science
Maria Marlin

Endophytes: Enemies or Friends?

Endophytes are microorganisms, such as fungi, that live inside plant tissue. They can benefit a plant by secreting chemicals that deter and inhibit pathogen growth. Trees are under increasing stress due to warming environmental conditions, making them more prone to disease. This study investigates whether endophytes from Scots pine have antagonistic abilities and if they can create a systemic immune response within the plant. This response could result in lower disease severity.

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Case StudiesEcosystemsEnvironmental ScienceRemediation
Brianne Palmer

Radioactive exclusion zone or restoration at work? Insights from the re-wilding of Chernobyl

In 1986 a nuclear disaster rocked Belarus and forced thousands of people to abandon their homes for fear of radiation exposure. Now, removed from the impacts of human settlements, wildlife are returning to the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (CEZ). In a new study, researchers studied the raptors in the CEZ to test re-wilding and ask the question: can removing humans from a landscape help restore the natural environments? And like all things in ecology, the answer is more complicated than it seems but offers a glimmer of hope for re-wilding endeavors in this Decade on Ecological Restoration.

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Animal behaviorCase StudiesEcosystemsEnvironmental Science
Sam Schurkamp

For elk reintroduced in the Missouri Ozarks, love is in the air

Habitat loss and overhunting decimated local elk populations in the 1800s. Now, researchers are finding new ways to return them to their native land.

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Environmental ScienceHuman Exposure and Public Health
Lauren Otolski

Going Blue: The Environmental Impacts of Aquatic Foods

Food production puts a major strain on our planet, and many people are exploring ways to reduce its impacts. Aquatic foods — including fish, shellfish, and water plants — may be one option! Which of these “blue foods” are more sustainable than others, and in what ways? What can we do to make catching and farming aquatic food even more environmentally-friendly?

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Close-up image of a honey bee sitting on a green leaf
Animal behaviorCitiesEcosystemsEnvironmental Science
Jenna Zukswert

Decoding the Waggle Dance: The Importance of Flowers in Urban Landscapes for Honey Bees

Bee populations are threatened due to habitat loss and fragmentation, partly due to the expansion and intensification of agriculture worldwide. By videotaping and analyzing the “waggle dances” of honey bees near London, scientists compared the distance that bees need to travel to reach nectar in urban and agricultural landscapes. Bees needed to travel less far to reach nectar and pollen in urban areas vs. agricultural areas, underscoring the importance of urban planted areas, like gardens, in supporting honey bee populations. Establishing flowering plants in agricultural landscapes could help support honey bee populations.

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Environmental ScienceRemediation
Maria Marlin

Marvelous Mold: The Untold Story of Your Incredible Occasional Refrigerator Fungal Guest

As industrialization continues to increase, so does pollution and contamination of our environment. In this article, learn about a surprising source of potential help. Penicillium polonicum, a mold, can reduce the concentration of toxic lead ions in solution. This might be an avenue humans can pursue to help clean our earth.

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A row of atlantic horseshoe crabs strapped to a table while needles siphon blood into glass containers below each individual crab.
Environmental ScienceHuman Exposure and Public Health
Cypress Novick

The Horseshoe Crab Has Saved Our Lives. Can We Return the Favor?

While threats continue to harm the historic population of Atlantic Horseshoe Crabs, new research into the health stressors they face may help mitigate human contribution to their decline.

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Animal behaviorEnvironmental Science
Andrea Valcarcel

How Climate-driven Ocean Changes Affect Right Whale Populations

It is no secret that the world is ever-shifting towards a warmer reality. With conditions changing greatly in the Gulf of Maine, researchers are now exploring how climate-driven changes have been affecting the North Atlantic right whale populations. Sadly, their findings have shone a light towards a worrisome reality – a reality where these whales might be driven into extinction.

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