If you’ve jumped on the bird-watching bandwagon to pass time during the pandemic or tuned in to #BlackBirdersWeek, you might have a new-found awareness of the birds outside your window or in your local park. What you may not have noticed is that urban birding experiences can differ greatly among neighborhoods.
Read MoreWhen Jules Verne first published his story “Journey to the Center of the Earth”, it was fantasy that one could sail across a vast ocean deep below the surface of the earth, but many became fascinated by what could exist thousands of miles beneath our feet. These fantasies remain even today as we are unable to study the innermost layers of our planet directly, but new research techniques reveal the Earth’s core may be more like Verne’s version after all.
Read MoreSometimes scientific breakthroughs happen by sheer accident. That was certainly the case with scientists studying the Russian sturgeon. An unexpectedly successful cross-species breeding experiment resulted in the first documented surviving hybrids of Russian sturgeon and American paddlefish. This opens new doors and frontiers for fish genetics, aquaculture, and potential survival strategies for critically endangered sturgeon species.
Read MoreDepending on where you live, springtime pollen allergies can be as reliable as April showers. Researchers at the University of Iowa have found that even though rain might decrease the pollen count, it can still exacerbate pollen allergies, due to an increase in grain rupture.
Read MoreIt is critical that we understand all of the pieces of spillover events so that they can be predicted and ideally prevented. Scientists at Auburn University recently considered the two main hypotheses for spillover, and asked how do pathogens with the potential to spillover from wildlife to humans arise in damaged or altered landscapes?
Read MoreThe COVID-19 global pandemic has changed the world as we know it. As a society, this pathogenic virus presents challenges not only in preventing its spread and treating its victims, but also in monitoring its growth and/or decline throughout the population. In this study, researchers discuss utilizing wastewater as a possible pathway for tracking the presence/evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 pathogen in residential areas.
Read MoreCrossing a stream on a drive may feel like a treat, but would bugs residing in the stream feel the
Read MoreWildlife reintroductions can ignite outrage between social groups, turning conservation goals into major conflicts. Understanding different stakeholder perceptions of beavers holds the key for those hoping to bring back this ecosystem engineer to the rivers of Scotland.
Read MoreMany large carnivores have been increasing in number along with people, which could lead to more conflicts between the carnivores and people. Wolves in particular are starting to make a comeback after their population sizes were reduced due to hunting and loss of prey. It is important to bring wolves back because they play an important role in maintaining the balance of an ecosystem by controlling the population size of their prey. Their reintroduction and increasing population sizes have led to research to figure out how wolves and people can live peacefully together.
Read MoreUp to 60 percent of all fish species may eventually be forced to find new mating areas due to traditional areas becoming too warm for them. By studying fish species from all over the world, experts released a new report suggesting that many fish have a low tolerance for heat during mating. Water temperature may have a larger than previously acknowledged effect on fish reproduction success. If global warming continues, fish populations may not be as strong or as plentiful as they once were unless they find new mating locations.
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