Sunday, June 7, 2026

Welcome to Envirobites

We want to make cutting edge research in the environmental sciences accessible to all by highlighting recent studies and explaining how these advances shape the understanding of our world.

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EcosystemsEnvironmental ScienceHuman Exposure and Public Health
Etienne Herrick

Freshwater ecosystems need our help, and citizen science could be part of the solution

Freshwater resources around the globe are becoming increasingly degraded. Although humans are a major cause of this problem, they can also be part of the solution, especially when we all work together to tackle environmental issues. One way we can do this is through citizen science, where scientists and members of the public work together to perform research and advance scientific knowledge. Read on to learn more about freshwater citizen science, its benefits and challenges, and how you can get involved!

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EcosystemsEnvironmental Science
Maria Marlin

Is it a Bird? Is it Batman? Filtering and Extracting DNA from the Air Can Provide a Clue

Environmental DNA or eDNA is DNA that has been released by organisms into their surroundings. This article presents a fascinating discovery: sampling air for eDNA can ultimately show what terrestrial vertebrates are nearby. Long-range monitoring of vertebrate biodiversity is explored as well.

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An image of a small glass dish held between a person's thumb and index finger, containing various small plastic debris collected from house dust.
EcosystemsEnvironmental ScienceHuman Exposure and Public HealthToxicology
Cypress Novick

Here, There, and Everywhere: the Plastic Particles Around Us All

Source: Yujia Xiang, Li Jiang, Yaoyu Zhou, Zirui Luo, Dan Zhi, Jian Yang, Su Shiung Lam, Microplastics and environmental pollutants:

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ClimateEcosystems
Andrea Valcarcel

Talk Turtle to Me: How Algae Could Drive Sea Turtle Populations to Extinction

Rising ocean temperatures have been increasing the size of algal blooms, with Sargassum being one of the most prominent algae species affecting coastlines in the Caribbean. When beached, Sargassum can only be removed from shores through human intervention, which is both costly and time-consuming. These algal outbreaks are ending up on beaches where sea turtles are known to nest, affecting their biology and survivability. Will beached Sargassum on Caribbean shores affect sea turtle populations irreversibly, or will we find a more effective way of dealing with the changing algal populations?

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Animal behavior
Brandi Pessman

Prey or Mate – Can web-building spiders tell the difference?

After reaching maturity, male web-building spiders leave their webs in search of a mate. The real challenge occurs once the male reaches a female’s web because the female could easily mistake male vibrations for prey vibrations. Not wanting to be the female’s next meal, the male needs to produce unique vibrations to identify itself as a potential mate, not prey. The female must decipher male and prey vibrations and delay attack when a potential mate enters the web. Will this be enough to avoid tragedy? Click to find out!

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Animal behavior
Abigail Donahue

Why don’t cowbirds feed their chicks?

The brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater), a native of North America, doesn’t build a nest. It also doesn’t feed its chicks, stick around for their first flight, or comfort them during storms. How can a bird species survive when it doesn’t care for its young? The answer involves covert egg-laying, chick sabotage, and the unwitting generosity of other songbirds.

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