Warblers out of the Woods: Savanna Restoration Creates Bird Habitat
Savannas and woodlands are being restored in the Midwest– but how is that restoration affecting birds? The new habitat can be a good thing for bird conservation.
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Science by Bicycle: A novel study of urban heat
A new study used a bicycle-mounted temperature sensor to measure heat extremes across urban Madison, WI — and investigate options for keeping cities cool.
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Are we accidentally treating fish with anti-depressants? Pharmaceuticals in our surface waters
The ever-growing and expanding pharmaceutical industry is overwhelming wastewater treatment plants, making the release of pharmaceuticals into the environment a big problem. A recent study illustrates that the presence of anti-depressants in streams can change the behavior of mosquitofish. The potential effects of pharmaceutical pollution on wildlife should make us think carefully about how we dispose of our leftover medicines.
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The after-party balloon effect: disastrous consequences of balloon releases
The balloons we have all seen at birthday parties, fairs, weddings, and other festivities do not make a great after-party-guest. Coastal cleanups in over 150 countries over the past 25 years have recorded over 1.2 million balloons that have washed up on shores. Plastic pollution in the ocean is a global concern and seabirds are particularly vulnerable to this pollution which can mistake the floating trash for food. The shocking and worrisome prediction is that by 2050, 99% of all seabird species will ingest marine debris of some sort. How can we prevent this?
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Improvements in Water Quality Offset Climate Debt in UK Rivers
By analyzing over 20,000 samples of aquatic macroinvertebrates, researchers were able to show that shifts in macroinvertebrate communities corresponded to improvements in water quality from 1991 to 2011. The improvements in water quality have created a “credit” that could have offset the climate debt created by rising temperatures. Local improvements can potentially offset global climate impacts, but for how long can this trend continue?
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Microplastics: Smells like dinner
Microplastic pollution is a trending concern as these tiny plastic pieces can end up dinner for small ocean critters such as copepods. Copepods are tiny, cosmopolitan marine creatures that are a vital food source for fish, birds, and many more. In the vast ocean, many copepods find their food, algae, by scent, as some algae give off a sulfur smell from the compound dimethyl sulfide. This study set out to test if copepods would be more likely to eat microplastics that were infused with this sulfur-scented compound.
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Fear and Hope: One Million Species at Risk of Extinction
“The overwhelming evidence of the IPBES Global Assessment, from a wide range of different fields of knowledge, presents an ominous picture,” said IPBES Chair, Sir Robert Watson. “But it’s not too late.” (UN IPBES 2019)
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The Sound of Silence: Consequences of Man-made Noise on Humpback Whale Songs
Male humpback whales sing loudly and for long durations during breeding season. A hundred years ago their voices did not have to compete with much man-made noise. These days they contend with underwater drilling, sonar, and the noise of thousands of cargo and passenger ships. This affects how and when they sing. The consequences of these changes are still largely unknown.
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Prime real estate is drying up for desert lake fish
As drought causes lake levels to drop, fish lose rare lakeshore habitat that shelters their eggs and offspring.
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Aquariums to the rescue? The role of zoos and aquariums in conserving aquatic biodiversity
The primary goal of conservation is to protect species in their natural habitats, but this can be extremely challenging. Captive breeding in zoos and aquariums may play a vital role in conserving endangered species, but good data must be readily available.
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