Monday, June 8, 2026
ClimateEcosystemsEnvironmental Science

Small artificial waterbodies – it’s time to start paying attention

What are small artificial waterbodies and should we care about their greenhouse gas impact? Recent research in Australia demonstrates to us why we need to start paying attention to farm dam emissions.

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Environmental Science

Pollution to Solution: Can We Get Rid of Plastics in Our Oceans?

The issue of marine plastic pollution has become a pressing, global concern. A few organizations have been created over the past few decades that have tried to address the threat of marine pollution, but none have been solely dedicated to the issue. This has led to a lack of dedication towards the issue at the international scale, and only recently have increased measures been taken to address marine plastic pollution. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was created by world leaders in 2015, and since then a number of conferences and independent initiatives have taken place across the globe to promote ocean health. Gatherings like the United Nation’s Oceans Conference and statewide bans on plastic bags can provide the groundwork to evolve these agreements and engage governments and communities to work to reduce marine plastic pollution.

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Environmental Science

Captive breeding: Saving species from extinction or sending them there?

In the midst of the sixth mass extinction, conservation efforts are more important now than ever. Captive breeding programs aim to supplement wild populations with individuals born in captivity. Seems great, right? Well… maybe. Despite good intentions, captive breeding and release programs can have permanent harmful effects on the world’s most vulnerable species. This recent study explores the demographic and genetic effects of a common conservation practice.

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EcosystemsEnvironmental Science

It’s Not Just About Fish: How Understanding Ecosystem Services Can Lead to Marine Conservation

What is the value of a fish? It’s role in the ecosystem, or the community that relies on the species? A team of scientists from the UK explores these interactions in their recent paper, which details the use of ecosystem services in marine conservation.

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ClimateRemote EnvironmentsScience through time

Voyage to Iceberg Alley

A couple of days ago, right around sunrise, we sailed out of the Straits of Magellan and into the southern Atlantic Ocean, bound for the Southern Ocean and the Antarctic waters known as Iceberg Alley. Giant petrels soared against a clear blue sky, and gentle waves rocked the ship—although we didn’t expect that to last! I am aboard the JOIDES Resolution, a research vessel and drilling ship, and we are intentionally sailing into some of the planet’s wildest seas and the area of greatest iceberg concentration in the Antarctic.

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Español

La erradicación de la enfermedad de Chagas en Guatemala: un ejemplo exitoso de cooperación para el control de vehículos de enfermedad

Artículo escrito por Munim Deen, enero 30, 2019. Artículo traducido por Maria Loza Correa. Bibliografía: Juarez JG, Pennington PM, Bryan

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Human Exposure and Public Health

Oil Spills are a Black Mark on Health

The thought of oil spills conjures up images of marine disasters–wildlife smothered in slick sludge and thick black smoke. But what are the human health consequences to the brave men and women who respond and work to clean up these messes? New research examines the potential impact of oil spill response work on risk of heart attack in those who clean up after the Deepwater Horizon disaster.

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Environmental Science

White water in the swamp: The success of the Bonnet Carré in controlling the Mississippi River

“Why are there rapids in the cypress swamp?”, I ask myself. It is a weird scene. White water is tumbling through the cypress forest out towards Lake Pontchartrain from the southwest, traversing a completely flat landscape. A strong current tears out under the bridge into the lake. “That would be a fun kayak,” I think. I am cruising down Interstate 10 right where it touches the edge of the lake just upriver from New Orleans. I quickly remember that the Army Corps of Engineers opened the Bonnet Carré Spillway. Again.

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Environmental Science

Recycling Old Cell Phones to Benefit Gorillas

Do you have an old cell phone at home that is simply sitting in a drawer collecting dust? In fact, roughly eighty percent of us do. While there are many reasons we may feel the need to hang onto our relic devices, there are important reasons to recycle them. One reason is our phones contain valuable materials that are finite in nature. As we continue to mine for these materials, we lose habitat and endanger wildlife. One program in Australia worked to collect cell phones over a six year period, highlighting the importance of recycling efforts while bringing awareness to how recycling can help species, like gorillas, to survive.

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