Sea cows threatened with extinction
Dugongs—large herbivorous marine mammals commonly known as "sea cows"—are now threatened with extinction, according to an official list updated Friday......»»
Whales are recovering from near extinction, but industrial fishing around Antarctica competes for their sole food source
The Southern Ocean encircling Antarctica is the world's largest feeding ground for baleen whales—species like humpbacks that filter tiny organisms from seawater for food. In the 20th century, whalers killed roughly 2 million large whales in the Sou.....»»
Researchers sequence the genome of the spur-thighed tortoise
Like many threatened land turtle species, the spur-thighed tortoise had no complete genome. Now for the first time, researchers from the Ecology departments at Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH) and the University of Alicante (UA) have succe.....»»
Could comets have delivered the building blocks of life to ocean worlds like Europa, Enceladus and Titan?
Throughout Earth's history, the planet's surface has been regularly impacted by comets, meteors, and the occasional large asteroid. While these events were often destructive, sometimes to the point of triggering a mass extinction, they may have also.....»»
Protecting just 0.7% of world"s land could help save a third of unique and endangered species
Conservation efforts directed towards just 0.7% of the world's land mass could help protect one third of the world's threatened and unique tetrapod (four-limbed vertebrate) species, new research by Imperial College London, On the Edge, and ZSL has sh.....»»
Conservative governments protect more land while socialists and nationalists label more species as "threatened"
The dire state of biodiversity across the globe suggests that not all governments are willing to act decisively to protect nature. Why is that the case, and is a country's political ideology a factor?.....»»
Under US pressure, Mexico probes loggerhead sea turtle deaths
Scientists in Mexico are investigating the deaths of hundreds of loggerhead sea turtles in recent years, a species considered at risk of extinction in the wild, according to officials......»»
Bird flu reaches cows in California, the country’s largest milk producer
The highly pathogenic strain has now spread to 197 herds in 14 states. Enlarge / A cow grazes in a field at a dairy farm on April 26, 2024, in Petaluma, California. (credit: Getty | Justin Sullivan) The outbreak of H5N1.....»»
People eating beef are less likely to live near the industry"s pollution
Anyone who's researched ways to lower their environmental impact has likely heard they should eat less meat, particularly beef. Even at scale, cows are an inefficient way to feed people—it takes nearly four tons of water to recoup one ton of beef,.....»»
Denmark reports cases of bluetongue disease that can be fatal to sheep but is harmless to humans
Denmark reported Tuesday cases of bluetongue in the country's east, a non-contagious, insect-borne viral disease that is harmless to humans but can be fatal for so-called ruminant animals—mainly sheep but also cows and goats......»»
"It"s time to give up on normal": What winter"s weird weather in Australia means for the warm months ahead
Heavy winds struck south-east Australia over the weekend as a series of cold fronts moved across the continent. It followed a high fire danger in Sydney and other parts of New South Wales last week, and a fire in south-west Sydney that threatened hom.....»»
New species of Antarctic dragonfish highlights its threatened ecosystem
A new species of Antarctic dragonfish, Akarotaxis gouldae or Banded Dragonfish, has been discovered in waters off the western Antarctic Peninsula by researchers at William & Mary's Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS). The species, named in ho.....»»
Research highlights drought risk and awareness gaps in global society
Natural disasters have threatened human beings and the ecosystem. Among the various natural disasters, drought is one of the most insidious and costliest, adversely affecting the global economy and livelihoods. Unlike sudden disasters such as earthqu.....»»
Number of fish species at risk of extinction five-fold higher than previous estimates according to new prediction
Researchers predict that 12.7% of marine teleost fish species are at risk of extinction, up five-fold from the International Union for Conservation of Nature's prior estimate of 2.5%......»»
Avian flu has infected dairy cows in more than a dozen states—a microbiologist explains how the virus is spreading
The current strain of avian flu, H5N1, is responsible for the culling of millions of domestic birds and has sickened more than a dozen farmworkers in 2024, most recently in Colorado......»»
Global timber supply threatened as climate change pushes cropland northwards
Climate change will move and reduce the land suitable for growing food and timber, putting the production of these two vital resources into direct competition, a new study has found......»»
Citizen scientists can help save Australia"s threatened species if given more direction
Across Australia and around the world, citizen scientists are protecting species by recording sightings, surveying landscapes and collecting samples. No job is too big or too small. As wildlife ecologists, we are indebted to this army of volunteers......»»
Moving beyond the pathology of policies pushing species toward extinction
A James Cook University researcher says scientists need to learn how to play the "politics game" if they don't want conservation goals to be continually ignored......»»
Are Earth"s missing millions of undescribed insect species extinction-prone?
In new research, Griffith ecologists have highlighted the millions of insects that remain undiscovered and unnamed by scientists were likely to be more vulnerable to extinction than named species......»»
This bird species was extinct in Europe. Now it"s back, and humans must help it migrate for winter
How do you teach a bird how, and where, to fly? The distinctive Northern Bald Ibis, hunted essentially to extinction by the 17th century, was revived by breeding and rewilding efforts over the last two decades. But the birds—known for their distinc.....»»
UAW workers rally outside Stellantis truck plant, blast CEO
The union has threatened to strike the automaker for failing to meet its commitment to reopen the idled Belvidere plant by 2027. Stellantis said the union has agreed to language in the contract that allows it to do so......»»