The Mesopotamian Marshes Are Disappearing, Again
The World Heritage site in southern Iraq survived Saddam Hussein’s campaign to drain the wetlands. Now they’re drying up, and biodiversity is collapsing......»»
Study identifies key algae species helping soft corals survive warming oceans
Scleractinian corals, or hard corals, have been disappearing globally over the past four decades, a result of climate change, pollution, unsustainable coastal development and overfishing. However, some Caribbean octocorals, or soft corals, are not me.....»»
Predicting the fate of shallow coastal ecosystems for the year 2100
A new study of shallow-water ecosystems estimates that, by 2100, climate change and coastal land usage could result in significant shrinkage of coral habitats, tidal marshes, and mangroves, while macroalgal beds remain stable and seagrass meadows pot.....»»
Elusive Attenborough echidna rediscovered in Indonesia
An elusive echidna feared extinct after disappearing for six decades has been rediscovered in a remote part of Indonesia, on an expedition that also found a new kind of tree-dwelling shrimp......»»
Analysis finds diversity on the smallest scales in sulfur-cycling salt marsh microbes
At the surface, salt marshes and their windswept grasses can look deceptively simple. But those marshes are teeming with biodiversity, from the insects and migrating birds in the air all the way down to the microbes that live in the soil. Scientists.....»»
The river disappearing in drought-hit France
The once deep and coursing waters of the Doubs river in eastern France have shrunken to a dry bed that locals can cross almost without getting their feet wet......»»
New fish species found in the Great Barrier Reef
At a time when marine life is disappearing from the world's oceans, researchers are celebrating the discovery of a new species of coral reef fish in the southern waters of the Great Barrier Reef......»»
Glaciers are becoming smaller and disappearing, finds new inventory
The Western United States is losing its glaciers......»»
Long wave radio fans mourn fading frequencies
Now disappearing, long wave radio broadcasts once gave a taste of far flung countries and cultures......»»
After studying more than 1,500 coastal ecosystems, researchers say they will drown if we let the world warm above 2C
Much of the world's natural coastline is protected by living habitats, most notably mangroves in warmer waters and tidal marshes closer to the poles. These ecosystems support fisheries and wildlife, absorb the impact of crashing waves and clean up po.....»»
In Mississippi, a tiny fish is reintroduced to the river where it disappeared 50 years ago
A species of tiny fish that once flourished in a river running hundreds of miles from central Mississippi into southeastern Louisiana is being reintroduced to the Pearl River after disappearing 50 years ago......»»
Will the world"s mangroves, marshes and coral survive warm, rising seas?
Research published in Nature warns that rising seas will devastate coastal habitats, using evidence from the last Ice Age......»»
Tracking species range shifts in a changing climate
As our planet undergoes significant transformations due to climate change, habitats are being altered, appearing, disappearing, or changing in quality. Understanding the impact of these changes on the geographic distributions of species is of great s.....»»
Earth"s most ancient impact craters are disappearing
Earth's oldest craters could give scientists critical information about the structure of the early Earth and the composition of bodies in the solar system as well as help to interpret crater records on other planets. But geologists can't find them, a.....»»
Rewetting German marshes to blunt climate change impact
Amid the fields of northern Germany a vast expanse of bulrushes has been planted to form one of Europe's largest reclaimed marshes......»»
Canada"s Magdalen islands have "front row" seat to climate change
In the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, on the small Magdalen islands, foot paths are caving in, cliffs are receding and the sand dunes are disappearing, leaving homes vulnerable to the lashing waves......»»
Iraq"s marshes are dying, and a civilization with them
Mohammed Hamid Nour is only 23, but he is already nostalgic for how Iraq's Mesopotamian marshes once were before drought dried them up, decimating his herd of water buffaloes......»»
Poisons and Perils on the Salton Sea
Toxic dust plagues marginalized communities on the shores of this disappearing salt lake......»»
Study reveals reason hellbenders are disappearing
The gigantic, slimy salamanders known as hellbenders, once the apex predators of many freshwater streams, have been in decline for decades, their population constantly shrinking. No one knew why. William Hopkins, professor in the Department of Fish a.....»»
Disappearing Himalayan snow and ice will impact food production in one of the world"s major rice bowls, says report
A major new assessment report from an eight-nation body, the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), to which WUR contributed, reveals the changes to the glaciers, snow and permafrost of the Hindu Kush Himalayan region driv.....»»
Damping waves with 50,000 rubber grass blades
Dimitris Dermentzoglou, PhD student in Coastal Engineering, is investigating whether salt marshes can serve as a natural solution for coastal protection. It is why he mimics salt marsh vegetation at the TU Delft Waterlab. He hopes his research will y.....»»