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Bed of oyster shells
Sea Soundscapes Help Regrow Oyster Reefs

Dec 30, 2022 08:30AM

Scientists are amplifying the natural sounds of the sea via underwater speakers to induce baby oysters to swim toward desirable locations for regrowing oyster reefs.

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Seven monarch butterflies
Monarch Butterfly Now Officially Endangered

Sep 30, 2022 08:30AM

The latest update to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species includes the migratory monarch butterfly.

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Wild buffalo
International Plan to Rewild Large Mammals

Sep 30, 2022 08:30AM

Large mammals are important ecosystem engineers, shaping natural processes and sequestering carbon, and scientists are planning to reintroduce these animals to the wild.

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Bumble bee pollinating on flower
Common California Bumble Bees Go Missing

Aug 31, 2022 08:30AM

The Western bumble bee, once easily spotted in California, could not be found in a recent survey led by the University of California-Riverside.

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Illustration of blue fish in circle
New Underwater Maps Track Fish

Jul 29, 2022 08:30AM ● By Rachael Oppy

To better track the location and movement of marine fish in U.S. waters, The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries is using a new interactive website.

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Skyline photo of city with skyscrapers and bridge illuminating lights into the night sky and reflecting off water
City Lights are Tough on Birds

Jun 30, 2022 08:30AM

North America hosts about 3 billion fewer birds today than in 1970. The causes include light pollution, climate change, vanishing habitat and pesticides.

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Young child feeding pig in field on farm
Attitudes Changing Toward Animal Rights

Jun 30, 2022 08:30AM

A new survey shows that children differ dramatically from adults in their moral views on animals, suggesting that speciesism is learned as we become socialized.

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Bee feeding off purple flower
Polluted Air Stumps Bees and Butterflies

Jun 30, 2022 08:30AM

Researchers have discovered that air pollutants can confuse pollinators that use odors to navigate and move around and communicate.

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Chainlink fence
The Harmful Effects of Fences on Wildlife and Ecosystems

May 31, 2022 08:30AM

Researchers looking at all the studies of the effects of fences have found that their profound impacts on wildlife and ecosystems are often ignored or greatly underestimated.

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Mother bird feeding baby bird in nest
Climate Change Causing Birds to Lay Eggs Earlier

May 31, 2022 08:30AM

About a third of the bird species nesting in Chicago are laying their eggs a month earlier than they did 100 years ago, and researchers think the culprit in this shift is climate change.

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Bumble bee on flower pollen
More Bad News for Bumblebees

Apr 29, 2022 08:30AM

A study indicates that streptomycin, an antibiotic sprayed on orchard crops to combat bacterial diseases, slows the cognition of bumblebees and reduces their foraging efficiency.

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Watercolor of an orange cat smiling with a brown bird perched on head
Saving Birds from Cats: Simple Strategies to Protect Feathered Friends

Apr 29, 2022 08:30AM ● By Karen Shaw Becker

Domestic felines are the number one human-caused threat to birds in the U.S., but new studies suggest ways to let a cat enjoy the outdoors without endangering winged species.

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Canadian goose flying
Industrial Farming is Bad for Birds

Mar 31, 2022 08:30AM

Researchers at the University of British Columbia found that increased farm sizes resulted in a 15 percent decline in bird diversity.

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Underwater shot of salmon fish
Flip Side of Melting Glaciers May Benefit Salmon

Feb 28, 2022 08:30AM

More than 300 melting glaciers between British Columbia and Alaska have the potential to create 3,800 miles of new salmon habitat by 2100.

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Unfettered wild cat
Unfettered Felines Pose Toxic Hazard to Wildlife

Jan 31, 2022 08:30AM

A study has discovered that free-roaming cats are likely infecting other animals with Toxoplasma gondii, the parasite responsible for toxoplasmosis.

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Family of elephants on dirt road
Tuskless Elephants Adapting to Poaching Scourge

Dec 30, 2021 08:30AM

As a genetic response to intense poaching for ivory, the amount of elephants born without tusks rose from less than one-fifth to nearly 50 percent.

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Rhinoceros grazing in field
Poachers Upsetting Ecological Balance

Dec 30, 2021 08:30AM

Researchers and experts are warning that illegal global wildlife trade impacts species, ecosystems and society in unsustainable ways.

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Honeybee in flight
Honeybees Dodge Parasites with Social Distancing

Dec 30, 2021 08:30AM

A study shows that honeybee colonies respond to infestation from harmful mites by varying space and interaction in the hive to increase social distance between the younger and older insects.

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Wild bee on deadwood
Wild Bees Thrive on Forest Deadwood

Aug 31, 2021 08:30AM

Scientists have found that creating deadwood in coniferous forests is a promising restoration measure to promote an abundance of aboveground nesting bees.

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Shark swimming under water
Worldwide Shark Extinction Risk

Aug 31, 2021 08:30AM

A study has discovered sharks to be absent from many of the world’s coral reefs, indicating they are “functionally extinct”, that is, too rare to fulfill their normal role in the ecosystem.

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Kid smiling standing next to brown horse with reigns on embracing head
Pet Happy: How Animals Help Kids Thrive

Jun 30, 2021 08:30AM ● By Ronica O’Hara

With studies showing the profound effects that pets can have on children's health, character development and well-being, here are reasons why parents should consider getting a family pet.

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Fishing jumping above water near dam
World’s Largest Dam Removal Project Underway

May 28, 2021 08:30AM

An agreement between farmers, tribes and dam owners will result in the deconstruction of four aging, inefficient dams along the Klamath River in the Pacific Northwest to restore salmon runs.

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Aerial shot of Robert L.B. Tobin Land Bridge at Phil Hardberger Park in San Antonio, Texas
World’s Largest Wildlife Highway Crossing Opens in San Antonio

Apr 30, 2021 08:30AM

The Robert L.B. Tobin Land Bridge connects people with nature in San Antonio across a six-lane highway at Phil Hardberger Park, the largest wildlife crossing of its kind in the U.S.

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Golden-mantled ground squirrel quirrel climbing uphill in Colorado to escape warming temperatures from climate change
Critters React to Warming Temperatures in the Rockies

Apr 30, 2021 08:30AM

A study reveals that the popular golden-mantled ground squirrel and 46 other species of rodents and shrews in Colorado are climbing uphill to escape warming temperatures in the state.

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Pelican in wildlife refuge
National Wildlife Refuges are Overwhelmed and Understaffed

Mar 31, 2021 08:30AM

The National Wildlife Refuge System is facing crumbling infrastructure, maintenance needs, lack of resources, staffing cuts and chronic underfunding.

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Honey bee on plant
Honey Bees Have a Dirty Secret

Feb 26, 2021 08:30AM

Although honey bees symbolize sustainability and are vital to farmers, they also have a distressing effect on the environment—destabilizing natural ecosystems by competing with native bees.

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Earth's magnetic fields
Bacteria Powers Animal Magnetic Sense

Dec 30, 2020 08:30AM

Researchers hypothesize that some animals are able to sense the Earth’s magnetic fields due to a symbiotic relationship with magnetotactic bacteria.

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Canadian Bird Facing Extinction
Canadian Species Extinction Risk Looms

Oct 30, 2020 08:30AM

Species of global conservation concern have declined in Canada by 42 percent and Canadian at-risk species fell by 59 percent, between 1970 and 2016, according to a new report.

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Deep Sea Fish
Blackest Fish in the Sea Aid Scientific Research

Sep 30, 2020 08:30AM

Scientists have found that the skin of deep-sea fish absorbs more than 99.95 percent of the light that hits them, aiding research in ultra-black substances for sensitive optical equipment.

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Sea Turtle Attracted to Ocean Plastic
Sea Turtles Attracted to Deadly Ocean Plastic

Aug 31, 2020 08:30AM

Study finds that loggerhead turtles are attracted to ocean plastic they've confused as food, causing 1,000 to die each year from consuming plastic or getting tangled up in it.

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Imaginary animal designed by Rory McCan
Some Animals Garner Lion’s Share of Conservation Donations

Jul 31, 2020 08:30AM

A conservation biologist and an artist designed a menagerie of imaginary beasts to find out which animals people were most willing to support through financial donations.

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Bumblebee
Bumblebees Chew Leaves to Hasten Pollen Production

Jul 31, 2020 08:30AM

When pollen is scarce, bumblebees use their mouth parts to snip little bits out of plant foliage, causing the plants to bloom at an accelerated rate.

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Buzz Off: Bee Swarms Form Giant Brains

Apr 30, 2020 08:30AM

New research suggests that individual members of a bee swarm behave like neurons in a human brain.

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Life Perseveres: New Bird Species Found on Remote Island

Apr 30, 2020 08:30AM

Five new songbird species and five new subspecies have been found on a single small island near Sulawesi, Indonesia.

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Seal Deal: Fishermen Protect Endangered Sea Mammals

Jan 31, 2020 08:30AM

In 1969, there were only 100 South American fur seals and sea lions along the coastline of Lima, but that has increased to more than 8,000 today, thanks to local fishermen.

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Uncowed by a Hurricane: Cattle Survive Churning Sea

Dec 30, 2019 08:30AM

Three cows turned up at Cape Lookout National Seashore on the Outer Banks of North Carolina months after being swept out to sea by Hurricane Dorian.

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Gender Gap: Sea Turtles Skew Female

Dec 30, 2019 08:30AM

Scientists warn that as the Earth gets hotter, sea turtle hatchlings worldwide are expected to trend dangerously female, potentially ending reproduction of the species.

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Animal Rescue: Government Order Reduces Animal Testing

Nov 27, 2019 08:30AM

The Environmental Protection Agency is moving to reduce the animal testing it has long required to gauge the toxicity of chemicals before they can be bought, sold or used in the environment.

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Jaws of Life: California Bans Fur Trapping

Oct 31, 2019 08:30AM

California has enacted a ban on fur trapping for animal pelts, making it the first state to outlaw a centuries-old livelihood.

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Species Setback: EPA Weakens Protective Regulations

Oct 31, 2019 08:30AM

As the Endangered Species Act is being weaken, critics fear more oil and gas drilling will be allowed on land that is currently habitat-protected, impacting the climate crisis.

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Panther Power: Texas Pumas Counter Inbreeding

Sep 30, 2019 08:30AM

The endangered Florida panther has been saved from extinction thanks to the introduction of female Texan pumas.

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Fertile Fish: Unexpected Aquatic Rebound

Sep 30, 2019 08:30AM

Overfished and struggling widow rockfish are returning to the Pacific coast faster than expected, thanks to legal protections.

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Brainy Beasts: Elephants Never Forget—What They Smell

Aug 30, 2019 08:30AM

Elephants have such sensitive olfactory discrimination that they can determine different amounts of food just by sniffing it.

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Whale Wipe-Out: Record Numbers Starving to Death

Aug 30, 2019 08:30AM

More than 160 dead gray whales have washed up on the Pacific Coast this year, and scientists estimate that they represent just 10 percent of the total number of the dead.

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Cetacean Liberation: Canada Bans Captive Sea Mammals

Aug 30, 2019 08:30AM

Canada’s Parliament recently passed legislation banning the practice of breeding and keeping whales, dolphins and porpoises in captivity.

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