Environment

Ceramic Boxes That Look Like Tiny Igloos House Endangered Penguin Nests in Africa

When you think of ceramic, porcelain or china probably comes to mind. Over in South Africa, though, scientists are using the material to house endangered penguins in order to protect them from the warming weather caused by climate change. The African Penguin Nest Project team, made up of researchers and conservationists from around the world, […]

Ceramic Boxes That Look Like Tiny Igloos House Endangered Penguin Nests in Africa Continue Reading »

Swim in Palau’s Jellyfish Lake: Visitors Can Float Worry-Free With Jellies That Don’t Sting

Environment / 4 min. read

Tucked in a lake on a remote island country in the western Pacific lives a mysterious and rare creature. They’re small and squishy, they don’t have a brain, heart, or eyes, and they have stingers that don’t cause pain. Meet the golden jellyfish: a unique, gold-colored subspecies that draws visitors from all over the world

Swim in Palau’s Jellyfish Lake: Visitors Can Float Worry-Free With Jellies That Don’t Sting Continue Reading »

Split photo of endemic golden jellyfish in lake at the Republic of Palau. Snorkeling in Jellyfish Lake is a popular activity for tourists to Palau.

Mating for Life: 17 Animal Species That Are Monogamous in the Wild

Environment / 5 min. read

Valentine’s Day is soon approaching, and why limit our understanding of love and romance to humans alone? There are plenty of animal species that mate and remain committed to their chosen partner for life, from bald eagles and beavers to seahorses and mice. Monogamy and faithfulness could be natural for some species, as a 2019

Mating for Life: 17 Animal Species That Are Monogamous in the Wild Continue Reading »

Walking across the snow a pair of male and female coyotes court each other in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.

How England’s River Mersey, Once Polluted and “Biologically Dead,” Was Restored

Environment / 3 min. read

There is an abundance of fish species in the River Mersey once more. An iconic part of the United Kingdom’s topography, River Mersey separates Lancashire in the north from Cheshire in the south. In recent years, the once-heavily polluted river has become one of Europe’s biggest environmental success stories. “It’s the best environmental good news

How England’s River Mersey, Once Polluted and “Biologically Dead,” Was Restored Continue Reading »

a view of the river mersey with a city skyline on a clear day

February 2023 Night Sky Guide: A Once-in-a-Lifetime Green Comet Sighting, a Snow Moon, and More

Environment / 3 min. read

While February is set to be a fairly low-key month for astronomical happenings, it starts off strong: by offering an excellent chance of spotting a 50,000-year-old comet that astronomers have been eagerly tracking since spring of 2022. For all of February’s night sky highlights, read on. CONSTELLATIONS As far as constellations are concerned, the Old

February 2023 Night Sky Guide: A Once-in-a-Lifetime Green Comet Sighting, a Snow Moon, and More Continue Reading »

Fender’s Blue Butterfly, Once Thought to Be Extinct, Is No Longer Listed as Endangered

Environment / 3 min. read

While it’s always a sad occasion when an animal goes extinct (such as the case of the Western black rhino in 2011), conservation efforts can revitalize a dying species and bring it back from the brink. Such is the case with Fender’s blue butterfly: The Oregon native species is moving off the endangered species list

Fender’s Blue Butterfly, Once Thought to Be Extinct, Is No Longer Listed as Endangered Continue Reading »

A male Fender's Blue Butterfly with green background. Wings are closed.

30-Year Shark Study Makes “Surprising” Findings About the Marine Animals’ Breeding, Longevity

Environment / 3 min. read

A study run by scientists from New England Aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life has found that some sharks are creatures of habit when it comes to breeding, and over a surprisingly long time span. The research, the world’s longest-running study of shark mating habits, also revealed other aspects of their mating behaviors. Published

30-Year Shark Study Makes “Surprising” Findings About the Marine Animals’ Breeding, Longevity Continue Reading »

Close up of Nurse shark swimming in aquarium seabed. Ginglymostoma cirratum species in the family Ginglymostomatidae. Living in the Atlantic Ocean and Eastern Pacific

A Long-Lost Species — the “True Giant Wombat” — Has Been Discovered in Australia

Environment / 2 min. read

Unless you’ve visited Australia, you’ve probably never seen a wombat out in the wild. These stout quadrupedal marsupials — only found in the land down under — measure an average of about 40 inches in length and weigh between 55 and 88 pounds. The extinct diprotodon, commonly referred to as the “giant wombat,” was much

A Long-Lost Species — the “True Giant Wombat” — Has Been Discovered in Australia Continue Reading »

Close up of wombat in Narawntapu national park, Australia

Scientists Discover “Hidden World” of Marine Life Under Antarctic Ice Shelf

Environment / 2 min. read

Scientists working in Antarctica got quite the surprise while investigating the effects of climate change on the Ross Ice Shelf. The team, with members hailing from various universities in New Zealand, had drilled 500 meters down to access a river underneath the shelf. They immediately found their camera swarmed with marine life — indicating an

Scientists Discover “Hidden World” of Marine Life Under Antarctic Ice Shelf Continue Reading »

Navigating among enormous icebergs, including the largest ever B-15, calved from the Ross Ice Shelf of Antarctica

Inside the 123-Year Christmas Bird Count, North America’s Longest-Running Citizen Science Project

Environment / 3 min. read

Each winter, ornithologists and amateur birdwatchers come together to participate in the National Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count (CBC), a holiday tradition with a purpose. The count, which started on Christmas Day in 1900, is the longest-running citizen science project in North America, per Birds Canada, and involves thousands of volunteers stationed at more than

Inside the 123-Year Christmas Bird Count, North America’s Longest-Running Citizen Science Project Continue Reading »

Start typing and press enter to search