Ecology News
August 26, 2025
Top Headlines
Aug. 25, 2025 — Researchers uncovered that the Maui wildfires caused a spike in deaths far higher than reported, with hidden fatalities linked to fire, smoke, and lack of medical access. They warn that prevention rooted in Native Hawaiian ecological knowledge is ...
Aug. 21, 2025 — Industrial forests, packed with evenly spaced trees, face nearly 50% higher odds of megafires than public lands. A lidar-powered study of California’s Sierra Nevada reveals how dense plantations feed fire severity, but also shows that proactive ...
Aug. 16, 2025 — Mediterranean bryozoans, including the “false coral,” are showing alarming changes in structure and microbiomes under acidification and warming. Field studies at volcanic CO₂ vents reveal that these stressors combined sharply reduce survival, ...
Aug. 14, 2025 — Extreme heat waves and cold spells on the Great Lakes have more than doubled since the late 1990s, coinciding with a major El Niño event. Using advanced ocean-style modeling adapted for the lakes, researchers traced temperature trends back to 1940, ...
Aug. 2, 2025 — Between 2003 and 2021, Earth saw a net boost in photosynthesis, mainly thanks to land plants thriving in warming, wetter conditions—especially in temperate and high-latitude regions. Meanwhile, ocean algae struggled in increasingly stratified and ...
July 27, 2025 — For over two decades, satellites have quietly documented a major crisis unfolding beneath our feet: Earth's continents are drying out at unprecedented rates. Fueled by climate change, groundwater ...
July 21, 2025 — A scorching marine heatwave from 2014 to 2016 devastated the Pacific coast, shaking ecosystems from plankton to whales and triggering mass die-offs, migrations, and fishery collapses. Researchers ...
July 21, 2025 — Gene editing may hold the key to rescuing endangered species—not just by preserving them, but by restoring their lost genetic diversity using DNA from museum specimens and related species. Scientists propose a visionary framework that merges ...
July 16, 2025 — Hawaiian coral reefs may face unprecedented ocean acidification within 30 years, driven by carbon emissions. A new study by University of Hawai‘i researchers shows that even under conservative climate scenarios, nearshore waters will change more ...
July 16, 2025 — After devastating wildfires scorched the Brazilian Pantanal, an unexpected phenomenon unfolded—more jaguars began arriving at a remote wetland already known for having the densest jaguar population on Earth. Scientists discovered that not only did ...
July 10, 2025 — People can intuitively sense how biodiverse a forest is just by looking at photos or listening to sounds, and their gut feelings surprisingly line up with what scientists ...
July 7, 2025 — Feral honey bees, once celebrated for their agricultural value, are now threatening native ecosystems in Southern California by monopolizing pollen sources and overwhelming native pollinators. A new study reveals they remove up to 80% of pollen in a ...
Latest Headlines
updated 1:11pm EDT
July 3, 2025 — Tropical trees are dying faster than ever, and it's not just heat or drought to blame. Scientists have uncovered a surprising culprit: ordinary thunderstorms. These quick, fierce storms, powered by ...
June 30, 2025 — Wildfires are becoming more intense and dangerous, but a new Stanford-led study offers hope: prescribed burns—intentionally set, controlled ...
June 27, 2025 — Zooplankton like copepods aren’t just fish food—they’re carbon-hauling powerhouses. By diving deep into the ocean each winter, they’re ...
June 19, 2025 — During Earth's ancient Snowball periods, when the entire planet was wrapped in ice, life may have endured in tiny meltwater ponds on the surface of ...
June 18, 2025 — A breakthrough study has uncovered that the Southern Ocean's power to pull carbon dioxide from the atmosphere fluctuates dramatically depending on winter sea ice. When sea ice lingers longer into ...
June 14, 2025 — A pioneering study reveals how archaeologists' satellite tools can be repurposed to tackle climate change. By using AI and satellite LiDAR imagery ...
June 2, 2025 — New research adds to our understanding of how rapidly rising sea levels due to climate change foreshadow the end of the Great Barrier Reef as we know it. The findings suggest the reef can withstand ...
June 2, 2025 — Flooding in coastal communities is happening far more often than previously thought, according to a new study. The study also found major flaws with the widely used approach of using marine water ...
June 2, 2025 — Researchers have developed a deep learning model called LSTM-SAM that predicts extreme water levels from tropical cyclones more efficiently and accurately, especially in data-scarce coastal regions, ...
May 30, 2025 — A new study shows that wildlife underpass tunnels dramatically reduce deaths of frog, salamanders, and other amphibians migrating across ...
Earlier Headlines
May 28, 2025 — This study measured the growth rate of coral reefs in Honaunau Bay, Hawaii, using on-site data gathering and aerial imagery. Researchers found that the reefs are being eroded by sea urchin ...
May 28, 2025 — Many bat species native to Germany, such as the Leisler's bat, are forest specialists. However, as it is becoming increasingly hard for them to find tree hollows in forest plantations, so they ...
May 27, 2025 — Scientists, who have spent more than a decade examining the impact of artificial light at night on the world's coasts and oceans, have shown that more than one-fifth of the global ocean -- an ...
May 23, 2025 — Plankton may be tiny, but they play an important role in the ocean. As the foundation of marine ecosystems, they support ocean food webs and help regulate Earth's climate by storing carbon. ...
May 23, 2025 — A new study shows that monitoring and managing select bird species can provide benefits for other species within specific ...
May 22, 2025 — New research shows how rapidly proliferating turf algae are waging 'chemical warfare' to inhibit the recovery of kelp forests along Maine's warming ...
May 21, 2025 — SeaSplat is an image-analysis tool that cuts through the ocean's optical effects to generate images of underwater environments reveal an ocean scene's true colors. Researchers paired the ...
May 21, 2025 — Songbirds who make the arduous flight from their nesting sites in northern boreal forests to warm, southern climates in the winter may be rewarded for their journey with greater genetic ...
May 21, 2025 — Researchers look to extremes in the past to study how the system reacts to imbalances. They detail an overlooked mechanism for how the ocean can help stabilize massive releases of carbon into the ...
May 20, 2025 — After invasive American bullfrogs 'croak,' native turtles return to Yosemite, finds a new ...
May 20, 2025 — A novel analysis suggests more than 3,500 animal species are threatened by climate change and also sheds light on huge gaps in fully understanding the risk to the animal ...
May 16, 2025 — A new study reveals that heat-tolerant symbiotic algae may be essential to saving elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) -- a foundational species in Caribbean reef ecosystems -- from the devastating ...
May 15, 2025 — The Amazon rainforest may be able to survive long-term drought caused by climate change, but adjusting to a drier, warmer world would exact a heavy toll, a study ...
May 15, 2025 — A new study shows that seagrass ecosystems along the northern half of Florida's Gulf Coast have remained relatively healthy and undisturbed for the last several thousand ...
May 14, 2025 — With coral reefs in crisis due to climate change, scientists have engineered a bio-ink that could help promote coral larvae settlement and restore these underwater ecosystems before it's too ...
May 14, 2025 — The impacts of human activity and climate change are coalescing to make coastal lagoons saltier, changing the microbial life they support and the function they play in their ecosystems, according to ...
May 12, 2025 — Pink salmon, Purple Asian clams, marine invertebrates that form spaghetti-like colonies and a nematode worm that causes extensive deaths of trees are among the new entries in experts' watchlist ...
May 12, 2025 — How might floating solar energy projects impact wild birds and vice versa? A paper outlines key considerations for a growing floating solar ...
May 9, 2025 — Scientists have discovered fossil evidence of an endangered, living tropical tree species. The unprecedented find was made in Brunei, a country on the large island of Borneo, and reveals a critical ...
May 8, 2025 — New report shows drastic decline in endangered primates and calls for conservation ...
Wednesday, May 28, 2025
- Huge Sea-Urchin Populations Are Overwhelming Hawaii's Coral Reefs
- When the Forest Is No Longer a Home -- Forest Bats Seek Refuge in Settlements
Tuesday, May 27, 2025
Friday, May 23, 2025
- How Marine Plankton Adapts to a Changing World
- Managing Surrogate Species, Providing a Conservation Umbrella for More Species
Thursday, May 22, 2025
Wednesday, May 21, 2025
- Imaging Technique Removes the Effect of Water in Underwater Scenes
- Songbirds' Great Risk Results in Great Genetic Reward
- Fool's Gold: A Hidden Climate Stabilizer
Tuesday, May 20, 2025
- Native Turtles Return to Yosemite After Removal of Invasive Bullfrogs
- Thousands of Animal Species Threatened by Climate Change
Friday, May 16, 2025
Thursday, May 15, 2025
- Amazon Could Survive Long-Term Drought but at a High Cost
- Scientists Use Fossils to Assess the Health of Florida's Largest Remaining Seagrass Bed: Surprisingly, It's Doing Well!
Wednesday, May 14, 2025
- An Ink That Boosts Coral Reef Settlement by 20 Times
- Climate Change Is Turning Coastal Lagoons Into 'salty Soup'
Monday, May 12, 2025
- Invasive Salmon, Clams and Seaweed Are Next Threats to Biodiversity in Britain
- Helping Birds and Floating Solar Energy Coexist
Friday, May 9, 2025
Thursday, May 8, 2025
Wednesday, May 7, 2025
- Pioneering Research Reveals Tree-Mendous Potential of Inexpensive Drones to Help Community Forests Flourish and Unlock Restoration Funding
- Fewer Parasites in the Indian River Lagoon Signal Big Ecosystem Problems
Tuesday, May 6, 2025
Monday, May 5, 2025
- Halo Patterns Around Coral Reefs May Signal Resilience
- Artificial Oxygen Supply in Coastal Waters: A Hope With Risks
- Blue Tips Are Red Algae's Red Flags
Friday, May 2, 2025
Thursday, May 1, 2025
- Exposure to Extreme Heat and Cold Temperature Is Leading to Additional Preventable Deaths, New 19-Year Study Suggests
- Invasive Rats and Rainforest Mammals Are Sharing Gut Microbes as Urban Areas Grow
Wednesday, April 30, 2025
- Deciphering the Migratory Behavior and Connectivity of Mediterranean and Atlantic Cory's Shearwaters
- Restoring Oil Wells Back to Nature With Moss
- Bacterial Villain Behind Lake Erie's 'potent Toxin' Unveiled
Monday, April 28, 2025
- Extreme Monsoon Changes Threaten the Bay of Bengal's Role as a Critical Food Source
- Climate Change Increases the Risk of Simultaneous Wildfires
- Want to Understand Grasslands? Look at the Bigger Picture
Thursday, April 24, 2025
- Controlling Starch Levels in Algae Could Have Biotechnology and Sustainability Benefits
- Invasive Weed Threatens Southern California's Deserts
Wednesday, April 23, 2025
- Paying Fishers to Release Endangered Catches Can Aid Conservation, but Only If Done Right
- Hotter Temps Trigger Wetlands to Emit More Methane as Microbes Struggle to Keep Up
- Toxic Blooms in Motion: Researchers Map Algae Patterns in Lake Okeechobee, Florida
Monday, April 21, 2025
- From Research to Real-World, Startup Tackles Soaring Demand for Lithium and Other Critical Minerals
- Microplastics: What's Trapping the Emerging Threat in Our Streams?
- Introduced Trees Are Becoming More Common in the Eastern United States, While Native Diversity Declines
Friday, April 18, 2025
Thursday, April 17, 2025
- Land-Use Drives Energy Dynamics of Boreal Lake Food Webs
- Curious Isolation: New Butterfly Species Discovered
- Nutrients Strengthen Link Between Precipitation and Plant Growth, Study Finds
Tuesday, April 15, 2025
- Colombia's Peatlands Could Be a Crucial Tool to Fight Climate Change: But First We Have to Find Them
- Making Desalination More Eco-Friendly: New Membranes Could Help Eliminate Brine Waste
Monday, April 14, 2025
Friday, April 11, 2025
Thursday, April 10, 2025
- Caspian Sea Decline Threatens Endangered Seals, Coastal Communities and Industry
- In Croatia's Freshwater Lakes, Selfish Bacteria Hoard Nutrients
Wednesday, April 9, 2025
- European Bird Declines Linked to Range of Climatic Conditions Experienced
- Coral Reefs Exude Myriad Chemicals, Fueling Dynamic Microbial Recycling of Nutrients
Tuesday, April 8, 2025
Friday, April 4, 2025
Thursday, April 3, 2025
Monday, March 31, 2025
Thursday, March 27, 2025
Wednesday, March 26, 2025
- Coral Diseases and Water Quality Play a Key Role for Coral Restoration and Survival Efforts
- If Native Plants Are Going to Survive Climate Change, They Need Our Help to Move -- Here's How to Do It Safely
- The Devastating Human Impact on Biodiversity
Monday, March 24, 2025
- How Extreme Weather Threatens Nature's Essential Services
- Introduced Pacific Oysters Provide Biodiversity Benefits in Port River
Thursday, March 20, 2025
Wednesday, March 19, 2025
Tuesday, March 18, 2025
- Red Coral Colonies Survive a Decade After Being Transplanted in the Medes Islands
- Conservation Efforts Are Bringing Species Back from the Brink, Even as Overall Biodiversity Falls
Monday, March 17, 2025
Thursday, March 13, 2025
Wednesday, March 12, 2025
Tuesday, March 11, 2025
Monday, March 10, 2025
Friday, March 7, 2025
- Nearly Half of Popular Tropical Plant Group Related to Birds-of-Paradise and Bananas Are Threatened With Extinction
- Scientists Develop Advanced Forest Monitoring Systems: Will Forests Monitor Themselves in the Future?
Thursday, March 6, 2025
Wednesday, March 5, 2025
- The Yucca and the Moth: How Extreme Weather Impacts the Timing of Biological Events
- Caribou Migration Patterns Are Shrinking
- Satellite Image Analysis Delivers New Insight Into the Functional Diversity of Tropical Forests
- The Pot Is Already Boiling for 2% of the World's Amphibians
Monday, March 3, 2025
- Sea Otters Help Kelp Forests Recover -- But How Fast Depends on Where They Are
- Melting Antarctic Ice Sheets Will Slow Earth's Strongest Ocean Current
Wednesday, February 26, 2025
Tuesday, February 25, 2025
Monday, February 24, 2025
Thursday, February 20, 2025
Wednesday, February 19, 2025
Monday, February 17, 2025
Thursday, February 13, 2025
- New England's Salt Marshes Store 10 Million Cars' Worth of Carbon -- And Add Another 15,000-Worth Every Year
- Protected Habitats Aren't Enough to Save Endangered Species, Study Finds
- Restoring Wildlife Habitats in Wealthy Nations Could Drive Extinctions in Species-Rich Regions, Experts Warn
- Foraging Seals Enable Scientists to Measure Fish Abundance Across the Vast Pacific Ocean
Wednesday, February 12, 2025
- Can Artificial Intelligence Save the Great Barrier Reef?
- Where Do Invasive Species Spread and Why? Researchers Take a Novel Approach to Find the Answer
- Global Warming and Mass Extinctions: What We Can Learn from Plants from the Last Ice Age
- Economically, Culturally Important Marine Species Vulnerable to Changing Climate