In a discovery by researchers from Leiden University in the Netherlands, offshore wind turbines have become a haven for benthos — the community of marine organisms that live in, on or around the seafloor. There are more soil animals per square meter living in the foundations of offshore wind farms than on the floor of […]
In the UK, experts have expressed concern that some foragers for wild mushrooms and garlic have been taking too many ingredients from protected sites, putting wildlife at risk, reported The Guardian. The National Trust is concerned that people have been gathering foraged foods to sell them, damaging delicately-balanced ecosystems. “Foraging brings us closer to nature […]
Urban environments can be stressful places for wild animals. They are not only exposed to loud noises, vehicles and humans, but to other environmental stressors like lack of adequate food sources and fragmented habitats. In a new study, researchers from Canada’s York University looked at the increased environmental stressors — such as difficulty finding mates […]
Faced with a wall of egg cartons at the grocery store, all plastered with different labels and phrases, it’s hard to know what to choose. Which is better: cage-free, free range or pasture-raised? What does “farm-fresh” mean? What lies behind the USDA Organic label? Are vegetarian-fed hens healthier and happier? Without uniform regulation of these […]
Not all creepy-crawlers are welcome in the garden, but some insects are very beneficial to the success of your flowers, herbs and veggies. According to Almanac, beneficial bugs fall into three categories: pollinators, which help pollinate plants; predators, which feed on garden pests; and parasitizers, like parasitic wasps and other insects that lay eggs inside […]
In Bournemouth and the Isle of Wight, artificial rockpools installed on seawalls have become habitats for marine life. Researchers established the rockpools back in 2020 and are now finding them to be successful habitats in places where coastal development has restricted natural habitats. Scientists first placed a total of 114 rockpools along seawalls at three […]
Ecuador has just agreed to the largest debt-for-nature exchange ever recorded. The deal involved selling a “blue bond” to provide over $12 million annually toward conservation around the Galápagos Islands. Last week, Credit Suisse bought three of the country’s bonds, with a value of $1.6 billion, at about $656 million. This highly discounted rate will […]
Pollinators are crucial for growing the food we eat and supporting the diverse plant life that sustains our ecosystems. When feeding on pollen or nectar for energy, pollinators carry pollen from the stamen of the flower to the stigma, which fertilizes the plant so it can produce fruit and seeds. While honeybees and bumblebees might […]
As the climate crisis causes global temperatures to rise and other changes to our environment take hold, corals across the world have been affected. Atlantic Ocean corals are among those that have seen steep declines, while those in the Indian and Pacific Oceans have fared better. In a new study, an international team of researchers […]