Orca whales are familiar residents of West Coast waters. The black and white marine mammals are often seen swimming in groups, diving and slapping their tails against the water’s surface. Researchers from the University of British Columbia (UBC) believe that a group of 49 killer whales seen hunting sperm whales and other marine animals in […]
In the past eight years, the Great Barrier Reef — the largest coral reef in the world, stretching 1,429 miles — has experienced five mass bleaching events, tied by scientists to climate change. Most recently, corals around six islands in Turtle Group National Park, located about 6.2 miles off Australia’s Queensland Coast, have seen extensive […]
The National Park Foundation (NPF) and National Park Service (NPS) recently announced that Yellowstone National Park has received a $40 million donation. The money is earmarked for improving existing housing and expanding housing for the park’s staff. The gift was given by an anonymous donor, as NPR reported. The money will help provide affordable housing […]
A common “old world” tree, European beech can be found across Europe — from southern Scandinavia and Spain to Sicily and northwest Turkey. A new study by an international team of researchers has found that the summer solstice triggers synchronized beech tree reproduction all over the continent, influencing ecosystem functions. “We got inspired by a […]
According to a new report by European scientists, plastics — from food packaging to furniture, clothing and medical equipment — contain thousands more chemicals than environmental agencies had previously estimated, raising concerns about consumer safety and pollution, reported Reuters. More than 13,000 plastic chemicals had been identified by the United Nations Environment Programme, but the […]
Impossible Foods, a company that makes plant-based meat substitutes, is rolling out a rebrand of its iconic green packaging. In hopes of persuading more carnivores to try its meat alternatives made from plants, the company has switched to red packaging designed to evoke the “craveability of meat,” according to a press release. The rebranding was […]
Healthy coral reefs are complex ecosystems that serve as the feeding and spawning habitat for thousands of fish, molluscs, crustaceans and many other marine species. Reefs are not only colorful, but full of sounds, and it is this vast array of noises that is the focus of a new study by scientists at the Woods […]
According to key findings from the International Energy Agency (IEA)’s latest Annual Methane Tracker, in 2023, global methane emissions from fossil fuels stayed close to a record high despite new global reduction pledges. Human activities like agriculture, oil and gas production and the accumulation of food waste in landfills produce methane — a much more […]
A new study led by researchers at the University of Surrey in England has identified methods that, when applied together, could reduce air pollution in classrooms by up to 36%. Researchers tested air purifying methods for two classrooms in a school located about 10 meters from a highway that has an average of 31,067 cars […]