biodiversity

From the Reef to the Laboratory: Uncovering Hidden Contaminants in India's Coastal Fisheries

Rebalance Earth is investing in Broughton Sanctuary to generate financial, environmental and social returns From a high point on the hill, the North Yorkshire landscape unrolls below. The moorland above gives way to grassland, trees and then pasture, divided by the region’s traditional dry stone walls. The view may be idyllic, but it belies the condition of parts of this land, belonging to the sp…

Scientific Reports, Published online: 14 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41598-026-54809-1 Drought influence on carbon assimilation and water use efficiency in Mediterranean ecosystems

Rare charcoal fragments from an ancient lakeshore campsite are offering new clues about fire use, resource management, and the environmental knowledge of some of humanity’s earliest fire users. Long before cities, farms, or written language existed, some of humanity’s ancestors had already discovered a resource that would transform the course of human evolution: fire. But [...]

With limited resources and sanctions tightening, conservationists are forced to find new ways to protect the coral reefs of Ciénaga de Zapata national park At 8am, scuba divers gather to collect plastic and drinks cans from the sea at Cuba’s Ciénaga de Zapata national park . Amid a power crisis that has virtually paralysed the country’s economy, they use an electric trailer to move to a designate…

Photosynthesis does not always result in wood growth, a key factor in carbon dioxide sequestration Trees may not be able to store as much planet-heating carbon as hoped, a study suggests, with researchers finding photosynthesis does not always lead to wood growth. Scientists studied 137 sites across the US and found trees stopped growing months before the point in the year at which photosynthesis…

Woody plants hold great potential for phytoremediation, but their effectiveness is often constrained by site conditions. Our global meta-analysis identifies initial metal concentration, metal identity, and soil acidity as key factors limiting remediation outcomes.

UMBC researchers are using NASA’s PACE satellite to map fall colors by tracking changes in leaf pigments like chlorophyll, anthocyanins, and carotenoids. The new method provides more precise timing of peak autumn color than traditional indices, with applications for tourism, monitoring plant stress, and understanding climate impacts.

Even as trees photosynthesize late into the year, their growth stops by mid-summer, which impacts their carbon uptake.

Around 58 of Indonesia's Tapanuli orangutans were crushed or buried alive by landslides brought on by the climate-change-fueled Cyclone Senyar.

Exclusive A vast area of the Bellingshausen Sea should be covered by sea ice by now, with one expert calling the loss of ice ‘depressing’ Antarctica’s west coast is missing an area of winter sea ice the size of France, sparking concerns for threatened penguins other marine life and global sea levels. One expert said the loss of ice in the Bellingshausen Sea was “depressing” and the failure of ice…

Madagascar’s first biosecure amphibian facility working to safeguard amphibians from extinction, is ready to bring its animal records into the Species360 Zoological Information Management System (ZIMS) and we're looking for a Species360 member to support them through our Conservation Connections program.

Vegetation coverage serves as a crucial indicator of the stability and anti-interference capacity of a regional ecosystem. Consequently, carrying out research on the alterations in vegetation coverage within ecologically fragile regions holds significant importance for the study of regional ecological balance. In this study, we selected northern Shaanxi, a typical ecologically fragile region in C…

South African conservationist Nick Evans shares his journey from childhood snake enthusiast to renowned snake rescuer, researcher, educator, and advocate for human-wildlife coexistence. Discover career advice, conservation lessons, and the realities of working with some of Africa's most misunderstood animals.

A NOAA animation shows the change in sea surface temperature departures from average in the tropical Pacific Ocean during the first week of January 2026. Credit: NOAA Satellites

Long-awaited course to examine human effects on natural world and explore everyday ways to aid biodiversity School pupils will learn how to plant a wildflower-friendly garden, according to long-awaited plans announced on Thursday for a natural history GCSE in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Campaigners have for more than a decade called for the study of biodiversity loss and global heating t…

Paul Brannen extols the benefits of commercial forestry, while Dr Andrew Cameron warns of Britain ‘offshoring’ its timbers supplies, and Jane Gifford calls on the Scottish government to review its forestry policy Last week you published a well-balanced piece on the success story that is Kielder Forest ( How England’s largest forest went from commodity to conservation haven, 2 June ). At the heart…

New research has found that some kelp forests around Vancouver Island were disappearing far earlier than previously thought.