All articles tagged with #biodiversity
A Nature Ecology and Evolution study of the Clarion-Clipperton Zone found 4,350 seabed wildlife specimens; about 3,826 matched 788 known species, revealing over 500 potential new species and underscoring the ocean floor's hidden biodiversity as deep-sea mining expands, with researchers noting a 37% decline near mining paths and emphasizing the need to predict biodiversity loss and guide more responsible extraction.
Nine species are highlighted as 'living fossils' that have changed little over hundreds of millions of years, from sharks and nautilus to sea turtles, crocodiles, platypuses, and the tuatara. The article traces their ancient origins, notes ongoing threats like pollution and climate change, and underscores how these lineages endured multiple mass extinctions while remaining recognizable today.
A deep-sea expedition off Argentina using the ROV SuBastian and the Falkor revealed nearly thirty species new to science, a vast Bathelia candida coral reef, cold seeps, and a whale fall, highlighting rich but vulnerable ecosystems and the urgency of protecting these little-understood habitats from human impacts.
Researchers documented 15 comb jellies (ctenophores) in Colombia’s Caribbean and Pacific waters, including six species never recorded in the country before. Because these fragile organisms dissolve when nets are used, scientists relied on underwater photography and citizen science to catalog them, highlighting the rich biodiversity of gelatinous plankton and the value of non-invasive methods in remote marine exploration.
More than 150 countries signed an IPBES assessment warning that GDP-focused growth and other unsustainable economic activity are driving biodiversity loss: about 1 in 8 of the world’s roughly 8 million species are threatened and 75% of Earth’s land has been altered by humans. Markets fail to price biodiversity’s services, so the report calls for broad policy, legal, and regulatory reforms—business action alone isn’t enough—amid shifting EU rules and the US’s withdrawal from IPBES.
Experts say outdoor lighting disrupts nocturnal wildlife and pollination, so dimming or using motion-activated, warmer lights can protect insects, birds, bats and plants. Embracing evening gardening with moon gardens or night-blooming plants keeps the outdoors usable after sunset, boosting biodiversity and garden health.
China is the focus of Kew Gardens' 30th orchid festival, with the Princess of Wales Conservatory transformed into Chinese landscape-inspired displays and plant art, including a dragon made from lotus seed heads and koi sculptures from ginkgo leaves. The show features over 6,500 orchids arranged by nearly 100 staff and volunteers, with many specimens sourced from the Netherlands, and includes a cave-installation highlighting China's biodiversity and conservation work, plus Zheng Bo's Orchids Return to the Sea, underscoring Kew's collaboration with Chinese institutions and links to traditional Chinese medicine research.
A photo gallery spotlights the world’s most monumental trees, from the ancient, 5,000-year-old giants and the largest-volume General Sherman to towering redwoods, iconic baobabs, banyans, and other colossal specimens across continents, celebrating extreme size, age, and remarkable adaptations.
Three sightings of the rare blue fungus Terana caerulea, or Cobalt Crust, have been recorded on the Isle of Man this year—the first since 1976—found on dead wood in Onchan with reports from Andreas and Baldrine; experts say more people searching for fungi and favorable weather are driving the sightings, and while the fungus helps recycle nutrients and has historical medicinal use, its exact means of transport to the island remains a mystery.
An international study documents an unprecedented die-off of black sea urchins (Diadema africanum) in the Canary Islands beginning in 2022, with widespread adult mortality preventing juvenile recruitment and risking local extinction; the die-off appears connected to other regional outbreaks (Caribbean, Gulf of Oman, Réunion) and could signal a broader marine epidemic threatening reef ecosystems, though the Canary Island cause is not yet confirmed; citizen-science data aided the assessment, underscoring the need for monitoring and protection of remaining urchin populations.
Brazilian researchers found Atlantic Forest mosquitoes increasingly prefer human blood as biodiversity declines from deforestation; among more than 1,700 mosquitoes sampled, 24 had human DNA from 18 different people, suggesting humans may be the main blood source in disturbed areas and potentially altering disease risk. The study calls for improved sampling methods and further analysis.
Springtails (Collembola) are tiny, ancient invertebrates found in virtually every habitat on Earth—from Mount Everest to Antarctica and even homes. They use a spring-loaded furcula to leap and a moisture-absorbing collophore to survive desiccation. As key players in regulating bacteria and fungi and in breaking down organic matter, they sustain ecosystems across forests, deserts, caves, and more. Giant springtails living in rotting wood can reach up to 17 mm, and recent work reshapes their classification, revealing a southern-hemisphere split tied to Gondwanan history, while warming and drying climates threaten many populations in Australia and New Zealand—a silent mass extinction for these remarkable yet underappreciated creatures.
Ancient archaeological sites in Greece and around the world have become inadvertent refuges for diverse plants and animals due to their protected status, highlighting the importance of integrating cultural heritage preservation with biodiversity conservation efforts.
Germany's forests are severely affected by climate change and bark beetle outbreaks, leading to reduced CO2 absorption. A new reforestation approach involving diverse species is being tested to enhance resilience and restore ecological balance, highlighting the importance of biodiversity in combating climate impacts.
Researchers discovered the deepest known methane seep in the Arctic at nearly 12,000 feet deep, revealing a dynamic and biologically rich ecosystem that challenges existing understanding of deep-sea life and carbon cycling, with significant implications for climate change and environmental stewardship.