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environment

dead bee surrounded by yellow flower petals
Science Snapshot: One Insect’s Corpse Is Another’s Breakfast
Lisa Winter | Aug 31, 2022 | 2 min read
Though it’s poetic to say that ants were grieving the bee at a funeral, the reality is a bit more prosaic.
Green frog in trees with green leaves
For Frogs, Bigger Brains Mean Worse Camouflage
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Aug 23, 2022 | 3 min read
Frogs invest in cognitive capacity to avoid predators—up until there are too many hungry snakes around for the evolutionary strategy to pay off.
An aerial view of the Tetiaroa Atoll in the Pacific Ocean.
Science Snapshot: Reversing an Invasion of Paradise
Lisa Winter | Aug 17, 2022 | 2 min read
After years of work, conservationists have successfully eliminated two invasive rat species from the Tetiaroa Atoll in French Polynesia.
Chinook salmon swimming in the water
Probable Chlorine Exposure Kills 21,000 Fish at UC Davis
Catherine Offord | Aug 16, 2022 | 2 min read
Threatened and endangered species were among the dead, likely poisoned overnight by a chlorination system used to decontaminate the animals’ tank water.
Oysters’ shells were made into concrete and other materials used in construction during the Industrial Revolution.
Scientists Use Sound to Attract Baby Oysters Back to the Reef
Ian Rose | Aug 15, 2022 | 5 min read
Meet the team trying to restore mollusk populations with the help of underwater speakers.
Ferns bounced back much faster than other plants after the meteor impact that wiped out the dinosaurs.
Why Did Ferns Persist When All Other Plants Perished?
Amanda Heidt | Aug 15, 2022 | 6 min read
A strange layer in the fossil record contains evidence that fern populations exploded following the mass extinction that ended the Cretaceous period. Scientists want to know why.
A male and female lizard sit together on a fence post with grass in the foreground
Climate Change Prematurely Ages Lizards Before They’re Born
Amanda Heidt | Aug 9, 2022 | 2 min read
Lizards born to parents that experienced persistent heat had shortened telomeres, a genetic weathering that typically happens with age but can also be exacerbated by stress.
Mosquitos flying at sunset
Climate Change Worsens Most Infectious Diseases
Andy Carstens | Aug 8, 2022 | 2 min read
Of the pathogens known to have infected humans, more than half may cause more widespread disease as a result of rising temperatures, precipitation changes, or other climate-related factors, a study finds.
Magical fairytale forest. Coniferous forest covered of green moss. Mystic atmosphere.
The Unusual Functions of Geosmin
Connor Lynch | Aug 1, 2022 | 5 min read
The compounds responsible for the earthy smell of recent rain are produced by a wide variety of bacteria and fungi. Recent research sheds light on why microbes bother.
A gametophyte of the brown alga <em>Desmarestia dudresnayi</em> that has both male and female reproductive structures
Meet the Algae That Went from Male/Female to Hermaphroditic
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Aug 1, 2022 | 2 min read
A study suggests that several species of brown algae may have independently evolved to express both sexes simultaneously, and it’s likely that female algae evolved male traits—not the other way around.
A headshot of James Lovelock standing between tree trunks
Gaia Theorist James Lovelock Dies at 103
Andy Carstens | Jul 29, 2022 | 3 min read
Lovelock’s environmental research improved humanity’s understanding of pollutants, but he’s best known for his hypothesis that Earth behaves like a self-regulating organism, which changed how scientists view the planet.
A small brown crustacean with white spots on it moving on a red branch.
Seaweed Has Its Own Matchmakers: Small Crustaceans
Alejandra Manjarrez, PhD | Jul 28, 2022 | 3 min read
A species that transports the spermatia of red algae is the first known instance of an animal facilitating fertilization in this ancient photosynthetic lineage.
Close-up of baby olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea)
Moving Sea Turtle Eggs May Affect Hatchling Development
Margaret Osborne | Jul 28, 2022 | 5 min read

Hatchlings from eggs incubated in a natural nest were larger, exhibited faster neuronal development, and performed better on a motor activity test than those from eggs that were incubated in a hatchery, a study finds.

Shark at the surface of the water next to a boat
Science Snapshot: An Arctic Shark’s Tropical Vacation
Lisa Winter | Jul 26, 2022 | 1 min read
Though Greenland sharks generally live in icy waters, one was recently caught in the Caribbean.
Calm lake reflecting sky with boat in foreground
Plastic Pollution Boosts Bacterial Growth in Lake Water
Patience Asanga | Jul 26, 2022 | 3 min read
A study finds that not only did aquatic bacteria thrive when chemicals washed from degrading plastic were introduced into lake water, they also broke down organic matter more efficiently.
A whale's upper body landing on a fishing boat
Why Did This Whale Smack Into a Boat?
Amanda Heidt | Jul 26, 2022 | 3 min read
Collisions with small craft are rare, but there are conditions that can make these encounters more likely.
Two researchers hold up giant waterlily
Science Snapshot: Holily Molily
Lisa Winter | Jul 21, 2022 | 1 min read
The largest waterlily species in the world was incorrectly classified for more than 170 years.
four polar bears on floating sea ice
It’s a Bear-Eat-Bear World: Understanding Cannibalism in the Largest Land Carnivores
Raegan Scharfetter | Jul 20, 2022 | 3 min read
A new review seeks to understand why the animals sometimes devour members of their own species.
A female juvenile vaquitas, photographed in 2017.
Caught on Camera
The Scientist Staff | Jul 18, 2022 | 3 min read
See some of the coolest images recently featured by The Scientist
Underwater brine pool
Science Snapshot: The Beach Beneath
Lisa Winter | Jul 13, 2022 | 1 min read
By better understanding underwater brine pools, researchers could learn more about the evolution of life in our oceans and the potential for life on other planets.
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