Conservation1223 articles archived since 1845

Breeding the "Snot Otter"

The gigantic Ozark hellbender salamander is in trouble in the wild, but one zoo—and a hard-working team—is helping to boost its populations

Do Dams Increase Water Use?

Reservoirs may promote waste by creating a false sense of water security

Grazing Deer Alter Forest Acoustics

Deer populations have exploded in North American woodlands, changing forest ecology—and how sounds, like birdsong, travel through the trees. Christopher Intagliata reports.

Found but Lost: Newly Discovered Shark May Be Extinct

Carcharhinus obsolerus (that’s Latin for “extinct”) swam in the waters of the western Pacific, but it hasn’t been seen in 80-plus years...

Biologists Track Tweets to Monitor Birds

Conservation biologists can track the whereabouts of endangered species by the sounds they make, avoiding cumbersome trackers and tags. Christopher Intagliata reports.

Desalination Could Cause Ecological Sea Change

An environmental assessment of the nation's largest desalination plant finds mixed results. Christopher Intagliata reports.

Slaking the World’s Thirst with Seawater Dumps Toxic Brine in Oceans

The salt and chemicals in the brine left over from desalination can threaten local marine ecosystems

Taking Some of the Pain out of Human–Wildlife Conflict

Tigers, leopards, elephants and more wreak havoc on farms and villages in India, but a compensation program can ease the sting—and conserve the animals

Livestock Act Like Ghosts of Wildlife Past

In Kenya, wild animals and livestock can coexist and even benefit each other 

Killer Whales and Chimpanzees Have Similar Personalities

Animals of both species can be assessed using many of the “big five” factors used to describe humans

The Race to Save Colombia’s Uncontacted Tribes from Outsiders

As anthropologists debate how best to protect uncontacted tribes, indigenous groups in Colombia are working to shield their isolated neighbors from the march of modernity

Polar Vortex Could Knock Back Invasive Tree-Killers—for a While

Insects like the cold-hardy emerald ash borer could see mass die-offs, but survivors could have hardier offspring

Science News Briefs from the World Over

A few brief reports about international science and technology from Papua New Guinea to Kazakhstan, including one on the slow slide of Mount Etna in Italy.

Cod Could Cope with Constrained Climate Change

Cod egg survival stays high with limited warming, but plummets when the temperature rises a few degrees Celsius in their current spawning grounds.

Ecologists Eavesdrop with Bioacoustics

By coupling audio recordings with satellite data and camera traps, ecologists can keep their eyes—and ears—on protected tropical forests. Christopher Intagliata reports.

Protecting Monarch Butterflies Could Mean Moving Hundreds of Trees

Researchers are trying to shift Mexico’s oyamel firs to higher elevations to help them weather warming temperatures

Save the Sharks!

We harm and kill vastly more of them than they do of us—but a research/educational project in the Bahamas aims to help change that

Heat Waves Are Causing Mass Fish Deaths in Australia

Drought conditions and poor water management have contributed to the events

Bitter Reality: Most Wild Coffee Species Risk Extinction Worldwide

Researchers surveyed the world’s 124 coffee species and found more than half are threatened

How to Tag a Shark without Traumatizing It