Conservation1265 articles archived since 1845

Cool Coating Chills in Sunlight

A thin film coating can chill a vat of water to 15 degress Fahrenheit cooler than its surroundings, by absorbing—and then emitting—the sun's infrared rays. Christopher Intagliata reports...

New Zealand Warns of Exploding Whale Carcasses after Mass Stranding

Authorities cut holes in 300 bodies to release decomposition pressure

The Trauma of Saving Animals

A clinical psychologist treats shell-shocked rangers engaged in Africa's poaching wars

Gulf Dead Zone Makes for Shrimpier Shrimp

The low-oxygen waters of the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico result in smaller shrimp, and a spike in large shrimp prices. Christopher Intagliata reports.

Did a Changing Climate Wipe Out the Giant Kangaroo?

New research suggests that as weather patterns changed some 30,000 years ago in Australia, megafauna went extinct

Harvesting Sharks Could Be Key to Saving Them

Sustainable fishing of some species for products including fins is feasible, and can avoid cruel practices, study finds

East of Siberia: Shadows of Wolves

A retired Russian biologist tells the tale of a long-ago encounter with a wild canine

Wetlands Can Help Fight Climate Change

 But if these ecosystems are not protected, they could release huge amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere

Science and the U.S. Supreme Court: The Cases to Watch in 2017

Drug patents and environmental regulations feature in upcoming court cases as Trump nominates a justice

Sea Unworthy: A Personal Journey into the Pacific Garbage Patch [Slide Show]

More plastic in the oceans, found at greater depths than thought, would mean a bigger threat to environmental—and possibly human—health

A Journey into the Pacific Garbage Patch [Slide Show]

Widening the Suez Canal Ushers In Underwater Invaders

Nomadic jellyfish and poisonous puffer fish are the poster children of an invasion of non-native species into the Mediterranean, with environmental and economic costs. Christopher Intagliata reports...

Hawaiian Crows Ready for the Call of the Wild

The critically endangered birds have done well in captive breeding, meaning they may be ready once more for wild living, and the repertoire of calls associated with it. Jason G. Goldman reports. ...

Storing solar energy in the home can increase energy consumption, emissions

Storing solar energy for nighttime use is less green than just sending it straight to the grid

Fish as Food or Fish as Wildlife?

Efforts to protect ocean ecosystems present hard choices for a world that depends on the consumption of seafood

Abundant Sea Life, Part II: A Gallery of Creatures off Cabo Pulmo, Mexico

Abundant Sea Life, Part I: A Gallery of Creatures in the Galapagos

Not an Extinction. A Transition

After eight years at Scientific American, “Extinction Countdown” is moving on

Polar Bear Cubs at High Risk from Toxic Industrial Chemicals, Despite Bans

Levels in young animals elevated to 1,000 times the acceptable amount in people

Pesticide Additive Could Be One Culprit in Bee Deaths

A common pesticide additive, known as an "inert" ingredient, could be one of the causes of the die-offs beekeepers have observed in their hives. Christopher Intagliata reports...