Environment – Science & research news

Surprising discovery in Arctic songbird may reveal how it survives challenging migrations

October 6, 2021

By K.E.D Coan, science writer Snow buntings in winter. Image: Mircea Costina/Shutterstock.com There is still much to learn about how Arctic migratory birds adjust their [...]

Research reveals how much plastic debris is currently floating in the Mediterranean Sea

October 4, 2021

Research in Frontiers in Marine Science reveals how much plastic debris is currently floating in the Mediterranean Sea [...]

Bat guts become less healthy through diet of ‘fast food’ from banana plantations

September 23, 2021

By Tania Fitzgeorge-Balfour, science writer Pallas’s long-tongued bat (Glossophaga soricina) feeding on banana flowers. Image credit: Julian Schneider New research [...]

A dog’s life: James A Serpell and his investigation into the origin story of mankind’s best friend

June 24, 2021

By Colm Gorey, Frontiers science writer/Prof James Serpell, University of Pennsylvania Prof James A Serpell, University of Pennsylvania. Image: University of Pennsylvania Two [...]

World Bee Day 2021: Research Topics to Build Back Better for Bees

May 17, 2021

World Bee Day 2021’s theme is Bee engaged - Build Back Better for Bees, which focuses on finding ways to restore, support and enhance the role of pollinators. Check out our curated list of the best open Research Topics addressing these issues! [...]

International Earth Day 2021: Research Topics to Restore Our Earth

April 21, 2021

Earth Day 2021’s theme is Restore Our Earth™, which focuses on natural processes, emerging green technologies, and innovative thinking that can restore the world’s ecosystems. Check out our curated list of the best Research Topics addressing these issues! [...]

97% of Earth’s land area may no longer be ecologically intact

April 15, 2021

Only between 2% and 3% of the Earth’s terrestrial surface can be considered ecologically intact, according to a new study published in Frontiers in Forests and Global Change [...]

Crop rotations with beans and peas offer more sustainable and nutritious food production

April 13, 2021

Crop rotations with beans and peas offer more sustainable and nutritious food production, finds new study in Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems [...]

Seagrass loss around the UK may be much higher than previously thought

March 4, 2021

By Suzanna Burgelman, Frontiers science writer Dogfish between seagrass. Image: Frogfish Photography The United Kingdom (UK) could have lost as much as 92% of historic [...]

Nearby vessels interrupt feeding of southern resident killer whales, especially females

January 13, 2021

How do boats affect the behavior of killer whales? Frontiers in Marine Science [...]

Harbor porpoises on the decline in the German North Sea

January 7, 2021

Numbers of Phocoena phocoena harbor porpoises, a sentinal species, have declined over the past two decades due to human activities: Frontiers in Marine Science [...]

Scientists warn of likely massive oil spill endangering the Red Sea, region’s health

December 15, 2020

Scientists from Stony Brook warn of the risk of massive oil spill in Red Sea: Frontiers in Marine Science [...]

Decaying jellyfish blooms can cause temporary changes to water column food webs

October 30, 2020

How fast are nutrients from decaying jellyfish blooms recycled into marine ecosystems? Frontiers in Microbiology [...]

Evolution of radio-resistance is more complicated than previously thought

September 22, 2020

Scientists select for a new strain E. coli highly resistant to radiation in the laboratory: Frontiers in Microbiology [...]

Ancient gene family protects algae from salt and cold in an Antarctic lake

August 20, 2020

Glycerol protects algae in Antarctica from extreme conditions: Frontiers in Plant Science [...]

Plastic debris releases potentially harmful chemicals into seabird stomach fluid

August 19, 2020

Plastic waste is toxic for seabirds: Frontiers in Environmental Science [...]

Effects of nutrient pollution in marine ecosystems are compounded by human activity

August 17, 2020

Climate change worsens effect of eutrophication on coastal ecosystems: Frontiers in Marine Science [...]

Tracking humanity’s latest toxins in stranded whales and dolphins

August 5, 2020

High levels of anthropogenic toxins found in stranded cetaceans: Frontiers in Marine Science [...]

Bird nests attract flying insects and parasites due to higher levels of carbon dioxide

August 5, 2020

By Nora Belblidia, science writer Researchers in Spain have examined bird nests in order to understand how flying insects and parasites detect gases as a way to locate their [...]

Satellite image data reveals rapid decline of China’s intertidal wetlands

February 14, 2020

Study shows a loss of nearly 40% of wetlands since the 1970s and calls for new legislation for their protection: Frontiers in Earth Science [...]

eDNA expands species surveys to capture a more complete picture

January 14, 2020

Casting a genetic net identifies more marine vertebrates than traditional surveys but has limits: Frontiers in Marine Science [...]

NASA space data can cut disaster response times, costs

December 10, 2019

Using near-real-time satellite data could improve emergency management: Frontiers in Environmental Science [...]

Gulf Coast corals face catastrophe

December 9, 2019

Only rapid reduction of greenhouse gases will save Gulf of Mexico corals: Frontiers in Marine Science [...]

Palm oil: Less fertilizer and no herbicide but same yield?

November 27, 2019

International team investigates environmentally sustainable palm oil production: Frontiers in Forests and Global Change [...]

Face palm: are palm oil boycotters hypocrites?

October 15, 2019

Oil palm is alternatively seen as a gift from god or a crime against humanity - according to science, it is neither; Frontiers in Forests and Global Change [...]

Study documents impacts of selective logging on Congo’s intact forest landscapes

August 27, 2019

Logging in the timber-rich forests of northern Congo is a major driver of the region's economic development -- and its ecological impoverishment; Frontiers in Forests and Global Change [...]

Growing existing forests essential in mitigating global crises

August 13, 2019

“Proforestation” has significant potential in the United States; Frontiers in Forests and Global Change [...]

Young frogs that were stressed as tadpoles move less on land, putting their survival at risk

July 1, 2019

New Oregon State University research shows that juvenile northern red-legged frogs that have experienced climate-related stress as tadpoles are less likely to move on land, putting their survival at risk; Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution [...]

Research shows cattle ranching could help conserve rare African antelope, lions

June 19, 2019

Endangered African antelope and the lions that prey on them may benefit from certain cattle ranching practices in Kenya; Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution [...]

How light from street lamps and trees influences the activity of urban bats

May 23, 2019

The team found that the response of bats to artificial light was intensified in areas with high tree cover. Credit: Christian Giese. A German study sheds new light on how [...]

Scientists propose rethinking ‘endangered species’ definition to save slow-breeding giants

May 17, 2019

Researchers at the Smithsonian Institute have proposed a ‘demographic safe space’ for Asian elephants, to improve conservation of these and other large, slow-breeding animals; Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution [...]

Floodplain forests under threat

April 8, 2019

A floodplain forest dominated by oaks. Credit: Albert Reif. — by University of Freiberg, Germany A team from the Institute of Forest Sciences at the University of [...]

Want to save the planet? Stop trying to be its friend

March 5, 2019

People tend to judge their environmental impact using moral intuition that evolved to handle social exchange -- but these tree huggers may be doing more harm than good, say researchers; Frontiers in Psychology [...]

Squid could provide an eco-friendly alternative to plastics

February 22, 2019

Self-healing fabric, abrasion-resistant coatings, precision drug delivery and smart textiles are among the potential applications of squid 'ring tooth' protein; Frontiers in Chemistry [...]

Warning over deep-sea ‘gold rush’

February 15, 2019

Harmful deep sea mining could be avoided altogether if humanity moves towards a "circular economy" that focuses on reuse and recycling of metals, reduces overconsumption and limits built-in obsolescence of technology; Frontiers in Marine Science [...]