~ecology-news-biolog | Bookmarks (436)

Marmalade hoverflies leave northern Europe each autumn to escape the cold winter. A study, by the University of Exeter, compared the number of males and females migrating at a northern point (Denmark) and further south (Spain).

Nature is full of impostors, and many of them are found in the insect world. Certain species, such as the bee fly or the ant spider, are experts at misdirection and their ability to confuse predators or prey is on a par with that of John Travolta in Face/Off and Arya Stark in Game of Thrones. However, never before has a blow fly been...

Schools of fish are mesmerizing examples of collective animal behavior. Thousands of individuals move in near-perfect synchrony, despite each fish having only a limited view of their surroundings. How do they achieve such effortless coordination with minimal local information? And what visual cues does an individual fish actually perceive within the shifting, dynamic group?

Researchers from the Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology (QIBEBT) and the Institute of Oceanology, both under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, have discovered new insights into how marine organisms adapt to extreme deep-sea environments.

A study from Tel Aviv University, the first of its kind on mammals, has found that bats living in urban environments give birth, on average, about 2.5 weeks earlier than bats living in rural areas. The researchers attribute this difference in birthing times between the city and the countryside to more favorable temperatures and greater food abundance in urban areas. Bats are mammals, making...

Dinoflagellates play crucial roles in aquatic ecosystems, particularly as major contributors to harmful algal blooms. They can enter a dormant stage, known as the resting cyst stage, that allows them to survive for extended periods—up to 150 years—in marine sediments. This dormancy is essential for their annual population dynamics, blooming cycles, and geographic expansion.

Killer whales are the only natural predator of baleen whales—those that have "baleen" in their mouths to sieve their plankton diet from the water. More solitary than toothed whales, baleen whales face predatory attacks from killer whales, especially mother and calf pairs. When attacked, some species fight back, while others choose flight.

Biodiversity is under threat worldwide. While the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) estimated in 2019 that 1 million out of 8 million species are threatened with extinction, more recent studies put the figure at twice as high: 2 million animal and plant species are therefore on the brink of extinction unless something is done quickly to change their living conditions.

Managed honey bees have the potential to affect native bee populations when they are introduced to a new area, but a study led by researchers at Penn State suggests that under certain conditions, the native bees can bounce back if the apiaries are moved away.

University of Florida scientists have statistically analyzed large amounts of data collected by Burmese python contractors, revealing critical insights about how to most efficiently remove the reptiles.

Scientists have developed a novel tool designed to protect and conserve coral reefs by providing them with an abundance of feeding opportunities.

There's a longstanding attitude in many farming communities that trees and agriculture don't mix. But agroforestry—the intentional integration of trees and shrubs in agricultural systems, such as planting trees as windbreaks, integrating trees on pastures, or growing tree crops intercropped with annual crops—can provide a multitude of benefits to both farmers and landscapes. So far, in the U.S. Midwest, these benefits have gone unrealized,...

A Mississippi State University scientist has discovered a hopping treasure trove—16 new species of grasshoppers living in the thorny scrubs of U.S. and Mexican deserts.

Language has long been considered a uniquely human trait, with features that mark it out as distinct from the communication of all other species. However, research published in Science has uncovered the same statistical structure that is a hallmark of human language in humpback whale song.

A new study reveals the profound ecological effects of wolves and other large carnivores in Yellowstone National Park, showcasing the cascading effects predators can have on ecosystems. In Yellowstone, this involves wolves and other large carnivores, elk, and willows.

A new review has documented the remarkable journey of Australia's most critically endangered marsupial, the Gilbert's potoroo, from its rediscovery to ongoing recovery efforts.

The blue whale is the largest animal on the planet. It consumes enormous quantities of tiny, shrimp-like animals known as krill to support a body of up to 100 feet (30 meters) long. Blue whales and other baleen whales, which filter seawater through their mouths to feed on small marine life, once teemed in Earth's oceans. Then, over the past century, they were hunted...

New research has revealed that a hairy crustacean—dubbed "The Hoff crab" when it was discovered in 2010—is the first species in its family to show different claw characteristics between sexes.

A new study has found that nearly half the coral trout caught on the Great Barrier Reef come from marine reserves—where protected fish grow larger and produce far more offspring.

Scientists from the Institute of Applied Ecology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have identified a strain of bacteria that can break down harmful pollutants in saline environments, such as estuaries and marine systems. The bacteria, named Dehalogenimonas strain W, were found to be effective in degrading 1,2-dichloroethane, a common industrial solvent, under conditions of high salinity.

Toxic substances used in flea and tick treatments pet owners give to their dogs and cats have been detected in birds' nests, according to new UK research published in Science of The Total Environment.

Eelgrass, a type of flowering seagrass found in temperate zones around the world, provides habitat for many species, protects coastlines, improves water quality, sequesters carbon and supports fishing economies. The foundation of a highly productive marine food web, eelgrass's health is paramount but mysterious.

Using satellite trackers, scientists have discovered the whereabouts of young sea turtles during a key part of their lives.

New, groundbreaking research shows how, at a local scale, agricultural research and development led to improved crop varieties that resulted in global benefits to the environment and food system sustainability. The Purdue University study appears in the latest issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.