We need a single list of all life on Earth – and most taxonomists now agree on how to start

Oct 31, 2023 09:17 am UTC| Nature

Species lists are one of the unseen pillars of science and society. Lists of species underpin our understanding of the natural world, threatened species management, quarantine, disease control and much else besides. The...

Toxic diets: Canadian orcas face high risks of pollution-related health effects

Oct 27, 2023 15:06 pm UTC| Nature

Killer whales, also called orcas, are known for their intelligence and striking presence. They are also enduring a silent but persistent threat beneath the surface of our oceans. My research investigates killer whales...

Increasing melting of West Antarctic ice shelves may be unavoidable – new research

Oct 24, 2023 09:29 am UTC| Nature

The rate at which the warming Southern Ocean melts the West Antarctic ice sheet will speed up rapidly over the course of this century, regardless of how much emissions fall in coming decades, our new research suggests....

2 biggest threats to wombats revealed in new data gathered by citizen scientists

Oct 24, 2023 09:25 am UTC| Nature

Launched in 2015, WomSAT (Wombat Survey and Analysis Tool) is a citizen science project and website that allows wombat warriors to report sightings of wombats, their burrows, and even their cube-shaped poops. The...

What the extreme fire seasons of 1910 and 2020 – and 2,500 years of forest history – tell us about the future of wildfires in the West

Oct 18, 2023 11:34 am UTC| Nature

Strong winds blew across mountain slopes after a record-setting warm, dry summer. Small fires began to blow up into huge conflagrations. Towns in crisis scrambled to escape as fires bore down. This could describe any...

The smarter the magpie, the better they can handle our noisy cities

Oct 18, 2023 11:31 am UTC| Nature

Cities are hard for wildlife. Many animal species avoid the cars, buildings, smog and fragmented habitats of urban environments. Then theres the noise pollution, a serious issue for humans and animals alike, according to...

Have we reached the end of nature? Our relationship with the environment is in crisis

Oct 18, 2023 11:29 am UTC| Nature

Recently, I encountered the thought-provoking expression God is dead, Marx is dead and I dont feel so well myself. I wonder if it is now the time to update this by adding Nature is dead? Has Nature, framed as being...