Migratory animals face mass extinction – but as a conservationist I’m optimistic

Nature knows no borders. While decline of threatened migratory animals is alarming, there are reasons to be optimistic about international conservation efforts.

Dan Challender, Research Fellow, Conservation Science and Policy, University of Oxford • conversation
Feb. 15, 2024 ~7 min

Wildlife selfies harm animals − even when scientists share images with warnings in the captions

The caption may say that only scientists and trained professionals should handle wild animals, but viewers remember the image, not the words.

Andrea l. DiGiorgio, Lecturer and Post Doctoral Researcher in Biological Anthropology, Princeton University • conversation
Feb. 14, 2024 ~9 min


Unprovoked shark attacks and fatalities went up a bit in 2023

There were 69 unprovoked shark attacks in 2023, 10 of which were fatal. That's within the normal range, "though the fatalities are a bit unnerving..."

Karen Dooley-Florida • futurity
Feb. 6, 2024 ~10 min

How can humans save threatened sharks?

"There is a path forward to avoid a global extinction crisis for sharks, but the time to act is now."

Harrison Tasoff-UC Santa Barbara • futurity
Feb. 5, 2024 ~9 min

How bats ‘leapfrog’ their way home at night - new research

Maths plays a crucial role in new research which finds that bats “leapfrog” their way home at night.

Fiona Mathews, Professor of Environmental Biology, University of Sussex • conversation
Feb. 5, 2024 ~7 min

How trophy fishing can have a sustainable future

Trophy fishing is a big threat to some of the most threatened species of fish, but there are ways to adapt the sport with marine conservation in mind.

James Boon, PhD candidate in Marine Ecology, University of Nottingham • conversation
Feb. 2, 2024 ~7 min

Sea otters’ love of crabs gives salt marshes a second chance

"The sea otters are stabilizing [these creek banks] for free in exchange for an all-you-can-eat crab feast."

Harrison Tasoff-UC Santa Barbara • futurity
Feb. 1, 2024 ~8 min

Rogue taxonomists, competing lists and accusations of anarchy: the complicated journey toward a list of all life on Earth — podcast

Stephen Garnett takes us inside a scientific spat about how to govern the naming of new species. Listen to The Conversation Weekly podcast.

Gemma Ware, Editor and Co-Host, The Conversation Weekly Podcast, The Conversation • conversation
Feb. 1, 2024 ~3 min


‘Jaws’ portrayed sharks as monsters 50 years ago, but it also inspired a generation of shark scientists

‘Jaws,’ published in 1974, terrified the public of sharks, but it also brought shark research into the scientific mainstream.

Gavin Naylor, Director of Florida Program for Shark Research, University of Florida • conversation
Jan. 31, 2024 ~10 min

New species hints at greater lamprey diversity

Researchers may have found two new species of lamprey, a boneless, jawless fish with eel-like bodies that date back over 350 million years.

Kat Kerlin-UC Davis • futurity
Jan. 23, 2024 ~6 min

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