New England stone walls lie at the intersection of history, archaeology, ecology and geoscience, and deserve a science of their own

New England has thousands of miles of stone walls. A geoscientist explains why analyzing them scientifically is a solid step toward preserving them

Robert M. Thorson, Professor of Earth Science, University of Connecticut • conversation
Dec. 4, 2023 ~10 min

Stones inside fish ears mark time like tree rings – and now they're helping us learn about climate change

My team studied bluefin tuna otoliths to learn why some populations are recovering faster than others.

Clive Trueman, Professor of Marine Biology, University of Southampton • conversation
Nov. 27, 2023 ~7 min


Digitized records from wildlife centers show the most common ways that humans harm wild animals

Hundreds of wildlife rehabilitation centers across the US and Canada treat sick and injured animals and birds. Digitizing their records is yielding valuable data on human-wildlife encounters.

Richard B. Primack, Professor of Biology, Boston University • conversation
Nov. 22, 2023 ~8 min

As the US begins to build offshore wind farms, scientists say many questions remain about impacts on the oceans and marine life

A recent study focusing on how offshore wind farms in Massachusetts waters could affect endangered right whales does not call for slowing the projects, but says monitoring will be critical.

Josh Kohut, Professor of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University • conversation
Nov. 15, 2023 ~10 min

PFAS 'forever chemicals' are getting into ocean ecosystems, where dolphins, fish and manatees dine – we traced their origins

Scientists found PFAS hot spots in Miami’s Biscayne Bay where the chemicals are entering coastal waters and reaching the ocean. Water samples point to some specific sources.

Olutobi Daniel Ogunbiyi, Ph.D. Candidate in Chemistry, Florida International University • conversation
Nov. 14, 2023 ~7 min

How PFAS 'forever chemicals' are getting into Miami's Biscayne Bay, where dolphins, fish and manatees dine

Scientists discovered PFAS hot spots in the bay and found PFAS in water along the Atlantic coast. In a new study, they traced the chemicals’ origins to help stop the harm.

Olutobi Daniel Ogunbiyi, Ph.D. Candidate in Chemistry, Florida International University • conversation
Nov. 14, 2023 ~7 min

Wildcats lived alongside domestic cats for 2,000 years but only started interbreeding 60 years ago – new study

And a recent history of wildcat hybridisation.

Mark Beaumont, Professor of Statistics, University of Bristol • conversation
Nov. 6, 2023 ~7 min

The world's boreal forests may be shrinking as climate change pushes them northward

How will Earth’s vast boreal forests look in a warmer world? Combining satellite-based research with fieldwork shows that the planet’s largest wilderness may be changing in unexpected ways.

Roman Dial, Professor of Biology and Mathematics, Alaska Pacific University • conversation
Nov. 3, 2023 ~11 min


Wild animals that survive limb loss are astonishing – and a sign of the havoc humans are wreaking on nature

When wild animals survive the initial trauma, blood loss and infection risk without medical help, it’s astonishing that they can adapt to life with three limbs.

Tara Pirie, Lecturer in Ecology and Conservation, University of Surrey • conversation
Oct. 25, 2023 ~7 min

Compatible seabirds may make better parents, but personality clashes can lead to family tragedy and 'divorce'

Like humans, seabirds seem less likely to part ways when they have relationships built on similar personalities.

Fionnuala McCully, PhD candidate in behavioural ecology, University of Liverpool • conversation
Oct. 18, 2023 ~7 min

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