An international team of scientists, conservationists, and indigenous leaders argues that strategic ecological restoration could save coral atoll islands from the rising seas of climate change. The Gist Published in Trends in Ecology and Evolution, the paper, “Re-thinking atoll futures: local resilience to global challenges” argues that, while climate change is a major threat, the … Read more
Chris Barton is reeling through the creatures documented on the study sites: six species of bats, a long list of birds including rarities like cerulean warbler, a variety of salamanders, mayflies, stoneflies. Barton, a professor of forest hydrology and watershed management at the University of Kentucky, is discussing monitoring of sites in the Central Appalachian … Read more
In the southeastern corner of Minnesota, fields of corn and soy stretch seemingly endlessly—a far cry from the area’s native grasslands. Past surveys estimated just 1% of the state’s native prairie remains. Andrea Eger, a regenerative agriculture project manager for The Nature Conservancy in Minnesota, is trying to change that. In three counties in the … Read more
“Trapping small mammals is a lot like fishing,” says Mike Schrad, bending down to pick up a small, metal box tucked beneath the grass. “Some days you catch a lot, and some days you don’t catch anything.” We’re standing in a patch of remnant sandhill prairie, and the morning dew is seeping through my hiking … Read more
First study of its kind shows that decades of coconut palm agriculture have led to deforestation on over 80 percent of Pacific atolls, and coconut palms now cover more than half the atolls’ forested areas. The Gist Coconut palms are king throughout the tropics serving as the foundation for human lives and cultures across the … Read more
New science from Indo-Pacific atolls, including TNC’s Palmyra Preserve, reveals that global conservation efforts largely overlook the important contributions of atolls to the protection, restoration potential, and long-term survival of tropical seabirds. The Gist Led by Sebastian Steibl, research fellow at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, the science published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, … Read more
Can Listening to Oyster Reefs Help Us Assess Their Health?
The saltmarsh sparrow is a small puff of a bird that is uniquely adapted to living (and nesting) within a habitat that floods regularly. Endemic to the east coast of the United States, they are extreme salt marsh specialists and even build their nests in the intertidal zone. It’s a life on the edge, and … Read more
Mark Twain once wrote that, in a period of 176 years, the lower Mississippi River was shortened by 242 miles. While the famous author used this in service to his satire, his calculation was true. This is because the Mississippi was channelized and straightened, removing the natural bends and curves of the river. This same … Read more
Research from French Polynesia and TNC’s Palmyra Atoll Preserve shows that, by feeding on microbial pathogens in marine sediment, the weird and wonderful sea cucumber can enhance reef resilience by suppressing coral diseases. The Gist The sea cucumber, a humble bottom-dwelling marine invertebrate famous for both eating and breathing through its butt, hardly seems to … Read more