News
Nature's feedback loops can drive collapse. Thomas Crowther thinks they can also drive recovery
1+ day, 1+ hour ago (810+ words) Crowther is also interested in less visible signals of ecological change. Bioacoustics, he says, offers a way to measure the complexity of an ecosystem by listening to its frequencies of life, from birds and insects to wind and rain. Sound,…...
Hidden "bubble cave" may help world"s rarest seal steer clear of humans: Study
1+ day, 19+ hour ago (495+ words) On the Greek islet of Formicula, researchers have found rare Mediterranean monk seals will take refuge in an air-filled "bubble cave," according to a recent study. This type of hidden chamber, accessible via underwater passages, allows the seals to breathe,…...
The new burden of proving wildlife is real
2+ day, 12+ hour ago (240+ words) Founder's Briefs: An occasional series where Mongabay founder Rhett Ayers Butler shares analysis, perspectives and story summaries. Conservation journalists are facing a new issue: AI-generated wildlife imagery. AI is already useful in conservation. Researchers use it to analyze camera-trap images,…...
Sri Lanka flamingo deaths raise concerns over power infrastructure in wetlands
2+ day, 9+ hour ago (663+ words) The incident has renewed concerns among conservationists who have previously warned against energy infrastructure cutting across sensitive wetland habitats such as Vankalai Sanctuary, another Ramsar wetland in Mannar. Environmentalists had identified large'waterbirds such as flamingos as being vulnerable to collisions....
Report alleges "lite ties behind logging permits in Cameroon's Ebo Forest
2+ day, 11+ hour ago (855+ words) A newly released report alleges that well-placed elites in Cameroon's government are enabling a cluster of timber and agribusiness companies to log primary forest in the country. These companies include Sextransbois, which was awarded a controversial 68, 000-hectare (168, 000-acre) logging concession…...
New species of ghost pipefish named after Sesame Street character found in Australia
3+ day, 23+ hour ago (474+ words) It's "hairy," bright orange or red and "exceptional" at camouflaging. Meet the hairy ghost pipefish, whose recent formal description demonstrates that even well-studied marine environments like the Great Barrier Reef still hold remarkable secrets for science. In a recent study,…...
Most wildlife AI focuses on the ground. This model looks up in the trees
3+ day, 19+ hour ago (462+ words) When it comes to decoding camera-trap images, artificial intelligence has become all the rage, especially for terrestrial animals, or those that dwell on the ground. But for more evasive species living high up in trees, the technology is still lacking....
A "symphony" of wildlife suggests carbon financing is working in Sierra Leone
4+ day, 5+ hour ago (530+ words) One of the first things H. S. Sathya Chandra Sagar noticed in Gola Rainforest National Park was its profusion of sound. Standing amid the tallest trees he'd ever seen, Sagar could hear the calls of countless birds, the hoot of primates, and…...
Respecting uncontacted peoples can protect biodiversity and our humanity (commentary)
5+ mon, 1+ week ago (880+ words) Deep within the remaining tropical forests of the world, the last uncontacted peoples live in near-total isolation. Their very presence carries unintended yet powerful implications for all of us. Studies show that Indigenous territories " especially those of uncontacted groups " are…...
Will Australia's main environment law continue marginalizing Indigenous authority, despite overhaul? (commentary)
5+ mon, 1+ week ago (697+ words) These reforms respond to the 2020 Samuel Review, which warned that Australia's nature laws were failing to stop habitat loss and biodiversity decline. But one of the most urgent failures of the old regime remains far from resolved: the marginalization of…...