Newswise Feature Channel: Wildlife

Weddell Seals in the Antarctic Strategically Time Their Most Extreme Dives to Maximize Foraging

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution — Tue, 29 Oct 2024 07:10:37 EST

New research from WHOI and partners sheds light on a novel dive foraging strategy.

Governments at UN Biodiversity Meeting Are Poised to Take Important Step to Prevent the Next Deadly Pandemic

Wildlife Conservation Society — Mon, 28 Oct 2024 14:30:57 EST

Governments at the United Nations biodiversity meeting are poised to take an important step to integrate health and conservation and lessen the chances of future deadly pandemics of zoonotic origin, with the adoption of the Global Action Plan for Biodiversity and Health at the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP 16).

H5N1 Virus Isolated From Infected Dairy Worker Is 100% Lethal in Ferrets, but Does Not Appear to Be Circulating in Nature Anymore

University of Wisconsin-Madison — Mon, 28 Oct 2024 11:35:01 EST

A strain of H5N1 avian influenza virus found in a Texas dairy worker who was infected this spring was able to spread among ferrets through the air, although inefficiently, and killed 100% of infected animals in studies University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers performed with the strain earlier this year.

GCOOS Fall Meeting Features Updates on the Gulf's Ocean Observing Community

Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System-Regional Association (GCOOS-RA) — Mon, 28 Oct 2024 09:35:14 EST

The Fall Members' Meeting of the Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System -- taking place virtually -- will feature updates from the U.S. IOOS, information on new projects funded through the Inflation Reduction Act, the Gulf's high-frequency radar system and more.

Expert Unravels Truth on Spiders as Friend, Foe

University of Florida — Fri, 25 Oct 2024 12:35:20 EST

As Halloween approaches, Johnalyn Gordon, an urban entomologist, responds to the top five questions she receives to ease fears and help celebrate our spooky spider friends.

Tire-Wear Particles Pose Health Risks to Aquatic Organisms

Chinese Academy of Sciences — Fri, 25 Oct 2024 06:40:01 EST

A recent study highlights the hepatotoxicity of tire-wear particle (TWP) leachates in aquatic environments, impacting gut-liver axis and inducing oxidative damage. The findings suggest potential health risks for aquatic organisms.

Spooky Season Bat Expert Available for Comment

Thu, 24 Oct 2024 09:50:58 EST

University of Idaho-Led Study Uncovers Effects of Food Subsidies on Wood Stork Reproductive Rates

University of Idaho — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 15:30:57 EST

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Researchers Use the Sounds of Healthy Coral Reefs to Encourage Growth of a New Species of Coral Larvae

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 11:50:24 EST

Using successful techniques from an earlier study, acoustic enrichment continues to show promise

Saving the Bats: Researchers Find Bacteria, Fungi on Bat Wings That Could Help Fight Deadly White-Nose Syndrome

McMaster University — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 09:00:39 EST

Bacteria and fungi from the wings of bats could play a significant role in saving them from white-nose syndrome (WNS), a fungal disease affecting the skin of wings and muzzle, which has nearly wiped out vulnerable bat populations across North America.

New Parasite Discovered Amid Decline of California's Unique Channel Island Fox

Florida Atlantic University — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 08:30:27 EST

In the 1990s, the San Miguel Island fox nearly went extinct, with numbers dropping to just 15. A recovery program increased their population by 2010, but from 2014 to 2018, it fell to 30% of its peak due to a new acanthocephalan parasite, exacerbated by a prolonged drought. A collaborative research effort employed morphological and molecular methods, alongside necropsy records, to identify the parasite and assess its health impacts on the foxes.

Can a UN Meeting Help Save Jaguars?

Wildlife Conservation Society — Tue, 22 Oct 2024 15:50:52 EST

"The CBD CoP16 in Cali, Colombia is important for the future of jaguars. This magnificent spotted neotropical big cat has already lost more than 50% of its original distribution and the trend in the species' populations continues to decline. Thus, a significant change must occur to conserve them for the long term."

Colombia Advances in the Protection Of Its National Natural Parks Amid Ongoing Threats

Wildlife Conservation Society — Tue, 22 Oct 2024 15:00:05 EST

The effective management of Colombia's National Natural Parks, with the participation of communities, the private sector, and society at large, is essential to ensuring peace with nature. This was the main recommendation of the 2024 report presented by the civil society initiative Parques Nacionales Como Vamos (PNCV) today in Cali.

City of Portland Names BRI 2024 Client of the Year

Biodiversity Research Institute (BRI) — Tue, 22 Oct 2024 11:35:14 EST

BRI will have a display table with some of our science communications, book, and other materials.

Will Tropical Biodiversity Run Dry Under Climate Change? Two Visions for the Future

Tue, 22 Oct 2024 11:05:12 EST

Changing precipitation patterns in the Neotropics, one of Earth's most biodiverse regions, could threaten two-thirds of the area's bird species by the year 2100 if climate change goes unchecked, according to new research led by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and George Mason University. This would represent a dramatic loss, as the region is home to 30% of all bird species globally.

Butterfly Brains Reveal the Tweaks Required for Cognitive Innovation

University of Bristol — Fri, 18 Oct 2024 11:00:00 EST

A species of tropical butterfly with unusually expanded brain structures display a fascinating mosaic pattern of neural expansion linked to a cognitive innovation.

ASA Invites Media to Virtual Acoustics Meeting Nov. 18-22

Acoustical Society of America (ASA) — Fri, 18 Oct 2024 08:10:36 EST

The Acoustical Society of America will host a virtual conference from Nov. 18-22.

Two Rescued Southern Sea Otters Make Public Debut at the New York Aquarium

Wildlife Conservation Society — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 06:00:11 EST

Two female southern sea otters are debuting at the New York Aquarium.

Alaska's Iliamna Lake Harbor Seals Genetically Isolated from Entire Pacific Ocean

Florida Atlantic University — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 10:05:37 EST

Alaska's Iliamna Lake harbor seals have been difficult to study because of their remoteness. They weren't even identified as harbor seals until 2013. Now, a new genetic study has found significant differences, indicating that the Iliamna seals may represent a unique, endemic form of harbor seal. Findings suggest they may be evolutionarily, reproductively, and demographically distinct from other Pacific harbor seal populations sampled across the Pacific, including Japan, the Commander Islands, other parts of Alaska, and California.

The Monarch Butterfly May Not Be Endangered, but Its Migration Is

University of Georgia — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 08:50:00 EST

With vigorous debate surrounding the health of the monarch butterfly, new research from the University of Georgia may have answered the biggest question plaguing butterfly researchers. Why are the wintering populations declining while breeding populations are stable? Published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the study suggests that monarchs are dying off during their fall migration south to Mexico.