Category Archives: Ecological Restoration

Biodiversity collections, vital for pandemic preparedness, face drop in specimen deposits

When you imagine a visit to a natural history museum, the first thing that springs to mind could be dinosaur bones or taxidermized animals. Behind the visitor displays, however, advanced research on specimens collected from around the world is taking place. What's more, this work forms an essential front line of defense in pandemic preparedness.…

Drones that patrol forests could monitor environmental and ecological changes

Sensors for forest monitoring are already used to track changes in temperature, humidity and light, as well as the movements of animals and insects through their habitat. They also help to detect and monitor forest fires and can provide valuable data on how climate change and other human activities are impacting the natural world. However,…

Monarch Butterfly Populations Are Plummeting

Both Eastern and Western monarch butterflies are seeing their populations plummet precipitously, worrying scientists that the future of the species is in peril, according to multiple surveys of butterfly populations. The New York Times recently reported on efforts to track the Western monarch butterfly, which spends its winter on California's central coast before heading off to…

Warming, acidic oceans may nearly eliminate coral reef habitats by 2100

Rising sea surface temperatures and acidic waters could eliminate nearly all existing coral reef habitats by 2100, suggesting restoration projects in these areas will likely meet serious challenges, according to new research presented in San Diego at the Ocean Sciences Meeting 2020. Scientists project 70 to 90 percent of coral reefs will disappear over the…

The most dangerous and invasive species in Florida | Photos

More than 500 non-native fish, wildlife and plant species live and thrive in Florida. What’s the problem? Exotic creatures and vegetation — from iguanas to Burmese pythons to lion fish and air potato vines — threaten native species and cause serious economic damage, says the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. There are several hundred…

Alien Species Reconsidered: Finding a Value in Non-Natives

The tale of the honeybee is a sadly familiar one: a once-thriving species is on the ropes. After brutal bouts with mites and fungi, honeybees are now facing their most dangerous threat yet: a mysterious disease called colony collapse disorder. In the winter of 2010 alone, U.S. beekeepers reported losing 34 percent of their hives…

UF Researchers Team Up with Florida Aquarium for NOAA Project, Part of Coral Reef Restoration Initiative

Researchers at the University of Florida, in partnership with The Florida Aquarium, have discovered a novel method of culturing long-spined sea urchins, a species that is ecologically vital to the Florida Keys’ vulnerable coral reefs. Scientists from the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) and Aquarium biologists will breed these urchins for use…

Florida’s black bears remain off limits from hunters — but only for now

The Florida black bear will remain off limits from hunters, but only for now. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission on Wednesday approved a 10-year management plan and decided there was no need to schedule a hunt to control the growing population of bears in the wild. But despite intense pressure from conservation groups, animal advocates…

Thought extinct for 30 years, the starry night toad is rediscovered

At less than two inches in size, and with a stunning coloration of shiny black skin with white spots, these marvelous little critters can be found in just one location—Colombia’s Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, one of the tallest and most remote coastal mountain ranges on Earth. In fact, the amphibian’s common name is an ode to…

Deer-like animal thought lost to science photographed for first time in 30 years

A tiny deer-like creature about the size of a rabbit has been photographed in the wild for the first time in three decades in southern Vietnam, delighting conservationists who feared the species was extinct. The silver-backed chevrotain, also called the Vietnamese mouse deer, was last recorded more than 25 years ago when a team of…