Environment

New research reveals for the first time how a major Antarctic ice shelf has been subjected to increased melting by warming ocean waters over the last four decades. Scientists say the study -- the result of their autonomous Seaglider getting accidentally stuck underneath the Ross Ice Shelf -- suggests this will likely only increase further

Tool use isn't unique to humans. Chimpanzees use sticks as tools. Dolphins, crows, and elephants are known for their tool-use abilities, too. Now a report highlights elephants' remarkable skill in using a hose as a flexible shower head. As an unexpected bonus, researchers say they also have evidence that a fellow elephant knows how to

A research team has discovered two remarkable species of bacteria in the tissue of two deep-sea corals from the Gulf of Mexico. These previously unknown symbionts of the corals have an extremely small genome and can't even produce energy from carbohydrates, the team reports. The bacteria species belong to a new family. A German-American research

Researchers have discovered that scarlet macaws purposefully neglect feeding the youngest chicks in most broods, even when resources are plentiful. This results in only one or two chicks being able to fledge -- the process in which parents teach their young to fly and survive on their own -- even though broods may contain up

Plastic pollution exacerbates the impacts of all planetary boundaries, including climate change, ocean acidification and biodiversity loss, a new paper shows. Ahead of the final negotiations of the international Plastics Treaty, researchers urge decision-makers to stop viewing plastics pollution as merely a waste management problem. "It's necessary to consider the full life cycle of plastics

When people have an audience watching them, it can change their performance for better or worse. Now, researchers have found that chimpanzees' performance on computer tasks is influenced by the number of people watching them. The findings suggest that this 'audience effect' predates the development of reputation-based human societies, the researchers say. When people have

The Planetary Boundaries framework is a pivotal tool for tackling the climate crisis and safeguarding humanity's future on Earth. For the first time, the full story of the Planetary Boundaries is now being told from its beginning: In a review, researchers highlight the growing influence of the framework across disciplines and its impact on society

Facebook and Instagram can boost wildlife conservation efforts through public awareness and engagement, according to a new study. Facebook and Instagram can boost wildlife conservation efforts through public awareness and engagement, according to a study published in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Communication . The findings based on the caracal -- a wild cat native to

A new study paints a grim picture of how blistering heat, wildfire smoke and other extreme weather events impact Colorado's jail and prison population. Blistering heat, freezing cold, and overflowing sewage water: These were the living conditions that formerly incarcerated people in Colorado said they suffered inside the state's prisons and jails. In a new

Using a computer model that reveals how plants grow thicker over time, biologists have uncovered how cells are activated to produce wood tissue. Understanding the genetic and molecular signals behind this growth, they hope to advance forestry practices and carbon dioxide storage in trees. Using a computer model that reveals how plants grow thicker over

As air temperatures stay elevated through fall months, people may still want clothes that cool them down while outside, especially if they live in cities that stay warmer than rural landscapes. Researchers who previously demonstrated a cooling fabric coating now report on additional tests of a treated polyester fabric. Fabric treated with the team's chalk-based

A new study challenges theories regarding the origins of a significant transition through the Earth's ice ages. The research provides fresh insights into the ocean's role in climate during the Mid-Pleistocene Transition, an enigmatic interval of change in climate cycles that began about one million years ago. A recently published study in Science challenges theories