Saltmarsh Sparrow: The “Canary” of Sea-Level Rise
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…
Can Listening to Oyster Reefs Help Us Assess Their Health?
Can Listening to Oyster Reefs Help Us Assess Their Health?
Atolls are Globally Important for Seabirds
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…
Coconut Palms Dominate Over Half of Pacific Atoll Forests
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…
Science for Evaluating Flood Risk + Improving Community Resilience
Using novel applications of satellite radar imagery and a specialized computer algorithm, a new study examining flooding caused by Hurricanes Matthew (2016) and Florence (2018) shows that current flood hazard…
The Weird, Wondrous and Vulnerable American Horseshoe Crab
I really wanted to title this blog, “Sea-Going Scorpions on the Half-Shell,” because the first time I ever saw the underside of a horseshoe crab I thought it looked like…
Heat Exposure From Deforestation Decreases Cognitive Performance of Rural Workers
Deforestation causes dramatic increases in local temperature. New research shows that the associated heat exposure is harming the cognitive performance of rural subsistence workers. The Gist The study, published in…
Can Freshwater Reserves Protect Tropical Fish Diversity?
Marine reserves – basically, no-take reserves set aside to protect fisheries – have become an widely utilized conservation tactic. But this protected-area model is often overlooked in freshwater conservation. Could…
Deforestation Reduces Worker Productivity in the Tropics
New research from Indonesia finds that rural workers in deforested landscapes were less productive than those working in intact forest settings. Deforested locations experienced hotter temperatures, prompting workers to adapt…
Mammals, Wildlife Trade + the Next Global Pandemic
New publication presents some of the first empirical evidence showing a strong association between wildlife trade and zoonotic disease risk. In fact, scientists found that slightly more than 25 percent…