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A male and female Chiriqui harlequin frog (<em>Atelopus chiriquiensis</em>) photographed in 2010. The species was declared extinct in 2019.
How Do Scientists Decide a Species Has Gone Extinct?
Getting it wrong can harm the very creatures that scientists are trying to protect.
How Do Scientists Decide a Species Has Gone Extinct?
How Do Scientists Decide a Species Has Gone Extinct?

Getting it wrong can harm the very creatures that scientists are trying to protect.

Getting it wrong can harm the very creatures that scientists are trying to protect.

conservation, ecology

A California Chinook Salmon Jumps into a waterfall during spawning season
Geneticists Light Up Debate on Salmon Conservation
Christie Wilcox, PhD | Feb 1, 2023 | 10+ min read
Splitting Chinook salmon into two groups based on their DNA could aid conservation efforts. But some researchers argue that this would be a misuse of the data.
Infographic comparing the fall and spring salmon runs
Infographic: An Incredible Journey
Christie Wilcox, PhD | Feb 1, 2023 | 1 min read
Chinook make their way up the Klamath River every year, but fewer and fewer arrive in the spring.
Timeline summarizing a series of petitions filed about the Chinook salmon
Timeline: An Extended Battle
Christie Wilcox, PhD | Feb 1, 2023 | 3 min read
Various concerned groups have been petitioning NOAA Fisheries to list spring-run Chinook salmon in Oregon and Northern California for over a decade.
Vector drawing of a tropical rainforest with diverse trees
More Than 9,000 Tree Species Await Scientific Description
Christie Wilcox, PhD | Feb 1, 2022 | 2 min read
A new study of tree biodiversity estimates that Earth boasts 14 percent more tree species than previous efforts have identified.
Thomas Lovejoy wearing glasses and smiling at camera
“Godfather of Biodiversity” Thomas Lovejoy Dies at 80
Lisa Winter | Jan 12, 2022 | 3 min read
The famous ecologist was a lifelong champion for conservation.
A ship off the coast of Antarctica approaches a beach
Q&A: How to Keep Antarctica Safe from Invasive Species
Dan Robitzski | Nov 23, 2021 | 8 min read
The Scientist spoke with University of Wollongong ecologist Dana Bergstrom about protecting the continent’s native plants and animals in the face of climate change and a growing human presence.
Fireflies lighting up a tree at night
Firefly Tourism Sparks Calls for Sustainable Practices
Asher Jones | Jun 1, 2021 | 5 min read
More and more people are traveling around the world to watch the luminous displays of fireflies, but tourism-related light pollution and habitat degradation threaten to snuff out the insects at some locations.  
David Wake is facing the camera, smiling.
Salamander Expert David Wake Dies at 84
Lisa Winter | May 21, 2021 | 3 min read
Throughout his career, the University of California, Berkeley, herpetologist named 144 species of salamanders.
Picture of Markus Dyck standing outside, wearing a red coat and ball cap.
Polar Bear Researcher Markus Dyck Dies in Helicopter Crash
Lisa Winter | Apr 30, 2021 | 2 min read
Dyck was widely respected for working alongside indigenous groups as he studied polar bears on their ancestral lands.
Slideshow: How Ecologists Study the World’s Apex Predators
Katarina Zimmer | Nov 1, 2020 | 4 min read
A global decline of large carnivores has motivated scientists to understand the animals’ ecological roles, and consider whether reintroducing them can help restore ecosystems.
Can Rewilding Large Predators Regenerate Ecosystems?
Katarina Zimmer | Nov 1, 2020 | 10+ min read
As some conservationists and researchers begin to return large carnivores to areas where they once roamed, scientists intensify efforts to study the ecological roles of predators.
Infographic: How Large Carnivores Sculpt Ecosystems
Katarina Zimmer | Nov 1, 2020 | 4 min read
The release of gray wolves in Yellowstone decades ago still stands as one of the few examples of a predator reintroduction, and the lessons learned continue to be debated. New projects aim to do it again.
Chelsea Wood Tracks Parasites Around the World
Amanda Heidt | Nov 1, 2020 | 3 min read
The University of Washington parasite ecologist aims to understand how humans have changed the diversity and abundance of the enigmatic and misunderstood organisms.
Conservation Biology Icon Georgina Mace Dies at 67
Lisa Winter | Oct 2, 2020 | 3 min read
Mace led the work to determine the criteria for the IUCN’s Red List.
Pandemic Shutdown Altered Bay Area Birdsongs
Ruth Williams | Sep 24, 2020 | 4 min read
As shelter-in-place orders quieted the city of San Francisco, its sparrow population developed softer, sexier songs.
elephant herbivore extinction risk predator omnivore iucn red list
Risk of Extinction Is Greatest for Large Herbivores: Study
Ruth Williams | Aug 5, 2020 | 3 min read
Data on vertebrate species that have become, or are likely to become, extinct reveal plant eaters are most under threat.
Guam’s Coral Reefs Ravaged by Warming Oceans
Catherine Offord | Jul 31, 2019 | 2 min read
Bleaching killed 34 percent of the island’s reefs between 2013 and 2017, a study finds.
Antarctic Emperor Penguin Colony Faces Collapse
Jef Akst | Apr 25, 2019 | 2 min read
After three years with very few new chicks, the birds are abandoning one of the biggest breeding sites on the continent, satellite images show.
New Global Trade Route Could Shuttle Invasive Species
K.V. Venkatasubramanian | Feb 19, 2019 | 3 min read
China’s ongoing Belt and Road Initiative passes through areas that are already at risk of swapping organisms.
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