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Close-up of a fiber with brightly colored pathogens beside it
Microplastics in Seawater May Harbor Parasites
Laboratory experiments find that Toxoplasma, Cryptosporidium, and Giardia can congregate on microplastic beads and fibers, suggesting they might make their way into and around the world’s oceans by hitching rides on tiny bits of trash.
Microplastics in Seawater May Harbor Parasites
Microplastics in Seawater May Harbor Parasites

Laboratory experiments find that Toxoplasma, Cryptosporidium, and Giardia can congregate on microplastic beads and fibers, suggesting they might make their way into and around the world’s oceans by hitching rides on tiny bits of trash.

Laboratory experiments find that Toxoplasma, Cryptosporidium, and Giardia can congregate on microplastic beads and fibers, suggesting they might make their way into and around the world’s oceans by hitching rides on tiny bits of trash.

wildlife

A young white-tailed deer in the snow
Possible Case of Deer-To-Human SARS-CoV-2 Transmission
Catherine Offord | Mar 3, 2022 | 2 min read
Canadian researchers identify a highly mutated variant of the virus in white-tailed deer and link it to a human COVID-19 case in the region—though they emphasize that the infection risk to people is low.
Two vaccine syringes on a baggy labelled with San Diego Zoo and Bonobo
The Rise of COVID-19 Vaccines for Animals
Chris Baraniuk | Dec 9, 2021 | 6 min read
Thousands of animals have had their shot already. How many more really need it?
Deer at grass field with autumn trees at the background stock photo
Researchers Detect Coronavirus in Iowa Deer
Chloe Tenn | Nov 3, 2021 | 3 min read
Multiple white tailed deer tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 likely transmitted from humans, a study finds, indicating the species could act as a reservoir for the virus.
macaque in zoo enclosure
Leading Japanese Primate Research Center is Closing
Chloe Tenn | Oct 19, 2021 | 2 min read
Kyoto University is shuttering its Primate Research Institute after its director was dismissed for misuse of funding.
Newly named jellyfish Tima nigroannulata swimming in Japan’s Kamo Aquarium.
Aquarium Jellyfish Turns Out to Be Undescribed Species
Lisa Winter | Jun 18, 2021 | 2 min read
The newly characterized “elegant jellyfish,” roughly the size of a human hand, had been on display in two aquariums in Japan for more than a decade.
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.
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: Herbivore Dung Nutrients Vary Across the Savanna
Catherine Offord | Nov 1, 2020 | 1 min read
In South Africa, the composition of droppings varies by species’ body sizes, and which animals are found where depends on vegetation density.
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.
With Humans Indoors, Animals Go Wild
Lisa Winter | Apr 17, 2020 | 4 min read
Across the globe, wildlife is exploring empty places usually occupied by people.
bats hanging upside down
Where Coronaviruses Come From
Shawna Williams | Jan 24, 2020 | 6 min read
EcoHealth Alliance President Peter Daszak speaks with The Scientist about how pathogens like 2019-nCoV jump species, and how to head off the next pandemic.
Image of the Day: Snake in Smoke
Emily Makowski | Dec 4, 2019 | 1 min read
An image of a Malagasy tree boa wins first place in the British Ecological Society’s annual photography competition.
Image of the Day: Chevrotain Caught on Camera
Emily Makowski | Nov 12, 2019 | 1 min read
The silver-backed chevrotain was undetected for decades, but local reports have led researchers to document the species on camera.
florida panther
Florida Wild Cats Struggle to Walk Due to Unknown Disorder
Nicoletta Lanese | Aug 28, 2019 | 2 min read
Both bobcats and the state’s namesake panther, an endangered species, have been spotted with signs of the condition.
silver carp swimming in the fox river near lake michigan
Invasive Carp Could Spread Across Lake Michigan on Detritus Diet
Nicoletta Lanese | Aug 14, 2019 | 3 min read
The fish’s undiscerning palate might make more of the lake habitable to the species than once thought, according to a new study.
little brown bat myotis lucifugus white-nose syndrome california
Fungus Behind Deadly Bat Disease Found in Northern California
Ashley P. Taylor | Jul 8, 2019 | 2 min read
Bats are infected with the microbe that causes white-nose syndrome, but the disease itself has not shown up.
bobcat wildlife camera trap Ohio state university Project Wild Coshocton
Image of the Day: Bobcat Sighting
Chia-Yi Hou | Apr 29, 2019 | 1 min read
A camera trap snaps a photo of a wild bobcat in a location new to scientists studying the animals’ geographical range in Ohio.
Opinion: Why Warthogs Are Useful in Figuring Out How Bovine TB Spreads
Eduard Roos | Mar 12, 2019 | 4 min read
The information we’ve gathered showed us that warthogs can be used as disease sentinels, avoiding the need to resort to testing valuable or endangered animals.
Cities Can Serve as Cauldrons of Evolution
Catherine Offord | Jan 1, 2019 | 10+ min read
From changes in gene flow to adaptation, the effects of urbanization are shaping the evolutionary trajectories of plants and animals.
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