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One third of all vertebrate species are exploited by humans

29 June 2023

An analysis reveals that 14,663 species of birds, mammals, fish, reptiles and amphibians are killed for food, kept as pets or used by humans in some way

The Auchencorth Moss air quality monitoring station in Scotland (credit: National Physical Laboratory / Local Site Operator)

Air pollution monitors have been accidentally harvesting wildlife DNA

5 June 2023

DNA from plants’ and animals’ shed cells gets caught in air filters at pollution monitoring stations, providing a valuable source of data for tracking biodiversity

We’ve been drastically underestimating Earth’s microbial diversity

1 June 2023

A survey of bacteria and archaea living in 99 coral reefs across the Pacific Ocean found these ecosystems may contain more microbes than current estimates for the whole planet – suggesting everywhere else on Earth does too

5000 species not known elsewhere live in area set for deep-sea mining

25 May 2023

Thousands more species are probably waiting to be discovered in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, a region of the Pacific Ocean where companies are planning to extract valuable metals

380 new species discovered in the Greater Mekong Region EMBARGOED UNTIL 00:01GMT May 22 Calotes goetzi The Cambodian blue-crested agma, an aggressive lizard that changes color as a defensive mechanism ? Henrik Bringsoe

Hundreds of species new to science discovered in South-East Asia

22 May 2023

A WWF report catalogues a cornucopia of plants and animals newly identified in the Greater Mekong region in 2021 and 2022, but many of them are endangered

Insects are thriving in England's rivers after fall in metal pollution

19 May 2023

An analysis of 30 years of monitoring data shows an upward trend in the population of insects and other invertebrates in English rivers, which may be linked to lower levels of zinc and copper

A pair of Volcan Alcedo Giant Tortoises on Isabela Island in the Galapagos archipelago

Galapagos giant tortoise argument may threaten conservation efforts

23 April 2023

How many distinct species of Galapagos giant tortoises are there? The latest genetic study says at least five, disputing previous work, and the answer could have implications for their conservation

Farmland could feed 20 billion people but it might wreck the planet

10 April 2023

Reaching the maximum feeding capacity from current agricultural land would require a global shift to plant-based diets and vast amounts of industrial fertiliser, a study has found

Fishing vessels are catching squid at night.

Squid fishing is booming in unregulated parts of the ocean

10 March 2023

To lure squid to the surface, fishing vessels often use bright lights than can be seen by satellites. This has allowed researchers to track squid fishing that occurs away from oversight

What is the UN high seas treaty and will it save the world’s oceans?

6 March 2023

Nations have for the first time agreed on a framework for protecting marine life in international waters, but there are many issues still to be ironed out