Conservation

Coyotes are about to enter South America, a move that could soon make the species, native to North America, one of the most widespread carnivores in the western hemisphere.

Coyotes Poised to Infiltrate South America

The crab-eating fox and the coyote may soon swap territories, initiating the first American cross-continental exchange in more than three million years

A Chinese paddlefish specimen made in 1990 is seen on display at the Museum of Hydrobiological Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Wuhan, China. The Chinese paddlefish's sharp, protruding snout made it one of the largest freshwater species in the world.

The Chinese Paddlefish, Which Lived for 200 Million Years, Is Now Extinct

New research concludes the freshwater species likely disappeared between 2005 and 2010 due to human activity

After seeing their numbers slashed due to overhunting in the 20th century, North Atlantic right whales still face plenty of threats, including ship strikes, habitat degradation and pollution. A mother and her calf are seen in this aerial image from 2005.

Can Scientists Protect North Atlantic Right Whales by Counting Them From Space?

A new collaboration between the New England Aquarium and the engineering firm Draper seeks to use satellite sonar and radar data to create a global watch

Athena, a two-toed sloth who recently made her debut at the National Zoo.

Will Love Bloom Between Two Sloths at the National Zoo?

Keepers are gradually introducing Athena, who made her debut at the zoo in December, to fellow two-toed sloth Vlad. Sparks have not flown—yet

On December 24, 2019, the Potter Park Zoo in Michigan welcomed a healthy male black rhino calf.

Baby Black Rhino Born at Michigan Zoo on Christmas Eve

The birth of the yet-to-be-named male calf marks a milestone for conservationists trying to save the critically endangered species

Employees are contributing to the initiative by supplying reusable cups, plates and utensils for meetings, as well as bringing used plastic packaging materials from home.

A Hawaii Museum Has Eliminated the Sale of All Single-Use Plastics

The Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum in Honolulu hopes to set a positive example in the fight for a more sustainable future

A rancher tends to several small feral hogs in a pen in Texas. But in the wild, these hogs are considered invasive—and they're headed north.

Feral Pigs Are Invasive, Voracious and Resilient. They're Also Spreading

The destructive swine are expanding their range in the United States and appear to be encroaching from Canada

An infant mountain gorilla from the Katwe group in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda.

Endangered Mountain Gorilla Populations Are Growing

But the animals remain threatened with extinction

Dead mussels along the Clinch River.

Scientists Don't Know Why Freshwater Mussels Are Dying Across North America

Mussel species are dying en mass in rivers across the Pacific Northwest, Midwest and South—likely from unidentified pathogens

Ecologists fear that repaving the highway known as BR-319 will open new sections of the Amazon to catastrophic deforestation.

Is the Amazon on a Road to Ruin?

Brazil’s plan to develop a lonesome track in the heart of the rainforest poses a threat the whole world may someday have to overcome

Thousands of brooding octopuses were discovered in 2018 on the ocean floor off the coast of California.

Eighteen Things We've Learned About the Oceans in the Last Decade

In the past 10 years, the world's oceans have faced new challenges, revealed new wonders, and provided a roadmap for future conservation

Humpback whales being tagged by researchers off the coast of Antarctica in 2018. The data gathered revealed that diet largely dictates a whales' maximum size.

Whales Are the Biggest Animals to Ever Exist—Why Aren't They Bigger?

New research highlights the role diet plays in dictating a cetacean’s size

New York is the largest city to implement legislation requiring bird-friendly construction.

New York Is Poised to Require Bird-Friendly Glass on All New Buildings

Each year, up to a billion birds in the United States die from glass collisions

When the scientists played the sounds of healthy coral ecosystems at damaged reefs, 50 percent more species showed up than at quiet sites.

One Way to Lure Fish Back to Damaged Reefs? Play the Sounds of Living Coral

The find is fascinating, but can’t save these marine ecosystems by itself

A tiger similar to the one pictured here trekked more than 800 miles over the course of five months.

Tiger Takes Record-Breaking 800-Mile Trek Across India

The male, dubbed C1, left the Tipeshwar Tiger Reserve in June and is likely looking for a mate, new territory or prey

An image from Birds of America by John James Audubon depicting the Great Auk.

Humans May Be Solely to Blame for the Great Auk’s Extinction

A new study suggests that the flightless birds were not declining due to environmental changes when humans began to hunt them in large numbers

The study authors write: "We posit here that artificial light at night is another important – but often overlooked – bringer of the insect apocalypse."

The Devastating Role of Light Pollution in the 'Insect Apocalypse'

A new study shows excess outdoor light is impacting how insects hunt, mate and make them more vulnerable to predators

City noise can throw off a bat's ability to use echolocation.

Noise Pollution Impacts a Wide Range of Species, Study Finds

From tiny insects to large marine mammals, animals are affected by noise in ways that might threaten their survival

The eye of Hurricane Dorian made landfall in the Bahamas (above: Marsh Harbour after the storm) on September 1, 2019, leveling homes, crushing cars and killing people.

Rescuing Bahamian Culture From Dorian’s Wrath

A team of Smithsonian conservation specialists tours the islands and offers expertise

A humpback whale basks in sunlight at the ocean's surface in Atlantic Ocean off the coast of the Dominican Republic.

South Atlantic Humpback Whales Have Rebounded From the Brink of Extinction

A new study estimates that the group’s population has grown from 440 individuals in 1958 to nearly 25,000 today

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