New study reveals devastating impact of cane toads approaching the Pilbara

Photo Credit: Dr Judy Dunlop

New Curtin University research has found invasive cane toads are on track to reach Western Australia’s Pilbara region within the next 10 to 20 years, threatening to cause widespread losses among native species and significant cultural and economic harm.

The study, published in Scientific Reports, predicts that without containment efforts, the toxic amphibians will colonise up to 75 per cent of the Pilbara within three decades, putting 25 native species at risk of serious population declines. These include several species of native marsupial predators like northern quolls, ghost bat and kaluta, as well as frog-eating snakes, blue-tongue skinks and goannas.

Of these, nine native mammals and reptiles are expected to become newly listed as threatened species and push the already vulnerable ghost bat to a higher threat category if the toads are not properly managed.

The barred owl’s westward migration threatens other species and a whole ecosystem

Barred owls, native to the eastern United States and Canada but invasive to the west, prey on a wide range of species with special conservation status.
Photo Credit: Lane Wintermute/USFWS

A new study of nearly 800 barred owls on the West Coast shows the invasive predator feeds on 29 species given special conservation status by federal and state governments.

The list includes mammals, birds, fish, amphibians and reptiles, according to an analysis led by researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, who describe the wide-ranging pressure the owl’s advance into new territory is putting on native prey and predator species alike.

In 2024, the federal Fish and Wildlife Service adopted plans to reduce the number of barred owls in California, Oregon and Washington to protect a pair of threatened owls, the northern spotted owl and California spotted owl.

The new findings, published before peer review as a preprint on bioRxiv, suggest that the barred owl — which arrived recently in the western United States — is a danger to the survival of more than just competing owls, according to Daniela Arenas-Viveros, a lead author of the study.

Stranded Florida dolphins show Alzheimer’s-like brain changes linked to toxic algal blooms

Photo Credit: Oleksandr Sushko

A new study has discovered that dolphins living in Florida’s Indian River Lagoon show brain changes similar to Alzheimer’s disease. The collaborative study, which included scientists from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine,  Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute (HSWRI), Brain Chemistry Labs, the Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science and Blue World Research Institute, found that dolphins exposed to harmful algal blooms carried high levels of a toxin in their brains and showed warning signs of neurodegeneration.

The study is one of the first to connect neurotoxins found in algal blooms directly to brain changes associated with Alzheimer’s-like disease in a wild marine mammal. It also illustrates how warm water and nutrient pollution, which fuel these blooms, may impact wildlife health.

Sand mining reducing the flow of Southeast Asia’s largest lake, new report warns

The Tonle Sap Lake (TSL) in Cambodia is one of the most ecologically diverse lake ecosystems globally
Photo Credit: Marco De Gregorio

A new study led by Loughborough University has highlighted how sand mining is endangering the normal functioning of the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia.

The Tonle Sap Lake (TSL) in Cambodia is one of the most ecologically diverse lake ecosystems globally, and is the fourth most productive in terms of fish productivity.  

Since 1997 the TSL has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Biosphere Reserve, serving as a habitat for globally significant populations of endangered amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and birds, spanning a diverse array of over 800 species. 

Deep-sea mining waste threatens life and food webs in ocean’s dim “twilight zone”

Illustration showing midwater impacts of deep sea mining operations. Image credit: Dowd et al 2025 (Nature Communications)
Illustration Credit: Amanda Merritt

A new study led by researchers at the University of Hawai‘i (UH) at Mānoa is the first of its kind to show that waste discharged from deep-sea mining operations in the Pacific’s biodiverse Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ) could disrupt marine life in the midwater “twilight zone” — a vital region 200-1,500 meters below sea level that supports vast communities of zooplankton, tiny animals that serve as the ocean’s basic food building blocks. Specifically, it finds that 53% of all zooplankton and 60% of micronekton, which feed on zooplankton, would be impacted by the discharge, which could ultimately impact predators higher up on the food web.  

“When the waste released by mining activity enters the ocean, it creates water as murky as the mud-filled Mississippi River. The pervasive particles dilute the nutritious, natural food particles usually consumed by tiny, drifting Zooplankton,” said Michael Dowd, lead author of the study and Oceanography graduate student in the UH Mānoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST). “Micronekton, small shrimp, fish and other animals that swim, feed on zooplankton. Some migrate between the depths and near surface waters and they are consumed by fish, seabirds and marine mammals. Zooplankton’s exposure to junk food sediment has the potential  to disrupt  the entire food web.” 

Plant protection products change the behavior of non-target organisms

The honeybee (Apis mellifera) served as the model organism for pollinating insects.   
Photo Credit: André Künzelmann / UFZ

Plant protection products protect crops from pests, diseases and weeds. However, many of the fungicides, herbicides and insecticides also have a negative effect on terrestrial and aquatic organisms such as pollinators or fish that are not the primary target of their use. How their behavior changes after exposure to plant protection products is now the focus of a cross-habitat study by scientists from the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ). The behavioral changes found in the animal models were significant and are an indication of the effect of plant protection products on non-target organisms in the wild. The work indicates that more complex and relevant behavioural tests should be included in the risk assessment of plant protection products in the future. The study was published in the journal Environment International.

The application of plant protection products in agriculture is subject to strict regulations. Nevertheless, organisms that are not the primary target of their use, so-called non-target organisms, inevitably come into contact with these substances and can potentially be harmed by them. "Wild bees and other pollinators can come into contact with quite high concentrations shortly after spraying. But animals in aquatic habitats are also at risk," says UFZ biologist Prof. Martin von Bergen, one of the two joint principal investigators. "Rainfall gradually washes plant protection products into the surrounding waters. They don't simply remain and only affect the area where they are applied."

New modeling shows difficult future for the GBR under climate change

Coral bleached by high water temperatures in the Pacific Ocean.
Photo Credit: Professor Peter Mumby

The most sophisticated modeling to date forecasts that under the current global emissions pathway the Great Barrier Reef could lose most of its coral by the end of the century, but curbing climate change and strategic management will help coral resilience.

A research team led by The University of Queensland simulated different future climate scenarios driven by a range of plausible global emissions trajectories.

Dr Yves-Marie Bozec from UQ’s School of the Environment said the comprehensive modelling of individual corals included their ability to adapt to warmer water, large-scale reef dynamics and their interconnections on ocean currents.

“We ran all of those factors with the most up to date climate projections – and the news was not good,” Dr Bozec said.

“We forecast a rapid coral decline before the middle of this century regardless of the emissions scenario.

“Corals may partially recover after 2050, but only if ocean warming is sufficiently slow to allow natural adaptation to keep pace with temperature changes.

“Adaptation may keep pace if global warming does not exceed 2 degrees by 2100.

“For that to happen, more action is needed globally to reduce carbon emissions which are driving climate change.”

Study paints detailed picture of forest canopy damage caused by ‘heat dome’

Heat dome foliar scorch
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Oregon State University

A satellite imagery analysis shows that the 2021 “heat dome” scorched almost 5% of the forested area in western Oregon and western Washington, turning foliage in canopies from a healthy green to red or orange, sometimes within a matter of hours.

Damage to foliage leads to a range of problems for trees including reduced photosynthesis and increased vulnerability to pests and disease, scientists at Oregon State University say.

The study by researchers at OSU and the U.S. Forest Service identified 293,546 hectares of damaged forest, a total area of more than 1,000 square miles that’s nearly the size of Rhode Island. They took a deep dive into the affected areas to learn the factors that made some stands more vulnerable than others to the extreme heat event experienced by the Pacific Northwest in June 2021.

New Species of Spider Discovered, Just in Time for Halloween

A species of trapdoor spider, named Aptostichus ramirezae, was newly identified by UC Davis scientists.
Photo Credit: Emma Jochim/UC Davis

Scientists at the University of California, Davis, have discovered a new species of trapdoor spider lurking in California’s coastal sand dunes. The newly identified Aptostichus ramirezae is a close relative of Aptostichus simus, a species found along the coast from Monterey to Baja California, Mexico. 

The study, published in Ecology and Evolution, shows that what looked like one species, is actually two. 

“While there are over 50,000 species of spiders worldwide, there are probably hundreds of thousands left to be discovered, even along the coast where new spider species may be hiding just underfoot of California beachgoers,” said senior author Jason Bond, a professor in the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology.

Polar bears act as crucial providers for Arctic species

Photo Credit: Credit: San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance

A new study published in the scientific journal Oikos reveals for the first time the critical role polar bears play as carrion providers for Arctic species. Researchers from University of Manitoba and San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, alongside researchers from Environment and Climate Change Canada, and the University of Alberta, have estimated that polar bears leave behind approximately 7.6 million kilograms of their prey annually, creating a massive and vital food source for a wide network of arctic scavenger species.

This research demonstrates that these apex predators are a crucial link between the marine and terrestrial ecosystems. By hunting seals on the sea ice and abandoning the remains, polar bears transfer a substantial amount of energy from the ocean to the ice surface, making it accessible to other animals. The study identifies at least 11 vertebrate species known to benefit from this carrion, including Arctic foxes and ravens, with an additional eight potential scavenger species.

Spotted lanternfly may use ‘toxic shield’ to fend off bird predators

Entomologists in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences examined the potential for birds to feed on spotted lanternflies.
Photo Credit: Anne Johnson / Pennsylvania State University
(CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

Spotted lanternflies may season themselves to the distaste of potential bird predators, according to a new study led by entomologists in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences.

The findings, which were published in the Journal of Chemical Ecology, showed that several species of birds were less likely to eat spotted lanternflies that had fed on the pest’s preferred host, Ailanthus altissima, commonly known as tree of heaven. This suggests the pest stores nasty-tasting chemicals when they feed on the invasive plant that birds can detect, according to the research team.

Further, they said, the extent to which birds may play a role in pecking away at spotted lanternfly populations remains up in the air and depends on various factors.

Led by postdoctoral researcher Anne Johnson, the team investigated whether birds could serve as natural predators of the spotted lanternfly. This Asian planthopper causes damage to vineyards, orchards and the nursery industry.

Beavers Impact Ecosystems Above and Below Ground

Photo Credit: Gennady Zakharin

Above ground, we can see changes wrought by beaver ponds such as increases in biodiversity and water retention. But UConn Department of Earth Sciences researcher Lijing Wang says we have a limited understanding of how they impact what happens beneath the ground. In research published in Water Resource Research, Wang and co-authors study how water moves through the soils and subsurface environment and detail new insights into how beaver ponds impact groundwater.

Groundwater can be an important source of water for streams, especially late in a dry summer, it may be the only source of water sustaining a stream, says Wang, and researchers are interested in understanding if and how beaver ponds impact groundwater as these details are important to consider for water management and restoration efforts.

Microbes at Red Sea vents show how life and geology shape each other

Microscopic images of the studied microbes.
Image Credit: Courtesy of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology

A new study led by King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Professor Alexandre Rosado has revealed an unusual microbial world in the Hatiba Mons hydrothermal vent fields of the central Red Sea, a site first discovered by one of his co-authors and colleagues, Assistant Professor Froukje M. van der Zwan. 

Published in Environmental Microbiome, the study delivers the first "genome-resolved" analysis of these hydrothermal systems, providing an unprecedented view into both the types of microbes present and the metabolic functions that sustain them. 

“Microbes from the Hatiba Mons fields show remarkable metabolic versatility,” said KAUST Ph.D. student and lead author of the study, Sharifah Altalhi. “By understanding their functions, we can see how life shapes its environment, and how geology and biology are deeply intertwined in the Red Sea.” 

Canopy walkways provide a safe way for rainforest mammals to cross the forest

A canopy walkway at the Amazon Conservatory for Tropical Studies (ACTS) Field Station in the Napo-Sucusari Biological Reserve, located 40 miles outside of Iquitos, Peru.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of the researchers / Binghamton University

Look up in the woods and you may see a familiar sight: squirrels using tree limbs like a leafy highway, crossing a patch of land without putting their paws on the ground.

That’s true in the Amazon rainforest as well. A new study published by Binghamton University biologists in the journal Neotropical Biology and Conservation offers insights for the first time into how arboreal species use human-made canopy structures.

Authored by environmental studies alumnus Justin Santiago ’21, now in a master’s program at Miami University, and Binghamton University Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences Lindsey Swierk, “Arboreal mammal use of canopy walkway bridges on an Amazonian forest with continuous canopy cover” focuses on research conducted at the Amazon Conservatory for Tropical Studies (ACTS) Field Station in the Napo-Sucusari Biological Reserve, located 40 miles outside of Iquitos, Peru.

Important phenomenon discovered in the Arctic – could boost marine life

Measurements of nitrogen fixation in the Arctic Ocean aboard RV Polarstern
Photo Credit: Rebecca Duncan

Researchers from the University of Copenhagen have discovered an important phenomenon beneath the Arctic sea ice that was previously thought impossible. This phenomenon could have implications for the food chain and the carbon budget in the cold north.

The shrinking sea ice in the Arctic Ocean is, overall, a disaster. But paradoxically, the melting of the ice can also fuel the engine of the Arctic food chains: algae.

Algae are the main food source for life in the sea, but they need nitrogen to grow. And nitrogen is in short supply in the Arctic Ocean. However, a new international study led by the University of Copenhagen indicates there will probably be more of it in the future than previously thought. This could change the future prospects for marine life in the High North and possibly for the carbon budget.

What Is: Extinction Level Events

A Chronicle of Earth's Biotic Crises and an Assessment of Future Threats
Image Credit: Scientific Frontline

Defining Biotic Catastrophe

The history of life on Earth is a story of breathtaking diversification and innovation, but it is punctuated by chapters of profound crisis. These are the extinction level events—catastrophes of such magnitude that they fundamentally reset the planet's biological clock. Popular imagination often pictures a single, sudden event, like the asteroid that sealed the fate of the dinosaurs. The geological reality, however, is more complex and, in many ways, more instructive for our current era. Understanding these events requires a rigorous scientific framework that moves beyond simple notions of species loss to appreciate the systemic collapse of entire global ecosystems.

Study links wind-blown dust from receding Salton Sea to reduced lung function in area children

Researchers with the UC Irvine-led study sample dust at the southern edge of the Salton Sea. Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health
Photo Credit: Courtesy of University of California, Irvine

Children living near the Salton Sea, in Southern California’s desert region of Imperial County, are experiencing poorer lung function than children exposed to less wind-blown dust, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of California, Irvine’s Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health.

They found that higher dust exposure – measured in hours per year – was linked to lower lung function, with the negative effects most pronounced among children living closest to the lake. The work, published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, marks one of the first investigations to directly link dust events from a drying saline lake to measurable declines in children’s respiratory health.

A federal grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the Southern California Environmental Health Sciences Center funded the research in partnership with the Imperial Valley community-based organization Comite Civico del Valle.

The Red Sea Went Completely Dry Before Being Flooded by the Indian Ocean

 KAUST scientists have determined a rapid flood more than 6 million years ago radically changed the Red Sea and all its marine life.
Photo Credit: Francesco Ungaro

KAUST researchers find the Red Sea experienced a massive disruption 6.2 million years ago completely changing its marine life 

Scientists at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) have provided conclusive evidence that the Red Sea completely dried out about 6.2 million years ago, before being suddenly refilled by a catastrophic flood from the Indian Ocean. The findings, published in Communications Earth & Environment, put a definitive time on a dramatic event that changed the Red Sea. 

Using seismic imaging, microfossil evidence, and geochemical dating techniques, the KAUST researchers showed that a massive change happened in about 100 000 years – a blink of an eye for a major geological event. The Red Sea went from connecting with the Mediterranean Sea to an empty, salt-filled basin. Then, a massive flood burst through volcanic barriers to open the Bab el-Mandab strait and reconnect the Red Sea with the world’s oceans. 

“Our findings show that the Red Sea basin records one of the most extreme environmental events on Earth, when it dried out completely and was then suddenly reflooded about 6.2 million years ago,” said lead author Dr. Tihana Pensa of KAUST. “The flood transformed the basin, restored marine conditions, and established the Red Sea’s lasting connection to the Indian Ocean.” 

Burning issue: study finds fire a friend to some bees, a foe to others

Native bee species the megachile aufrions.
Photo Credit: Kit Prendergast

New Curtin University research has found the impact of bushfires and prescribed burns on global bee populations is highly varied, with some species benefiting from fire while others face severe risks.

The study, led by Adjunct Research Fellow Dr Kit Prendergast from Curtin’s School of Molecular and Life Sciences, examined 148 studies from around the world to understand how fire impacts bees.

The review considered the severity, frequency and duration of fires, along with the different characteristics of bees, such as where they nest, their body size, how specialized their diet is and whether they live alone or in groups.

Dr Prendergast said while declining pollinator numbers are being increasingly recognized as a major threat to biodiversity and sustainability, little was known until now about how they respond to fires that are becoming more frequent and severe due to climate change and land management practices.

Air Pollution Can Contribute to Obesity and Diabetes

The most significant sources of fine air pollutants include exhaust fumes from cars, industrial plants and heating systems, as well as emissions from construction sites and forest fires.
Photo Credit: Uvi D

Long-term exposure to fine air pollution can impair metabolic health by disrupting the normal function of brown fat in mice. A study co-led by the University of Zurich shows that this occurs through complex changes in gene regulation driven by epigenetic mechanisms. The results demonstrate how environmental pollutants contribute to the development of insulin resistance and metabolic diseases.

There is growing evidence that air pollution is not just harmful to our lungs and heart, but also plays a significant role in the development of metabolic disorders like insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. A new study co-led by Francesco Paneni, professor at the Center for Translational and Experimental Cardiology of the University of Zurich (UZH) and the University Hospital Zurich (USZ), and Sanjay Rajagopalan, professor at the Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, now sheds light on the topic.