Ecosystems


Planned Dams in Amazon May Have Largely Negative Ecosystem Impact

The Andean Amazon is becoming a major frontier for new hydroelectric dams, but an analysis of the potential impacts of these planned projects suggests that there may be serious ecological concerns to take into account. The full report is published in the open access journal PloS ONE.

EPA Orders AVX Corp. to Clean Up New Bedford Harbor

EPA has issued an enforcement order to AVX Corp. to implement the ongoing cleanup work at New Bedford Harbor, including dredging PCB-contaminated sediment from the Harbor and disposing the dredged sediment to an appropriately licensed off-site facility, into a confined aquatic disposal cell in the Harbor, and into confined disposal facilities to be built along the shoreline.

10,000 Birds Die as "Everglades of West" Dries, Spreads Disease

Officials from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) are estimating that over 10,000 migrating birds have died so far this year because of reduced water flow to the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon and California. Officials say the final death toll may be close to 20,000 birds.

Fasting for Lent Forces Hyenas to Change Diet

Many Christians give up certain foods for Lent, however ecologists have discovered these changes in human diet have a dramatic impact on the diet of wild animals.

Approximately 80,000 Acres of Guatemala Forest Protected

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and partners signed an agreement this month that will safeguard some 80,000 acres of intact forest in Guatemala in the heart of the sprawling Maya Biosphere Reserve. Home to jaguars, macaws, pumas and various wildlife, the protected land will continue to serve as a safe haven to all inhabitants.

Team Releases Findings from 2011 Cruise to Measure the Impacts of Fukushima Radiation

An international research team is reporting the results of a research cruise they organized to study the amount, spread, and impacts of radiation released into the ocean from the tsunami-crippled reactors in Fukushima, Japan.

Global Research Partnerships Key to New Sustainable Solutions across Industries

According to the International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers, global automobile production will increase three percent this year – an industry growth trend with potential environmental impacts.

Covering Up Only Makes Crime Worse

Greek Shipping Company Sentenced in New Orleans to Pay $2 Million for Intentional Cover-Up of Oil Pollution and Obstruction of Justice



Lead Sampling in Big River Flood Plain

EPA to Host April 5 Session in Byrnes Mill, Mo., to Discuss Residential Lead Sampling in Big River Floodplain of Southwest Jefferson County

EPA and LA Water Board Set Strict New Pollution Reduction Plans for 175 Waterways in Los Angeles Area

Action Culminates 13 Year Effort, Eliminating Beach Closures, Reducing Trash and Toxic Chemicals in Waters

Another Vertebrate Species Reported Extinct from the Hawaiian Islands

A species of lizard is now extinct from the Hawaiian Islands, making it the latest native vertebrate species to become extirpated from this tropical archipelago.

Plans for Guam Wildlife Habitat Project Move Forward

After 25 years, former waste dump converted to endangered wildlife habitat in Guam.

Genetic Survey of Endangered Antarctic Blue Whales Shows Surprising Diversity

More than 99 percent of Antarctic blue whales were killed by commercial whalers during the 20th century, but the first circumpolar genetic study of these critically endangered whales has found a surprisingly high level of diversity among the surviving population of some 2,200 individuals.

Natural Levels of Nitrogen in Tropical Forests May Increase Vulnerability to Pollution

Waterways in remote, pristine tropical forests located in the Caribbean and Central America contain levels of nitrogen comparable to amounts found in streams and rivers flowing through polluted forests in the United States and Europe. This discovery by a Princeton University-led research team raises questions about how tropical forests might respond if they were to become exposed to additional nitrogen through water and air pollution.

Overfishing Threatens the Survival of Seabirds

From gannets to seagulls, puffins to penguins, all seabirds suffer the same drop in birth rates when the supply of fish drops to less than a third of maximum capacity. That's the result from an international study on the relationships between predators and prey in seven ecosystems around the world, published in the magazine Science and coordinated by Philippe Cury, an IRD researcher.

Chemists Study Mutated Plants, Possibly Better for Biofuels

Genetic mutations to cellulose in plants could improve the conversion of cellulosic biomass into biofuels, according to a research team that included two Iowa State University chemists.

Sea Level Rise to Alter Economics of California Beaches

Rising sea levels are likely to change Southern California beaches in the coming century, but not in ways you might expect.

Sewage Pollution Continues to be a Major Problem in New Jersey

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved the 2010 list of waters in New Jersey that are considered either impaired or threatened by pollutants.

Federal Officials Announce Nationwide Crackdown on Black Market Rhino Trade

The Department of Justice and the Department of the Interior recently announced the arrest of seven people charged with trafficking endangered black rhinoceros horns.