News by Subject Biology

A new study helps explain why some animals are sometimes more often found in suburban areas than wild ones.

Most of the world's leopards are endangered and generally, the number of these shy and stunning cats is decreasing. However, according to a recent study by a researcher from University of Copenhagen and colleagues from China, leopard populations in northern China are on the mend. Discover why below.

Marine food webs and biogeochemical cycles react very sensitively to the increase in carbon dioxide (CO2) - but the effects are far more complex than previously thought. This is shown in a study published by a team of researchers from the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel in the journal Nature Climate Change. Data were combined from five large-scale field experiments, which investigated how the carbon cycle within plankton communities reacts to the increase of CO2.

Where are small marine animals most vulnerable to getting eaten? In a new study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Oct. 26, scientists sketched the first global "BiteMap" showing where the ocean's mid-sized predators are most active. By fishing with dried squid baits called "squid pops," they discovered rising temperatures can shape entire communities of predators and have potential impacts lower down the food web.

Emissions from coal-fired power plants in China are fertilizing the North Pacific Ocean with a metal nutrient important for marine life, according to new findings from a USC-led research team. The researchers believe these metals could change the ocean ecosystem, though it's unclear whether it would be for better or worse.