Scientists have identified “Seed Transfer Zones” to help restore vast areas of degraded land in Brazil.

The discovery could improve understanding of how the ocean shapes Earth’s climate.

Maxing out at around 200 tons, the blue whale is not only the largest animal on the planet, it is also the largest animal ever to exist.

An irreversible shift in the chemical make-up of the Arctic Ocean driven by climate change is disrupting the region’s food chain, a study suggests.

Widespread loss of Arctic sea ice has led to a sharp fall in levels of a key nutrient, affecting populations of plankton, fish, seabirds and marine mammals, researchers say.

Their analysis reveals that exposure to sunlight of vast shallow regions of the ocean previously covered by ice fuels a process that breaks down the nutrient – nitrate – and removes it from seawater.

Read more at: University of Edinburgh

The polar research vessel RV Kronprins Haakon in Fram Strait, Arctic Ocean. (Photo Credit: Lawrence Hislop/Norwegian Polar Institute)

Azara’s owl monkeys, a small primate species found in South America, are heavier today than those that lived a quarter-century ago, and evidence suggests that rising temperatures might have driven the weight gain, according to a Yale-led study of a wild population.

A new study from Adelaide University has found that when ocean acidification makes reef habitat less complex, the fish living there gather in smaller shoals that offer less social protection.

Tidal wetlands are critical, yet vulnerable ecosystems. Tidal marshes, mangrove forests, and tidal flats support biodiversity, protect against flooding and storm surges, sequester carbon, and improve water quality.

Soils are home to some of the most diverse animal communities on Earth. These animals – including nematodes, springtails, mites, earthworms, spiders and other arthropods – drive decomposition, regulate microbial communities and contribute to nutrient cycling.

A major river restoration project in Cumbria has shown that reconnecting rivers to their floodplains can slow the movement of water and improve habitats.

A look at how the ocean is changing faster than at any point in human history will be the topic of a Public Lecture organised by Litfest and Lancaster University’s Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences.