Articles tagged as Conservation | Smithsonian Magazine

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

December 3, 2019

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

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

December 3, 2019

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

November 27, 2019

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

New Research

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

November 25, 2019

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

November 22, 2019

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

November 22, 2019

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

November 19, 2019

Hoh Xil, on the Tibetan Plateau, sits in what will soon be Sanjiangyuan, China's first national park, according to Getty.

China Is Developing a New National Parks System, Inspired by Yellowstone and Yosemite

The first one to open will encompass a high-altitude, remote region of the Tibetan Plateau

November 14, 2019

Illegally caught belugas in a pool in Srednyaya Bay near the city of Nakhodka in Russia's Far East.

Russia Frees Last Belugas From Notorious ‘Whale Jail’

Dozens of orcas and belugas had been kept in small sea pens, reportedly awaiting sale to China

November 12, 2019

A two-month-old filefish collected in the survey surrounded by plastic bits.

New Research

Newly Identified Fish Nurseries Are Choked With Plastic

Larval fish congregate in surface slicks, which contain plankton—and 126 times more plastic than surrounding waters

November 12, 2019

Goats cleared a fire break around the library just in time to hold the blaze back so firefighters could finish the job.

Hungry Goats Helped Save the Reagan Library From a California Wildfire

Some heroes wear capes, others like to eat flammable weeds

November 5, 2019

A steppe eagle with an SMS tracker attached.

A steppe eagle named Min spent months out of range before reappearing in Iran and sending hundreds of expensive SMS texts

October 28, 2019

Nesting gulls have likely been trying to feed the bands found in nearby flower fields to their chicks for decades

October 24, 2019

Part of the Badlands Opens to Bison—for the First Time in 150 Years

A parcel of private land had previously stopped the animals from expanding their range in the Badlands National Park

October 18, 2019

Celebratory events are scheduled November 11 to 18 to wish Bei Bei, the giant panda, a Bon Voyage.

Pandamonium

National Zoo Says Bye Bye to Bei Bei

The giant panda recently turned four years old and will soon move to China to breed

October 18, 2019

By collecting images and GPS data from citizen divers, scientists can get a better sense of the health of the entire Great Barrier Reef.

Massive Citizen Science Effort Seeks to Survey the Entire Great Barrier Reef

Only about 1,000 of 3,000 individual reefs have been documented, but the Great Reef Census hopes to fill in the gaps

October 17, 2019

The Spectacled Flowerpecker Is Now Known to Science

First spotted a decade ago, this elusive bird hangs out in the canopy of Borneo’s lowland forests

October 17, 2019

"An important first step is understanding how tropical forests worldwide, climate, and the food and other products that we consume are all interconnected on the global scale. Collectively we can have a real impact," says forest ecologist Kristina Anderson-Teixeira.

Yes, Tropical Forests Tragically Burned This Summer, but Here’s What You Can Do

Fires stoked worldwide anxiety, but Smithsonian forest ecologist Kristina Anderson-Teixeira offers a few practices for making a difference

October 15, 2019

Habitat restoration and invasive species trapping have helped Kirtland’s recover in its central Michigan home

October 11, 2019

Coyotes are one of the most resourceful and resilient predators and play an important role in controlling populations of small mammals.

Connecting With Coyotes on the Prowl

Biologist Joe Guthrie embarks on a new study to track five adults in the Shenandoah Valley using GPS collars

October 8, 2019