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Pollution

Blue pieces of microplastic viewed under a microscope alongside dust, minerals and charcoal collected from a park in Idaho.

New Research

Airborne Microplastics ‘Now Spiral Around the Globe’

Researchers find the tiny synthetic particles can stay aloft for nearly a week and travel large distances in the wind

Twenty-eight incidents where wildlife was harmed by PPE were recorded and the first documented case included an American Robin found wrapped up in a mask in Canada, in April 2020.

Discarded Covid-19 Masks and Plastic Gloves Are Killing Wildlife

Biologists are finding single-use items are entrapping and entangling animals all over the globe

The object left a four-inch dent on the ground at a Washington farm.

After a Fiery Display, SpaceX Debris Landed on a Washington Farm

Officials are also investigating whether a cylindrical object that washed ashore in Oregon may also be from the SpaceX rocket booster

A new study found rat poison in the bodies of more than 80 percent of 133 dead bald and golden eagles from across the U.S.

New Research

Study Finds Rat Poison in Dead Eagles From Across the U.S.

More than 82 percent of 133 eagles tested had so-called anticoagulant rodenticides in their bodies

A study of ten narwhal tusks reveals how the animals are responding to a swiftly changing Arctic.

New Research

Study of Narwhal Tusks Reveals a Swiftly Changing Arctic

Chemical analysis of ten tusks shows shifting diets and increasing levels of mercury as climate change warms the polar region

Grasshoppers swarm a street light a few blocks from the Las Vegas Strip on July 26, 2019.

New Research

Las Vegas Was Inundated by 46 Million Grasshoppers on a Single Night in 2019

A new study says the horde of insects was drawn to the Vegas Strip by its famously bright lights

Monday's dust storm left Beijing, China, in an orange haze (left). By Tuesday the air was much clearer (right).

Largest Dust Storm in More Than a Decade Blanketed China This Week

Air quality readings in Beijing reached dangerous levels while residents were urged to stay indoors

For decades there were rumors of leaking barrels filled with the pesticide DDT littering the ocean floor off the coast of Santa Catalina Island dumped by the now-defunct, Montrose Chemical Corp, the largest global DDT manufacturer based in Los Angeles

‘Underwater Roombas’ Scan Southern California Coast for DDT Barrels

Hundreds of tons of the toxic chemical have likely littered the ocean floor near Santa Catalina Island for decades

Wisdom, a 70-year-old Laysan albatross, and one of her chicks from years past.

Oldest Known Wild Bird Hatches Chick at Age 70

Wisdom, a Laysan albatross, was first banded by scientists on a remote North Pacific atoll in 1956

The Oyapock river, between Brazil and French Guiana, is one of the few waterways that a new paper identifies as being relatively undamaged by humans.

New Research

One-Third of Freshwater Fish Species Are at Risk of Extinction

Humans have severely damaged more than half of the world’s rivers

To aid the turtles in flushing out their digestive systems clogged with crude oil, workers at the sea turtle rescue are feeding them mayonnaise, which will break down the tar and make it easier to expel out.

Turtles Caught in Disastrous Oil Spill Treated With Mayonnaise

The tar-covered animals were given the condiment to flush out their digestive systems

A woman at the Gador nature reserve in Israel holds a dead baby sea turtle covered in tar from the oil spill on Feb. 20, 2021.

Oil Spill Off Israeli Coast Covers Beaches and Wildlife in Tar

Authorities are searching for the ship responsible for the unreported spill

Sea whip coral can come in a variety of colors, from vivid reds and oranges, yellows to rich violets and can grow up to three feet long.

Tangled ‘Cord’ Mistaken for Litter Is Actually a Sea Creature

Along the East Coast and Gulf of Mexico, beachgoers mistake sea whip coral for discarded junk

Female Mediterranean field crickets (Gryllus bimaculatus) crickets can tell male cricket qualities and fitness through their courtship songs.

Noise Pollution Interrupts Crickets’ Sex Lives

Anthropogenic noise is affecting the female cricket’s ability to hear the male’s courting song

Researchers estimate this seagrass found in the Mediterranean could trap about 867 million plastic pieces per year in coastal areas.

New Research

This Seagrass Traps Marine Plastic

Researchers find the Mediterranean species of seagrass collects plastics in fibrous balls that form from its fallen leaves

Projects that harness the public to make observations and report data about the health of our environment are growing. Anyone can join—no PhDs needed.

Innovation for Good: Game Changers

Twenty-Four Ways to Turn Outdoor Passions Into Citizen Science

Heading into the new year, consider collecting scientific data while skiing, hiking, surfing, biking and partaking in other adventures

Coho salmon returning from its years at sea to spawn, seen near the Suquamish Tribe's Grovers Creek Hatchery.

New Research

Researchers Reveal Why Seattle Salmon Bite the Dust After Rainstorms

A chemical found in car tire debris washes off roads into waterways, killing coho salmon returning to spawn

A great blue heron seen wading in front of an oil refinery. Burning and producing fossil fuels are major sources of air pollution. A new study estimates that over the last four decades environmental regulations aimed at improving air quality have saved the lives of some 1.5 billion birds across the United States.

New Research

Study Estimates Clean Air Act Has Saved 1.5 Billion Birds

Over the last 40 years, bird populations across the U.S. did the best in places with the most stringent air pollution regulations

The highest concentration of microplastics—119 particles per quart of water—were found around Everest Base Camp, where climbers spend time resting, regrouping and acclimatizing to the high elevation.

Even Mount Everest, the World’s Tallest Peak, Can’t Escape Microplastics

At 27,690 feet in elevation, the mountain is the highest point above sea level where microplastics have been detected

Litter, much of it plastic, dots a beach in Santa Monica, CA, the morning after a beach cleanup.

New Research

The U.S. Is the World’s Number One Source of Plastic Waste

In 2016, the average American produced 286 pounds of plastic waste, the highest rate per capita of any country on Earth

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