New research suggests that regular orbital oscillations known as the Milankovitch Cycles, can affect the climate on Earth so drastically as to cause entire species to go extinct.
For years, many scientists and regulators believed the oceans were so vast there was little risk of marine species dying out. Now, some suspect the world is on the cusp of what Ellen K. Pikitch, executive director of the Pew Institute for Ocean Science, calls "a gathering wave of ocean extinctions." Dozens of biologists believe the seas have reached a tipping point, with scores of species of ocean-dwelling fish, birds and mammals edging toward extinction.
Researchers have proposed a new system of DNA analysis that would allow field biologists to quickly scan a specimen and compare it against a global database of identified species. The system of DNA 'bar codes' could assist in the urgent task of cataloging unknown species before their ranks are decimated by extinction.
Advances in underwater surveillance and satellite technology are revolutionizing marine biology by making it possible for biologists to tag and release animals and recieve daily emails on their location and health.
A new analysis by scientists from 14 labs around the globe found that more than one-third of 1,103 native species they studied could vanish over the next 50 years due to global warming.
Some whales, dolphins and porpoises are now so endangered they could vanish within a decade, scientists say.
Sophisticated software and hardware are giving wildlife trackers an almost instant overview of plant and animal patterns. Ultimately, this will offer scientists a more profound understanding of how nature interacts.
A hugely ambitious project to find and name every species on Earth within the next 25 years has been launched by scientists. The internet and the development of DNA sequencing technology make the goal achievable, they say.
An online project seeks to name and categorize every plant, animal and microbe on Earth — all in just 25 years. Founded last year, San Francisco's non-profit ALL Species Foundation plans to make a record of all life-forms, a number it estimates to be between 7 million and 100 million, in a single generation.
Short, meandering column about the consciousness-raising impact of wiring ecosystems into the global network via sensors and cameras: "(w)hether it's a happy plant on the office window ledge, or a deeper understanding of how the last few members of a species are clinging to life, directing new capillary sensor networks into ecosystems can bring us real insight into problems that matter."