Biodiversity


Disastrous 'Eco Crunch' Threatens Planet -- New Scientist  -- October 29, 2008
Geoengineering

A new report from the World Wildlife Foundation says the Earth's natural resources are being depleted so quickly that the equivalent of two planets would be required to sustain current lifestyles by the mid-2030s.

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Driving Mr. Lynx -- Assisted Migration to help Species Survive Climate Change -- Chris Berdik  -- Boston Globe  -- October 12, 2008
Geoengineering

A growing number of ecologists worry that conservation-as-usual won't be able to keep up with the predicted pace of climate change. To some of them, assisted migration, or helping plant and animal species make the move to a more survivable climate,  is a more proactive tool for preserving nature's richness, and possibly the only hope for saving certain species.

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Scientists: 1 in 4 Mammals Faces Extinction -- Randolph E. Schmid  -- Associated Press  -- October 6, 2008
Geoengineering

Conservationists from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature have taken the first detailed look at the world's mammals in more than a decade, and the news isn't good with an estimated one in four species threatened with extinction and every other species facing a declining population. Climate change and habitat loss are the main suspected culprits.

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Earth's orbit linked to extinctions -- Heidi Ledford  -- Nature  -- October 11, 2006

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.

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Wave of Marine Species Extinctions Feared -- Juliet Eilperin  -- Washington Post  -- August 24, 2005

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.

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A Species in a Second: Promise of DNA 'Bar Codes' -- Nicholas Wade  -- New York Times  -- December 14, 2004
Genetic Engineering

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.

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From black box to blue box -- Staff  -- Economist  -- February 19, 2004
Surveillance Technology

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.

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Study Says Global Warming May Spark Mass Extinction -- Staff  -- New York Times  -- January 7, 2004

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.

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Extinction nears for whales and dolphins -- Alex Kirby  -- BBC News  -- May 14, 2003
Cetaceans

Some whales, dolphins and porpoises are now so endangered they could vanish within a decade, scientists say.

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Fast Tracking -- Laurent Belsie  -- Christian Science Monitor  -- April 3, 2003
Global Positioning System

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.

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