Articles for category: Ecology

Strange Lakes That Breathe: CO₂-Rich Waters With Deadly Secrets

Strange Lakes That Breathe: CO₂-Rich Waters With Deadly Secrets

Annette Uy

Imagine standing on the tranquil shores of a glassy lake, watching the mist swirl above the water at dawn. It looks peaceful, even magical. But beneath the surface, something terrifying lurks—vast amounts of invisible carbon dioxide, silently building up, waiting for the right moment to escape. These are the world’s “killer lakes,” places where the ...

How Did the Builders of Cahokia Move So Much Earth Without the Wheel?

How Did the Builders of Cahokia Move So Much Earth Without the Wheel?

Annette Uy

There’s a haunting sense of wonder when you first glimpse the sprawling earthworks of Cahokia, rising quietly from the flatlands near modern-day St. Louis. How could a civilization over a thousand years ago, without the benefit of the wheel or beast of burden, sculpt these massive mounds that rival the pyramids in scale? It’s a ...

Challenges Facing England’s Bats

How Beavers, Bats, and Bison Help Rewild the Landscape Without Human Help

Trizzy Orozco

It’s almost unbelievable: while people debate the best ways to heal our planet, three remarkable animals quietly perform miracles of ecosystem restoration every single day, without waiting for human approval or intervention. Beavers sculpt rivers into vibrant wetlands, bats wage silent wars against pests, and bison thunder across prairies, reviving grasslands that once seemed lost. ...

Scientists Uncover A Lost Continent Hidden Beneath The Ocean

Scientists Uncover A Lost Continent Hidden Beneath The Ocean

Gargi Chakravorty

You’ve probably never questioned how many continents exist on Earth. Seven has been the standard answer for decades. Yet beneath the waves of the Pacific Ocean, something remarkable has remained hidden from view for millions of years. Scientists have finally pieced together evidence of what they’re calling an eighth continent, and it’s roughly the size ...

Aerial View of a Tropical Island.

Tropical Species Moving to Warmer Waters Amidst Climate Change

Andrew Alpin

In the intricate dance of Earth’s ecosystems, the oceans play a vital role, hosting an incredible diversity of tropical species. However, as global warming thickens the tango begins to subdue. Particularly when it results in rising sea temperatures. A profound shift is occurring beneath the surface, tropical species, once firmly anchored near the equator, are ...

Cassowary looks at the camera.

The Cassowary: Rainforest Giant and Seed Dispersal Specialist

Trizzy Orozco

Deep in the lush, tangled rainforests of Australia and New Guinea, a creature roams quietly, almost prehistoric in its presence. The cassowary, with its vivid blue skin, towering stance, and helmet-like casque, is not just an extraordinary sight—it is an ecological powerhouse. This bird, often dubbed the world’s most dangerous, is also one of the ...

Carolina Bays Hike.

The Carolina Bays Mystery: Are These Craters from an Ancient Cosmic Impact?

Trizzy Orozco

Imagine a landscape so peculiar, so full of riddles, that it has baffled scientists for over a century. Across the Atlantic Coastal Plain, from New Jersey down to Florida, thousands of shallow, elliptical depressions—known as the Carolina Bays—dot the earth like the footprints of some cosmic giant. Their origins? Still shrouded in mystery. Some believe ...

agriculture.

How Insects and Animals Support American Farmers

Andrew Alpin

A multi-billion dollar industry, American farming is the cornerstone of the nation. Without it, millions would perish – they’re why we eat eggs in the morning, salad for lunch and steak for dinner. The Paradox A paradox facing farmer’s is that while it’s essential to society, it’s being suppressed by increasing costs, such as fuel, ...