Biodiversity & Conservation

Trump Administration Moves to Weaken Federal Protections for Waterways and Wetlands

Environmental groups warn the proposal to change the definition of “waters of the United States” would eliminate crucial safeguards for “countless” bodies of water.

By Aidan Hughes

Deadly in Small Doses: New Research Shows the Lethal Effects of Ingested Plastic on Marine Animals

By Teresa Tomassoni

Ecuador’s Voters Protect Rights of Nature, Reject Proposal to Rewrite Constitution

By Katie Surma

What Chicago’s Boulevards Reveal about Community, Climate Change and Inequality

By Yiannis Mastoras

A Patch of Indigenous Land, Rich in Metals, Pits Prominent Miner and Native Owners Against Conservationists

By Max Graham, Northern Journal

A Proposed Alabama Data Center Faces New Hurdles: A ‘Road to Nowhere’ and the Birmingham Darter

By Lee Hedgepeth, Dennis Pillion

Rare Sightings of Critically Endangered Vaquita Spark Cautious Optimism About the Species’ Ability to Recover

By Teresa Tomassoni

Inside the Fight to Stop the Illegal Trade Driving the Vaquita Porpoise Toward Extinction

By Teresa Tomassoni

ConocoPhillips Wants to Explore for Oil in an Arctic Wilderness

By Nicholas Kusnetz

Can Arizona Maintain Its Drought Response as Water and Money Dry Up?

By Wyatt Myskow

Raw Sewage Sneaking Into West Hawaii’s Coastal Waters Threatens Coral Reefs and Public Health, Scientists Find

By Jaylan Sims

Amid National Wolf Debate, California Kills Four of the Predators After ‘Unprecedented’ Livestock Attacks

By Kiley Price

Protecting Puffins in Maine Is an Emotional Commitment

By Derrick Z. Jackson, The Equation

After Decades of Protections, Green Sea Turtles Have Been Saved From the Brink of Extinction—for Now

By Teresa Tomassoni

Trump Administration Suggests Listing Florida’s Elusive Ghost Orchid as Endangered

By Amy Green

AI Is Decoding Whales’ Communications. Could That Be a Turning Point in the Push for Their Rights?

By Katie Surma

As Lake Powell Recedes, Beavers are Building Back

By Alex Hager, KUNC

Whale and Dolphin Migrations are Being Disrupted by Climate Change

By Teresa Tomassoni

Ecuadorians to Vote on Constitutional Rewrite, Possibly Gutting Rights of Nature

By Katie Surma