Author: Andrew Rogers

Sharks rely on constantly regrowing, razor-sharp teeth to stay at the top of the ocean food chain, but new research suggests those teeth could become weaker as oceans grow more acidic due to fossil fuel emissions. In a study by German scientists, shark teeth exposed to water matching future ocean acidity levels showed cracks, corrosion and structural damage compared with teeth kept in today’s conditions. The findings suggest that increasing acidity could make teeth more prone to breaking, potentially affecting sharks’ ability to hunt and feed. The research focused on more than 600 discarded teeth from blacktip reef sharks and…

A bid to reduce sulphur pollution from ships unintentionally intensified a mass coral bleaching event on the Great Barrier Reef in 2022, according to new research. Scientists found that sulphur emissions from ships previously helped reflect and absorb sunlight, slightly shading the reef. After new rules from the International Maritime Organization cut sulphur levels in marine fuels, more sunlight reached the ocean surface, increasing heat stress on corals by up to 10%. The study, led by researchers at the University of Melbourne, analysed ship traffic and weather conditions during a peak heat period, when about 5,000 vessels were operating near…

Plants growing close together can alert one another to danger, helping nearby plants survive conditions that would otherwise cause serious damage. In experiments with thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana), researchers grew plants either in isolation or packed so closely that their leaves touched. When exposed to intense light, isolated plants suffered heavy damage, while crowded plants coped far better. Within an hour, closely grown plants activated more than 2,000 genes linked to protection against multiple stresses, whereas isolated plants showed little defensive response. The findings suggest that stressed plants send warning signals to their neighbours. The study showed that crowded plants…

A major study using wildlife cameras in more than 400 gardens in Chester has shown hedgehogs visit over half of them after dark, with food the strongest draw. Researchers from Nottingham Trent University and Chester Zoo analysed thousands of images, finding gardens are becoming vital refuges as rural populations decline due to habitat loss, farming and roads. While leaving food increases visits, scientists stress the importance of wildlife-friendly features such as native plants, leaf litter, log piles and fence gaps to allow hedgehogs to roam, breed and hibernate. Experts from Hedgehog Helpline and Royal Holloway, University of London urge careful…

Scientists say the oceans may be undergoing a major ecological shift as vast seaweed blooms expand rapidly, driven by global heating and nutrient pollution from agriculture and other sources. Research led by the University of South Florida found that floating macroalgae increased by an average of 13.4% a year between 2003 and 2022, with the sharpest growth occurring after 2008. Before then, large-scale blooms were rare outside the Sargasso Sea. Using artificial intelligence to analyse 1.2 million satellite images, researchers produced the first global picture of floating seaweed. They identified dramatic growth in regions such as the tropical Atlantic and…

Koalas are among Australia’s most recognisable animals, yet their conservation status defies simple explanation. In some parts of the country, koalas are declining so rapidly they are listed as endangered. In others, their numbers have grown so large that they are stripping landscapes of food and facing mass starvation. This contradiction – often called Australia’s koala paradox – reveals how deeply human intervention has reshaped natural systems. Too many koalas, not enough trees On French Island in Victoria’s Western Port Bay, koalas have become victims of their own success. Introduced to the island in the late 19th century to protect…

Twin mountain gorillas have been born in Virunga National Park in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, raising cautious optimism for the endangered species. The male infants were spotted on 3 January clinging to their mother, Mafuko, and are being monitored daily by rangers and veterinarians. Twin births among mountain gorilla are extremely rare and risky, with high infant mortality in the first weeks. Mafuko previously gave birth to twins in 2016, but neither survived. Rangers say she is an experienced and attentive mother, which offers encouragement despite the fragile situation. The twins were born into the Bageni family, Virunga’s…

A shopping centre courtyard in Whiteley, Hampshire, has become an unlikely winter roost for hundreds of pied wagtails.As dusk falls, birds arrive from all directions, tails flicking as they crowd into ornamental silver birches.High-pitched calls fill the air while the flock repeatedly lifts and resettles, searching for the best perches.Most shoppers pass without noticing the spectacle above the lit storefronts. The location suits the birds well on cold winter nights.Artificial lights attract insects, providing a late food source.Surrounding buildings block wind and retain warmth like giant radiators.Heat spills from shop entrances as customers move in and out. The trees offer…

Volunteer birdwatchers across the UK and Ireland will take part this weekend in the six-yearly international swan census, counting whooper and Bewick’s swans. The survey, last carried out in 2020, tracks long-term changes in wintering populations, with whoopers migrating mainly from Iceland and Bewick’s swans from Siberia. The census spans a vast geographic range, covering whooper swans in Iceland, north-west Europe and the Black Sea region, and Bewick’s swans across central Asia and the eastern Mediterranean. Results in recent decades show sharply diverging trends. The UK’s wintering whooper population has almost doubled to about 20,000 birds over 25 years, while…

A recent cold snap has brought Britain’s winter thrushes, fieldfares and redwings, suddenly back into view after a strangely quiet autumn. These birds usually arrive in large numbers as reliably as swallows signal summer, yet this year many fields and hedgerows remained empty, with hawthorn berries untouched. That changed around the new year, when falling temperatures prompted flocks to emerge across the countryside. Redwings, smaller and neatly marked with rusty-red flanks and pale eyestripes, appeared alongside bulkier fieldfares, whose grey heads and blotched yellowish breasts are matched by their distinctive chacking calls. Each winter, hundreds of thousands of these thrushes…