The alarming study has just been published in Nature Communications. It finds, except for marine mammals, these coral sharks and rays are more likely to go extinct than any other group in the world. The usual culprits have been found to be behind this tragic state of affairs; overfishing, habitat loss and climate change. Bluespotted […]
Author: Larry Powell
I’m a veteran eco-journalist living in Shoal Lake, Manitoba, Canada. I have a life-long love of wildlife & natural places. After working for radio and TV stations for about 30 years, I've turned to science writing as a freelancer specializing in the Earth Sciences. I’m a member of the Science Writers & Communicators of Canada and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. I’m authorized to receive embargoed material through the Science Media Centre of Canada, the Royal Society, NatureResearch and the World Health Organization. This allows me advance access to important, peer-reviewed research often warning of habitat loss and the threat of extinction facing many wild species, usually thanks to human intrusion and intervention by the hand of man. They then often become "hot-off-the-press" stories which are ready to publish the moment the embargoes are lifted. I publish www.PlanetInPeril.ca (PinP) "Where Science Gets Respect." I own professional photographic gear and am sometimes able to enhance my stories with my own images.
Unsustainable Sand Mining in China Threatens A Critically-Endangered Cetacean
A long-term assessment of theYangtze finless porpoise in a heavily mined lake in China, has made some disturbing discoveries. In only a decade, the mining has significantly restricted the porpoise’s habitat, compromised its population connectivity, and destroyed its nearshore habitats. The researchers hope their findings will promote government accountability and raise general awareness of the […]
New research reveals incredible hunting secrets of the Great Grey Owl
A new study in Manitoba, Canada shows how the “Great Gray Owl,” a common site, either soaring over the plains or perching and nesting in the forests of the eastern prairies, overcomes many obstacles to find its prey. The prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster) – Photo by Soebe, public domain The bird is able to “punch” […]
Flooding caused by rapidly expanding hydroelectric dams in the tropics is pushing many jaguars and tigers to the brink of extinction.
New research just published, finds hydropower development to satisfy the growing human demand for energy has become one of the major drivers of habitat loss, fragmentation, and degradation everywhere. The dams create massive reservoirs, which drown out the homes of many creatures, including these apex predators. The scientists found no less than 164 dams intruding […]
Baleens – beneficial gluttons of the seas.
Scientists believe the ravenous appetites of baleen whales – Earth’s largest creatures – and their prodigious waste – hold clues to the very health and productivity of our oceans. Baleens include the humpback, fin, minke and blue whale, the latter being the largest creature ever to live on Earth. The carnivorous marine mammals catch and […]
The graceful albatross – immortalized in a centuries-old poem as an omen of both good and ill – is under siege.
This is the story of the “Grey-Head.” It’s but a single member of a large family of albatross called Diomedeidae. Major research studies published recently, warn of twin threats facing the already-endangered bird. Each is different. Each is insidious. In general, the albatross carries higher burdens of mercury in its body than any other bird […]
Recent research shows: More rare, endangered sharks are dying in the worldwide trade in shark fins than earlier feared.
The finning of sharks is not for the faint of heart. After hauling them aboard their vessels, the fishers cut off their fins, then toss them back into the ocean. Still alive, they sink to the bottom where they’re either eaten by other predators or die of suffocation. About 100 million sharks are believed to be […]
More proof. A walk-in-the-park really can boost our feelings of well-being – especially when there are wild songbirds along the way!
It’s not exactly news that spending time in nature benefits human health and well-being. But an experiment conducted by social scientists along some mountain trails in Colorado shows – it’s not just the wind in your face or the grandeur of the scenery we need to thank. They hid speakers along two trails in the […]