Topic

Environment

Page 2

The remnant skeletons of a Caribbean reef in Bonaire where almost all the coral has died due to a combination of heat stress, disease and declining water quality. This structure will slowly erode and flatten over time.

Coral reefs may succumb to erosion on a warmer planet

 Environment
• December 1, 2025

Researchers project that coral reefs will not keep up with rising sea levels, reducing their ability to protect coast lines

A bird, like those threatened by selenium in Montana, perches on a small wooden bird house in a grassy field.

Selenium contamination from Canadian coal mines may threaten Montana birds

 Environment
• November 18, 2025

Researchers warn that selenium pollution from Elk River Valley coal mines is seeping into Montana waterways

Nuclear waste plan turns neighbor against neighbor in a struggling Japanese fishing village

 Environment
• October 25, 2025

A huge underground vault could hold highly radioactive waste for thousands of years — but only if the government can overcome local opposition

Headshot of Derek Brockbank, the climate scientist featured in this Q&A. He is a brunette man wearing a blue puffer coat and standing in front of a blue sky.

Q&A: What will a cash-strapped NOAA mean for coastal America?

 Environment
• September 17, 2025

An interview with a conservation expert paints a grim picture for the policy and science governing the coastal USA

A sunlit cliff in one of America's national parks

Trump’s budget cuts threaten national parks, wildlife refuges and the science behind them

 Environment
• September 17, 2025

The loss of senior officials, scientists and other specialists might lead to the loss of institutional knowledge that’s been built up and maintained for years

A NOAA research vessel docked in Norfolk, Virginia. The sky behind it is dark and stormy.

Can NOAA weather the storm of budget cuts? Some meteorologists are concerned

 Environment
• September 17, 2025

Slashed budgets and diminished staffing at key NOAA offices could have devastating impacts on U.S. disaster preparedness and day-to-day forecasts

New York’s maple specialist has a sweet gig

 Environment
• August 3, 2025

Aaron Wightman spends early spring days tap troubleshooting and syrup processing, but he thinks about climate change, too.

The bright New York City skyline reflects off of water.

Dimming the lights in the city that never sleeps

 Environment
• July 30, 2025

Nighttime light pollution has severe impacts on birds and humans alike. What solutions are out there for New York?

An array of solar panels sits on a small body of water.

Floating solar arrays are getting a lot of attention lately, and it’s not all positive

 Environment
• July 19, 2025

Researchers suggest putting solar panels on water increases greenhouse emissions and may affect aquatic life, but experts think the idea is still worth pursuing

‘Nobody likes putting rocks on the beach’

 Environment
• July 8, 2025

As erosion batters the Great Lake shoreline, coastal communities face hard choices

A leafcutter ant carries its leaf fragment across the soil.

Ant agriculture holds secrets for human sustainability

 Environment
• May 22, 2025

You’ve heard of ant farms — now meet the ant farmers

A farmer in China embraces tradition to weather climate calamities

 Environment
• May 22, 2025

Older farming techniques could help growers survive punishing droughts and floods

Cows are a big part of the climate problem — but can be part of the solution, too

 Environment
• April 9, 2025

Researchers are working on innovative ways to reduce methane emissions from livestock

The A.hitleri population has dwindled. Nazi fanatics like to collect them because of their name. [Credit: Michael Munich | CC BY-SA 3.0]

It’s hard to name a species — and even harder to rename one

 Environment
• March 12, 2025

A beetle named after Hitler is just one of many names that haven’t aged well. Here’s how the species-naming process works

A world map shows a red sea, indicating rising ocean temperatures, but there is a cold blob just south of Greenland.

What is the ‘cold blob’ in the North Atlantic?

 Environment
• February 26, 2025

More than just blue dots in a sea of red, cold areas on maps of sea surface temperatures suggest climate change is shifting ocean currents, and some climate experts are worried

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