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Environment + Sustainability

A Caribbean reef shark, Carcharhinus perezii, with a wire leader hanging from her mouth off New Providence, Bahamas.
Photo Credit
Shane Gross
Sharks are often observed with hooks, scars or other evidence of encounters with fisherman. This Caribbean reef shark was spotted in the Bahamas with a wire leader hanging from her mouth. It has been illegal to catch sharks in the Bahamas since 2011.

Sharks are dying at alarming rates, mostly due to fishing. Retention bans may help

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People discuss matters of water policy over an aquifer.
Photo Credit
iStock/ Matt Perko

The more stakeholders are included in policy planning, the better those policies protect them
school of bluefin tuna

New research finds that more than 90% of global aquaculture faces substantial risk from environmental change
oil and natural gas infrastructure in the Permian Basin
Oil and gas extraction infrastructure in the Permian Basin

MethaneMapper is poised to solve the problem of underreported methane emissions
Rice terraces at sunset in Japan
Photo Credit
iStock/Sean Pavone

Shining a light on the interconnectedness between societies and the natural world
A fishing boat deploys its nets accompanied by a flock of gulls.
Photo Credit
Split Second Stock
Fishermen and regulatory agencies will need to adapt when marine heatwaves impact the ranges and population levels of targeted species.

Lessons from ‘The Blob’ will help us manage fisheries during future marine heatwaves
A whitebark pine growing on the rock overlooking Big Pine Creek in the Eastern Sierra Nevada.
Photo Credit
Joan Dudney
Whitebark pines growing in cold, high elevation regions grew more during droughts, which lengthened their growing season.

How a drought affects trees depends on what’s been holding them back
A pumpjack nestled between trees and luxury homes.
Photo Credit
iStock
California currently has no setback restrictions, so oil production can occur in the middle of neighborhoods like Signal Hill, in Los Angeles.

Keeping California’s oil in the ground will improve health but affect jobs
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Doctoral candidate Amelia Ritger receives award for women researchers
Illustration of molecular chain overlaid on image of plastic bottles
Photo Credit
Jessie Ward O'Sullivan

A game-changing method of “upcycling” plastics helps clear the path toward a circular economy
Hillside daisy blankets hills in yellow, with splashes of pink, orange and blue.
Photo Credit
Joan Dudney
California’s wildflowers have painted parts of the state in a dazzling array of colors.

Tending to our superblooms requires developing plans for people to enjoy them
aerial view of wildfire marching across a forest landscape
Where fire is a natural part of the ecosystem, it can create space and opportunities for adaptations and new species

Naturally fire-prone ecosystems tend to have more species of birds and mammals, a new study reveals
Stressed pines on a hill in southwestern Colorado.
Photo Credit
A climate-stressed forest in southwestern Colorado near Wolf Creek Pass.
A climate-stressed forest in southwestern Colorado near Wolf Creek Pass.

US forests face an unclear future with climate change
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