A recent viewpoint article highlights the need for open access to digital sequence information (DSI) to facilitate real-time responses to global crises. The authors propose community self-governance as a solution to enable international collaboration, improve benefit-sharing mechanisms, and promote equitable sharing of DSI benefits.
A survey of incarcerated individuals and scientists participating in the INSPIRE program found significant benefits for scientists, including increased interest in taking action on social justice. The experience also produced counterstereotypical effects, shifting negative preconceived notions into empathy.
A survey of Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) found that only 45% of respondents participated in grant review, compared to 76% at traditionally White institutions. Despite this, 76% of MSI scientists reported an interest in taking part in grant review.
Mariculture has the potential to deliver high-protein foodstuffs with a significantly reduced carbon footprint compared to terrestrial products. The authors suggest various ways to improve mariculture's sustainability, including supply chain improvements and cofarming practices that can lead to net reductions in CO2 emissions.
The Resist-Accept-Direct (RAD) framework is a new approach to guide decision-making in managing ecosystems under global change. It offers three pathways: resisting, accepting, or directing change to produce desirable outcomes.
A survey of scientists from minority-serving institutions found that only 45% participated in grant peer review, despite 76% expressing interest. The study highlights the need for more inclusive grant review recruiting and training to break the cycle of exclusion faced by underrepresented minority scientists.
A new module utilizes biodiversity collections to produce a holistic student learning experience, covering topics such as plant specimen collection and data deposition. The authors reported strong learning results, with students feeling well-prepared to use foundational skills and digital data repositories.
The Resist-Accept-Direct framework offers three pathways for managers to respond to ecological transformation: resisting, accepting, or directing change. The framework has been developed by natural resource managers and ecologists to guide decision-making in the face of intensifying global change.
The article highlights the dangers of biological contamination from space travel, citing examples of bacteria resistant to ionizing radiation and disinfectants found in NASA 'clean rooms'. Researchers propose the use of invasion science to address this threat, leveraging insights on epidemiology, rapid evolution, and early detection.
A new module in biodiversity collections addresses the need for scientists to have both foundational biological skills and data acumen. The module was implemented in 10 courses across four universities and showed strong learning results, with students feeling well-prepared to collect and archive specimens, as well as deposit digital da...
A study published in BioScience found that genetic factors contribute to concern for nature and pro-environmental behavior, with moderate heritability (30-40%) reported. The researchers also observed high genetic correlations between these traits, suggesting a partially shared genetic basis.
The article discusses community-based environmental monitoring, which allows local members to collect and analyze data independently. This approach has the potential to empower Indigenous rightsholders and stakeholders, and contribute to meeting contemporary sustainability challenges.
A new study updates the world scientists' warning of a climate emergency, highlighting worsening environmental conditions despite reduced fossil fuel use during the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors emphasize the need for profound changes in human behavior and policy shifts to mitigate the crisis.
A new model of inclusive sustainability emphasizes researchers' life experiences as a source of unique perspectives on socioecological challenges. This approach seeks to address the limitations of traditional conservation methods and promote more effective solutions.
The article highlights the importance of inclusive sustainability, arguing that conservation efforts often overlook complex socioecological interactions. Blackologists' life experiences provide unique insights into these processes, enabling a more holistic approach to managing resources.
Community-based monitoring programs collect credible data at local scales, informing decision-making and advancing sustainability challenges. Digital platforms enable community participation, but equitable access is crucial to avoid inequities.
A survey of Canadian academics found that most agree data sharing is beneficial, but many fear personal costs and lack of support. Researchers suggest better guidelines, training, and incentives to encourage open data sharing.
Researchers can use eDNA and eRNA analysis to determine the presence of human and wildlife pathogens, providing timely insights into disease spread. This approach has been successfully used to track large-scale outbreaks of COVID-19, allowing for proactive measures to be taken.
The biodiversity collections community should implement a global plan by 2030 to maximize its value to the scientific enterprise. The plan should draw on existing capacity and highlight five pillars: collecting new samples, digitization, data integration, education, and infrastructure.
A new framework for data quality is proposed to address the challenges of ensuring high-quality ecological data. The framework aims to encourage best practices among collectors, curators, and users of ecological data, leading to higher-quality data with fewer errors.
Shyla Cooks and Karl Palmquist have been selected as the 2021 AIBS Emerging Public Policy Leadership Award recipients. They demonstrate an interest and aptitude for working at the intersection of science and policy, with a focus on education and environmental issues.
Animals exhibit various social distancing behaviors to avoid disease transmission, including olfactory cues and avoidance of diseased individuals. This phenomenon provides insights into human responses to pandemics, emphasizing the importance of diagnostic testing for disease reduction.
Renowned botanist Peter Raven emphasizes the need for public engagement to address pressing issues such as resource depletion. He advocates for scientists to consider consumption, international choices, and personal actions in addressing global challenges.
A group of US science leaders have issued a clarion call for evidence-based policy in response to ongoing challenges. The American Institute of Biological Sciences has long advocated for informed decision-making based on the best available evidence, highlighting past successes in addressing issues like acid rain and climate change.
Experts argue that the US gray wolf population has not fully recovered and that delisting is premature. The authors propose a framework for conservation of adaptive potential to enhance the effectiveness of species recovery.
Research on fences, a ubiquitous human landscape alteration, highlights profound ecosystem consequences of movement restriction. Fences have been found to isolate specialist species, alter community composition, and disrupt turtle migration patterns.
Neil deGrasse Tyson shares his views on Mars exploration and the role of commercial enterprise in space discovery. He emphasizes the importance of NASA in pressing human discovery frontiers.
Research reveals complexity of tree and urban zone responses to extreme heating events. Tree transpiration plays a significant role in exacerbating the urban heat island effect.
The pandemic has highlighted the need for greater collaboration between biodiversity collections and other fields of study. Biodiversity data can be used to prevent or mitigate future infectious outbreaks. New investments are needed to support research and education in biodiversity science.
Fireflies face numerous threats, including habitat loss and artificial light pollution, which can harm their bioluminescent displays and overall survival. Conservation efforts, such as preserving habitats and reducing insecticide use, can help improve firefly populations and mitigate these threats.
Corinn Rutkoski and Renee Collini have been selected as the 2020 AIBS Emerging Public Policy Leadership Award recipients, recognized for their leadership skills and aptitude for working at the intersection of science and public policy. The award highlights their efforts to integrate science into coastal decision-making and promote soun...
Firefly beetles are threatened by habitat loss and artificial light, with pesticides posing additional problems. The authors propose four primary goals to improve firefly prospects: preserving suitable habitats, controlling light pollution, reducing insecticide use, and developing sustainable tourism guidelines.
A coalition of scientists argues that too little action has been taken to curb climate change, citing 'profoundly troubling signs' from human activities. The authors propose six key objectives to alleviate climate change, including energy sector reform and a carbon-free economy.
Threshold-dependent gene drives offer a potential solution to controlling the spread of gene drives in wild populations, increasing control and reducing the risk of unchecked spread. The authors discuss this concept in detail, highlighting its potential benefits and challenges.
Researchers used fine-grain analyses and new technologies to study past extinctions, gaining insights into animal populations' responses to climate change and other external drivers. The findings inform present approaches to ecosystem management and may even aid in species rewilding efforts.
An interdisciplinary group of scholars urges animal behavior scientists to engage in growing ethical conversation, highlighting broader impacts on moral standing and conservation. Greater integration between animal ethics and behavior communities may benefit ethical theory and practice.
Free-roaming horses in the US West degrade landscapes and shrink biodiversity due to soil compaction, water resource domination, and over-grazing of native plant species. The authors argue that rigorous ecological research is needed to address these issues and promote scientifically sound management.
A novel framework for nature-based solutions to climate threats is proposed, highlighting the importance of collaborative design and implementation. The framework aims to unite parties in the face of common threats, despite potential pitfalls such as research timelines and academic reward structures.
The Biodiversity Collections Network has developed a national agenda to stimulate new research endeavors by leveraging digital data in biodiversity collections. This initiative aims to engage students and the public in understanding life and environmental change.
Natura 2000, a European Union-based conservation network, is proposed as a possible route to better landscape preservation. The network relies on strong governance, flexible designations, and scientific expertise to produce reliable conservation outcomes.
Three biologists have been selected as winners of the 2018 Faces of Biology Photo Contest for their outstanding contributions to communicating biological research through photography. The contest aims to inspire scientists to explore new ways to convey their work to the public.
Dr. Easton R. White analyzes 822 vertebrate species populations, demonstrating substantial problems with current sampling approaches. He argues that properly statistically powered methods will provide a truer representation of population health.
Conservation efforts rely heavily on estimates of animal populations, but monitoring periods are often short due to funding cycles and experimental time frames. Research by Easton R. White suggests that 72% of species require at least 10 years of continuous monitoring for high statistical power.
Researchers argue that reintroducing native microbiomes can accelerate succession and increase plant diversity in restored communities. The study also highlights the importance of mycorrhizal fungi in maintaining these relationships.
Researchers track Aedes aegypti's evolution and spread using genomic techniques, revealing its historical traversal of slave trade routes and beyond. The study provides insights into the domesticated mosquito species' role in spreading diseases like yellow fever, dengue, and Zika.
A synergistic approach to big data in science emphasizes the importance of collaborative research efforts and open science. Ecologists must work together to answer complex, globally relevant questions that cross disciplines and require extrapolating findings from one location to another.
A US-Mexico border wall could harm hundreds of terrestrial and aquatic species, including the Mexican gray wolf and Sonoran pronghorn. The authors call for mitigation measures and urge the government to prioritize environmental protection.
A recent study published in BioScience found that students who participated in Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site programs were more likely to obtain a STEM PhD, receive awards, and publish their research. These experiences significantly enhanced their scientific skills and career prospects.
A new framework for global conservation prioritization is presented, incorporating four-step process of harm avoidance, minimization, remediation, and offsetting. The approach aims to establish effective conservation priorities, bridging current regulatory gaps and enabling more efficient conservation.
Researchers propose causal chains as an approach to understanding interplay between social and ecological spheres. These chains identify ordered sequences of effects on how a system responds to perturbations, with implications for policy and management.