Reporter’s Journal: It isn’t a beluga
Sep30

Reporter’s Journal: It isn’t a beluga

Special Reporting Initiatives Fellow Erik Vance gets up close and personal with a finless porpoise housed at Institute of Hydrobiology in Wuhan, China.  Vance and his colleague, photographer Dominic Bracco II, are reporting on the market for sustainable fisheries in China. Photo credit: Shouqi...

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An armadillo the size of a golf ball
Sep26

An armadillo the size of a golf ball

Meet Rica, the baby three-banded armadillo.  Rica is a tiny new arrival at the Edinburgh Zoo born on August 24th and weighing in at just 81g or roughly the size of a golf ball.  She was born to proud parents Rio and Rodar who only arrived at the zoo in March of 2014. “This is the first birth of any armadillo species at Edinburgh Zoo and it is amazing how quickly little Rica is growing up! She is just amazing to watch; always full of...

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Blue whale population rebounds after whaling ban
Sep07

Blue whale population rebounds after whaling ban

The population of blue whales in the Eastern Pacific has recovered to 97 percent of historic levels after whaling was banned more than 40 years ago. Researchers from the University of Washington used whale songs to estimate the current population in the Eastern Pacific — one of two Pacific populations — at 2,200 individuals. The authors warn that an increase in ship traffic could present a risk to California blue whales. More:...

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Scientists propose using lasers to map rainforests
Sep06

Scientists propose using lasers to map rainforests

A new Carbon Balance and Management paper argues that mapping the world’s tropical forests with a fleet of airplanes outfitted with advanced lasers, known as LiDAR, could rapidly and accurately assess global forest carbon stocks for $250 million, or less than the cost of a typical Earth observation satellite mission. The paper says the system could be used to provide a baseline for REDD+, a program that aims to compensate...

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