Migration in organisms refers to the directed, typically seasonal or life-stage–dependent movement of individuals or populations between distinct geographic regions, often driven by spatiotemporal variation in resources, breeding opportunities, or environmental conditions. It is characterized by relatively long-distance, persistent movements with clear origin and destination areas, underpinned by evolved orientation and navigation mechanisms (e.g., celestial, geomagnetic, olfactory cues). Migration can be obligate or facultative, partial or complete within a population, and plays critical roles in gene flow, metapopulation dynamics, ecological connectivity, disease spread, and responses to climate and habitat change across taxa including animals, plants (via propagule movement), and microorganisms.
As global temperatures rise, scientists have largely assumed that mountain tree species will move uphill in search of cooler conditions. A new study published in Nature Climate Change reveals a more complex reality: Some ...
Environment
Aug 7, 2026
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Imagine spotting a butterfly species in your garden that you have never seen before. You might take a photo and upload it to a citizen science app or tell a local nature group about your new encounter. It feels like a small ...
Ecology
Aug 5, 2026
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Low river discharge reduces the likelihood of young Atlantic salmon reaching the North Sea. Fewer salmon reach the Haringvliet sluices, and their passage takes longer, making them more likely to fall prey to predators. Using ...
Plants & Animals
Aug 3, 2026
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In late June, whale watchers in southwest Western Australia sounded the alarm. They had seen far fewer humpback whales at a time when they normally migrate up from the Southern Ocean to calve and feed. Numbers were 60% below ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 31, 2026
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Birds have a lot to do in their short lives: defend territories, build nests, raise chicks and feed themselves. But the toll of these activities may be greater for female birds than for male birds. A new study by UCLA ornithologists ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 30, 2026
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Until the Panamanian isthmus formed about 2.8 million years ago, North and South America were isolated continents with unique groups of animals. A riot of marsupials—mammals with brood pouches—and sloths in the south contrasted ...
Paleontology & Fossils
Jul 30, 2026
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175
Wild seabirds that face high energy demands during the breeding season go on to migrate farther and raise more chicks the next year, but at a cost to their own survival. An international team led by researchers from Nagoya ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 27, 2026
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More than 120 fish species have migrated from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean since the Suez Canal opened more than 150 years ago. Now, researchers at Tel Aviv University have developed a statistical model that can predict ...
Ecology
Jul 27, 2026
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Birds are facing a crisis—nearly 3 billion birds have been lost across North America since 1970 as a result of human activities affecting birds and their habitats.
Plants & Animals
Jul 27, 2026
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The United Nations has fast-tracked a vast antelope migration path in South Sudan onto its list of World Heritage in Danger, in the young nation's first such listing.
Ecology
Jul 27, 2026
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