Migratory species, as a biological and ecological topic, are taxa whose life cycles include regular, cyclical, and predictable movements between distinct geographic regions, typically driven by seasonal variation in resource availability, breeding opportunities, or environmental conditions. These movements can occur across latitudinal, altitudinal, or aquatic gradients and span scales from local to transcontinental. Research on migratory species focuses on navigation mechanisms (e.g., celestial, geomagnetic, olfactory cues), energetics and physiology of long-distance movement, connectivity between populations across ranges, and the consequences of migration for gene flow, community structure, ecosystem processes, and vulnerability to anthropogenic pressures along migratory routes.
For nearly two centuries, the Galapagos Islands have inspired scientific discovery. While some might think only of Charles Darwin and his journeys on the HMS Beagle, there is much more to discover. Today, María Antonia Izurieta ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 28, 2026
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Every year, billions of migratory birds connect the world's continents, oceans and ecosystems as they undertake epic journeys between their foraging habitats and breeding grounds.
Ecology
Jul 23, 2026
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The critically endangered sand tiger shark (Carcharias taurus) appears to have found a refuge off the northern coast of the state of São Paulo, Brazil, for mating and reproduction. This was revealed in a study conducted by ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 21, 2026
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Europe's great cormorant has recovered from near extinction to overabundance in half a century, stoking a long-running debate over population control between fishers troubled by its voracious appetite and conservationists.
Ecology
Jul 18, 2026
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Atlantic tarpon are famous for their long-distance migrations, traveling hundreds or even thousands of miles (hundreds to thousands of kilometers) along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts. But where they feed along those journeys ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 15, 2026
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Tree swallows in the northern U.S. and Canada face the greatest risk from climate change despite responding to temperature the same way as tree swallows in the southern U.S., according to a new study led by Cornell researchers ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 12, 2026
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Scientists have detected the highly contagious H5 bird flu in an Australian seabird for the first time, the government said Friday.
Veterinary medicine
Jul 10, 2026
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Fish hatcheries are a critical part of the effort to restore salmon runs in the Pacific Northwest. But hatchery fish are less likely than wild ones to return from the ocean to spawn—and one reason may be hatchery noise.
Ecology
Jul 8, 2026
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Spring migration has taken flight, but with rising temperatures and shifting seasons, birds are adjusting when and how they migrate to keep up with a rapidly warming climate. Morgan Tingley, a professor of ecology and evolutionary ...
Ecology
Jul 6, 2026
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If you stand on one of Australia's southern shorelines at this time of year, you might be lucky enough to spot a southern right whale (Eubalaena australis) swimming in the shallow waters. These ocean giants have migrated ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 6, 2026
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