https://phys.org/biology-news/ecology/ en-us The latest science and research news on ecology During routine beach litter surveys on the subtropical island of Okinawa, Japan, researchers came across small, brightly colored specks in the pale coral rubble. Back at the lab, spectroscopic and microscopic analyses revealed that these specks are, in fact, melted polymers from common household plastics that have seeped inseparably into the skeletal pores of the dead coral pieces. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-plasticorals-coral-rubble-fused-plastic.html Ecology Fri, 18 Sep 2026 12:00:02 EDT news708944281 A new study reveals that an important pollinator is rapidly losing genetic diversity in Britain. Moss carder bumblebees were once widespread across the UK, living in flower-rich meadows, marshes and heathlands, where they pollinated a wide variety of plants. However, the loss of these habitats has caused the species to retreat into strongholds along the country's coasts and islands. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-threatened-bumblebee-populations-england-wales.html Ecology Thu, 17 Sep 2026 14:20:21 EDT news708859322 Researchers have discovered 16 new species of fungus living unnoticed inside garden flowers and wildflowers across northern Thailand, more than quintupling the number of such fungi known to occur in the country. The findings are published in the journal IMA Fungus. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-sixteen-fungus-species-thailand.html Ecology Thu, 17 Sep 2026 12:40:17 EDT news708856470 Ask any zoo-goer and they will tell you that capybaras are adorable. Ask a scientist specializing in the rodents, which resemble oversized guinea pigs, and they will tell you they are obligate semiaquatic herbivores that indicate persistent riparian ecosystems. In plain English: Capybaras like it wet. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-capybaras-fossil-atacama-world-oldest.html Ecology Thu, 17 Sep 2026 12:20:24 EDT news708856372 Antarctic krill are tiny shrimp-like creatures that were previously thought to mostly inhabit the upper layer of the Southern Ocean. Although they had occasionally been observed at deeper levels, they were never seen near deep-sea hydrothermal vents until 2024, when a group of oceanographers observed them there for the first time. The team's new study, published in Communications Biology, describes the discovery and why the team thinks pregnant krill may actually be spending a lot of time near hydrothermal vents. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-deep-sea-hydrothermal-vents-hot.html Plants & Animals Thu, 17 Sep 2026 12:20:17 EDT news708863182 In a study published in the journal Nature Communications, researchers from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Forest Research and collaborating organizations present the first-ever European ash (Fraxinus excelsior) pangenome, using high-quality DNA to aid research into natural ash dieback resistance. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-european-ash-pangenome-generation-trees.html Ecology Thu, 17 Sep 2026 11:55:08 EDT news708864782 Populations of the Western honeybee (Apis mellifera) are under immense pressure in the wild in Europe. New research published in Conservation Science and Practice from the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart and Agroscope in Zürich shows that there are frequent occurrences of honeybees in the wild in Europe. However, the researchers estimate that the populations of these bee populations in the European Union (EU) will fall by about 56% within 10 years without the influx of swarms from beekeepers. Therefore, wild honeybees are now officially classified as "endangered" across the EU on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-wild-honeybee-populations-eu-red.html Plants & Animals Thu, 17 Sep 2026 11:20:02 EDT news708854361 Some types of marine life appear to have it easy. While exploring thousands of meters below the waves in the Chilean Margin in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, scientists observed tiny shrimp-like crustaceans known as amphipods (Mesopleustes abyssorum) clinging tightly to much larger giant sea spiders (Colossendeis colossea) that were scuttling on the ocean floor. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-deep-sea-crustaceans-caught-hitching.html Plants & Animals Thu, 17 Sep 2026 10:50:01 EDT news708859334 A study led by a doctoral researcher at the University of Liverpool has found that beavers may help restore degraded peatlands by keeping landscapes wetter and making them more resilient to drought. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-beaver-reintroduction-peatland-storage-drought.html Plants & Animals Thu, 17 Sep 2026 10:20:01 EDT news708854161 Large-scale oyster reef restoration in the Chesapeake Bay is successfully creating three-dimensional habitats that support larger, more diverse fish communities, according to new research from scientists at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The study, published in Ecosphere, provides compelling evidence that restoration efforts are shifting underwater ecosystems from communities dominated by small, transient schooling fish to those supporting larger, resident species. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-term-oyster-reef-success-murky.html Plants & Animals Wed, 16 Sep 2026 19:50:01 EDT news708796802 In recent years, numerous attempts have been made to use artificial intelligence to decipher the communication of bats, whales, birds and other animals. However, a new study led by a team of researchers from Tel Aviv University points to a fundamental problem with this approach: AI models focus on the physical properties of a sound, but this does not mean they understand the meaning attributed to it by the animal receiving it. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-ai-struggles-decipher-animal-language.html Ecology Wed, 16 Sep 2026 17:40:05 EDT news708786001 A research team at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology discovered a previously unknown strategy by which certain fungi neutralize spruce defense compounds. These fungi are introduced into trees by bark beetles, and their success makes it easier for bark beetles to invade the trees. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-fungi-neutralize-spruce-defense-mechanisms.html Ecology Wed, 16 Sep 2026 16:40:02 EDT news708782401 Right whales forage near the water's surface at night, putting them at greater risk of potentially fatal collisions with boats, Jay Kirkham at Dalhousie University, Canada, and colleagues report Sept. 16, 2026, in the journal PLOS ONE. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-ai-reveals-nighttime-behaviors-whales.html Plants & Animals Wed, 16 Sep 2026 14:00:03 EDT news708611281 Lichens colonize trees and rocks all over the world. They are symbiotic communities between fungi and photosynthetically active green algae or cyanobacteria, in which both partners benefit from each other: The fungal partner relies on the algae for a supply of carbohydrates and, in return, it protects the algae from UV radiation and other environmental influences. The contact zone where the fungal cells and algal cells touch is crucial for transferring nutrients between the two symbiotic partners. Detailed investigations, particularly a three-dimensional understanding of this area between the cells, have been lacking until now. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-3d-scans-reveal-lichen-fungi.html Ecology Wed, 16 Sep 2026 11:40:06 EDT news708767821 A new species of snake that feeds exclusively on birds' eggs has been discovered in the Harenna Forest in Ethiopia, one of the last substantial tracts of natural forest left in the Horn of Africa. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-species-egg-snake-ethiopia-harenna.html Plants & Animals Wed, 16 Sep 2026 10:20:12 EDT news708766981 While most people are aware of how plastic, arsenic and various industrial chemicals can pollute bodies of water, the effects of caffeine on freshwater environments remain largely unknown. Nonetheless, traces of caffeine, the stimulant contained in coffee and tea, often pass through wastewater treatment systems, entering rivers and streams. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-caffeine-pollution-disrupt-crustacean-defenses.html Plants & Animals Wed, 16 Sep 2026 10:00:01 EDT news708695725 Humpback whale mothers may experience grief when their calves die, a rare research observation led by Griffith University and Sea World Foundation has found. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-whales-stillborn-humpback-whale-grieving.html Plants & Animals Wed, 16 Sep 2026 07:10:01 EDT news708608161 Shorebirds are capable of some of the longest migrations on Earth, yet most return year after year to the same area to breed. Coming back has distinct advantages, including knowing the best spots to feed or roost, having information about where predators lurk, and—hopefully—finding last year's partner again. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-home-advantage-pastures-high-arctic.html Plants & Animals Tue, 15 Sep 2026 15:40:04 EDT news708693241 African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) travel incredibly long distances to search for a mate and new places to breed. They typically embark on these mammoth treks as young adults and often face numerous hazards along the way. These include busy highways, expanding human settlements and deadly wire poaching snares. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-wild-dogs-longest-journey-terrestrial.html Plants & Animals Tue, 15 Sep 2026 13:50:02 EDT news708696075 A dolphin that harasses fish until they regurgitate their food—then swoops in to steal it—has astonished University of the Sunshine Coast researchers who have documented this novel feeding strategy. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-food-dolphin-shortcut-easy-meal.html Plants & Animals Tue, 15 Sep 2026 10:20:06 EDT news708683888 Some female animals living in groups raise offspring that are not their own, sometimes without reproducing themselves. While the behavior of cooperatively breeding species is well documented, some aspects remain poorly understood. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-group-females-young-endeavors.html Plants & Animals Tue, 15 Sep 2026 08:20:05 EDT news708346732 In a study of monk parakeets, researchers at the University of Cincinnati and Duke University found that sex has little to no impact on who initiates fights, who is targeted or who rises in the dominance hierarchy. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-parakeets-male-female-good.html Plants & Animals Mon, 14 Sep 2026 19:00:02 EDT news708620402 A team of researchers has found that a common wastewater pollutant turned male fathead minnows into worse fathers and fiercer rivals, revealing ecological impacts that laboratory studies missed. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-common-wastewater-pollutant-male-minnows.html Plants & Animals Mon, 14 Sep 2026 17:00:01 EDT news708614642 When public health researchers want to know whether diseases such as COVID-19 or polio are circulating in a community, they can look for genetic evidence in wastewater. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-mosquito-toilet-west-nile-hedwig.html Ecology Mon, 14 Sep 2026 13:20:01 EDT news708605701 A research team from the University of Bern has shown in a large-scale field experiment that populations of the same fish species can be much more fine-tuned to their local environments than previously thought. Habitats that appear nearly identical to us can therefore make a decisive difference in evolution. This hidden diversity is not only key to understanding how biodiversity arises, but also has important implications for its conservation. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-evolutionary-home-advantage-field-reveals.html Evolution Mon, 14 Sep 2026 10:40:04 EDT news708600361 Human development may be changing more than where pollinators live—it may also be changing when they are active. University of Florida researchers at the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) have found that pollinator seasons shifted later in the year across some of the most human-modified landscapes in the eastern United States. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-pollinators-calendar-human-landscapes.html Plants & Animals Mon, 14 Sep 2026 09:40:10 EDT news708594061 Life is not always easy for a bee: Not all plants place their pollen outside. Some flowers have to be set to vibrating before the pollen can get out of their tube-like stamens. Certain bee species have developed a special technique for this: They bite on the flower and use their flight muscles to generate rapid vibrations. The stamen is shaken and the pollen is released. This phenomenon is known as "buzz pollination." https://phys.org/news/2026-09-bees-pollen.html Ecology Fri, 11 Sep 2026 15:40:03 EDT news708345661 Who isn't familiar with the colorful coral reefs from movies like "Finding Nemo" or "The Little Mermaid"? Unfortunately, the reality is often quite different, as these vital ecosystems are under pressure worldwide. Climate change and pollution are causing corals to bleach and die. Even the most resilient coral reefs of the United States are now threatened. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-fertilizers-extreme-coral-reefs-gulf.html Ecology Fri, 11 Sep 2026 14:20:06 EDT news708343322 New research finds there is no substitute for real-world observations, but that—under the right circumstances—AI-generated images can be used to improve the performance of computer models used for species identification and biodiversity monitoring. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-ai-generated-images-real-world.html Plants & Animals Fri, 11 Sep 2026 12:00:01 EDT news708339901 Like all other snakes, sea snakes shed their skin as they grow. But because they live near the surface of the open ocean, they don't have the benefit of removing their old skin by slithering against a hard surface. Instead, they wriggle into a pretzel and use the friction generated by their scales to get the job done. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-planes-snake-scientists-crab-species.html Plants & Animals Fri, 11 Sep 2026 09:40:02 EDT news708335546