Science

Videos of people getting too close to, and touching, the rare apes motivates other people to want to do the same — and that could spread diseases like COVID-19 to a critically endangered species.

As scary as wildfires are for people living near them, burned forests create some of the most biodiverse ecosystems.

Being able to forecast marine heatwaves could help minimize ecological and economic damage. But first, scientists need to better understand what's driving these events.

“Routine flaring” from oil wells produces emissions that harm the climate and human health. Two states have proposed new rules to reduce it, just as the true scope of the problem emerges.

Here’s what we know (and don’t know) about how dangerous PFAS chemicals travel ocean currents and harm wildlife — and what that could mean for humans.

Solving this biodiversity mystery could reveal one of the most important sites to conserve these “rhinos of the sea.”

Plants that depend on wind for pollination or seed dispersal may face challenges as warming temperatures force species to shift their ranges, according to a new study.

A collection of our best articles and essays about some the world’s most at-risk groups of species — and what we can learn from them.

More frequent, longer-lasting blooms can harm both wildlife and human health — and even kill. Can we learn to predict and prevent them?

Thousands of plant and animal species are already shifting their ranges in response to a changing climate. Will they be welcome?