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dry river bed

The Trouble with Tamarisk

Twenty-five years ago, land managers unleashed a beetle to control an invasive tree sucking rivers dry. But water levels haven’t risen—and the real villains are still causing trouble.
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Threadfin wrasse eating sperm of a black sea cucumber
Milt Meal
Marine creatures will do almost anything for a meal—including feasting on the sperm and eggs of spawning invertebrates.
microscope image of tropilaelaps mites
A Mite on a Bee on a Ship on the Sea Spells Trouble
Pollinator pathogens are spreading through international trade, threatening both agriculture and wild ecosystems.
brown bear fishing for salmon
The Art of the Catch
To bulk up for winter hibernation, Alaska’s brown bears employ a range of techniques for snaring salmon.
dry river bed
The Trouble with Tamarisk
Twenty-five years ago, land managers unleashed a beetle to control an invasive tree sucking rivers dry. But water levels haven’t risen—and the real villains are still causing trouble.
A large female Foam Nest Frog mating with two smaller males
When it Comes to Frog Sex, Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
New science on gray foam-nest tree frogs hints at the evolutionary benefits of multiple sexual partners.
a dam on a river
Death by a Thousand Dams
Tens of thousands of small barriers hamper fish recovery in the northeastern United States. But while the demolition of big dams out west gets the most attention, a similar revolution is revitalizing northeastern streams and rivers—one tiny dam at a time.
sable shearwater flying over water
How Much Plastic Does it Take to Kill a Seabird?
For the first time, researchers uncover how eating plastic trash may impact seabirds at the population level.
bumblebee on a flower
The Unwilding of Patagonia’s Pollinators 
In a region synonymous with wilderness, native bumblebees are being replaced by industrial worker bees—and ecosystems are paying the price.

From the archives

The Wild Within the Walls

From antiquity to modern times, Rome has been entangled with the wild animals who creep, slither, scurry, and nest among its pillars and palaces.

Special series

Conservation Enters a New Era

One year after the Trump administration slashed biodiversity protections at home and abroad, people and organizations are figuring out where to go from here.