By University of Washington 1/2/2019 Like most of their stout-bodied, flippered kin, Magellanic penguins spend much of their lives in the ocean. From late autumn through winter and into spring in the Southern Hemisphere, these South American penguins swim off the coast of southern Brazil, Uruguay and northern Argentina in search of anchovies, sardines and squid. But as spring turns…
By University of Wisconsin-Madison 1/3/2019Â In the United States, some ranchers worry about wolf attacks on their livestock as the native predator is reintroduced to more areas. But for Chilean livestock owners, wolves are not the potential threat. Pumas are. As in the U.S., researchers in Chile are trying to develop non-lethal ways to deter predator attacks and reduce the…
Mining operations in Appalachia permanently alter habitat availability for rattlesnakes  January 3, 2018 For Immediate Release Contact: Zoe Gentes, 202-833-8773 ext. 211, zgentes@esa.org  On the Cumberland Plateau in eastern Kentucky, surface coal mining is destroying ridgelines and mountaintops, and along with them, the habitat of a surprisingly gentle reptile species – the timber rattlesnake. “Timber rattlesnakes may be…
Upcoming research in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment  December 28, 2018 For immediate release Contact: Zoe Gentes, 202-833-8773 ext. 211, zgentes@esa.org  Get a sneak peek into these new scientific papers, publishing on January 3, 2019 in the Ecological Society of America’s journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. Flashing lights can protect alpaca and llama herds from…
Researchers observe a defense mechanism for caterpillars can attract unwanted attention December 17, 2018 For Immediate Release  Contact: Zoe Gentes, 202-833-8773 ext. 211, zgentes@esa.org  When a caterpillar disguises itself as a snake to ward off potential predators, it should probably expect to be treated like one. This is exactly what happened in Costa Rica earlier this year, when researchers witnessed a hummingbird defending its nest from what…
Tuesday, December 11, 2018 For Immediate Release Contact: Alison Mize, 202-833-8773 x205, alison@esa.org  The Ecological Society of America is concerned with the proposed rule issued today by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to replace the 2015 Clean Water Rule (Waters of the United States Rule or WOTUS). ESA urges the agencies to…
November 13, 2018 For Immediate Release Contact: Alison Mize, 202-833-8773, alison@esa.org  The Ecological Society of America (ESA) is proud to announce the election results of its Governing Board Members. Those selected by the membership to serve are President Elect for 2020 Kathleen Weathers, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies; Vice-President for Science Diane Pataki, University of Utah; Secretary Jessica Gurevitch,…
Open, readily-usable data sets and code will grow more important in future scientific research, saving time and effort for reviewers, investigators, and authors  October 26, 2018 For Immediate Release Contact: Zoe Gentes, 202-833-8773 ext. 211, zgentes@esa.org  Computational reproducibility – the ability to accurately reproduce outcomes from data sets using the same code and software – will be an…
For the first time, scientists catch on camera a tiny marsupial climbing higher than previously thought in the forest canopy  October 18, 2018 For Immediate Release Contact: Zoe Gentes, 202-833-8773 ext. 211, zgentes@esa.org  In the Andean forests along the border of Chile and Argentina, there have long been speculations that the mouse-sized marsupial monito del monte (Dromiciops gliroides)…
A special article collection in Ecological Applications looks into how the carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases stored in forests, permafrost, lakes, and rivers interact  October 5, 2018 For Immediate Release Contact: Zoe Gentes, 202-833-8773 ext. 211, zgentes@esa.org  Alaska’s land mass is equal to the size of one-fifth of the continental United States, yet stores about half of…
October 2, 2018 For Immediate Release Contact: Zoe Gentes, 202-833-8773 ext. 211, zgentes@esa.org Last spring, researchers in South Africa’s Kalahari Desert found a large male cape cobra devouring another smaller male of the same species. Surprised by the thought-to-be-rare event, they decided to investigate how common and widespread cannibalism was in cobras. Apart from a few species, scientific understanding of…
Friday, 10 August 2018 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Alison Mize, 202-833-8773 ext. 205; cell, 703-625-3628, Alison@esa.org  Laura Huenneke, an ecologist and conservation scientist who has also served in university and nonprofit leadership positions, became President of the Ecological Society of America (ESA) during the Society’s annual meeting in New Orleans, LA. Elected by the members of ESA for a…
103rd Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America: Extreme events, ecosystem resilience and human well-being 5–10 August 2018 August 7, 2018 For Immediate Release Contact: Zoe Gentes, 202-833-8773 ext. 211, zgentes@esa.org New Orleans on-site press room: 504-670-6402  The Ecological Society of America (ESA) will donate over $17,500 to the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana (CRCL) to offset the…
103rd Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America: Extreme events, ecosystem resilience and human well-being 5–10 August 2018 August 1, 2018 For Immediate Release Contact: Zoe Gentes, 202-833-8773 ext. 211, zgentes@esa.org New Orleans on-site press room: 504-670-6402  Many studies on the impacts of global temperature rise have suggested that the range of trees will migrate poleward and upward….
103rd Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America: Extreme events, ecosystem resilience and human well-being 5–10 August 2018 July 24, 2018 For Immediate Release  Contact: Zoe Gentes, 202-833-8773 ext. 211, zgentes@esa.org New Orleans on-site press room: 504-670-6402  Coldwater stream habitats are vulnerable to effects of climate change, particularly to changes in precipitation and air temperatures that alter…
103rd Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America: Extreme events, ecosystem resilience and human well-being 5–10 August 2018 Tuesday, July 17, 2018 For Immediate Release Contact: Alison Mize, 202-833-8773 ext. 205 or mobile, 703-625-3628  alison@esa.org Sunday, Aug. 5, 2018, the Ecological Society of America (ESA) will present its 11th annual Regional Policy Award to Representative Walter J. Leger III,…
103rd Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America: Extreme events, ecosystem resilience and human well-being 5–10 August 2018 July 13, 2018 For Immediate Release Contact: Zoe Gentes, 202-833-8773 ext. 211, zgentes@esa.org Over one-third of Earth’s population lives with 100 km of a coastline and depend on the services that coastal ecosystems provide. With the intensity and impact of hurricanes…
103rd Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America: Extreme events, ecosystem resilience and human well-being 5–10 August 2018 July 5, 2018 For Immediate Release Contact: Zoe Gentes, 202-833-8773 ext. 211, zgentes@esa.org With the increased likelihood of extreme weather events and sea-level rise associated with climate change, flooding poses a major risk to coastal regions. Seawater flooding is not only…
103rd Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America: Extreme events, ecosystem resilience and human well-being 5–10 August 2018  June 22, 2018 For Immediate Release Contact: Zoe Gentes, 202-833-8773 ext. 211, zgentes@esa.org Tornadoes, hurricanes, and other extreme windstorm events cause millions of dollars in structural damage and related losses each year. They can also significantly damage ecosystems systems, driving…
Awards recognize students for exceptional research and outstanding presentations at the 2017 Annual Meeting June 19, 2018 For Immediate Release Contact: Zoe Gentes, 202-833-8773 ext. 211, zgentes@esa.org The Ecological Society of America recognizes Michael T. Kohl, Benjamin J. Wilson, and Emily E. Ernst for awards for outstanding student research. The Murray F. Buell and E. Lucy Braun awards are given…