Awards from the Forrest Shreve Student Research Fund provide $1,000-2,000 to support ecological research by graduate or undergraduate student members of ESA in the hot deserts of North America (Sonora, Mohave, Chihuahua, and Vizcaino). Frederick Hansen, a junior majoring in Biology at New Mexico State University, received the Forrest Shreve Student award for his research into patterns of microbial life…

Submit comments to the Department of the Interior on the review of National Monuments and Marine National Monuments and to NOAA on the review of Marine National Monuments and National Marine Sanctuaries.   Dear ESA Member, We ask you to submit comments to the Department of the Interior (DOI) and NOAA on the administration’s review of National Monuments. Your expertise,…

A guest post by Anna Groves (Michigan State University), 2017 ESA Graduate Student Policy Award recipient. This year’s six award winners traveled to Washington, D.C. at the end of April for policy experience and training.    As a fifth year Ph.D. student, I spend a lot of time thinking about my future. I adore science and have loved being a…

June 27, 2017   President Donald Trump The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC  20500   Dear Mr. President: The undersigned science and engineering organizations are concerned about the future of scientific advice in the U.S. federal government and the presentation of scientific data and information on government websites.  There have been a number of reports regarding scientific…

In This Issue: Appropriations Hearing on National Science Foundation Fiscal Year 2018 Proposed Budget NSF director Córdova greeted with unified support of agency’s mission Appropriations Hearing on Environmental Protection Agency Fiscal Year 2018 Proposed Budget Administrator Pruitt emerges unscathed, budget in tatters Senate Hearings Examine DOI Budget for FY 2018 Zinke testifies, suggests cutting 4,000 employees for FY 2018 Quick…

The Biology Data Revolution in the Classroom By Teresa Mourad, Director of Education and Diversity Programs, ESA The volume of biology data is exploding in many different forms: numeric, geospatial, specimen, genomic, visual, and audio. What is even more exciting is that the technological innovations in computing power make it possible for nearly anyone, with a little help, to explore…

Matthew D. Moran and Maureen R. McClung are professors of biology at Hendrix College, where they collaborate with undergraduate students to study questions about how humans impact landscapes and the implications for ecosystems. They share this Frontiers Focus on estimating the ecosystem services costs of fracking in the United States, from the June 2017 issue of ESA Frontiers. Since the…

Lauren Kuehne, a research scientist in the Freshwater Ecology and Conservation Lab at the University of Washington, shares this Frontiers Focus on the 1972 Clean Water Act and a review of progress and trends in freshwater assessments since the passage of this groundbreaking law, from the May 2017 issue of ESA Frontiers. Stories of transformations are fascinating – especially about deserving people who…

In This Issue: U.S. to Exit Paris Climate Accord President withdraws from global deal Agency Heads Defend Paris Withdrawal, Question Climate Change Support for withdrawal from Zinke, Pruitt ESA Statement on U.S. Exit from Paris Agreement Statement from ESA president condemns withdrawal Quick Reads ESA member action alert, NSF DDIGs discontinued, hearing on NSF grant costs, EPA rule delays, DOI…

June 8,  2017 France Córdova Director National Science Foundation James Olds Assistant Director, Bio Directorate National Science Foundation   Dear Director Córdova and Assistant Director Olds: The Ecological Society of America (ESA) is the world’s largest society of professional ecologists representing over 10,000 members across the country. We write to urge the National Science Foundation (NSF) to keep the Doctoral…

Ask your Members of Congress to restore funding for science Dear ESA Member: As you may know, President Trump’s Fiscal Year 2018 (FY18) budget request sent to Congress cuts research accounts across federal agencies and would devastate America’s scientific enterprise. We are hearing from Hill staff that they are not receiving comments about the administration’s budget request or specific funding…

Peter Macreadie, head of the Blue Carbon Lab at Deakin University, shares this Frontiers Focus on strategies for managing tidal marshes, mangroves, and seagrass ecosystems to more efficiently capture and store carbon.  His Concepts & Questions article appeared in the May 2017 issue of ESA Frontiers. Five years ago the marine science world gave birth to a new term: “blue carbon,” which was created…