Biodiversity

"The Biden administration on Thursday withdrew a proposal to expand protections for an endangered whale species. The rules would have required some ships along the Eastern Seaboard to slow down." "The proposed rules would have slowed more ships to prevent collisions with endangered North Atlantic right whales."

"Ants — yes, ants — could protect apples, nuts, cocoa, and other beloved crops from disease and climate change."

"It turns out that the Indri Indri lemurs of Madagascar can carry a tune. Researchers have found that these furry, tree-dwelling creatures use music to communicate with one another, likely for generations. ... The finding that these “singing lemurs” produce rhythmic calls provides an evolutionary pathway that may explain the origin of music."

"As people have shaped the natural world, so wildlife – from mahoganies to magpies – has had to evolve to survive"

"The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) will keep endangered species protections for grizzly bears in place in most of the western U.S., the agency announced Wednesday, rebuffing states that petitioned for their removal."

"The Biden administration on Tuesday abruptly dropped its nascent plan to protect old-growth forests after getting pushback from Republicans and the timber industry."

"AquaBounty Technologies, the first company in North America to get regulatory approval to sell a genetically engineered animal for human consumption — an Atlantic salmon spliced with genes from other fish — announced on Dec. 11 that it was closing its last facility, ceasing fish farming activities, and culling remaining stock.

"Krishna, a skinny 12-year-old, waits near a Hindu temple packed with pilgrims. He hears a yell – that's his cue. He zigzags between motorbikes and honking tuk-tuks, elbows his way through the crowd and finds a man waving wildly at a monkey."

"An international tribunal set up to resolve disputes between the United States, Mexico, and Canada has ruled that Mexico violated the terms of the international trade agreement in banning the import of genetically modified (GM) corn for human consumption."

"Academics, conservationists, nonprofits, government agencies—and one passionate, retired scientist—are working to rebuild reefs, reduce the carbon imprint and educate the public about the importance of restoring the oyster population."