As our partner Shoal announce an exciting quest to find the world’s ten ‘most wanted’ lost species of freshwater fish, Nina Seale explores the importance of finding lost species and advancing conservation knowledge to address the biodiversity crisis. Humongous ‘fossil fish’ resurfaced after at least a century in West Indian [...]
In the 20th century, a new infectious disease emerged and caused an unprecedented environmental catastrophe. Chytridiomycosis, a fungal skin infection, has compounded an amphibian extinction crisis driven by habitat loss, overharvesting and pollution, resulting in 40 per cent of amphibians being threatened with extinction. Today, over 20 years after the first chytrid fungus was [...]
This summer, thousands of people are streaming through the gates of Kew Gardens for the widely advertised Chihuly exhibition of huge colourful sculptures inspired by natural patterns. But when Synchronicity Earth’s staff visited last week, they were led past the glass Sapphire Star by Kew’s research team, who showed them the science and conservation [...]
Many conservation efforts are concentrated on the iconic threatened species: tigers, pandas and polar bears. Their familiar, fluffy faces draw our eyes, melt our hearts and open our purse strings. However, sometimes a happy accident can lead to a rediscovery of a forgotten species. But, what then? How can we put a neglected frog [...]
The Yangtze finless porpoise is a critically endangered subspecies of cetacean found only in the Yangtze river, China. Over the past two decades their population is believed to have dropped dramatically, but data are so sparse it is impossible to determine the extent or causes of this crash. The Yangtze finless porpoise is now [...]
Blue Ground beetle (Carabus intricatus) by Clare Shenstone The species that have gone extinct The species that will go extinct in our lifetime The species that we will never know Because we destroyed their habitats Before we could ever know them. [...]