Everglades’ alligator numbers drop after dry years. (2015, October 30). Retrieved November 23, 2015, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/10/151030161345.htm

Researchers from U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the University of Florida have collected data showing that the populations of American Alligators have decreased after the passing of dry periods, but recovered after the climate has become more moderate. Alligator behavior and habitat may change depending on the abundance of water. If there is a lack of water, males must use more energy to locate females to mate with, females may lose nesting abilities, and competition for resources will increase. There is a population present in the Everglades, a wetland restoration area stretching from Orlando to Florida Bay which aims to regain biodiversity.

The change in climate is clearly a major disruption to the normal function of the alligator. The populations of alligators could be severely reduced if the earth continues to warm as a result of the excess amounts of greenhouse gases that continue to be released into the atmosphere. As resources and ability to produce offspring lessens, so does biodiversity. The alligators in the Everglades are used to assess the overall health of the wetland ecosystem as it responds to the restoration project.

Don’t Worry, Honey, The Other Bees Have Your Back. (2015, August 24). Retrieved November 23, 2015, from http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/08/12/431689745/dont-worry-honey-the-other-bees-have-your-back

The plight of honey bees has been a focus of scientific inquiry and news reports over the last decade. The reason for the population’s decline is that these bees are transported all over the United States to pollinate different fruits and vegetables. The tremendous amount of diseases, stress, parasites, and pesticides has had a negative impact on the health of the bees. Much bee science has a pessimistic outlook; however, this article describes an instance of species diversification as a solution to bee population decline.

Bees have a critical function in the foundation of agricultural reproduction which supplies the growing human population. Disintegrating health of bee populations has been a topic of great concern amongst many agriculturalists and state economists. By exploring an alternative species that could be used for pollination, farmers are given hope. This is exemplified by researcher Shelby Fleischer’s perspective, “I think the key to remember is resilience,” he says, “So don’t just aim for any one species. Historically, there’s been a lot of emphasis on making honeybees our pollinator, and resilience suggests that we should try and support a community of bees”.

Obama administration approves Arctic drilling ahead of president’s visit to Alaska. (2015, August 18). Retrieved November 23, 2015, from http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/approval-arctic-drilling-comes-just-obamas-visit/

There is controversy over the Obama Administration’s approval of Shell’s permit to do exploratory drilling in Alaska’s arctic. Environmentalists say he is being too permissive in an area of high and unique biodiversity. He acknowledges the environmentalist position, but defends his decision by stating “I would rather us, with all the safeguards and standards that we have, be producing our oil and gas, rather than importing it, which is bad for our people, but is also potentially purchased from places that have much lower environmental standards than we do.” Critics also say that he is sending a contradictory message to other countries, which the Obama administration has been encouraging to lessen their environmental footprint.

This decision is indicative of the situation that many global leaders with face in the immediate future. Many countries must limit their exploitation of natural resources in order to prevent further destruction of the global environment. Obama’s short term decision could have severe environmental impacts on the species habitats living in Alaska. Possible oils spills could be fatal to many species, and therefore decrease species diversity. In addition, the pollutants that result from producing Alaskan oil will accelerate climate change destruction by releasing increased levels of methane and carbon dioxide. The furthering of climate change imbalances will have detrimental effects on species heath.

Alvarez, L. (2015, October 10). Florida’s Bears Go From Near Extinction to Cross Hairs. Retrieved November 23, 2015, from http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/11/us/floridas-bears-go-from-brink-of-extinction-to-rifles-crosshairs.html

A recent ruling in October by Tallahassee has permitted the hunting of the Florida Black Bear. There have been reports of bears causing “a nuisance” in the suburban areas of central Florida. Many Floridians are against this ruling, saying it is a premature and ineffectual solution. Over the last decade, the bear population has been listed as threatened by increasing urban development.

The real issue is the biological diversity of the bear population. Science is aided when genetic blood testing is done of any members of the wild bear population. Such blood testing tells scientists whether the Florida bear population is too far inbred, or is actually a viable breeding stock. If the bear population has already become too inbred, the proper action is to expand the gene pool by bringing in bears from matching bear species from other locations in the United States.

Hypoxia in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. (2015, November 6). Retrieved November 23, 2015, from http://www.gulfhypoxia.net/News/default.asp?XMLFilename=201511060904.xml

The federal government is investing more than $30 million in water quality projects in the Mississippi river basin that flows into the Gulf of Mexico, which has been an ongoing sight of eutrophication. The main target of these investments is toward agricultural nutrients that are the root cause of eutrophication. The federal Natural Resources Conservation Service is required to invest $30 million per year over the next three years, as mandated in the form of a $100 million commitment from the 2014 Farm Bill.

The Hypoxia has extreme environmental importance, since the waters of the Gulf of Mexico provided habitat for vast and complex ecosystems. Now the organisms are either forced to leave or die of dissolved oxygen deprivation, which has greatly decreased the overall health and biodiversity of the aquatic region. Hopefully this project will prevent further spread of excessive nutrients, although the current effects are irreversible. In addition, the improvement of water quality in the Mississippi will benefit the general population of people throughout not only the gulf coast states, but the Midwestern states as well where the Mississippi flows.

2015. Platt, J. The Last 3 Bornean Rhinos Are in a Race against Extinction. Retrieved August 23, 2015. http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/extinction-countdown/the-last-3-bornean-rhinos-are-in-a-race-against-extinction/

Experts are concerned about the future of the Bornean Rhino. Currently, one male and two females survive. Iman, one of the females has a compilation of tumors in her uterus. The other female, Puntung, is unable to breed because of “severe reproductive tract pathology, possibly due to having gone unbred in the wild for a long time”, according to WWF Malaysi. Although it is not possible for either rhino to become pregnant, they are still producing eggs, which may be combined with the male’s sperm in a lab. The Malaysian government has provided $27,700 in funds for artificial insemination.

Extinction is a common theme in modern environmental science. In particular, scientists study how the disappearance of one species can have a major impact on symbiotic species and the overall surrounding environment. If this particular species of Rhino goes extinct, it could have detrimental consequences for the overall ecology of the Southeast Asian islands.

Kaplan, S. Earth is on brink of a sixth mass extinction, scientists say, and it’s humans’ fault. Retrieved August 23, 2015. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/06/22/the-earth-is-on-the-brink-of-a-sixth-mass-extinction-scientists-say-and-its-humans-fault/

Scientists say that human activity has caused earth to enter its sixth mass extinction. Extinction rates of mammals have increased by 20 to 100 times. In the past 115 years alone, at least 69 species of mammals and 400 types of vertebrates have gone extinct. This major decrease in biodiversity could lead to an even greater catastrophic impact on ecological communities in the future.

Environmental science takes account of the interactions between humans and the natural environment. In this article, it is apparent that humans have depleted their natural resources so drastically that their actions are equivalent to the five cataclysmic events that have completely annihilated earlier cycles of prehistoric life. The current preservation of the environment is dependent on human behavior that respects the natural balance.

Jarroud, M. Latin America Should Lead in Protecting the Planet’s Oceans. Retrieved August 23, 2015. http://www.ipsnews.net/2015/08/latin-america-should-lead-in-protecting-the-planets-oceans/

Global organizations are requesting that Latin America take leadership in protecting the oceans, since they are responsible for much of the illegal fishing and pollution that are currently endangering these oceans. Latin America can combat these issues by creating more protected oceanic areas and eliminate overfishing. In Latin America, conferences are being held to address the situation. If Latin American countries and their fishing communities do not increase their involvement and decide to ignore these requests, their food supply and economy could be compromised.

This is an environmental science issue because the article explicates the direct effect of human behavior, governmental policies, and levels of enforcement have on health of marine ecosystems. Governmental conferences informed by scientific study are an essential forum to debate and come to terms on this critical topic. Healthy of marine ecosystems can significantly improve regional economies and boost food security.

Cavaliere, V. (2015, June 17). Toxic algae bloom off West Coast might be largest ever – British Columbia – CBC News. Retrieved August 23, 2015. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/toxic-algae-bloom-off-west-coast-might-be-largest-ever-1.3116914

The west coast is currently experiencing its largest toxic algae bloom in human history, which first became apparent in May. It extends from northern California into British Columbia. Researchers say the microscopic algae are producing domoic acid, which could have fatal effects on humans. The outbreak is raising heath concerns over seafood consumption, since marine life could contain increased levels of domoic acid. Researchers are monitoring the bloom, and this could lead to the closure of some fishing areas along the west coast.

Once called the “red tide”, which previously appeared periodically on a much smaller scale, this larger episode has the potential to dramatically impact the entire west coast marine food chain, and therefore ecosystem. This is because the toxins are consumed by plankton, which form the most basic foundation of the food chain. The magnitude of this phenomenon suggests a correlation with rising aquatic temperatures associated with climate change.

Brown, P. Warmer winters boost Europe’s wild boar. Retrieved August 23, 2015. http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_round_up/2985059/warmer_winters_boost_europes_wild_boar.html

Wild boar populations are surging due to an increasingly abundant food supply. Scientists say an overabundant supply of acorns and beechnuts is fueled by milder winters, caused by climate change. In past times, many yearling boars did not survive cold winters, but this is no longer the case. This expansion is also due to the boars’ strong reproductive capacity. The animal’s habitat is expanding to countries where they were previously thought to be extinct.

This article relates to environmental science because the boars’ rising population described by the article exemplifies the complex chain of ecological effects. Climate change, species characteristics, and even cultural factors such as farmers attempting to capture and domesticate the animals on their lands are environmental science factors. The surging boar population monopolizes the supply of nutrients and other resources necessary to the survival of other species, disrupting the historical balance in the European region.