A lot of lead from gasoline, house paint and industrial emissions has ended up in soil, and it poses serious health risks.
Jamie Grill, Tetra Images via Getty Images
Joseph Curti, University of California, Los Angeles e Morgan Tingley, University of California, Los Angeles
Even in a concrete jungle like Los Angeles, wild species show up in surprising places. New research identifies the types of wildlife that best tolerate urban development.
Gamma-ray bursts, as shown in this illustration, come from powerful astronomical events.
NASA, ESA and M. Kornmesser
Since an eclipse only lasts a few minutes, you need more than just a handful of scientists running around collecting data on bird activity. That’s where a new app comes in.
Egg cases of sharks and rays can be found washed up on the shore. Citizen science data helps scientists understand the life cycles of these marine animals and how to best conserve them.
A group of Enviro-Champs using a velocity plank to measure the depth and discharge of a river.
Courtesy DUCT and GroundTruth.
In South Africa, a group of citizen scientists who test water quality and log the results on a specialised app have helped keep the water supply for 4.3 million people clean.
Australia could still take action in the fight against Varroa that wasn’t possible elsewhere. But to do so, we need to fill urgent gaps in bee research.
Rather than a tracking tag telling scientists where this shark traveled, its violent removal let them observe an unexpected regeneration process.
Josh Schellenberg
After scientists’ GPS tracking tag was violently removed from one shark’s dorsal fin, they were in for a surprise: The wound didn’t just heal, but the missing tissue grew back.
With smartphones as commonplace as towels and sunscreen in the beach bag, why not add coastal data collection to your list of holiday activities this summer? Look for the CoastSnap camera cradles.
A lead pipe in the kitchen ceiling of a home in Newark, N.J.
AP Photo/Julio Cortez
Researchers used ‘citizen science’ birdwatching data to rank Australian species. Among the most elusive birds were ‘hide and seek’ champions and a few possibly headed for extinction.
Contributors to the WomSAT website have already reported more than 23,000 wombat sightings. We can use the data to cut the risks to wombats – and anyone with a smartphone can help.
Turtles could spell trouble for Western Sydney Airport, which is being built in a wetland. But it’s not too late to include turtle-friendly infrastructure such as underpasses and fences.
Mae gwerthuso beth yw gwyddoniaeth dinasyddion yn golygu edrych ar y cysyniad o wyddoniaeth ei hun.
Charles F. Kaye/Shutterstock
One of the most damaging invasive species in the oceans has breached a major barrier – the Amazon-Orinoco river plume – and is spreading along Brazil’s coast. Scientists are trying to catch up.
Evaluating what citizen science is involves looking at the concept of science itself.
Charles F. Kaye/Shutterstock