Methane is usually linked to global warming. But far below the ocean’s surface, three newly discovered sea spider species have found a way to use this greenhouse gas as a survival tool....

Every October, farmers across the US harvest millions of pumpkins. Some transform into delicious soups or pies, while others become spooky jack-o'-lanterns. A select few, however, are grown just for weigh-off competitions. There are numerous such contests held around the country. But the biggest gourds usually end up at the "Super Bowl" of pumpkin weigh-offs in Half Moon Bay, CA....

India, like many countries, faces ongoing challenges with poverty and plastic waste. As of 2023, about 5 percent of its population — roughly 73 million people — lived below the $3.00 per day poverty line. The country also produces nearly 29,000 tons of plastic daily. Much of it ends up in landfills. A small cafe in the central Indian city of Ambikapur has found a unique way to tackle both problems....

Climate change poses a serious threat to the Antarctic ecosystem. As temperatures continue to rise, sea ice is shrinking. This makes it harder for wildlife like seabirds, seals, and whales to find food, rest, or raise their young. Now, scientists may have found a surprising ally in their efforts to protect the continent — penguin poop....

With their broad green leaves floating lightly on the water, Victoria water lilies may look fragile. But these plants can hold hundreds of pounds. To highlight this strength, the team at Denver Botanic Gardens began sharing videos on social media. They showed just how much weight their lilies could hold....

Earth’s atmosphere holds billions of gallons of water vapor. If captured, it could supply clean drinking water to over 2.2 billion people who do not have reliable access. Now, MIT scientists have built a device that can pull water from the air — even in some of the driest places on Earth....

Fat Bear Week is back! From September 23 through September 30, 2025, Alaska's Katmai National Park will invite fans worldwide to vote for the park's fattest brown bear. Now in its 11th year, the fun contest shines a spotlight on these remarkable animals and the Alaskan wilderness they call home....

Dolphin communication has always intrigued scientists. The intelligent mammals use a range of noises to work together and stay connected. Some sounds even act like names, helping dolphins recognize one another. Now, researchers at Google and Georgia Tech hope to understand dolphin speech — and maybe even talk to them — with the help of Artificial Intelligence (AI)....

A young Cooper's hawk in West Orange, New Jersey, has stunned scientists by using a pedestrian crosswalk as a hunting tool. This behavior marks a rare instance in which a bird of prey takes advantage of human infrastructure for survival....

On August 25, 2025, parts of Arizona were briefly engulfed by a massive dust storm during the evening rush hour, turning day into near darkness. Known as a haboob, these storms form when strong thunderstorm winds sweep across the desert, lifting loose soil into the sky....

A team of international researchers has captured the first-ever footage of an extremely rare Antarctic gonate squid swimming freely in its natural habitat. The species was previously known only from dead specimens caught in fishing nets or remains found in the stomachs of predators like whales and seals....

Caterpillars are usually seen as harmless, plant-munching larvae. But a newly identified species discovered on the Hawaiian island of Oahu challenges that reputation. Measuring just 5 mm long, the "bone collector" caterpillar feeds on dead insects found in spider webs. It then repurposes the remains, wearing body parts like beetle shells and weevil heads as camouflage....

Each summer, the Northern Hemisphere night sky comes alive with one of the year's most dazzling celestial events: the Perseid meteor shower. Known for its bright, fast-moving meteors, the Perseids are a favorite of both casual stargazers and serious astronomers....

Over the Fourth of July holiday weekend, the Hill Country region in Central Texas experienced intense rainfall. This caused the Guadalupe River, which runs through much of the area, to surge over 26 feet (7.9 m) in about 45 minutes. The rapid rise triggered one of the worst flash floods in US history. The water swept through entire communities with little warning, engulfing land and washing away vehicles, buildings, and bridges. Thousands of residents lost their homes and businesses. As of July 25, 2025, 138 people have died — the 10th-highest toll on record for a US flash flood. Three are still missing....

Chimpanzees are well known for their intelligence, especially in using tools to hunt and gather food. Now, new research on chimps at Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania, Africa, suggests these clever primates are not just tool users — they may also be natural engineers....

Crows are remarkably smart animals, with thinking skills comparable to those of five- to seven-year-old children. They can solve puzzles, use tools, and even remember faces. Now, researchers at the University of Tübingen in Germany have found that these unassuming birds can also recognize different geometric shapes — a skill previously seen only in humans....

For centuries, the world beneath Antarctica’s thick ice shelves remained one of Earth’s greatest unknowns. No one knew what, if anything, lived there. That changed when a massive iceberg, roughly the size of Chicago, unexpectedly broke away. This rare event gave scientists a once-in-a-lifetime chance to explore a part of the planet that had never been seen before....

On April 23, 2025, the Philadelphia Zoo introduced four female hatchlings of the critically endangered Western Santa Cruz Galápagos tortoises to the public. The new arrivals were named Dorothy, Rose, Blanche, and Sophia — after characters from the iconic television series The Golden Girls. They are the first of their kind to be born at the zoo in its 150-year history. Prior to this, there were only 44 Western Santa Cruz tortoises in US zoos, including three at Philadelphia....

Sharks have always been considered silent swimmers. Unlike most fish, these top ocean predators lack sound-producing organs. But recent research suggests this might not be true for all sharks. At least one species produces noise, challenging our understanding of these stealthy hunters....

When a 5.2 magnitude earthquake struck Southern California on April 14, 2025, a camera at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park captured a powerful display of animal instinct. As the ground shook, three African elephants quickly formed a protective circle around the two young calves. Their reaction offers a rare glimpse into the mammals' natural defense strategy....

Earth Day 2025 marks the 55th anniversary of the global environmental effort that began on April 22, 1970. The first Earth Day united 20 million Americans — about 10% of the US population at the time — to demand environmental protections....

The Kīlauea volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii is famous for its frequent eruptions and breathtaking displays of molten lava. But recent activity has been even more spectacular than usual. Some lava fountains have soared as high as 1,000 feet (304 m). Such eruptions have not been seen in over 65 years....

Fast fashion has made clothing cheaper than ever, but at a high environmental cost. Earth.org estimates that about 92 million tons of unwanted clothing end up in landfills every year. That is the equivalent of a garbage truck full of clothes being dumped every second. Thomas Harter and his team at Austria's Graz University of Technology hope to help reduce this waste by using discarded clothes to create stronger packaging material....

Cuttlefish are masters of disguise. These eight-armed cephalopods are known to rapidly change colors, patterns, and even the texture of their skin to evade predators. Now, researchers have discovered that these crafty mollusks also use this ability to catch prey....