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Forgotten Landscapes: Bringing Back the Rich Grasslands of the Southeast

Janet Marinelli

June 20, 2019 |

Yale Environment 360 |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Clarkesville, Tennessee

A little known fact about the southeastern United States is that it used to be home to millions of acres of prairies and grasslands, and it remains one of the most biodiverse places in America. The Southeastern Grasslands Initiative is taking on the responsibility of documenting little-known species to better preserve species and educate others about the region.

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Why you want oysters and a salt marsh between you and a hurricane

Anne N. Connor

June 03, 2019 |

Vox |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Beaufort, North Carolina

Instead of building hard seawalls to protect communities from hurricanes, some are turning to “living shorelines.” These are made out of crushed rock or oyster shells that are placed offshore in front of a wetland. There are more than 120 of these types of habitats — including in Beaufort, North Carolina — and they have shown that they can absorb 50 percent of wave energy, which can reduce the risk of loss of human life and property from flooding. This might not work for all coastal communities, but living shorelines are cheaper than the traditional seawalls.

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Hungry Goats Are on the Front Lines of Wildfire Prevention in Southern California

Aliya Jasmine

May 30, 2019 |

KNBC-TV |

Broadcast TV News |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Los Angeles, California

When a Southern California rainy season fuels a boom in non-native grasses, the Los Angeles County Fire Department's Forestry Division deploys herds of goats to munch on what could turn into a wildfire hazard. The goats provide a green alternative to the use of machinery to clear brush. The four-legged crews are more agile on steep slopes and cost less than their human and mechanical substitutes. The fire department limits the use of goats to qualified vendors who must ensure that the grass eaters don't go overboard, eating even native grasses and causing new environmental problems.

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An (Even More) Inconvenient Truth: Why Carbon Credits For Forest Preservation May Be Worse Than Nothing

Lisa Song

May 22, 2019 |

ProPublica |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: Brazil, Rio Branco, Acre

This story examines the well-publicized climate-change strategy of carbon credits: the idea that a CO₂-emitting company could offset its emissions by funding anti-logging efforts, effectively "saving" the equivalent amount of carbon. However, as it turns out, despite its popularity, most carbon credit programs do not actually work or, worse, may do more harm than good. This article details the shortcomings of this attempted solution to the effects of global warming.

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Fish Below Your Feet and Other Solutions for a Living Harbor

Tyee Bridge

May 14, 2019 |

Hakai Magazine |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Seattle, Washington

Around the world, scientists are eco-engineering urban waterfront areas to encourage marine species diversity. Seattle’s Central Waterfront area was recently enhanced with a textured and angled concrete sea wall to encourage the growth of algae and invertebrates, a built-up seafloor to attract juvenile salmon who like shallow water, and light penetrating glass bricks in the sidewalk, which boost seaweed growth and entice shade-avoidant salmon smolts. The project also enhances the human experience with more pedestrian access, better storm water management, and a new pier park with direct water access.

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Coastal Recovery: Bringing a Damaged Wetland Back to Life

Jim Morrison

May 09, 2019 |

Yale Environment 360 |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Milton, Delaware

A coastal recovery project in Delaware Bay is using a technique that they call "engineering with nature" to bring back the 4,000 acres of wetlands from the disastrous effects of human interference and climate change. They use a multitude of strategies, such as stabilizing the dunes and replanting native grasses, and although they approach the project as a research study without progress yet, they have already begun to see a return of wildlife including birds, eels, and crabs. Similar efforts to restore wetlands are also taking off across the globe.

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In Indonesia, bigger catches for a fishing village protecting its mangroves

Aseanty Pahlevi

May 03, 2019 |

Mongabay |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Indonesia, Sungai Nibung

Offering ecosystems a short break from extractive practices can stave off environmental degradation and overfishing. In Indonesia, regions of the Nibung River are closed for several months to allow populations of fish and crabs to recover. The fishing moratoriums not only increase yields and ecosystem resilience, they also improve the quality of life of fishermen. Planet Indonesia, a nongovernmental organization, works enroll locals into the environmental reforms through literacy promotion and education.

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Technology in the tides

Emily Loewinger

May 02, 2019 |

Changing Florida |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Sarasota, Florida

A new submersible machine produced by the Mote Marine Laboratory in Florida allows scientists to more effectively spot phytoplankton blooms which can cause red tide. This harmful algal bloom event can wreak havoc on ecosystems and the Programmable Hyperspectral Seawater Scanner is an improvement on an older model. While the maintenance cost can be high, scientists hope the instrument will be able to detect harmful algal blooms early in order to prevent outbreaks.

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Probiotics help humans stay healthy. Can they benefit other animals, too?

Hannah Thomasy

May 02, 2019 |

Ensia |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Boulder, Colorado

Across the world, research is being done to figure out if probiotics – live bacteria that hold numerous health benefits – can help animals other than humans. Thus far, such treatments have yielded success in labs working with amphibians, brown bats, and coral, demonstrating that humans can help treat wildlife diseases. While the research continues to show success, many are now figuring out how to give this sort of treatment in nature and on much larger scales.

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Can Scientists, Entrepreneurs, And The Private Sector Come Together To Save Sharks?

Melissa Cristina Márquez

April 29, 2019 |

Forbes |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Bahamas

The research group, Beneath the Waves, is cultivating cross-sector collaborations with nonprofits, scientists, and individual philanthropists in order to better study the movements and patterns of sharks in the Bahamas. What has typically been a challenging task has been made possible through the use of acoustic tags, which can provide researchers insight into ocean ecosystems and thus conservation. Such initiatives are part of a larger trend of bringing together private donors, nonprofits, and ocean scientists to bolster marine science and conservation efforts.

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