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Visitors to the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers are about to witness the rare blooming of a titan arum, or corpse flower. The massive flower blossoms once every four to five years and lasts only 24 to 48 hours. But that may be a good thing. That's because when the petals unfurl, they emit an odor reminiscent of rotting meat....

Fish farming is a form of aquaculture in which fish are raised in enclosures to be sold as food. They account for over half of the world's fish supply and are vital for meeting the needs of an ever-growing human population. However, fish farms currently face a big challenge — waste management....

A lone wolverine traversing across Northern California is sending ripples of excitement across the Golden State. It is only the second sighting of the mammal in the state in almost a century. The wolverine has been captured on camera multiple times in different areas of the eastern Sierra Nevada mountain range since May 2023....

Killer whales, or orcas, are the largest members of the oceanic dolphin family. The intelligent mammals, which hunt in large pods, are known for their coordinated attacks on unsuspecting marine animals. But they rarely pose a threat to humans. However, since July 2020, groups of orcas have been deliberately attacking sailboats off the coasts of Spain and Portugal....

Carbon dioxide (CO2), released from burning fossil fuels like oil and coal, is a big contributor to global warming and climate change. Over the years, scientists have come up with several creative ideas to capture the harmful gas. However, implementing them on a large scale has proved elusive. But that may change with Denmark's new, bold initiative, Project Greensand. It involves collecting CO2 before it enters the atmosphere and burying it under the North Sea....

Researchers have long known that the Great Pacific Garbage Patch — the massive accumulation of plastic waste in the North Pacific Ocean — is home to a variety of sea life. However, they had assumed they were all open ocean inhabitants. Now, a new study has found that it also harbors a surprisingly large number of coastal marine species. They include crabs, sea anemones, and worms....

On April 22, 2023, over a billion people worldwide will celebrate Earth Day with various activities. Some will plant trees. Others will participate in neighborhood clean-up efforts or enjoy a nature walk. The modern environmental movement began on April 20, 1970. On that day, 20 million Americans took to the streets to urge the government to take steps to protect our planet....

Tokitae, or Toki, the oldest killer whale in captivity, will finally be released to her "home waters" in Puget Sound, off Washington State. The 57-year-old orca, nicknamed Lolita, was captured when she was four and sold to the Miami Seaquarium in Florida. She entertained park visitors for over five decades before retiring in 2022....

The rediscovery of a fairy lantern species in Japan is exciting researchers worldwide. The Thismia kobensis (T. kobensis) was first found in Kobe, Japan in 1992. But it was considered extinct after an industrial complex was built in the area, destroying the plant's habitat....

On March 25, 2023, individuals, communities, and businesses worldwide will celebrate Earth Hour by turning off all lights and electronics for 60 minutes. The hour-long blackout will occur from 8:30 to 9:30 PM local time. The global event, held annually on the last Saturday in March, reminds us of the urgent need to protect our planet....

A giant mass of brown seaweed called Sargassum is heading toward North America. Experts estimate it is over 5,500 miles (8,851 km) long and weighs around 10 million tons. The seaweed is expected to wash ashore on beaches in the Caribbean and Florida in late spring or early summer of 2023....

The United Nations (UN) member states recently announced a historic agreement to protect the world's oceans. The high seas treaty, unveiled on March 4, 2023, has been in the works for over a decade. It provides much-needed regulation to reduce pollution, overfishing, and habitat destruction in our ocean waters....

When passengers aboard a Viking Expedition cruise spotted a massive creature in the frigid waters off Antarctica, they suspected it was special. However, they did not realize they had stumbled upon the extremely rare, giant phantom jellyfish (Stygiomedusa gigantea). Until then, there had been only 126 recorded observations of the species since its identification in 1910....

On February 3, 2023, a Norfolk Southern freight train, en route from Illinois to Pennsylvania, derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. Five of the 38 derailed cars contained toxic chemicals. They sparked a massive fire sending heavy smoke in the air. Concerned about more explosions, authorities asked people living within a one-mile area of the site to evacuate....

In 2012, Michael Skvarla noticed a massive dead insect outside a Walmart in Arkansas. The Director of Penn State University's Insect Identification Lab thought it looked interesting and took it home. However, it was not until recently that the scientist realized he had picked up a rare, Jurassic-era bug....

California's Yosemite National Park is famous for its ancient giant sequoia trees and massive rock formations. These include El Capitan and Half Dome. However, from mid-to-late February, the main draw is the Horsetail Fall. The seasonal waterfall flows over the eastern edge of El Capitan every winter. During the last two weeks in February, it often transforms into a stunning "Firefall." The natural phenomenon occurs around 5 to 15 minutes before sunset. It lasts just a few minutes....

An ongoing drought and excessive water usage have caused the water levels at Utah's Great Salt Lake to hit historic lows. Since 1850, the lake has lost 73 percent of its water and 60 percent surface area. A January 4, 2023, report by scientists at Brigham Young University warns that the saline lake could disappear within five years if no action is taken....

The series of winter storms that have battered California since late December finally began to wind down on January 17, 2023. The historic levels of rain and snow have caused rivers to overflow and flooded roads and homes. Thousands of people were forced to evacuate. Millions lost power at some point during the three-week-long deluge of rain. At least 20 people have died in connection with the storms....

The mention of goldfish usually conjures up images of small, colorful creatures swimming inside fish bowls or home aquariums. However, the one reeled in by Andy Hackett on November 3, 2022, was no ordinary "goldfish." It weighed an astounding 67.4 pounds (30.6 kg), or about as much as a fully-grown golden retriever!...

The world's largest active volcano began erupting for the first time in 38 years on November 27, 2022. Mauna Loa, located on Hawaii's Big Island, came alive at about 11:30 pm local time. It has been spewing out spectacular fountains of lava as high as 148 feet since. The river of molten lava is inching close to a major highway. But it currently poses no risk to nearby communities....

Norway is a global leader in sustainability. The Nordic country's approximately 5.4 million residents do everything possible to reduce their environmental impact. Hence, it should come as no surprise that it was the venue of choice for the world's first energy-positive hotel....

Many ocean-dwelling birds make huge detours to avoid severe storms. But not the streaked shearwaters! A new study led by Professor Ken Yoda of Japan's Nagoya University asserts that the brave seabirds often fly right into the eye of the storm to survive....

Every fall, families across the Northern Hemisphere rush to pumpkin patches in search of the perfect gourds. Some use them to carve out scary jack-o'-lanterns. Others place the fruits outside their homes as decor. But the fascination with pumpkins ends after Halloween, and most end up in the trash....

Every winter, Alaskan fishers head out to the Bering Sea to harvest snow crabs. However, on October 10, 2022, officials announced that the 2022/2023 snow crab season had been canceled due to a sharp decline in their population. Ocean surveys indicate that the number of snow crabs has shrunk from an estimated 11.9 billion in 2018 to about 1.9 billion in 2022....