Ecology

This year, space agencies are launching US$2 billion worth of satellite radars to measure Earth’s forests, with ‘NISAR’ developed by India and the United States about to join the European Space Agency’s ‘Biomass’ in orbit. These initiatives foster international collaboration and can help to address climate change and protect biodiversity.
Competing Interests
The authors are among the nine (non-paid) Executive Board members of GEO-TREES, a multi-institutional non-profit organization aiming to support ground measurements of forests and the people who make them, as part of a global forest biomass reference system. They are not paid by GEO-TREES. More

The oceans provide a range of habitats that support crucial biodiversity and human livelihoods.Credit: Olly ScholeyOcean conservation is the 14th of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the world’s plan to end poverty and achieve sustainability by 2030. The ocean is Earth’s life-support system, offering a source of food; playing a crucial part in regulating the climate and the water cycle; and supplying a range of habitats that support biodiversity. It also provides livelihoods to people around the world. Unfortunately, by many measures, progress towards this goal is going in the wrong direction.Over the past few years, world leaders have put their names to several ocean-related treaties and agreements. However, scientists have warned that compliance is a serious problem, as we and others have reported. At the same time, new treaties, such as an agreement on plastics, are under discussion, but these are often at high risk of being watered down, not least because of the outsized influence of oil and gas interests.Good COPs, bad COPs: science struggles in a year of environmental summitsNext month, countries will meet in Nice, France, for the UN Ocean Conference. The aim of the event is to accelerate progress towards SDG14. Thousands of delegates will be present, representing governments, scientists, industry, campaign groups and Indigenous peoples. Many will be attending side events, as is now the norm for such meetings.It is crucial that those representing their governments take this opportunity to thrash out agreements and disagreements, and revive existing commitments, so that SDG14 has a fighting chance of being achieved. It isn’t often that signatories to the different ocean-related treaties are in the same place at the same time. And because they won’t be in the high-stakes environment of negotiating text to a tight deadline, they will have an opportunity to take a step back and see how they can make progress.Slow boatThere are many reasons why progress on SDG14 has been slow to non-existent. Overfishing is one. Half a century ago, 90% of fish stocks were biologically sustainable — that is, the level of fishing meant stocks could replenish themselves. By 2021, that figure had fallen to only about 62%.Hypocrisy is threatening the future of the world’s oceansMeanwhile, policies designed to safeguard the ocean and its biodiversity are being implemented at a slow pace. The international community has set a target of conserving 30% of the land and sea by 2030. For that to become a reality, the area under conservation will need to be increased almost fourfold in just a few years.Add to this the pressure on the oceans from climate change. In April 2024, scientists at the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that the world was experiencing a global coral bleaching event — only the fourth on record, but the second within ten years. Bleaching occurs when corals expel their symbiotic algae, turning white, a process that makes them more vulnerable to starvation and disease.Lack of finance has also stifled progress. For example, between 2014 and 2024, governments, industry and others pledged US$160 billion in support for the oceans. Of this, only $23.8 billion is classified as having been delivered, and pledges have tapered off in the past few years.Take stockClearly, there’s much that governments need to talk about. When delegates meet, they must take stock of the lack of action, at least insofar as has been publicly communicated, in implementing existing international ocean-sustainability agreements. The High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy — an agreement between 18 countries to sustainably manage their national waters — last posted a news update on its website in December.Deep-sea mining plans should not be rushedThe High Seas Treaty is another accord in need of a boost. When it was adopted in 2023, signatories pledged to protect — and sustainably use — marine resources in the two-thirds of the ocean that lies outside national jurisdictions. These ‘high seas’ are rich in ocean life and provide habitat and migration routes for myriad species, including turtles, seabirds and whales. But so far, only 21 of the 115 countries that signed the treaty have ratified it — and 60 ratifications are needed for the treaty to become international law.Other key agreements in need of reviving include the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, which bans subsidies supporting illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, and harvesting of overfished stocks. It was adopted in June 2022 by World Trade Organization (WTO) members, and is in line with the SDG14 target to end subsidies that contribute to overfishing. So far, 97 WTO members have ratified it, but, as Nature went to press, 14 more were still needed for the agreement to become law.Countries must also use the conference to work through some of the sticking points on talks for a global plastics treaty. More than 100 countries continue to support a proposal to curb plastic production. They are acting on the basis of research showing that plastics are suffocating the seas and endangering marine life. But oil- and gas-producing nations, and representatives of the plastics industry, oppose the plan, and are arguing that the treaty should instead focus on managing plastic waste. Nations will convene in Geneva, Switzerland, in August for the next round of talks. They must make it a priority to reach a science-led deal.The UN Ocean Conference promises to be a rare event at which most of the key players are in the same location and free of the pressure-cooker atmosphere of a treaty negotiation. They must make the most of this opportunity. Tide and time wait for no one. More

Ecologists were among the researchers surveyed about the prevalence of territorial behaviours such as data hoarding.Credit: Tomas Munita/Bloomberg/GettyAlmost half of the scientists who responded to a survey have experienced territorial and undermining behaviours from other scientists — most commonly during their PhD studies1. Of those affected, nearly half said that the perpetrator was a high-profile researcher, and one-third said it was their own supervisor.Most of the survey respondents were ecologists, but the study’s organizers suspect that surveys focusing on other disciplines would yield similar results.The gatekeeping behaviours that the study documents “damage careers, particularly of early-career and marginalized researchers”, says lead author Jose Valdez, an ecologist at the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research in Leipzig. “Most alarming was that nearly one in five of those affected left academia or science entirely.”Why we quit: how ‘toxic management’ and pandemic pressures fuelled disillusionment in higher educationValdez and his colleagues call the possessiveness shown by many researchers the ‘Gollum effect’, after the character Gollum in The Lord of the Rings (1954–55), whose one goal in life is to hoard an object of great power for himself. The study was published today in One Earth.“It makes something tangible that all researchers probably have experienced one way or another: the territoriality of other researchers and fear of being ‘scooped’,” says computational social scientist Jana Lasser at the University of Graz in Austria, who co-founded the Network against Abuse of Power in Science and was not involved in the study.Unnamed hazardThat academic workplaces are often toxic environments is hardly news. But “despite growing attention to issues such as bullying, harassment and mental health in academia”, Valdez says, “the root cause of many of these problems — the toxic possessiveness and gatekeeping — didn’t have a name or formal recognition”. Enter the Gollum effect, which Valdez defines as including possessive behaviours, attempts to undermine others, and efforts to restrict access to data, resources or opportunities.Valdez and his colleagues distributed their survey through professional conservation and ecology societies and social media. To reduce self-selection bias, they presented it as a survey about experiences at different career stages, not mentioning the Gollum effect until the survey was underway. The survey drew 563 responses, representing 64 nationalities.Familiar monsterThe Gollum effect was common: 44% of respondents said they had experienced it. Of these, 18% had experienced it many times. In 46% of cases, scientists said that the perpetrator was a high-profile researcher, and 35% said it was their supervisor.Among those who experienced the Gollum effect, 54% said it happened during their PhD studies, 32% during their master’s studies, 31% as a postdoctoral researcher and 27% as an undergraduate. But independent researchers, senior researchers and even professors experienced it, too.“The most surprising finding was the profound impact of the Gollum effect on career trajectories,” says Valdez. More than two-thirds of those affected said that the experience had had a moderate or large effect on their career path, and some 20% had left academia or science completely as a result (see ‘Toll of territorial behaviours’).Source: Ref. 1.

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Thinking Small and Large: How Microbes Made and Can Save Our World Peter Forbes Icon Books (2025)Our world is shaped by things we cannot see — from bacteria and greenhouse gases to artificial intelligence. Yet people tend to centre their world view around what is visible and human. In Thinking Small and Large, science writer Peter Forbes tackles this paradox with clarity, arguing that our “sapiocentrism” could prevent us from grasping the foundational importance of microorganisms.His sweeping narrative connects the molecular beginnings of life with the existential planetary crises humans now face. Microbes, the author asserts, are key to restoring our home and ensuring our survival in an era of ecological collapse.Ancient alliesForbes begins by paying homage to the classic 1926 book Microbe Hunters, in which microbiologist Paul de Kruif celebrated the early pioneers of germ theory — such as Louis Pasteur and Paul Ehrlich — who found ways to eliminate pathogens. Although revolutionary at the time, Forbes notes, the book helped to stoke a perception of microbes as synonymous with illness. This unfortunate framing might have hampered microbial research and complicated regulatory approval for microbial technologies ever since.‘Oceans are hugely complex’: modelling marine microbes is key to climate forecastsThe author goes on to turn Microbe Hunters on its head, reframing the microscopic organisms as ancient allies.When ancient microbes oxygenated the planet through photosynthesis, for example, they created an atmosphere in which aerobic life could evolve. These tiny life forms drive the planet’s biogeochemical cycles, such as carbon and nitrogen cycles, which maintain climate stability and ecosystem productivity. And they are key components of our own bodies and biology. Complex organisms, including humans, rely on the microbes that live in our guts, on our skin and elsewhere in our bodies to obtain key nutrients and protect us against disease.Forbes also celebrates the scientists who discovered how microbes helped to shape Earth. Microbiologist Lynn Margulis, for instance, revolutionized researchers’ understanding of the origins of complex life. In 1967, she proposed that mitochondria and chloroplasts — the energy-producing hubs of animal and plant cells — evolved from bacteria engulfed by cells, indicating that complex life emerged from ancient symbiotic partnerships.Tiny technologiesThe author highlights that pressing issues such as biodiversity loss, pollution and climate change are caused not just by greenhouse-gas emissions, but also by disrupted microbial balance. For example, ocean warming disrupts the symbiosis between corals and the photosynthetic algae that provide much of the corals’ energy. The result is mass coral die-offs that have put entire reef ecosystems at risk. This point is increasingly echoed by scientists.But microbial technologies could offer a path out of climate and ecological emergencies, he asserts.Incorporating bacteria into agricultural processes can cut reliance on harmful practices.Credit: Wakil Kohsar/AFP/Getty For instance, microbes can use tiny electrical currents to convert carbon dioxide into biofuels that can be a source of renewable energy. And some countries are reducing their dependence on synthetic fertilizers — which are energy-intensive to produce and contribute to greenhouse-gas emissions and soil and water pollution — by incorporating bacteria into agricultural processes. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria, for instance, convert inert atmospheric nitrogen into useful forms crucial for plant growth.Looking ahead, advances in genetic engineering could even enable cereal crops to permanently ‘engulf’ this bacterial capability, allowing plants to autonomously convert atmospheric nitrogen into forms that are essential for their own growth. The intricate, protein-based molecular systems behind DNA replication, photosynthesis and nitrogen fixation, which the author calls microbial nanomachines, are our secret weapon for building future societies that are both sustainable and economically resilient.Microbes can capture carbon and degrade plastic — why aren’t we using them more?

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The implementation of a Fund for responding to Loss and Damage at the 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) raised the prospect of wealthier nations compensating the countries that are suffering the most from events related to climate change, such as droughts. But the fund’s remit should extend to financially supporting the communities most affected by disruptions to ecosystems they rely on, as a result of excess emissions of carbon dioxide.
Competing Interests
The authors declare no competing interests. More

NEWS AND VIEWS
12 May 2025

The steepest drops in number are seen in areas that host the largest populations — a trend observed for more than 80% of bird species across the continent. More

“I am a conservation biologist at the Gorongosa National Park in central Mozambique, where I focus on bats and their social vocalizations. In this photo, I’m photographing a colony of fruit-eating bats (Eidolon helvum) that live in the Tunduru Botanic Garden in the capital, Maputo.As we learn about the different types of vocalization, we can understand the phases of a bat’s life better and perhaps be able to conserve species with fewer interventions than now. For instance, there are vocalizations specific to the mating season, and some species have only one reproductive season over two or three months of the year. We can better quantify and recognize that time period if we focus on the sounds bats make.There are a lot of unanswered questions. Do the male bats use vocalization to mark and defend their territory, for instance? During my master’s degree, I worked on two species: the Egyptian slit-faced bat (Nycteris thebaica) and Sundevall’s leaf-nosed bat (Hipposideros caffer). For one of them, I was able to identify 11 distinct vocalizations, and for the other, I identified 6.Our basic equipment is a bat detector, which records the ultrasound calls emitted by bats. I use specialist software, including Kaleidoscope Pro and Raven Pro, to visualize these sounds in a sonogram, which graphs sound as a wave. (Kaleidoscope even has a bat mode.) We then use frequency, duration and other harmonic details to identify the vocalizations.

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Download the Nature Podcast 07 May 2025In this episode:00:46 How fishing activity altered the migration pattern of HerringSelective fishing of older herring has resulted in a large shift in the migration pattern of these fish, according to new research. For years, herring have visited sites on the south coast of Norway to spawn, but in 2020 a rapid shift was seen, with the fish instead visiting areas hundreds of kilometres to the north. Researchers have concluded that too many older fish have been removed from these waters, preventing the knowledge of the best spawning grounds being passed to younger, less experienced fish. This finding shows how human activity can affect animal migration, which could have serious consequences for the delicately balanced ecosystems built around them.Research article: Slotte et al.10:37 Research HighlightsArchaeologists have identified tools that the ancient Maya may have used for tattooing, and the self-assembling stable structures that may help ‘forever chemicals’ persist in nature.Research Highlight: Tattoo-making tools used by ancient Maya revealedResearch Highlight: ‘Forever’ molecules arrange themselves into cell-like structures 13:02 How might AI companions affect users’ mental health?AI companions — apps where humans build relationships with computers — are hugely popular, with millions of people around the world using them. But despite increased social and political attention, research investigating how these systems can affect users has been lacking. We find out about the latest research in this space.News Feature: Supportive? Addictive? Abusive? How AI companions affect our mental health24:52 Briefing ChatA technique that lets researchers directly edits proteins within living cells, and how a fibre-rich, low-fat diet could help replenish populations of gut microbes ravaged by antibiotics.Nature: Powerful protein editors offer new ways of probing living cellsNature: How to fix a gut microbiome ravaged by antibioticsSubscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.Never miss an episode. Subscribe to the Nature Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube Music or your favourite podcast app. An RSS feed for the Nature Podcast is available too. More