Science and Climate Content

Arctic Reindeer Could Decline by 80% by 2100

Katherine E Kerlin — August 15, 2025 - 2:29pm

Researchers predict that future climatic change is likely to cause declines in reindeer abundances and their distribution at rates rarely seen over the last 21,000 years.

Reindeer, also known as caribou in North America, are an Ice Age species that have survived many episodes of Arctic warming. They are uniquely adapted to Arctic environments, where they regulate ecosystems and sustain the livelihoods of many Indigenous Peoples.

Rainy Tropics Could Face Unprecedented Droughts as an Atlantic Current Slows

Andy Fell — July 30, 2025 - 8:00am

New research warns that global rainfall patterns could shift dramatically as a result of climate change

How Wildlife Navigated National Parks Before and During the COVID ‘Anthropause’

Katherine E Kerlin — July 30, 2025 - 5:10am

The presence of humans and human infrastructure in U.S. national parks has lasting effects on the behaviors of the large animals that call them home, according to a new study.

Tahoe State of the Lake Report Released for 2024

Katherine E Kerlin — July 17, 2025 - 9:00am

The ɫ��ɫ Tahoe Environmental Research Center today released its “Tahoe: State of the Lake Report ,” which presents data from 2024 in the context of the long-term record.

A Different Perspective on Salmon Farms

Katherine E Kerlin — July 07, 2025 - 10:36am

Salmon farms in British Columbia pose minimal impact on wild salmon populations, according to a review paper, or “Viewpoint,” published in the journal Aquaculture, Fish and Fisheries.

The paper, authored by six fish health experts from ɫ��ɫ, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Washington State University, and Oregon State University, reinterprets 20 years of scientific publication to draw its conclusion.

Plants Seek Friendly Environments Rather Than Adapt

Andy Fell — July 01, 2025 - 9:33am

As jewelflowers spread into California from the desert Southwest over the past couple of million years, they settled in places that felt like home, according to a new study from the ɫ��ɫ. The work, published July 1 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, shows that the ability of plants and animals to adapt to changing climates might be more limited than it appears.

Massive Burps of Carbon Dioxide Led to Oxygen-less Ocean Environments in the Deep Past

Andy Fell — June 23, 2025 - 12:00pm

New research from the ɫ��ɫ, the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Texas A&M University reveals that massive emissions, or burps, of carbon dioxide from natural earth systems led to significant decreases in ocean oxygen concentrations some 300 million years ago.

Lake Tahoe Clarity Report: Trend Stable, Not Improving

Katherine E Kerlin — June 16, 2025 - 5:35pm

ɫ��ɫ Tahoe Environmental Research Center releases its annual Tahoe Clarity Report.

CA Clean Air Law Making Strides in Overburdened Neighborhoods

Katherine E Kerlin — June 12, 2025 - 10:56am

For years, families in the Bay Area city of Richmond have lived with smoke and chemicals drifting from a nearby oil refinery. That kind of exposure poses serious health risks, but a new report from ɫ��ɫ shows how California’s Assembly Bill (AB) 617 is helping residents take a more active role in monitoring and reducing air pollution in their neighborhoods.

Spring-fed Rivers, Cold Waters and Trout

Andy Fell — June 09, 2025 - 1:55pm

In an age of climate whiplash, cold streams and creeks fed by aquifers in volcanic rock could be a refuge for the survival of native species, especially salmon and trout which breed in cold mountain streams.

One source of cold stream water is of course snowmelt, but that can vary greatly from year to year. Another, more stable source comes from springs drawing on water stored in porous volcanic rocks. These volcanic aquifers can feed cold water into creeks and streams year-round, potentially supporting rainbow trout, steelhead, Coho and Chinook salmon.