Back from the brink of extinction

The unique recovery of pigeons endemic to the Ogasawara Islands

Kyoto University

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The red-headed wood pigeon, a critically endangered species endemic to the Ogasawara Islands, Japan. Although it was on the verge of extinction in the 2000s, it can now be seen even near residential areas. 

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Credit: KyotoU / Daichi Tsujimoto.

Kyoto, Japan -- For many endangered species, population decline to the brink of extinction leads to inbreeding, exposing a species to deleterious recessive mutations that severely limit its potential to recover. But the red-headed wood pigeon, endemic to the Ogasawara Islands in Japan, followed a different trajectory.

Although this pigeon population fell to below 80 individuals in the 2000s, it began to increase markedly after the removal of an introduced predator, the feral cat. Such a remarkable recovery raised questions regarding inbreeding, and why harmful mutations that could cause inbreeding depression, or a loss of genetic diversity, didn't hinder the species' revival.

In an effort to unravel this biological puzzle, a team of researchers at Kyoto University set out to investigate the factors that contributed to this unlikely comeback.

"Many endangered species struggle to recover even with intensive conservation measures," says first author Daichi Tsujimoto. "This pigeon's exceptional rebound led us to investigate the underlying genetic reasons for its resilience, hoping to uncover what makes some endangered species more capable of recovery than others."

The team sequenced and compared the whole genomes of both wild and captive red-headed wood pigeon populations, as well as a wild population of the Japanese wood pigeon. Their analysis enabled them to evaluate the level of inbreeding and genetic load in the endangered species and assess how its historical population dynamics influenced these factors.

Their results revealed that the frequency of highly deleterious mutations in the red-headed wood pigeon was lower than in the more widespread Japanese wood pigeon. This suggests that, rather than hindering it, the pigeon's success was likely rooted in its long-term persistence in a small population size prior to human impact.

Centuries of gradual inbreeding in a historically small and isolated population may have effectively allowed the species to expel deleterious mutations from its genome through a process called genetic purging. This seems to have equipped it with a robust genetic foundation, enabling its population to survive a bottleneck and rebound dramatically just three years after the removal of the predators.

"This unique evolutionary history appears to have provided these pigeons with a resilience that is not seen in other endangered populations," says team leader Yuji Isagi.

This study challenges the common assumption that inbreeding hinders recovery by expressing harmful genetic mutations.

Nonetheless, the population's long-term survival is still in question. Suffering such a severe loss of genetic diversity may have reduced the pigeon's adaptive capacity to future environmental changes, and a population below historic levels remains vulnerable to further erosion of genetic diversity and the accumulation of harmful mutations. Thus restoring the pigeon to its historic levels is essential.

Ultimately, this new insight suggests that conservation efforts should not only aim to increase genetic diversity, but also consider the unique genetic history of each species to develop more informed and effective strategies for their long-term survival.

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The paper "Genetic purging in an island-endemic pigeon recovering from the brink of extinction" appeared on 15 July 2025 in Communications Biology, with doi: 10.1038/s42003-025-08476-z

About Kyoto University

Kyoto University is one of Japan and Asia's premier research institutions, founded in 1897 and responsible for producing numerous Nobel laureates and winners of other prestigious international prizes. A broad curriculum across the arts and sciences at undergraduate and graduate levels complements several research centers, facilities, and offices around Japan and the world. For more information, please see: http://www.kyoto-u.ac.jp/en

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Journal

Communications Biology

DOI

10.1038/s42003-025-08476-z 

Method of Research

Observational study

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

Genetic purging in an island-endemic pigeon recovering from the brink of extinction

 

Unlocking the power within: Recycling lithium batteries for a sustainable future

Edith Cowan University

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Increased demand for electric vehicles, portable electronics, and renewable energy storage has resulted in lithium becoming a truly critical mineral. As the world races toward a clean energy future, the recycling of lithium batteries has become crucial.  

New research from Edith Cowan University (ECU) has highlighted that tapping into used batteries as a secondary source of lithium not only helps reduce environmental impact but also secures access to this valuable resource, supporting a circular economy and ensuring long-term sustainability in the energy sector.  

PhD student Ms Sadia Afrin has pointed out that the global lithium-ion battery market size is projected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 13 per cent, reaching $87.5 billion by 2027, with lithium consumption forecast to increase from 390 kilotons in 2020 to approximately 1,600 kilotons by 2026. 

However, only around 20 per cent of a lithium-ion battery’s capacity is used before the battery is no longer fit for use in electric vehicles, meaning those batteries ending up in storage or on the landfill retain nearly 80 per cent of their lithium capacity. 

The Australian Department of Industry, Science and Resources has previously estimated that by 2035, Australia could be generating 137,000 t of lithium battery waste annually. 

For the end-of-life batteries, the obvious answer is recycling, said first author Mr Asad Ali quoting figures from the government which estimates that the recycling industry could be worth between $603 million and $3.1 billion annually in just over a decade. 

“By recycling these batteries, you can access not only the remaining lithium – which already purified to near 99 per cent – but you can also retrieve the nickel and the cobalt from these batteries.” 

While the lithium retrieved through the recycling process is unlikely to impact the lithium extraction or downstream sectors, Mr Ali noted that the recycling process offered significant environmental benefits when compared with the mining industry. 

“Recycling processes can significantly reduce the extensive use of land, soil contamination, ecological footprint, water footprint, carbon footprint and harmful chemical release into the environment, thereby lowering greenhouse gas emissions and minimising waste.  

“Mining emits up to 37% tons of CO2 per ton of lithium. Recycling processes produce up to 61 per cent less carbon emissions compared with mining and uses 83 per cent less energy and 79 per cent less water as compared to mining. Hydrometallurgical recycling can generate profit up to $27.70 per kilogram of lithium recovered. And again, the lithium produced through the recycling process is already purified to 99 per cent, which means all of the energy, water and emissions are saved from the downstream process.” 

ECU lecturer and corresponding author Dr Muhammad Azhar said that while Australia holds one of the largest hard rock lithium reserves in the world, the recovery of lithium from end-of-life batteries could provide socio-economic benefits and fulfils environmental sustainability. 

“The mining industry actually offers another source of retired and potentially end-of-life batteries, as the electrification of the mining industry gains momentum. ECU is exploring the second life of these retired lithium batteries,” he added. 

While the benefits of lithium-ion battery recycling seem obvious, Ms Afrin noted that there were still some challenges to be addressed. 

“The rate of innovation significantly outstrips policy development, and the chemical make-up of the batteries also continuously evolve, which makes the recycling of these batteries more complicated,” she said. 

“There is a definite need for investment into the right infrastructure in order to create this circular economy, but there are several Australian companies that are looking at the best ways to approach this.” 

 

 

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Media contact: Esmarie Iannucci, Media Advisor, 0405 774 465   

e.iannucci@ecu.edu.au 

 

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Journal

Journal of Environmental Management

DOI

10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.126512 

Method of Research

Meta-analysis

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

A comprehensive review on the recovery of lithium from lithium-ion batteries and spodumene

Article Publication Date

1-Sep-2025

AI Chatbots can be exploited to extract more personal information

King's College London

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AI Chatbots that provide human-like interactions are used by millions of people every day, however new research has revealed that they can be easily manipulated to encourage users to reveal even more personal information.

Intentionally malicious AI chatbots can influence users to reveal up to 12.5 times more of their personal information, a new study by King’s College London has found.

For the first time, the research shows how conversational AI (CAIs) programmed to deliberately extract data can successfully encourage users to reveal private information using known prompt techniques and psychological tools.

The study tested three types of malicious AIs that used different strategies (direct, user-benefit and reciprocal) to encourage disclosure of personal information from users. These were built using ‘off the shelf’ large language models, including Mistral and two different versions of Llama.

The researchers then asked 502 people to test the models, only telling them the goal of the study afterwards.

They found that the CAIs using reciprocal strategies to extract information emerged as the most effective, with users having minimal awareness of the privacy risks. This strategy reflects on users' inputs by offering empathetic responses and emotional support, sharing relatable stories from others' experiences, acknowledging and validating user feelings, and being non-judgmental while assuring confidentiality.

These findings show the serious risk of bad actors, like scammers, gathering large amounts of personal information from people — without them knowing how or where it might be used.

LLM-based CAIs are being used across a variety of sectors, from customer service to healthcare, to provide human-like interactions through text or voice. 

However, previous research shows these types of models don’t keep information secure, a limitation rooted in their architecture and training methods. LLMs typically require extensive training data sets, which often leads to personally identifiable information being memorised by the models.

The researchers are keen to emphasise that manipulating these models is not a difficult process. Many companies allow access to the base models underpinning their CAIs and people can easily adjust them without much programming knowledge or experience.

Dr Xiao Zhan, a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Department of Informatics at King’s College London, said: “AI chatbots are widespread in many different sectors as they can provide natural and engaging interactions.

“We already know these models aren’t good at protecting information. Our study shows that manipulated AI Chatbots could pose an even bigger risk to people’s privacy — and unfortunately, it’s surprisingly easy to take advantage of.”

Dr William Seymour, a Lecturer in Cybersecurity at King’s College London, said: “These AI chatbots are still relatively novel, which can make people less aware that there might be an ulterior motive to an interaction.

“Our study shows the huge gap between users’ awareness of the privacy risks and how they then share information. More needs to be done to help people spot the signs that there might be more to an online conversation than first seems. Regulators and platform providers can also help by doing early audits, being more transparent, and putting tighter rules in place to stop covert data collection.”

The study is being presented for the first time at the 34th USENIX security symposium in Seattle.

Adoption of AI-scribes by doctors raises ethical questions

University of Otago

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Professor Angela Ballantyne

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Credit: University of Otago

Many New Zealand GPs have taken up the use of AI scribes to transcribe patient notes during consultations despite ongoing challenges with their legal and ethical oversight, data security, patient consent, and the impact on the doctor-patient relationship, a study led by the University of Otago, Wellington – Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka, Pōneke has found.

The researchers surveyed 197 health providers working in primary care in February and March of 2024, providing a snapshot in time of the use of AI-scribes in clinical practice. Most of the respondents were GPs but others included nurses, nurse practitioners, rural emergency care providers and practice managers. Their early experiences with AI-scribes was mixed – with users expressing both enthusiasm and optimism, along with concerns and frustrations.

Forty per cent of those surveyed reported using AI scribes to take patient notes. Only 66 per cent had read the terms and conditions on the use of the software, and 59 per cent reported seeking patient consent.

Lead researcher Professor Angela Ballantyne, a bioethicist in the Department of Primary Health Care and General Practice, says AI transcription services are being rapidly taken up by primary care practices, even though national regulations and guidelines are still being developed.

Most of those surveyed who used AI-scribes found them helpful, or very helpful, with 47 per cent estimating that using them in every consultation could save between 30 minutes and two hours a day. A significant minority however said the software did not save time overall because it took so long to edit and correct AI-generated notes.

Health professionals who responded to the survey mentioned concerns about the accuracy, completeness and conciseness of the patient notes produced by AI-scribes.

One doctor said: “(It) missed some critical negative findings. This meant I didn’t trust it.” Another commented that they’d stopped using AI transcriptions because the ‘hallucination rate’ was quite high, and often quite subtle.

Others expressed concern about the inability of AI-scribes to understand New Zealand accents or vocabulary and te reo Māori. One mentioned pausing recordings if they needed to discuss information which identified the patient such as a name or a date of birth.

Over half of those surveyed said using an AI-scribe changed the dynamic of consultations with patients, as they needed to verbalise physical examination findings and their thought processes to allow the transcription tool to capture information.

One of the GPs surveyed commented: “Today someone said, ‘I’ve got pain here’, and pointed to the area, and so I said out loud ‘oh, pain in the right upper quadrant?’”

Professor Ballantyne says there is a need to track and evaluate the impact of AI tools on clinical practice and patient interactions.
Those using an AI-scribe felt it enabled them to focus more on their patients and build better engagement and rapport through more eye contact and active listening.

There was concern among those surveyed about whether the use of an AI-scribe complied with New Zealand’s ethical and legal frameworks.

Professor Ballantyne says health practitioners have a professional and legal responsibility to ensure their clinical notes are accurate, whether or not they have used AI transcription tools.

“They need to be vigilant about checking patient notes for accuracy. However, as many survey respondents noted, carefully checking each AI-generated clinical note eats into, and sometimes negates any time savings.”

Professor Ballantyne says it is vital that the benefits which AI-scribes can deliver are balanced against patient rights and the need to ensure data security.

“Most AI-scribes rely on international cloud-based platforms (often privately owned and controlled), for processing and storing data, which raises questions about where data is stored, who has access to it, and how it can be protected from cyber threats.

“There are also Aotearoa-specific data governance issues that need to be recognised and resolved, particularly around Māori data sovereignty.”

In July, the National Artificial Intelligence and Algorithm Expert Advisory Group (NAIAEAG) at Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora endorsed two ambient AI-scribe tools, Heidi Health and iMedX, for use by its clinicians in Aotearoa. NAIAEAG considers privacy, security, ethical and legal issues.

Professor Ballantyne says to the extent that AI tools are novel, it cannot be assumed that patients consent to their use.

“Patients should be given the right to opt out of the use of AI and still access care, and adequate training and guidelines must be put in place for health providers.”

The Medical Council of New Zealand is expected to release guidance about the use of AI in health later this year, which is likely to require patients give consent to the use of AI transcription tools.

Professor Ballantyne says AI tools are improving over time, which may ameliorate some of the ethical concerns.

“Coupled with appropriate training, good governance and patient consent, the future of AI scribes holds much promise.”

The research paper, ‘Using AI scribes in New Zealand primary care consultations: an exploratory survey’ is published in the Journal of Primary Health Care and can be read here: https://www.publish.csiro.au/HC/HC25079

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Journal

Journal of Primary Health Care

DOI

10.1071/HC25079 

Method of Research

Survey

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Using AI scribes in New Zealand primary care consultations: an exploratory survey

Article Publication Date

8-Aug-2025

 

River otters unfazed by feces and parasites while eating… and that’s good for ecosystems

New study offers first look at diet and ecology of river otters in Chesapeake Bay

Smithsonian

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Three North American river otters play in the snow on the docks of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. Detected with SERC’s night-vision wildlife cameras.

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Credit: Karen McDonald, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center

North American river otters have terrible hygiene when it comes to their food. They eat, play and defecate in the same place. But their unhealthy habits make them ideal for detecting future health threats in the environment, according to scientists. In a new study published Aug. 14, Smithsonian scientists analyzed the otters’ diets and “latrine” habitats in the Chesapeake Bay for the first time. They discovered river otters often eat food riddled with parasites—and that may not be a bad thing for the larger ecosystem.

“River otters are impressive apex predators that play a vital role in ecosystems,” said Calli Wise, lead author of the study and a research technician at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC). “The parasites consumed by river otters may also teach us about the health of the environment.”

River otters are among the most elusive animals in the Chesapeake. They’re nocturnal, semi-aquatic and generally shy around people, so live sightings are rare. Once abundant across North America, their numbers dwindled due to the fur trade and habitat degradation. A Maryland reintroduction program in the mid-1990s helped their populations rebound across the state. But even as they bounce back, scientists still don’t have precise estimates as to their population numbers in the Bay region. And many other aspects of their behavior and diets remain obscure.

“It is shocking how little information there is about their biology and ecology,” said Katrina Lohan, co-author and head of SERC’s Coastal Disease Ecology Lab.

Since live otters are difficult to observe, biologists rely on what they leave behind. Specifically, their feces. Otters leave the water periodically to congregate at latrines—sites on land where they eat, socialize and leave fresh droppings as scent marks for other otters. By studying the feces (or “scat”) from otter latrines, scientists can get a sense of what the otters are eating.

The latest study, published in the journal Frontiers in Mammal Science, looked at scat from 18 active latrines on the SERC campus in Edgewater, Maryland. Most were natural sites, such as beaches or riverbanks, but a few latrines appeared on manmade structures like docks or boardwalks. The biologists took the scat samples back to the lab, where they surveyed the samples under the microscope and ran DNA analyses using a technique called metabarcoding.

Finfish and crabs formed the staples of otter diets—accounting for 93% of all prey items in the DNA analysis. The otters also ate amphibians, worms and the occasional bird. The researchers even found evidence that otters ate two invasive fish: the common carp and the southern white river crayfish.

But the DNA analyses also uncovered a host of parasites from six different taxonomic classes teeming in the otter scat. The vast majority were trematodes—parasitic flatworms also known as “flukes.” Other parasites included microscopic dinoflagellates and other flatworms known to infect the gills, skin or fins of fishes. Most of the parasites likely infected the otters’ prey, not the otters themselves—and the otters probably weren’t any worse off for eating them. In fact, Lohan suggested, otters may be helping the overall prey populations by eating parasite-infected animals, since this weeds out sicker fish and crabs. Meanwhile, parasites may be helping the otters catch prey that would otherwise elude them.

“While parasites have negative impacts on individuals, they are extremely important in food webs,” Lohan said. “It is possible that river otters, like other top predators, wouldn’t be able to find enough food to eat without parasites.”

However, a few parasites in the study, such as roundworms and single-celled apicomplexans, are known to infect mammals. The scientists suspect these parasites directly infected the otters themselves, rather than their prey. This study did not detect any parasites in river otters than can infect humans. But some of the parasites were closely related to ones that can cause human disease, including the gastrointestinal disease cystoisosporiasis. As river otters are appearing more often in urban and suburban areas, the likelihood of them encountering something that could affect human health is also rising.

“As river otters move into more urban waterways, they will be increasingly exposed to pollutants and parasites of concern to humans,” Wise said. “As mammals, river otters may be disease sentinels that we can study to learn more about environmental risks to humans.”

Researchers from Frostburg State University, Johns Hopkins University and the University of the Pacific also contributed to this study. A copy of the study will be available on the journal’s website after publication. For photos, an advance copy of the study or to speak with one of the authors, contact Kristen Goodhue at GoodhueK@si.edu.   

 River Otters Eating Crab [VIDEO] | 

A river otter eats a crab at an otter latrine on SERC’s nature trails, and initially refuses to share with his companions. Detected with SERC’s night-vision wildlife cameras.

River Otters at Play [VIDEO] 

Four river otters play at a latrine site on SERC’s Fox Creek Nature Trail. Detected with SERC’s night-vision wildlife cameras.

Credit

Karen McDonald, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center)

A North American river otter (Lontra canadensis) wanders through a forest at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center.





Feces (“scat”) from North American River Otters, in a forest at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center.

Closeup of otter scat on a wooden marsh overlook at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center

Credit
Calli Wise, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center

Research technician Calli Wise records understory plant species at one of the river otter study sites.

Credit
Smithsonian Environmental Research Center

Journal

Frontiers

DOI

10.3389/fmamm.2025.1620318 

Method of Research

Observational study

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

North American river otters consume diverse prey and parasites in a subestuary of the Chesapeake Bay

Article Publication Date

14-Aug-2025

Discovery of ‘weird looking’ otter poo reveals how these animals shape nearby ecologies

Scientists found scat from river otters teeming with parasites that infect otters’ prey, suggesting that otters may be important players in local food webs

Frontiers

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River otter at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. Credit: C. Wise.

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Credit: C. Wise

North American river otters have lived for a long time in Chesapeake Bay, yet relatively little is known about how their surroundings impact them. So what does daily life for river otters on the Atlantic coast of the US look like? What do they eat? Where do they socialize? Where do they go to poo? Researchers in Maryland decided to investigate and have now published their findings in Frontiers in Mammal Science.

“River otters in the Chesapeake Bay eat a wide range of animals, including those that live in the water and on land. Parasites, too, are crucial parts of their diet,” said senior author Dr Katrina Lohan, a parasite ecologist and head of the Coastal Disease Ecology Laboratory at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC). “We also found that river otters use manmade structures for latrines or choose areas with specific characteristics.”

Poo on the dock of the bay

“We started this research when a colleague sent me an email about some weird-looking, watery poo that she found at the dock on our campus. In the poo was a fire engine red worm,” Lohan said. Eventually wildlife cameras caught a river otter pooing on the dock. Since the worm was most likely a parasite, Lohan decided to get some samples. The article’s first author Calli Wise, a graduate researcher at the SERC, collected further samples from 18 active otter latrines. Over 11 months, the researchers recovered 28 scats per latrine on average.

“Scats usually smelled strongly of fish and were full of scales or crustacean shells,” Wise said. “We wore gloves and used sterile tools and tubes to collect scat samples, to avoid contamination with other DNA.”

Latrines are central hubs for otters: While they are primarily used for scent-marking through defecation and urination, river otters also use them as spots to eat, play, socialize, and rest. Typically, they look like areas where the grass or other vegetation has been flattened with low overhanding vegetation for cover.

Most latrines on the Chesapeake Bay were located close to the shoreline, in areas with woody debris and open access to the water. Often, hard to miss features made them stand out from the surrounding landscape. Such features included man-made structures and five otter latrines were found on docks, boardwalks, and shoreline staircases.

Parasite control

The collected scat was taken to the lab for analysis. The team used two methods to identify what the otters had eaten: metabarcoding, a method that uses genetic information, and microscopic examination.

“We collected most scats in the summer, when river otter diet is likely diverse,” Wise said. “We found evidence of invasive species like common carp and white river crayfish in river otters’ diet.” In addition, otters ate more fish and crustaceans, such as American blue crabs. They also included the occasional duck or amphibian on their meal plan.

Otter poo, however, didn’t only tell the researchers what the otters had eaten. Using metabarcoding, they were able to determine what parasites were in the prey. They then matched parasites to the hosts they were most likely to infect. Many of the parasites are known to infect teleost fish, an extremely diverse group of ray-finned fishes that are the primary prey of river otters But a few other parasites likely infected otters directly. “It is possible that river otters, like other top predators, wouldn’t be able to find enough food to eat without parasites,” Lohan pointed out.

The team said that they weren’t able to clearly identify all parasites, mainly because of missing sequences in databases that new sequences might be matched to. They also could not identify individual diets or match poo samples to individual otters.

Nevertheless, the presence of parasites in otter poo might mean river otters are important ecosystem engineers. “Since so many of the parasites are actually infecting otters’ prey, it could mean that river otters are culling sick individuals from the populations they are preying upon,” Lohan explained. This could potentially alter evolutionary processes for their prey, since infected individuals, once eaten, no longer contribute to the gene pool.

“Some of the parasites that infect river otters could potentially also infect humans, who also are mammals,” Lohan concluded. “Thus, we could use river otters as ‘disease sentinels,’ and study them to learn about what public health threats occur in certain areas.”

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Journal

Frontiers in Mammal Science

DOI

10.3389/fmamm.2025.1620318 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

North American river otters consume diverse prey and parasites in a subestuary of the Chesapeake Bay

Article Publication Date

14-Aug-2025

Otter latrine at Chesapeake Bay. Credit: Karen McDonald.





The team took samples from 18 active otter latrines. Credit: C. Wise.



River otter track at Chespeake Bay. Credit: C. Wise.



Otter latrine on Smithsonian Environmental Research Center dock. Credit: C. Wise.