Indigenous Knowledge Confirms What Scientists Observe: Large Birds Are Disappearing – OpEd

March 15, 2026 

Mongabay
By Bobby Bascomb

Many Indigenous peoples and local communities live in close contact with nature and learn to identify the wildlife around them from an early age. New research published in the International Journal of Conservation draws on that knowledge to better understand a scientifically documented trend: large bird populations are shrinking.

Álvaro Fernández-Llamazares, an ethnobotanist with the Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain, and lead author of the study, first noticed that trend as a graduate student doing field work in the Tsimane’ Indigenous community in the Bolivian Amazon.

“Many elders told me that the large birds they had grown up seeing in the forest had become much rarer. Species that were once common in their childhood were now difficult to encounter,” Fernández-Llamazares told Mongabay in an email.

He cited similar accounts from Indigenous peoples and local communities in other parts of the world and from very different ecosystems. Large birds from their youth were disappearing, while smaller species seemed to be on the rise — a pattern scientists were also finding. “What had not been explored before was whether these global patterns were also reflected in the long-term ecological memories of people who interact with birds on a daily basis,” he said.

So, researchers surveyed 1,434 people across three continents and 10 sites as part of a broader Local Indicators of Climate Change Impacts (LICCI) project, an international research initiative to understand how Indigenous and local communities observe the changing climate in their territories.

Respondents were asked to name three birds that were most common when they were 10 years old, and the three most common species today. They collected nearly 7,000 individual bird reports belonging to 283 species, spanning roughly 80 years.

While memories can fade or birds can be misidentified, Fernández-Llamazares said the study was measuring an overall trend — and the trend was stark. The average body mass of birds in the surveyed areas is roughly 70% smaller today than it was 80 years ago. The pattern held across all study sites, from the tropical forests of Bolivia to the grasslands of Senegal and the arid deserts of Mongolia.

The report quoted a Daasanach elder in Kenya who summed it up well: “All the big birds are now gone.”

Fernández-Llamazares said there are several explanations for the trend. Larger birds tend to reproduce slowly, making them more vulnerable to population collapse. Also, they’re prime hunting targets since they can provide more meat per bird, and they often require larger tracts of intact habitat, which makes them sensitive to land-use change.

“This study is a great example of how Indigenous science and knowledge and Western science can be woven together to provide clearer answers to questions,” Pam McElwee, with Rutgers University, U.S., who wasn’t involved with the study, told Mongabay. “Each knowledge system stands on its own, but together they give us a more complex picture.”

About the author: Bobby Bascomb has been an environmental journalist since completing her master’s degree in Geography. Before joining Mongabay she worked for the public radio program Living on Earth, serving as the managing producer and co-host of the show. Bobby has reported from nearly a dozen countries including Brazil, Indonesia, Madagascar and Senegal. She currently lives in the mountains of Costa Rica and when she’s not working she loves to listen to her favorite podcasts while going for a hike in the forest.

Source: This article was published by Mongabay
Mongabay

Mongabay is a U.S.-based non-profit conservation and environmental science news platform. Rhett A. Butler founded Mongabay.com in 1999 out of his passion for tropical forests. He called the site Mongabay after an island in Madagascar.

Why The Gracixalus Weii Treefrog Sounds Like A Songbird

Adult male of Gracixalus weii from Leishan County, Guizhou Province, China

 (photo credit: Peng et al.).

March 15, 2026 
By Eurasia Review


The genus Gracixalus belongs to the family of Old World Tree Frogs and is geographically dispersed from Myanmar and western Thailand to Laos, Vietnam, and further to southern China. Despite the considerable number of research on the species richness of Gracixalus, little is known about their vocalisations. To remedy this problem, the recently described Gracixalus weii in southwest China has been investigated from a bioacoustic standpoint by researchers led by Caichun Peng of the Guizhou Leigongshan Forest Ecosystem Observation and Research Station.

Published in the open-access scholarly journal Herpetozoa, the research group’s study reveals an acoustic convergence between frog advertisement calls and avian communication systems – specifically, the call of Gracixalus weii is remarkably similar to a bird-like chirp commonly performed by the Black-Breasted Thrush (Turdus dissimilis) of the same region. Similarities like these have frequently led researchers to underestimate frog populations during field surveys because their chirps are easily mistaken for local bird songs.

To the human ear, vocalisations in the Leigongshan Nature Reserve often sound like a melodious bird song because both the Gracixalus weii and Black-Breasted Thrush use a similar pattern: a longer introductory note, followed by two shorter notes, and almost identical pitches. This phenomenon provides evidence to suggest that the evolution of acoustic symbols in amphibians could be influenced by broad ecological interactions, including with that of birds.

The history of observed similarities between frog and bird vocalisations can be traced further back; the acoustic convergence recorded in the Himalayan rapids in 1984 between frogs in the genus Nanorana and the bird Phylloscopius maginostrostris, for instance, underpins these recent findings. Cases like these demonstrate that bioacoustic data adds value to species identification, particularly because advertisement calls serve as species-specific courtship signals that play an important role in evolutionary diversification.

For cryptic species that may appear identical, acoustic features also provide a reliable alternative to morphological or molecular diagnosis, offering clear evidence for taxonomic validity. Additionally, since many species are difficult to visually observe in dense habitats, such as frogs hiding within bamboo, relying on vocal signatures ensures that biodiversity is not misidentified during field surveys.

The authors argue that future research should focus on combining morphological, genetic, and bioacoustic evidence to better understand the species richness and cryptic diversity within the genus Gracixalus. A key priority is conducting experimental work, specifically playback or “replay experiments”, to observe how Gracixalus weii and the Black-breasted Thrush (Turdus dissimilis) respond to one another’s calls.

As such, the song of Gracixalus weii is a reminder that a familiar tune can be the perfect disguise for a species we are only just beginning to understand.

 INDIA

Manipur: How a Village is Rebuilding its Rainforest Commons

Worngachan A Shatsang | 11 Mar 2026

A community-led initiative has documented hundreds of species and planted thousands of trees to regenerate its degraded commons.

The Reforestation initiative saw participation from the youngest as well as the oldest members of the community (Photo - Worngachan A Shatsang, 101Reporters)

Ukhrul, Manipur: The Koirer hill range in Phalee village stands in stark contrast to the lush greenery around it. Its landscape is dotted with tree lines at the base and patches of shrubs higher up. From a distance, the mountain range appears almost anomalous: desert vegetation in the midst of a rainforest.

Upon closer examination, however, the foreboding hill reveals the long-lasting impacts of human pressure. Like most adjoining mountain ranges, Koirer was once a thriving rainforest. But years of deforestation and exploitative farming practices have reduced the hill to a barren wasteland.

“No vegetable grows well on the hill anymore,” remarked Shimreishang, a community member, as we drove towards the foot of the mountain.

A shift in cultivation

Phalee, a small village west of Ukhrul in Manipur, is perched at an elevation of 1,533 metres and covers an area of 17 sq. kilometres, most of which is commons. It lies within the Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot, one of the richest biodiversity hotspots in the world.

For ages, the indigenous community of Phalee practised jhum cultivation alongside wet paddy cultivation. Jhum, or shifting cultivation, relied on the slash-and-burn of forest cover for farming but was carried out in a cyclical pattern of slashing, farming, fallowing and regeneration. As such, these practices, rooted in traditional wisdom, were largely eco-friendly and sustainable.

A considerable shift came in the 1970s when rapid population growth, coupled with timber extraction and deforestation for firewood, began depleting the forest cover of the commons in Phalee. This shift was marked by an incident in which a leopard entered a homestead, reflecting a case of human-wildlife conflict caused by habitat destruction and signalling early signs of environmental degradation.

Instead of allowing deforested areas to regenerate, commercial agricultural expansion of non-native crops and other illicit farming activities began rising in the early 2000s. As the fertility of the land declined year by year, chemical fertilisers were introduced in the farming areas, leading to land degradation and contamination of water sources.

The Global Forest Watch web tool shows that 159.6 hectares of tree cover were lost in this region in less than two decades, representing a significant 11.6% decline in the overall tree cover of the community commons.

Citizens, science and forest commons

Alarmed by this rapid loss of forest cover and the absence of baseline biodiversity documentation of the commons, a few like-minded members of the community started a citizen science documentation initiative in 2016. The Phalee Biodiversity Management Committee (Phalee BMC) was set up with a bio-cultural framework that placed community stewardship and indigenous knowledge at its core.

The BMC focused on documenting indigenous crops, traditional farming methods, seasonal calendars, and the conservation of medicinal plants and native fruit tree species. In 2019, this initiative was formalised into a community-based organisation called the Rainforest Biodiversity of Phalee.

“Our commons are endowed with rich biodiversity, and we have comprehensive traditional knowledge of this diversity, but lack documentation. It was imperative, thus, that we documented our diversity to know which species have potential, which species hold value and the work we must undertake to regenerate, restore and preserve the biodiversity of our commons,” says Dr Ngalengshim, one of the founding members of the Rainforest Biodiversity of Phalee.

In the years that have followed, the Rainforest Biodiversity of Phalee has documented over 4,000 observations through this citizen science initiative and curated them on its microsite within the India Biodiversity Portal.

Of these observations, around 700 species are research grade and have been scientifically validated and curated, and can be accessed through the Global Biodiversity Information Facility. A further 150 medicinal plants – including Himalayan Paris, mugwort, winged prickly ash and chameleon plant – were documented. The initiative also recorded 12 neglected and underutilised crop species such as job’s tears, millets and perilla, and 10 native wild fruit species including Nepali hog plum, wild persimmon, Indian olive and Himalayan apple.

From documentation to conservation and regeneration

Following the success of the documentation initiative, the Rainforest Biodiversity of Phalee began working on a 1.8-hectare commons area as a micro-reserve for conservation and long-term monitoring of medicinal plant populations, other native species and vegetation types.

The micro-reserve is located at the base of the degraded Koirer range, one of the most severely degraded commons in the village. In November 2022, the community was awarded a conservation and restoration grant by the United Nations Development Programme–North-East India Biocultural Initiative.

The grant helped the community set up two greenhouses to seed and nurture native plant and tree species. The greenhouses, each measuring 16 by 50 feet, were also set up on degraded land at the base of the Koirer range and produced more than 10,000 native plant saplings of about 65 species between 2023 and 2024.

Currently, more than 10,000 saplings of 15 species of native trees and fruit trees are being prepared in the nursery.

“I think I must have planted more than a hundred trees in the past few years. Most of them are fruiting trees because they look nice when they flower, and birds can eat the fruits too,” Shimreishang, a young member of the Rainforest Biodiversity of Phalee, says with a smile.
He serves as the caretaker of the greenhouse nursery and conducts routine checks on the saplings every week.

The trees he has planted constitute a small part of the thousands,  approximately 6,000,  of native trees that have been planted in the commons in and around Koirer by the community as part of forest restoration efforts.

These reforestation initiatives have been taken up by both the oldest and the youngest members of the community. Shrubs and grasses have also started reclaiming the once-denuded lands at Koirer, improving green cover, while saplings planted as part of the reforestation initiative have begun to grow.

Saplings of native plants and fruit trees have also been sold in thousands to neighbouring villages, generating income for maintaining the greenhouse nursery. Plans are also in place to establish a seed bank for preserving indigenous seed varieties.

The last hurdle

Despite these early successes, a major challenge remains. Conservation and restoration efforts are not yet an economically viable alternative to the exploitative farming practices that degraded Phalee’s commons in the first place.

In privately owned pockets of the village, some rogue community members continue illicit farming practices, particularly poppy cultivation.

To counter this, the organisation has stepped up efforts to support integrated kitchen gardens to strengthen household food security and generate income through the sale of excess produce. A weekly Wednesday market has also been introduced to provide farmers with direct market access.

But members of the Rainforest Biodiversity of Phalee are aware that the income generated from selling kitchen garden produce cannot match the profits from illicit farming activities.

“RBP’s is a small effort to provide community members with a choice to safeguard their commons. Sadly, changing the long-standing economic dependence of farmers on illegal cash crops is going to take a while,” says R Raman, one of the founding members of the organisation.

Nursing the nursery

Yet there are reasons for optimism. The community’s efforts to educate younger generations about conservation and restoration have begun to show results. Many young members of the community have taken the lead in biodiversity mapping and reforestation initiatives. Extensive fishing and hunting in reserve commons have also declined in recent years.

While the long-term impact of restoration efforts cannot yet be quantified, given how recent the initiative still is, deforestation and degradation of the commons have reduced considerably since the programme began.

In 2023, during the 29th Annual Conference of the Yale International Society of Tropical Foresters, Rainforest Biodiversity of Phalee was awarded the Innovation Prize for its efforts in documenting traditional knowledge and biodiversity for conservation.

Today, Phalee has more than 20 greenhouses of different sizes managed by self-help groups and farmers for cultivating vegetables, flowers and spices through the RBP project.
Even the youngest members of the community have begun to show interest in these efforts.
“Most school-going children know the local name, common name and scientific name of a number of trees and insects found in our commons by heart,” says Shimreishang, who himself belongs to the younger generation now taking forward the initiative.

The greenhouse he takes care of stands as a testament to how much effort the younger generation is putting in to restore their commons to the thriving rainforest it once was.

Worngachan A Shatsang is a freelance journalist and a member of 101Reporters, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters.

 

Longest recorded journey of a juvenile fisher to find new forest home

Female fisher in New Hampshire travels a record 118 kilometers.

University of New Hampshire

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Image of juvenile female fisher, F003, as she sets off on her 118 kilometer dispersal journey.
 

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Credit: University of New Hampshire

DURHAM, N.H.—(March 4, 2025)—Researchers at the University of New Hampshire have documented the farthest trek of a young female fisher (Pekania pennanti) moving 118 kilometers (over 73 miles) from Durham to the outskirts of Lincoln, a small town in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. This trip marks the longest known recorded dispersal for the species.

“This is exciting because even though fishers are a significant species and play a key role in the ecosystem of the northeast, relatively few field studies have documented their dispersal, or journey away from their birth home, especially over long distances,” said Remington Moll, associate professor in natural resources and environment. “What makes it even more unique is that the journey was documented over a winter with relatively deep snow, which typically is thought to limit their mobility and dispersal movements.”

In the study, published in the journal Northeastern Naturalist, researchers describe the relatively straight-line distance of the female fisher, identified as F003. Initially outfitted with a GPS tracker, researchers monitored her location each week and obtained snow-depth estimates relevant to the dispersal area from the National Centers for Environmental Information (NOAA 2025). After several months of tracking, she was traced 118 kilometers away in the White Mountains.

Dispersal, or the relocation of a young animal to secure their own home range, plays a crucial role in the survival and genetic diversity of wildlife populations. For fishers, medium-sized carnivores native to North American forests, such movements are essential for maintaining populations that in turn support healthy ecosystems. However, field studies documenting fisher dispersal, especially over long distances, have been scarce.

Fisher populations have been on an apparent decline in last two decades in New Hampshire, with potential contributing factors including rodenticide poisoning, novel diseases, historic harvest, an increase in bobcat population — a known predator — vehicle collisions and ongoing habitat fragmentation.

"Conserving fishers not only supports biodiversity but also helps ensure that New Hampshire’s forests remain resilient and sustainable," said Moll. “Fishers are important for rodent control, help with dispersing fungal spores and are one of the few predators that hunt porcupines that can cause major damage to timber and harvestable trees.”

Researchers say this type of long-distance journey could occur more frequently given fishers’ abilities to roam freely. It is hard to know why this young female fisher traveled so far. They speculate that ultimately the animal is looking for a suitable habitat with access to mates so they can reproduce and persist as a species. Female fishers tend to prefer areas without other female competition so this animal could have been encountering other females along the way and needed to keep traveling.

Researchers stress that this unprecedented dispersal event underscores the fisher's adaptability and the need for further research into the species' movement patterns. This is especially important for preserving connected habitats at a regional scale for management and conservation.

The research was supported by the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department,

the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the University of New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station under the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

###

The University of New Hampshire inspires innovation and transforms lives in our state, nation and world. More than 15,000 students from 50 states and 87 countries engage with an award-winning faculty in top-ranked programs in business, engineering, law, health and human services, liberal arts and the sciences across more than 200 programs of study. A Carnegie Classification R1 institution, UNH partners with NASA, NOAA, NSF, and NIH, and received over $250 million in competitive external funding in FY24 to further explore and define the frontiers of land, sea and space.

PHOTOS FOR DOWNLOAD:

Link: https://www.unh.edu/publisher/sites/default/files/media/2026-02/Juvenile%20female%20fisher%20F003.png

Caption: Image of juvenile female fisher, F003, as she sets off on her 118 kilometer dispersal journey.

Credit: University of New Hampshire

 

Link: https://www.unh.edu/publisher/sites/default/files/media/2026-02/fisher%20Feb2022%20Durham%20trail%20cam%20UNH.JPG

Caption: Image of a fisher captured by a trail camera in its habitat near the University of New Hampshire in Durham, N.H.

Credit: University of New Hampshire

 

Link: https://www.unh.edu/publisher/sites/default/files/media/2026-02/M12_portrait%20Benjamin%20Wymer.jpg

Caption: Close up portrait of another fisher, known as M012, taken in a field near Plymouth, N.H.

Credit: Ben Wymer /awoodswalk.com

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Journal

Northeastern Naturalist

The environment, another casualty of war in the Mideast


By AFP
March 15, 2026


Smoke rises from the site of air strikes in the Iranian capital. Experts say that war harms the climate and pollutes the air, water and soil. — © AFP ATTA KENARE

Julien MIVIELLE

From the jet fuel used in bombing raids to acrid smoke from burning oil depots, the conflict in the Middle East is inflicting a significant toll on nature and the climate.

AFP interviewed experts about the environmental cost of war that often goes under the radar:

– Bombers and warships –

US and Israeli aircraft use a considerable amount of fuel reaching the Gulf and flying sorties over Iran, said Benjamin Neimark at the Queen Mary University of London.

Deploying stealth bombers and fighter jets around the clock adds a significant amount of planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere.

“The US Navy also has a significant fleet which will be operating remotely for some time,” Neimark told AFP.

“That is a significant number of US troops that need to be fed, housed, and working around the clock. These floating cities all need energy.”

This is provided in part by polluting diesel generators, even if most larger aircraft carriers are nuclear powered, an energy source that produces far less emissions than fossil fuels.

Experts say that war harms the climate and pollutes the air, water and soil. – Copyright AFP/File Alexandr BOGDANOV

But many experts take into account everything from the manufacture of weapons and explosives to post-war reconstruction efforts when estimating the total environmental impact of conflict.

According to one study published in the peer-reviewed journal One Earth, the Gaza conflict generated some 33 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent — an amount comparable to 7.6 million gasoline-powered cars, or the annual emissions of a small country like Jordan.

And by one estimate, the war in Ukraine has caused more than 300 million tonnes of additional emissions — equivalent to France’s annual output.

This estimate, by the Initiative on GHG Accounting of War, takes into account military operations and reconstruction efforts, forest fires, and longer flight routes.

– Climate cost –

This conflict is playing out on the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial artery for the passage of oil and gas supplies to global markets dependent on energy from the Gulf.

Ships transporting these highly flammable fuels through the narrow waterway — along with the region’s oil and gas refineries and storage facilities — were “all a target” in this war, said Neimark.

“Clearly this conflict is different,” he said.

“We have already seen a significant amount of refineries targeted. These toxic flames are deadly and have a severe climate cost.”

The oil wells set ablaze in Kuwait in the 1990s during the first Gulf War took months to extinguish and released an estimated 130 to 400 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent.

– Ripple effect –

Since erupting on February 28, the conflict has sent oil prices soaring and focused fresh attention on the global transition to cleaner, more climate-friendly forms of energy.

Andreas Rudinger, from the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations, said the economic knock-on effects of the war had put policy makers “under pressure to reduce the burden on prices over climate action”.

Brussels has faced pressure to relax its emissions trading rules in response to surging energy prices, while other governments have taken steps to help motorists fill up at the pump.

But there’s also a “glass half-full perspective”, said Rudinger.

“From a purely economic standpoint… rising fossil fuel prices make decarbonization and electrification solutions more attractive,” he said.

He pointed to the rise in popularity of heat pumps in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which caused energy prices in Europe to rise sharply.

In general, the increase in energy costs stemming from the war in the Middle East should temper demand in what economists call price elasticity.

– Pollution risks –

Apart from climate concerns, strikes on energy infrastructure, oil tankers and military targets pollute the surrounding air and water and spread highly toxic chemicals far and wide, experts say.

In Tehran, attacks on fuel depots last weekend plunged the capital into darkness as poisonous black clouds rose from burning oil facilities.

Mathilde Jourde, from the Institute for International and Strategic Relations (IRIS), said targeting nuclear, military and energy sites had “extremely polluting” consequences for air, water and soil.

“We’re just scratching the surface but can already see that there are hundreds of damaged facilities in Iran and neighbouring countries that pose pollution risks to people and the environment,” Doug Weir, director of the Conflict and Environment Observatory (CEOBS), told AFP.

“We have particular concerns around damaged oil infrastructure, military facilities and the sensitive marine environment of the Persian Gulf.”

 

Pew awards fellowships to seven scientists advancing marine conservation

Leading researchers join esteemed global community of fellows

Pew Charitable Trusts

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PHILADELPHIA— The global ocean faces major threats—from illegal fishing to vanishing coastal habitats to plastic pollution. Now, a new cohort of scientists will work to bridge the knowledge gaps hindering effective ocean protections.

The Pew Charitable Trusts announced today that seven fellows—based in Australia, the United States, Canada, Japan, and Thailand—will receive $150,000 grants over three years to pursue conservation-focused research aimed at strengthening ocean health and the communities that depend on it. Their work includes tracing illegal and unreported fisheries with advanced genetic techniques, improving reef restoration in Southeast Asia, mapping climate resilient kelp forests, testing local-based incentives for marine conservation, rethinking fisheries governance in East Asia, analyzing the impacts of harmful algal blooms, and developing open-source technology to classify nanoplastic pollution.

This year’s fellows’ cohort also includes the first recipient of the Pew-Gerstner Fellowship in Ocean Plastics Research, which supports research on solutions to marine plastic pollution; and the second recipient of the Pew-Hoover Fellowship in Marine and Biomedical Science, which fosters innovative research at the intersection of the two fields.

“These fellows are tackling some of the ocean’s toughest challenges with creativity and immense dedication,” said Leo Curran, project director for the Pew Fellows Program in Marine Conservation. “Their work shows what’s possible when science, technology, and communities come together to protect our seas.”

The 2026 fellows join a distinguished community of more than 200 Pew marine fellow alumni dedicated to advancing ocean science and promoting the sustainable use of marine resources. The Pew Fellows Program in Marine Conservation supports midcareer scientists and other experts selected by an international panel of leaders in marine science and conservation. Alumni form an active community that promotes collaboration and knowledge sharing worldwide.

 “Seeing these scientists turn their ideas into action is what excites me most,” said Angela Bednarek, Pew’s director of scientific advancement. “They’re exploring new approaches, testing innovative tools, and working closely with communities and policymakers, bringing research to life in ways that could shape how we care for the oceans.”

The 2026 fellows are:

Suchana Apple Chavanich, Ph.D.
Chulalongkorn University, Thailand
Suchana Apple Chavanich will develop and apply innovative methods to advance reef restoration in Southeast Asia, a region with some of the world’s richest coral diversity. Working in Thailand, Chavanich will refine techniques for producing new corals through sexual propagation and banking frozen coral sperm and eggs—critical methods for preserving the genetic health of restored populations.

Andrés Cisneros-Montemayor, Ph.D.
Simon Fraser University, Canada
Andrés Cisneros-Montemayor will develop a replicable framework to identify the social connections that shape markets in the ocean economy, facilitating the design and implementation of local-scale incentives for conservation. Working with three fishing communities in Sonora, Mexico, Cisneros-Montemayor will apply this framework, conducting field interviews and community engagement workshops to map and understand the layered interactions that influence economic decision-making.

Win Cowger, Ph.D.
Pew-Gerstner Fellow in Ocean Plastics Research
Moore Institute for Plastic Pollution Research, United States
Win Cowger will enhance the capabilities of Open Specy, an open-source tool he developed to help researchers worldwide classify and analyze different types of plastic pollution. He will build a robust reference library and develop new algorithms to improve the identification of nanoplastics, small microplastics, and plastic leachates in the marine environment.

Nur Arafeh-Dalmau, Ph.D.
University of Queensland, Australia
Nur Arafeh-Dalmau will collaborate with partners in California, Mexico, Peru, and Argentina to identify and map resilient kelp forest ecosystems. Using satellite imagery, ecological surveys, and environmental DNA, Arafeh-Dalmau will analyze biodiversity patterns in persistent kelp forests and test their resilience to marine heat waves.

Matthew Gribble, Ph.D.
Pew-Hoover Fellow in Marine and Biomedical Science
University of California, San Francisco, United States
Matthew Gribble will apply an advanced statistical technique called a hidden Markov model to better understand the dynamics of toxin-producing algal blooms. His work will focus on southeast Alaska, where Alaska Native communities have been repeatedly affected by harmful algal blooms, and Andalucia, Spain. Gribble will determine how often areas have been exposed to algal blooms in the past, supporting insights into the health effects of harmful algal toxin exposure.

Shaili Johri, Ph.D.
Stanford University, United States
Shaili Johri will use advanced genetic tools to strengthen seafood traceability and combat illegal fishing. By analyzing fine-scale differences in individual animals’ DNA, her research will help pinpoint the geographic origins of traded species. Focusing on reef sharks, Johri will develop low-cost, rapid, and accurate genetic and visual identification methods to identify shark fishing hot spots across the Western Indian Ocean and detect instances of illegal fishing.

Namhee Kwon, Ph.D.
Kansai University, Japan
Namhee Kwon will analyze the effectiveness and limitations of existing agreements in managing shared fish stocks, with the goal of identifying institutional and legal reforms that are both politically viable and ecologically sustainable. Focusing on agreements among South Korea, Japan, and China, Kwon will examine the legal architecture of each agreement, obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and implementation of these agreements within each country’s domestic system.

Bright pink insect stands out to blend in, scientists say

University of Reading

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A green arota festae after transformation.

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Credit: University of St Andrews, University of Reading, the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, and University of Amsterdam.

A tropical insect has been found to change colour from vivid hot pink to green within a fortnight, which scientists believe may mimic the young leaves of rainforest plants.

The findings, published this week in the journal Ecology, focuses on arota festae, a leaf-masquerading katydid also known as a "bush cricket", native to Panama, Colombia and Suriname.

When researchers spotted an adult female beneath a light at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute's field station on Barro Colorado Island, Panama, she was an unmistakeable hot pink. Eleven days later, she was completely green.

Scientists from the University of St Andrews, University of Reading, the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, and University of Amsterdam, propose that the pink colouration evolved to mimic "delayed greening", a phenomenon in which newly emerged tropical leaves flush vivid shades of pink or red before maturing to green.

On Barro Colorado Island, around one-third of plant species show this trait all year, providing a reliable supply of pink leaves for a camouflaged insect to blend into.

Lead author Dr Benito Wainwright, of the University of St Andrews, said: "Finding this individual was a genuine surprise. Because it was so rare, we kept it in natural conditions and found it changing colour from hot pink to green.

"Rather than a bizarre genetic quirk, this may actually be a finely tuned survival strategy that tracks the life cycle of the rainforest leaves this insect is trying to resemble."

The team reared the individual in captivity for 30 days, photographing her daily. The hot pink faded to pastel after four days, and by day eleven, she was indistinguishable from the common green morph. 

She survived to mate before dying naturally the following month.

Pink katydids have been documented in scientific literature since 1878 but were generally considered a rare, disadvantageous mutation. This appears to be the first recorded case of a katydid completing a full colour shift within a single life stage.

Dr Matt Greenwell, of the University of Reading, a co-author of the study, said: "Tropical forests are extraordinarily complex environments, and this discovery hints at just how precisely some animals have evolved to exploit them.

"You would think that a bright pink insect in a mostly green forest would stand out to predators like a worker in a high-vis jacket. The idea that an insect might gradually shift colour to keep pace with the leaves it mimics shows how dynamic the rainforest can be, and is a remarkable example of camouflage in action."

Arota festae before transformation.

Credit

University of St Andrews, University of Reading, the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, and University of Amsterdam.

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Journal

Ecology

DOI

10.1002/ecy.70333 

Article Title

Dramatic color change in a Neotropical leaf-masquerading katydid (Arota festae, Griffini, 1896)

Article Publication Date

7-Mar-2026