Drone imaging can accurately assess coral cover, bleaching, and growth form for shallow coral reefs

Assessing the impacts of rapid environmental change on coral reefs is hindered by a discrepancy between the regions with the greatest need and those that receive the most research funding. Remote sensing, particularly through the use of drones [or unoccupied aerial vehicles (UAVs)], has the potential to significantly enhance the accessibility and efficiency of high-quality data collection in remote, biodiverse areas such as the Coral Triangle.

Coral reefs at a crossroads

The importance of coral reefs cannot be overstated. Despite covering a small fraction of the world’s surface area, they represent crucial marine habitats that are among the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet, and they also provide vital contributions to coastal protection and the nutrition and livelihoods of millions of people. Yet their future is increasingly uncertain owing to rapid ocean warming, acidification and intensifying local pressures from pollution and overfishing. The urgency of safeguarding coral reefs has never been clearer.

Half of seabirds are declining. Protecting marine flyways could help save them

Animals that cross borders often encounter conservation systems that stop at them. Migratory species move through jurisdictions with little regard for political boundaries, relying on habitats spread across large distances and governed by different rules. The result is patchy protection, overlapping threats, and declining populations.

Forest loss persists despite certification and protection

Forest loss is a significant global problem. Forest certification schemes and protected areas are two key approaches for improving forest conservation and management outcomes, but their effectiveness in reducing national-level forest loss remains unclear. Here, we analysed an 11-year high-resolution satellite dataset on tree canopy removal from 2013 to 2023 to assess associations between forest loss, certification, protection, and economic factors globally.

Afforestation and reforestation have varying biodiversity impacts across and within biomes

Afforestation and reforestation (AR) are effective strategies for large-scale carbon dioxide removal (CDR) and climate change mitigation, as they offer the potential to sequester vegetation and soil carbon. However, the expansion of AR raises concerns about the adverse impacts on biodiversity. While local studies have assessed these impacts, global-scale evaluations remain limited. Our study addressed the need for a comprehensive approach to mitigate the risks of AR and enhance its potential as a nature-based solution for both CDR and biodiversity conservation.

The Global Deep Sea Exploration Goals: A representative approach to visually observing the deep seafloor

The Global Deep Sea Exploration Goals strategy is a spatially balanced, probability-based, actionable global sampling design identifying 10,000 target locations for deep-sea visual observation (≥200 m). This sampling approach integrates four seafloor characteristics: bathymetry, geomorphology, sediment composition, and particulate organic carbon flux, while accounting for documented historical deep-submergence deployments. It aims to correct for historical observational biases across factors such as depth zones, ocean basins, geomorphology, and maritime jurisdictions.

A global butterfly index could advance insect conservation worldwide

About 70 per cent of the species on Earth are insects. They are fundamental components of most ecosystems: they comprise half of the biomass on the planet, pollinate flowers, decompose dead organic matter and play multiple roles in food webs. They are quite literally everywhere, including in and around our homes, but they have also been declining at alarming rates in many places.