Waters off Scotian Shelf are cooling, but scientists can’t say for how long

The latest survey of Atlantic Ocean conditions off Nova Scotia show after a decade of warming, temperatures on the Scotian Shelf are cooling. The slight climate reversal has scientists asking if this is the beginning of a return to previous norms — or a blip. “What remains unknown is whether this is a longer term trend … Read more

When this orangutan got roughed up, he treated his wound with a medicinal plant

When Rakus the orangutan found himself a little worse for wear, he seemed to know exactly what to do about it. In June 2022, the Sumatran orangutan in Indonesia sustained a wound to his face, likely during a scrap with another male. So he grabbed some liana plant, which is known for its medicinal properties, … Read more

Move over, eclipse. A rare, double brood of lustful cicadas are about to take over the skies

As It Happens6:37So long, solar eclipse. An even rarer phenomenon is about to take over the skies Floyd Shockley is planning a road trip to witness a rare natural event that will darken skies across much of the United States — a convergence not of celestial bodies, but of two massive broods of flying, screaming, lustful insects. … Read more

P.E.I. river otters caught on camera as their population grows

River otters are making a comeback in at least one corner of Prince Edward Island, according to a recent journal article, and as a result measures are now being taken to protect the popular, water-loving mammal.   The Kensington North Watersheds Association started tracking river otters with trail cameras in late 2019. They began monitoring … Read more

New documentary shows gender diversity par for the course in nature

The natural world is full of gender diversity: female hyenas have pseudo penises used for sex and urination, many species of fish and plants change their sex over their lifespan, and female lions have been known to grow manes and develop a masculine growl. Those are among many examples in a new episode of CBC’s The Nature … Read more

Colombian biologist bridging songbird research gap in Canada’s southernmost region

Nelsy Nino says she’s always found it amazing how birds communicate through sound. So much so that the Colombian biologist moved to Canada to study birds in the country’s southernmost region. “You can close your eyes, but you can’t close your ears,” said the University of Windsor international PhD student in the faculty of science. … Read more

These are the 1st images of humpbacks having sex, and they’re both males

As It Happens6:291st images humpback whale sex is between 2 males When biologist Stephanie Stack first saw the photographs of two humpback whales mating in the warm waters of Hawaii, she says her mind was “completely blown.” “When I realized that it was two males, it was not what I was expecting,” she told As … Read more

More than 100 possible new marine species discovered in a single deepsea expedition

As It Happens6:13More than 100 possible new marine species discovered in a single deepsea expedition During a research expedition off the coast of Chile, Erin Easton says her colleagues were constantly showing her some amazing new sea creature they’d just discovered. “It would just be, like, ‘Erin, Erin, Erin, look!’” Easton, a marine scientist at the University … Read more

At least 200,000 species sing in ways that are silent to humans. Listen to one of them now

Some creatures are so quiet, they appear to make no sound at all. When a male treehopper calls out for a mate, he shakes his abdomen 100 times a second to produce a low sound that vibrates through the stem of the plant he is standing on. While that sound is audible to other treehoppers … Read more

Great apes get a kick out of ‘playfully teasing’ each other, study finds 

As It Happens6:24Great apes get a kick out of ‘playfully teasing’ each other, study finds What do you call it when a chimpanzee offers his buddy a delicious piece of fruit only to pull his hand away at the last second?  Or when a bonobo repeatedly pokes, prods and pulls on the hair of an … Read more