Quirks and Quarks17:24How documenting the disappearance of the great auk led to the discovery of extinction When species cease to exist, we often say they went “the way of the dodo.” But it might be more fitting to say they went “the way of the great auk” because it was the Icelandic bird’s disappearance that led to the discovery that … Read more
A sprawling international study of humpback whales in the northern Pacific has found their population has shrunk significantly since 2012 — despite the once-endangered species’ remarkable comeback from the brink of extinction. The new research, published in Royal Society Open Science journal on Wednesday, estimated a roughly 20 per cent drop in the cetacean species’ numbers … Read more
The 27th annual Great Backyard Bird Count started Friday morning, and throughout the weekend, bird enthusiasts across Canada will be looking to help biologists track bird movements this winter. While the effort put in by any individual can be minimal, as little as 15 minutes, the overall contribution of the event to science is huge, … Read more
I’ve been very fortunate as a documentary and adventure series filmmaker, having the opportunity to travel all over Canada and the world doing what I love. But my latest project sent me on a mission to a lunar landscape in Canada’s Far North — one of the most difficult places I’ve ever had to reach. … Read more
A volcano in southwestern Iceland erupted on Thursday for the third time since December, sending jets of lava into the sky and triggering the evacuation of the Blue Lagoon spa, one of the island country’s biggest tourist attractions. The eruption began at about 1 a.m. ET along a three-kilometre fissure northeast of Mount Sýlingarfell, the Icelandic Meteorological … Read more
When B.C. marine scientist Anna Hall encountered a very lost loggerhead turtle in waters near Victoria over the weekend, she knew it faced a grim fate at sea. “The turtle would not have survived,” said Hall, principal scientist at consulting group Sea View Marine Sciences. “Had the turtle stayed in the ocean, either it would have … Read more
The Current11:27Explorers say they’ve found Amelia Earhart’s plane A deep-sea exploration company says it may have found the wreckage of Amelia Earhart’s plane, reigniting a mystery that dates back to the famed pilot’s disappearance in 1937. “She’s America’s favourite missing person … she was a fantastic person, a pioneer in the aviation field, an early … Read more
Buses will not run Monday in Metro Vancouver after more than 180 workers represented by CUPE Local 4500 walked off the job. The job action, which began at 3 a.m. PT, comes three weeks after the workers began refusing overtime. The union represents transit supervisors, communications supervisors and a range of other roles. Talks between the union … Read more
Buried in the heart of the Indian Ocean, this tiny tropical island is actually a part of France, despite a 10-hour flight separating it from Europe. Only spanning 40 miles in length, the island of Reunion lies to the southwest of Mauritius and is part of the Mascarene Islands. Legally, this pocket-sized idyll is an … Read more
A cache of scientific equipment that could fit in the back of an SUV has been lowered into the sea north of the Antarctic Peninsula, and is already streaming open-source data for anyone wanting to monitor the Southern Ocean’s health. Scientists say the underwater observatory collects measurements, including temperature, oxygen concentration and chlorophyll levels, and … Read more
