Environment Content

Alcatraz Coyote Wasn’t a City Boy After All

Katherine E Kerlin — May 05, 2026 - 1:19pm

After months of fieldwork and scientific analysis, National Park Service researchers have determined that the coyote that drew international attention in early 2026 after swimming to Alcatraz Island likely started his epic swim from Angel Island State Park.

The coyote’s whereabouts remain unknown, but new DNA evidence has helped park staff answer one of the biggest questions surrounding the unusual sighting: where he came from.

Climate Change Increases Spillover Risk of Rodent-Borne Arenaviruses

Katherine E Kerlin — May 04, 2026 - 9:00am

Climate change is likely to drive rodent-borne arenaviruses into parts of South America that have never faced these diseases, putting new communities of people at risk, finds a study from the University of California, Davis.

For the study, published in the journal npj Viruses, scientists incorporated climate projections, shifting rodent populations and the risks of human infection into a model to offer an early risk projection for arenaviruses and other diseases in the next 20 to 40 years.

Stop-and-Go Science: Researchers Pivot to Try to Salvage Important Work

Jocelyn C Anderson — April 27, 2026 - 9:00am

When climate change is faster than the speed of science and unstable funding threatens discovery, 51�ԹϺ�� Davis scientists pivot to try to save important research.

Wildfire-Driven Deforestation Rates in California Among Highest in World

Katherine E Kerlin — April 22, 2026 - 9:00am

California has one of the highest rates of wildfire-driven deforestation in the world, and the trend has accelerated over the past three decades, according to a 51�ԹϺ�� Davis study.

What Does A Record-Breaking Wildfire Season Mean For Life in Alpine Lakes?

Katherine E Kerlin — April 21, 2026 - 10:39am

In the summer of 2020, MJ Farruggia embarked on the first field season of her PhD research. With a backpack full of scientific equipment and camping gear, she hiked high into the Emerald Lake Watershed high in the Sierra Nevada Mountains to install environmental sensors and collect water samples from six small lakes and ponds.

Would You Let Your Utility Control When You Charge Your EV?

Katherine E Kerlin — April 20, 2026 - 9:15am

Electric vehicles are one important way for America to use less fossil fuels — driving down emissions that cause climate change and reducing exposure to oil price shocks that threaten economic growth. But as more households buy electric cars, they must also charge those cars, which typically happens at night. So many EVs charging at once can put a strain on local electric grids. Some utilities are trying to lessen this burden by scheduling EV charging themselves, spreading charging out so that fewer vehicles need power all at once.

Penguin ‘Toxicologists’ Find PFAS Chemicals in Remote Patagonia

Katherine E Kerlin — April 08, 2026 - 8:00am

Penguins can serve as living monitors of their environment by using small, chemical-detecting leg bands, according to a study from 51�ԹϺ�� Davis and SUNY-Buffalo.

Common Disinfectant Chemicals Far More Toxic When Inhaled, Study Finds

Amy M Quinton — March 30, 2026 - 6:00am

Mouse study finds inhaling disinfectant chemicals (QACs) may be far more toxic than swallowing them, raising concerns about lung injury and disease.

Managed Wetlands a Culinary Hot Spot for SF Bay Fish, But They Need Delivery Options

Katherine E Kerlin — March 25, 2026 - 3:47pm

A 51�ԹϺ�� Davis study shows that part of the San Fransisco Estuary is teeming with fish food — the managed wetlands of Suisun Marsh. Timing seasonal flood releases from them could feed more fish.

Unlocking Longevity Insights From Ancient Bristlecone Pine

Katherine E Kerlin — March 23, 2026 - 9:00am

Scientists have sequenced the bristlecone pine genome, which could help unlock the secrets of this tree's exceptionally long life.