Erik Stokstad

Mysterious killer of sea stars finally identified Discovery of a bacterium could reveal more about massive die-off, perhaps aid recovery

Good news about a ghastly disease in sea stars, those charismatic and ecologically vital marine creatures. www.science.org/content/arti...

A mushroom that escaped from kitchens could be harming North American wildlife The golden oyster mushroom has gone rogue, displacing native fungi that live in dead trees

A cultivated mushroom has gone feral. It seems to outcompete native fungi and might end up harming wildlife habitat. www.science.org/content/arti...

I'm delighted to present this Science special issue on Plants and Heat! Through a series of Reviews and Perspective articles, covering topics from cell signalling to ecology there is something for everyone here. (1/8)

Happy 150th anniversary to the metric system. ⚖️ 📏 www.bipm.org/en/bipm-anni...

Herring had a spawning ‘culture.’ Overfishing obliterated it Younger generations lost their way after older fish were killed

Herring live up to 20 years. Unpredictable things happen when the older generations are overharvested. 🐟 🌊 www.science.org/content/arti...

This week in Science, researchers delve into the #mathematics that shapes growing rose petals. 🌹

Explore our latest issue—featuring a new print design: scim.ag/42DasUT

‘Major breakthrough’: A natural gene variant protects rice from heat waves Discovery could help crop breeders preserve grain quality and harvest size as climate changes

Heat waves hurt rice yields, but they also damage grain quality--making it chalky. This gene could help. 🌾 #PlantBiology #agriculture www.science.org/content/arti...

Exclusive: NSF director to resign amid grant terminations, job cuts, and controversy “I have done all I can,” says Sethuraman Panchanathan, a Trump appointee who has led agency since 2020

NSF director tosses in the towel. www.science.org/content/arti...

Paying fishers to release sharks could backfire Proposed conservation strategy led to more hammerhead shark deaths than usual, study finds

A rare and courageous experiment in conservation. “I was gutted that it didn’t work.” 🌎 🦈 🌊 www.science.org/content/arti...

Massive pea study solves last genetic riddles of famed friar DNA sequencing reveals basis of traits studied by Gregor Mendel—and gives breeders new ways to improve the crop

Remember Mendel? 🌱🧪
www.science.org/content/arti...

"the most important thing is that we discovered the Earth." Apollo 8 astronaut William Anders 🌎🦋🌱♻️🧪

EPA had not targeted research grants for termination—until now.
www.science.org/content/arti...

“I started hyperventilating,” recalled the squid expert. You might not, but this video may just take your breath away. A young colossal squid really is a beautiful creature. www.science.org/content/arti...

Swell! A chance finding reveals how plants nourish seeds--and a new way to enlarge them. www.science.org/content/arti...

Shocker: This tropical tree thrives after being struck by lightning The almendro withstands thunderbolts that blast away parasitic vines

How getting struck by lightning actually benefits a tropical tree species. "Fascinating and wonderfully counterintuitive," says @tommaso-jucker.bsky.social.

www.science.org/content/arti...

Remarkable disguise of a young white-necked jacobin hummingbird discovered. Nothing like this showy adult. (Photo: Sam May via wikimedia) www.science.org/content/article/fuzzy-hummingbird-chick-may-be-disguise-caterpillar

How much do honeybees compete with wild bees? A new study took a clever approach.
www.science.org/content/arti...

This moth appears to turn into a leaf Unique nanostructures on insect’s wings help it camouflage among the trees

The sheen on this moth's wings is an illusion. Nanostructures make it reflect like a curved surface. When folded, the wings look even more like a leaf. www.science.org/content/arti...

Put some wiggle in your mowing. Bees will love it Cutting grass in ever-changing curves—rather than straight lines—could boost the abundance and diversity of pollinators

"Everyone who has a yard can contribute to enhance biodiversity" www.science.org/content/arti...

A glowing, deep-diving sea slug mystified scientists. Now, it has a name “Deep deceiver” adds a new branch to the nudibranch family tree

In other delightful news from the deep sea, which continues to amaze... www.science.org/content/arti...

"The project required a certain amount of craziness to be accomplished,” says PhD student who took on huge--*huge*--literature review.

‘Alarming’ decline of seed-dispersing animals threatens Europe’s plants First broad look at conservation status of animals that transport seeds raises alarms

"Evidence of European seed dispersal crisis" from network and conservation analysis of plants spread by birds, mammals, and other creatures. www.science.org/content/arti...

Cross-stitch reading "I can do all things through evidence-based best practice which strengthens me Peer Review 24:7"

Congratulations to Lauren Strope for successfully defending her master's thesis on oyster performance in a living shorelines restoration project this morning. This was the guiding cross-stitch she produced along the way.

‘Wall’ of oysters once filled Europe’s coast, historical map reveals Records from past centuries show vast extent of bivalves before overharvesting, may inspire restoration

“We’ve forgotten that oysters used to be so important,” says Ruth Thurstan, a historical ecologist at the University of Exeter. A new analysis aims to jolt the memory. www.science.org/content/arti...