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A few species of frogs whose populations had been decreasing due to a toxic fungus, are recently being found to be on a rebound. They were not found at all for a time, when recently scientists have found small populations on the rise. The reason for this is unknown. This may be because of climate change helping the frogs' skin to adapt, genetic mutations helping the frogs to, or something else completely unknown. Either way, no one is bummed about it!

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Practicing a sustainable lifestyle may seem difficult at first thought, but as shown by a new shop in New York City, it may not be as hard as we think. A business with everyday products like detergent, that are all produced and distributed with minimal or no waste is showing sustainability in a fashionable way. An increase in popularity of this type of store and lifestyle will help promote sustainable practices in an attractive and helpful way, which will hopefully have an effective outcome on the planet.

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Policies about privacy and research are being jeopardized currently in the Environmental Protection Agency. This is because a petition to have all data available to the public for review would actually take away research due to testing privacy policies. Many are opposed to this proposal, as many data and studies would no longer be available for scientists to use. The intentions of the policy are unclear to, if they are to promote new discoveries or to inhibit them.

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It is global news that the Great Barrier Reef has been dying in parts over the past few years. This is partly due to increased levels of UV light damage from the sun. Scientists have recently developed a "sunscreen" for the coral reef, with a thin layer over the surface of the water, that would reflect some of the UV light. This is made of a chemical that the coral reef makes naturally, and because the layer on the surface of the water is so thin, it won't harm other animals like fish and birds.

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Through human involvement with the Mississippi through the installment of levees, there have been increasingly growing floods on the Mississippi River. This is concerning, especially because humans are the reason this is happening. This has also contributed to the amount of sediments in the river, along with fertilizers and potentially harmful chemicals being washed in from the flood water. The increasing amounts of sediments and chemicals is also putting the immediate area of the Gulf of Mexico that the Mississippi filters into at risk to create more dead zones.

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There is no doubt that preservation of endangered species is an expensive and tiring task. Researchers have actually found that by "looking to the stars" this process can become a little easier for them. Cameras used to look into the stars are being looked into to monitor animals. Both animals and species give off heat, making the visuals on an infrared camera show the highlighted animal. While this is not finalized, as there are plenty of issues to fix--like mixing up a hot rock for an animal, or what to do if animals are close together--this development may bring scientists closer to efficiently monitoring endangered animals.

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California Sea Lions were decreasing in number, and then were put under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Under this Act, the population has completely rebounded and the Sea Lions are doing very well in their environment. The population is healthy enough to be able to adjust accordingly to environmental changes. The unusual heat blob mentioned in a prior padlet post had affected the sea lions in 2016 with water temperatures and different prey.

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La Nino years are typically warmer than average, due to the La Nino, and then La Nina years cool things down a bit. The past year was the hottest year on record that was not experiencing a La Nino. This is concerning for scientists who believe it is due to global climate change. It is also believed that the fires in California, earthquakes, and hurricanes this past year are all connected to this phenomenon. This year is experiencing a weak La Nina, which will probably stop 2018 from increasing in temperature, and keep it at the 2017 temperatures--which are still warm.

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While the extreme swings of temperatures are certainly annoying up here in the northeast, scientists ensure there is no reason to worry. The January Thaw is due to changes in direction of winds, therefore changing pressures and temperatures, which happens every year. It is expected to go back to being super cold soon, right after a few sunny 50 degree days. This is a pattern which happens every year with the mid-winter thaw out and then temperatures going back to winter.

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"The Blob" --the extreme ocean heat wave in 2016--has been found to have been 53 times more likely because of human involvement with greenhouse gases. Cycles of temperatures in the ocean is natural, but this blob took it to extremes and humans are likely to be the reason it happened when it did and how extreme it was. As a result of the heat wave, countless fish, coral, and other wildlife species died or were affected in some way or another.

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Official Development Assistance has implemented extreme reduces in funding for developing countries' fisheries and climate issues projects. Therefore, this will greatly affect not only the environment and conservation practices, but also the developing countries. Fisheries are good investments for a country's government and economy, along with job opportunities and nutritional benefits. With increased pollution, less economic help, and even less funding for the developing countries, they need help more than ever it seems.

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Scientists already know many of the dangers of climate change, but recent studies have focused on specifically the Musk Oxen in the Arctic. These oxen are surprisingly more susceptible to the climate change than scientists initially thought they would be. The relationship between the environment and the oxen is evident in their recent struggles. Pregnant mothers giving birth to malnourished and unusually-small offspring is detrimental for the species. Their environments have experienced more rain fall than ever before, showing the increasing temperatures.

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A student founded an amazing startup which may change the world's plastic dilemma. Plastic is harmful to the environment. Kevin Kumala found that a plant abundant in tropical countries can be manufactured to work the same as plastic but is also biodegradable. While the future of his company is unknown for now, many hope that he'll have lots of success and the decline of plastic usage will become global.

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According to evolutionary biologists, it is not uncommon that males of species tend to get in more accidents--notably fatal--than females. A study of mammoth skeletons has proved just that. Sink holes, falling through ice, and other avoidable mistakes are clearly more popular in males than females. Biologists also studied social patterns and found inexperienced males tend to live together in groups, so it makes sense.

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A dinosaur whose fossils had been discovered in the mid-nineties, recently had a new characteristic uncovered. Doctors found that the animal had dark feathers and raccoon-like facial features. This ensures that historic animals are not that different from organisms today.

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A recent development in energy has provided transparent solar panels, with a similar appearance to glass. While not as efficient as solar panels, the new clear ones are expected to surpass the old ones with a few years of research. Transparent solar panels are also expected to be more popular and people are more willing to buy them.

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Scientists have found that one of Saturn's moons, Titan, may be a new host of exotic life forms. While the conditions on Titan are nothing like Earth's, with negative temperatures all the time and different elements making up the oceans and atmosphere, the small beginning of small life forms are similar to how Earth got life started here. Scientists are looking further into what this new discovery may develop into.

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Two populations of grizzly bears, those in Yellowstone National Park and Glacier National Park, are increasing. This is definitely a good thing for the future of the bear. With growing populations, the bears are spreading out and may have to share ecosystems soon. This is beneficial to genetic diversity and helping the bears to adapt in the area. While a few human interactions may harm the growing bears, such as hunters or competing for home space, there is a positive trend.