nature

Nature

Why wildlife populations have declined by 73 per cent in just 50 years

“Biodiversity continues to be degraded at an alarming pace, yet amid these steep declines there are grounds for hope.”

8 October 2026

Nature

Why this remote volcanic island lost Earth’s largest penguin colony

Scientists have blamed human-caused climate change for the decline in chinstrap penguins on the remote Zavodovski Island.

7 October 2026

Health news

Invasive plant spreads across Portugal and lengthens allergy season

Known for its showy plumes and used as an ornamental for decades, pampas grass, also known as Cortaderia selloana, is spreading, threatening biodiversity and raising vegetation management costs. Experts call for urgent action to halt its advance and reduce pollen exposure.

7 October 2026

Earth News

Fat Bear Week returns as Alaska's biggest bears compete for the crown

Online voting has opened for Fat Bear Week, the annual competition celebrating the brown bears of Alaska's Katmai National Park and Preserve as they prepare for winter hibernation.

26 September 2026

Nature

Scientists uncover surprising secret about the origins of bats

A genomic study of 103 species and 44 fossils places the origin of bats in Europe 65 million years ago and dates the birth of flight and echolocation, in a Nature paper with CSIC participation.

26 September 2026

Earth News

New Zealanders pick endangered black robin as Bird of the Year

Despite only 350 remaining, the bird received 26,000 votes, with a record one in every 50 New Zealanders taking part in this year’s competition.

22 September 2026

Space

FLEX satellite in orbit: studying plant responses to climate change from space

The mission will study photosynthesis and how vegetation responds to climate change, while the new Sentinel-3C monitors oceans, land, ice and the atmosphere.

15 September 2026

Europe News

Anaconda on the Danube: giant constrictor snake discovered in Bavaria

A walker made an unusual discovery on the banks of the Danube in Lower Bavaria: a snake more than two metres long. It turned out to be a South American anaconda, far from its natural habitat.

12 September 2026

Tech News

Magnetic 'nanoflowers' trap and transform nanoplastics in water

ICMM-CSIC researchers have created magnetic iron-oxide nanoflowers that trap PET nanoplastics and turn them into tools to remove other water pollutants, supporting circular, advanced water treatment.

4 September 2026

Europe News

Is Germany's Laacher See volcano stirring again?

The Laacher See volcano last erupted around 13,000 years ago. Now, deep below the Eifel, scientists are reporting signs it remains active.

30 August 2026

Europe News

Raised in the wild: Spain's famous 'wolf boy' dies

Marcos Rodríguez Pantoja, from Andalusia, died at 80 in Rante, a hamlet of San Cibrao das Viñas in Ourense, north-west Spain. He had lived there since 2001 and seemed to have finally found a home.

23 August 2026

Space

Another eclipse over Spain on 28 August: where and how to see it

Spain will turn its eyes to the sky just 16 days after the historic total solar eclipse. On 28 August a partial lunar eclipse of magnitude 0.93 will be visible across the country and will not require special eye protection.

22 August 2026

Travel News

Whale museum with rooftop viewpoint to open in Norway in 2027

Norway’s new whale museum is set to open in 2027 in Andenes, but from arctic whale watching and scenic hikes, here’s what else you can get up to in the coastal village.

20 August 2026

No Comment

Mud baths and red water: inside Bulgaria's Lake Atanasovsko

Tourists slather mud and float in red brine at Lake Atanasovsko, while Pomorie’s salt museum preserves Bulgaria’s fading salt-making heritage.

19 August 2026

Culture news

Thinking outside the box about wellbeing: inside Medicine Festival

More than 10,000 people have traveled to Medicine Festival to take part in ancestral ceremonies, dance, practice yoga and explore different approaches to mind-body health. Many have travelled from across Europe to participate.

19 August 2026

Climate

Austria’s most famous gorge has been bled dry by 2026's weather

Heatwaves and lack of winter snow and summer rain have dried up the waterfalls in the Bärenschützklamm.

15 August 2026