Nitrogen is required by all living things, but too much of it can be a problem for aquatic ecosystems. Excess reactive nitrogen (nitrate and ammonium, forms that can be used directly by plants and algae) can cause lake eutrophication which can include harmful algal blooms,... click to read more

Every year, many of us gaze in fascination at the movement of nature's clock, looking forward to seeing wild plants coming into bloom or the arrival of the first migrant birds. Less obvious, but just as dramatic, populations of phytoplankton bloom below the surface of... click to read more

Aptly named "Rainforests of the Sea", tropical coral reefs are one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet. Much like how trees of a forest provide shelter for plants and animals living within, corals reefs provide food and shelter for millions of species ranging... click to read more

Bees are more than honey-makers. They pollinate crops and hence are key elements in our food production. Honeybees, wild bee species such as bumblebees and solitary bees, butterflies, wasps, and flies, all provide an invaluable work of pollination. In fact, a third of the food... click to read more

The impact of pesticides on pollinators is an important factor for the future of world food security, as well as a hotly debated and controversial topic. Pollinating insects like bees help to increase the yields of many food crops but, in doing so, are inadvertently... click to read more