📰 EwA News Digest: Social Distancing Bats, Chocolate Funds Deforestation Map, and Blue Whales in the Philippines

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Hello, all!

Olivia here with my first news digest! I’m excited to bring you environmental news for the next few months. 

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, a study has found that bats tend to stay away from their colonies when sick, just like humans. Since they prefer to isolate themselves when infected, this demonstrates how difficult it is for bats to transfer pathogens to other species, suggesting that this transfer results from human-led invasion of their habitats. Read more at ScienceDaily. 

Bats aren’t the only species recently found to have an advantageous adaptation. A new study has demonstrated that several species of anole lizards can breathe underwater for up to eighteen minutes. This trait may have evolved as a defense mechanism, however more research is needed to uncover its true evolutionary development. Read more here.

In a changing world, ecosystems will also have to adapt. A new study of fossil pollen demonstrated that Earth’s vegetation is changing at least as quickly as it did at the end of the last Ice Age, if not faster, and that the rate of change is greater than it has been over the last 18,000 years. Unfortunately, these trends are only set to accelerate in the future. Find out more here.

Luckily for tropical vegetation, the world’s largest chocolate producer, Barry Callebaut, is funding a map expected to display every corner of the tropics, with each area classified by carbon amount to prevent deforestation and be published by the end of 2021. Callebaut decided to initiate this project since it falls in line with the company’s desire to better understand which areas of the tropics their suppliers can sustainably harvest from. Read more at Mongabay.

Unfortunately, we are in need of some conservation projects of our own on the local level. Due to climate-change-inflicted sea level rise and erosion, the Boston Harbor Islands have been recently named one of the most endangered historic places in America. Find out about their significance at WBUR. 

Thankfully, on the species level we have some better news: a blue whale was spotted in the Philippines. Blue whales are endangered and were not reported in the area between 1870 and 2004. Read more about these fascinating animals here.

That’s all for this news digest! I hope everyone’s having a great beginning of the summer and make sure to keep your eyes out for Kate’s news digest in early July!

Best,

Olivia