A stepped water feature in the centre of campus surprises with its rich aquatic life and potential as a site for demonstrating biodiversity.

Preventing the introduction of the mosquitofish and removing its population are the most effective actions to control the dispersal of this exotic fish in ponds and lakes, according to a study published in the journal Science of the Total Environment. Neither the presence of predators nor the degradation of the quality of water and natural habitat are a threat to this invasive species –from the Atlantic coast in North America- which competes against and moves local species away.

The new study, carried out in water ecosystems close to urban environments of the Barcelona provincial area, is signed by the experts Oriol Cano Rocabayera, Adolfo de Sostoa, Lluís Coll and Alberto Maceda, from the Faculty of Biology and the Biodiversity Research Institute of the UB (IRBio). 

An exotic species threatening local fish

The mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki) is an edacious exotic fish regarded as one of the most dangerous invasive species at a global scale according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (UICN). It was brought to Spain in 1921 for the biological control of mosquitoes –carrying diseases such as malaria- and is now included in the catalogues of exotic invasive species of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the autonomous communities.

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Image Credit: University of Barcelona

The clearing and subsequent instability of Amazonian forests are among the greatest threats to tropical biodiversity conservation today.

A new Duke University-led study finds that the death of marsh plants due to disturbances like the heavy oiling from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill can double the rate of shoreline erosion in hard-hit marshes. 

The basking shark, the largest shark in the waters off Southern California, is also the most elusive

Hawaiian monk seals are the only seal species found in the Hawaiian Islands. They are also one of the most endangered seals in the world.

Common chemicals used in thousands of products to protect against harmful effects of ultraviolet light threaten corals and other marine life.

Wildlife ecologists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst who are studying different conservation practices in the forests of Costa Rica recently made a startling discovery on a wildlife camera trap – wild bush dogs documented farther north than ever before and at the highest elevation.

A close look at the rapidly developing zebrafish embryo is helping neuroscientists better understand the potential underpinnings of brain disorders, including autism and schizophrenia.

Understanding how people use and experience important places for living nature is essential for effectively managing and monitoring human activities and conserving biodiversity.