Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are one of the main tools for ocean conservation worldwide; they are intended to conserve biodiversity and promote healthy marine ecosystems. In light of the recent campaign to protect 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030, clarity about how to design and evaluate MPAs is crucial. In order to address this need, a team of scientists from around the world, including the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), developed “The MPA Guide.”

With the support of NGOs, universities and business, the inhabitants of small towns in the Amazon are practicing a self-sustaining circular economy in which waste is converted into inputs for production.

Scientists at a FAPESP-funded research center investigated the mechanism that produces the main enzyme involved in the virus’s replication in cells. The findings are reported in the Journal of Molecular Biology.

Key points • Effectively conserving and managing agrobiodiversity is critical to achieving sustainable food systems. • The Agrobiodiversity Index measures use and conservation of the diverse plants, animals, and micro-organisms that support food and agriculture. • By applying the Agrobiodiversity Index, a new study has found stark differences across 80 countries regarding agrobiodiversity levels in conservation, in farms, and on plates. • Researchers recommend strengthening of political commitments and actions around agrobiodiversity.

A mobile hearing test determined that the hearing sensitivity of Neotropical bats is associated with the sounds generated by their prey, demonstrating how hearing ability may relate directly to niche differentiation.

Analysis of data collected over 20 years suggests the decline is due to the construction of over 180 dams on the Paraná basin and its tributaries.

An intergovernmental body that sets Paris Agreement-style targets for global food system transformation may help both people and planet. But needs a critical rethink to ensure legitimacy and impact.

The researchers combined VOD, an indicator of the amount of water in vegetation, with remote sensing data from optical satellites. The innovative strategy described in Remote Sensing provides a more comprehensive understanding of the biomass changes caused by fire.

Scientists used a wild grass trait that inhibits soil microbes from producing environmentally-harmful nitrogen compounds. Widespread use of the new technology could lower global use of fertilizers for wheat crops.

Many patients suffer from a significant decline in immunity lasting for years after they are discharged from hospital. In an article published in the journal Immunity, Brazilian researchers reveal why this happens.