Nature reports

The Netherlands extracts a lot of sand from the North Sea for all kinds of purposes. However, more and more sand has to be extracted, which means that sand extraction pits have to be dug ever deeper. Previously up to about two..

Along the northern coast of Java, Indonesia, relative sea level rises at an alarming rate due to land subsidence. This has tremendous effects on people and mangrove forests along the coast. Over the past four years Celine van..

In recent years, the fishing industry has been working with scientists to investigate the sustainable catching of Spisula subtruncata, a North Sea shellfish. Bird conservationists also participated, working together to gain more..

The neem tree is an invasive species that was introduced to the Caribbean in the early 1900s. Originally from India, this tree was brought over for its medicinal, pesticidal and ornamental properties. Locals soon realized this..

Manta rays are highly charismatic creatures that inhabit the waters of the Dutch Caribbean. In addition to being a highly prized find for divers and snorkelers, they are also important for healthy oceans as they can help control..

Nearly 2.5 billion years ago, seas on our planet alternately contained more or less oxygen, due to the slow 'wobble' of the rotating Earth. PhD student Margriet Lantink: "The fact that the Earth eventually became an oxygen-rich..

Many native animals that disperse plant seeds on the island of Mauritius have gone extinct during the past centuries. This includes iconic species such as the dodo and giant tortoises, now replaced by non-native fruit-eating..

The rate of deforestation in the Amazon is much higher than previously thought. As a result, there is a risk of reaching a tipping point, after which the ecosystem will be irreversibly altered. And that could have catastrophic..

European forests are being increasingly affected by natural disturbances, a new ground-based observation study shows. An international team of forest scientists from Wageningen University & Research (WUR), the European Forest..

Sea turtles have been overharvested in the past, resulting in their endangered population status. But since two decades, their populations have recovered in certain areas around the world, and their ecological role is unfolding. ..