Microscopic ocean predator with a taste for carbon capture

Good News Notes: “Scientists at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) have discovered a new species that has the potential to sequester carbon naturally, even as oceans warm and become more acidic. The microbe, abundant around the world, photosynthesises and releases a carbon-rich exopolymer that attracts and immobilizes other microbes. It then eats some of…

Newly discovered rainfrog species named in honor of climate activist Greta Thunberg

Good News Notes: “A new species of rainfrog was officially named in a scientific article published on Monday.   The new species, Pristimantis gretathunbergae, has been named the Greta Thunberg Rainfrog and described in a new article in thePensoft scientific journal ZooKeys.  The new rainfrog species was discovered by an international team headed by Abel Batista and…

Scientists discover new species: “Chocolate frog”

Good News Notes: “Australian scientists discovered a new species of tree frog in a swampy rainforest in New Guinea. Details: Tree frogs are known for their green skin, but researchers encountered a species that had brown coloring, nicknaming it the “chocolate frog.” The team named the species “mira” — which translate to “surprised” in Latin — because they…

Ultra-rare whale washed up off Florida is a new species, scientists say

Good News Notes: “The animal formerly known as the Gulf of Mexico Bryde’s whale could need a new name. The endangered whale may — upon confirmation — be an entirely new species, according to research from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Scientists have long puzzled over the whales, with fewer than 100 estimated in existence, perhaps…

Israeli researchers find a new bee species, amid worries about declining swarms

Good News Notes: “Researchers studying the effect of eucalyptus trees on ecosystems in Israel have found and identified a new species of bee, amid concern over damage wreaked on wild populations due to habitat destruction and other causes. Little is known yet about the new species, named Lasioglossum dorchini, but researchers plan to study it to…

Scientists Spot Beaked Whale Believed to Be New Species

Good News Notes:  “When a trio of beaked whales surfaced off Mexico’s Pacific coast, researchers thought they’d found the elusive Perrin’s beaked whale (Mesoplodon perrini), an endangered species that’s never been officially sighted alive. But upon closer inspection, the researchers realized they may have stumbled upon something even rarer — a new species of beaked…

Scientists in England discover new dinosaur species related to T-Rex

Good News Notes: “A new species of dinosaur related to the Tyrannosaurus rex has been discovered in England. Paleontologists at the University of Southampton spent months studying four bones that were found last year in the village of Shanklin, on the Isle of Wight, off the south coast of England. They finally determined that the…