Biology

Biology News

News

June 29, 2026

There may be 3 times as many insect species than previously thought

A new estimate of insect species globally finds that there may be 8 to 14 million more species than people thought, with few of them discovered.

Entomology
Biodiversity

Cornell doctoral student Isabella Marie Errigo and Indigenous partners collect eDNA samples from a remote river in the Ecuadorian Amazon, helping communities assess aquatic biodiversity and ecosystem health across a range of environmental conditions.

News

June 17, 2026

Student, Indigenous partners use eDNA to aid biodiversity in Ecuador

A Cornell graduate student and indigenous Ecuadorian partners are sampling eDNA in Amazonian riverways to understand how gold mining and other human disturbances impact aquatic biodiversity and ecosystem health.

Cornell Atkinson
Ashley School of Global Development and the Environment
Biodiversity

Yuqing Chen, a doctoral student and the study’s first author, searches for and counts baby oysters attached to shells in trays in Yonkers, New York.

News

June 9, 2026

Farmed oysters may boost New York’s dwindling wild populations

A new study offers genetic evidence and proof that farmed eastern oysters are adding to and breeding with wild eastern oyster populations in the western and central Long Island Sound.

Ashley School of Global Development and the Environment
Natural Resources and the Environment Section
Biodiversity

News

May 15, 2026

Thoughtful solar siting can protect ag, biodiversity

Renewable energy infrastructure is booming globally, driven by improved tech, rising oil prices and global energy instability. But large, utility-scale solar projects often raise community concerns about land-use changes. Researchers have...

Ashley School of Global Development and the Environment
Agrivoltaics
Biodiversity

a man gestures at a poster on the wall as he talks to a woman

Field Note

May 14, 2026

Jackson Sapuleni: How does early-life weight gain affect female fertility?

Jackson Sapuleni PhD’28 is a doctoral student working in the lab of Yi Athena Ren , associate professor of reproductive biology. Jackson’s research focuses on the effect of early-life weight gain on the ovary. We spoke with Jackson about his...