Jim Robbins

2 weeks ago | e360.yale.edu | Jim Robbins

One of the most endangered animals in the world, freshwater mussels are threated by pollution, climate change, habitat loss, and invasive species. But in the epicenter of their diversity — the Southeastern U.S. — the root cause of a catastrophic die-off remains a mystery. Recent finding have helped biologists develop techniques for raising the most threatened mussel species in labs.

1 month ago | yahoo.com | Jim Robbins

As I stood atop a rocky precipice in central Montana, the most striking thing before me was nothing. More precisely, it was space: the all-encompassing nothingness for which the West is famous. It was off this cliff that thundering herds of bison once jumped, driven to their death by the Native peoples who hunted them for their meat, hides, and bones.

1 month ago | e360.yale.edu | Jim Robbins

Wildfires, floods, intense heat, droughts, and other extreme events fueled by climate change are threatening water systems in the U.S. and around the globe. Experts warn of the increasing threat of contamination and the need to improve infrastructure to keep drinking water safe. On November 8, 2018, a power line dropped into dry grass in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains, north of Sacramento, and ignited the deadliest fire in California’s history.

2 months ago | popsci.com | Jim Robbins

A mountain lion in Montana.

Jan 23, 2025 | e360.yale.edu | Jim Robbins

A mountain lion attack that killed a young California man last year has reignited a debate over how the big cats should be managed. Some are calling for renewed hunting of the animals, while others are advocating nonlethal methods of instilling a fear of humans in the big cats. Last March, two young California men were searching for shed deer antlers in the Sierra foothills east of Sacramento and were startled by a young mountain lion walking toward them, no more than 10 yards away.