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Biodiversity

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Biodiversity refers to the variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem. It is necessary for life to thrive on Earth.

Aldo Leopold, one of the great thinkers of conservation, observed more than half a century ago the importance of protecting species. "To keep every cog and wheel is the first precaution of intelligent tinkering," he wrote. Losing species is like throwing away one by one the engine parts of an airplane while flying.

Biodiversity is a major initiative of Conservation International.

Biodiversity conservation provides substantial benefits to meet immediate human needs, such as those for clean, consistent water flows; protection from floods and storms; and a stable climate. 

Curated by mokiethecat

That's Wild: Another Sex Trick … of Mussels
April 06, 2023

Freshwater mussels employ diverse and ingenious reproductive strategies, often relying on fish as hosts. Some create tantalizing lures to attract fish, expelling larvae onto their gills, while others deploy larva packets on long strings. Researchers have now uncovered a novel tactic used by the endangered thick-shelled river mussel.

This mussel climbs streambanks, partially emerging from the water, and squirts larva-infused jets into the air and onto the surface. The resulting splashes attract fish, which mistake them for insects but inadvertently become hosts for the mussel larvae in their gills.

Learn more about this remarkable discovery: Remarkable Squirting Mussels Captured on Film