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An ongoing current event in which a large number of living species are threatened with extinction or are going extinct because of environmentally destructive human activities. The Earth is presently in the midst of a mass extinction event. In the…

Management of the human use of natural resources to provide the maximum benefit to current generations while maintaining capacity to meet the needs of future generations. Conservation includes both the protection and rational use of natural…

The response of corals to environmental stress in which they eject the single-cell algae that live within the transparent coral tissue, making the white coral skeleton visible. Corals (Fig. 1) are animals that live in a partnership (symbiosis) with…

Extinct members of the order of mammals to which humans belong. All current classifications divide the living primates (order Primates) into two major groups (suborders) [Fig. 1]: the Strepsirhini (Strepsirrhini) or "lower" primates (lemurs,…

An organism that has had its genetic material manipulated or altered in a laboratory setting through the use of genetic or genomic engineering techniques. Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are microorganisms, plants, or animals that have been…

The requirement of high salt (NaCl) concentrations for growth of microorganisms. Microorganisms (mainly bacteria) can be classified by their physiological tolerance to salt (Fig. 1). Most normal bacteria, such as Escherichia coli, and most…

The study of the establishment, spread, and ecological impact of species translocated from one region or continent to another outside their normal range, particularly when the translocation is the result of human activity (intentional or otherwise).…

A species translocated from one region or continent to another outside its normal range, particularly when the translocation is the result of human activity (intentional or otherwise). Many thousands of species, including animals, plants, fungi,…

The dominant group (class) of vertebrates. Members of the class Mammalia (subphylum Vertebrata, phylum Chordata), that is, mammals, have ruled the planet Earth since the extinction of the dinosaurs approximately 65 million years ago. There are…