Research areas across four vital areas
Climate Change
Climate change poses one of the most significant challenges to the planet. Earthwatch supports research that improves the understanding of how climate change affects different environments and finds ways to help communities reduce their impacts and adapt to changes.
Archeology & Culture
This research highlights the genetic, ecological, cultural, and linguistic variation discovered in the native biological and cultural communities. These research programs unearth the past in a way that safeguards the future.
Wildlife & Ecosystems
Habitats and animals all over the world are threatened. This research aims to create conservation plans and help protect our planet and its inhabitants in today's ever-evolving landscape.
Ocean Health
This research seeks to protect marine biodiversity with a focus on those parts of the ocean most quickly impacted by society, such as the highly threatened coastal habitats, including mangroves and coral reefs.
Latest Articles
What Is Climate Change and How Does It Affect Us?
Climate Change is a change in the average weather conditions over time, including temperature, rainfall, wind, and other factors that affect local, regional, and global patterns. While the Earth’s climate has naturally fluctuated throughout history, the rapid warming we have seen over the past century is unequivocally caused by humans. The current warming is largely...
The Ocean – Home to More Than 70 Percent of Life on Earth
A massive, salty body of water that covers more than 70 percent of the planet. The ocean is home to a wide variety of organisms—including bacteria, protists, algae, fish, shellfish and mammals. It also provides important natural resources such as oxygen, food and minerals. The ocean moderates Earth’s climate and plays key roles in the...
The Importance of Wildlife Conservation
Wildlife is the wild plants, animals, and other living things that inhabit the Earth. It includes everything from a backyard songbird to whales in the open sea. In addition to their intrinsic value, wildlife serves a number of important ecological and economic functions. Wildlife conservation has a great impact on people and is crucial to...
The Evidence Points to Humans As the Main Cause of Climate Change
Over the past few decades, scientists have discovered changes to Earth’s climate, and the evidence points to the fact that humans are the dominant cause of those changes. These changes include increasing temperatures, melting glaciers and ice sheets, rising sea levels, and more severe weather. The climate system is a complex web of interactions among...
The Oceans
The world’s oceans are a vast and fascinating place. They cover more than 70% of the planet’s surface and provide food, shelter, and energy for many species. They also play a key role in the Earth’s climate. The word “ocean” means a large body of salt water that connects smaller seas and covers most of...
The Importance of Wildlife
Wildlife is the name given to undomesticated animal species and all organisms that grow or live wild in an area without being introduced by humans. It is found in all ecosystems. It traditionally refers to animals whose natural habitat is outside human control or influence, but it has come to include all living things that...
Impacts of Climate Change
Climate Change refers to the overall warming of Earth’s atmosphere, oceans and land that we’ve observed over the last century due to increased greenhouse gas levels in the air. These gases, mainly carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane, trap heat from the Sun, stopping it from escaping back into space and instead heating the planet. Human...
The Science of Oceanography
Oceans provide a vital source of oxygen through photosynthesis performed by marine plants. They are also home to fish, marine mammals and other forms of life. They are major shipping routes and provide raw materials used in technology, transportation and construction. In addition, oceans are important sources of food and recreation. Oceanography is the scientific...
What Is Wildlife and Why Is It Important?
Wildlife is non-domesticated animal species and other organisms that live in wild areas of the world. It includes all living things that are not farm animals or pets, such as birds, insects, reptiles and mammals. Wildlife is important because it plays a role in the balance and stability of Earth’s ecosystems. Wildlife is found in...
How Does Climate Change Affect Us?
Climate Change is caused by human activity that adds heat-trapping pollution to Earth’s atmosphere, causing the planet to warm. The most important human activities that cause this warming are burning fossil fuels – like coal, oil and gas – to produce energy, deforestation and farming. These activities also release heat-trapping gases, called greenhouse gases. The...