Research at Home: Organisms and Ecosystems

Think Outside! (No box needed.)

Why stay indoors when there is a world of science to explore just beyond your front door? Set up a biocube to analyze an ecosystem in depth, get up close and personal with your favorite insect, observe animals from afar, or make your project literally home-grown with plant science.

Resources

There are many great resources to learn from. Here are a few our team recommends:

National Museum of Natural History

A Biocube allows you to focus on biodiversity by closely examing and observing life in one cubic foot of space. Check out these resources to learn how to create a Biocube, select a spot, and get started analyzing the contents

Learn More

iNaturalist

Connect with Nature: Explore and share your observations from the natural world. With over 42 million observations posted, you’re bound to find project ideas for observing organisms in nature.

Learn More

Explore

A picture (or live feed) is worth a thousand words! Check out explore’s live animal cams with feeds from around the world to get ideas for an observational study!

Learn More

LabXChange

Learn more about Ecosystems using LabXChange

Learn More

ISEF Abstracts on Organisms and Ecosystems

Check out these projects in Animal Sciences, Plant Sciences and Earth and Environmental Sciences, three of the twenty-one Regeneron ISEF categories. See more ISEF abstracts by visiting the ISEF Project database.

Society Blog Posts about Organisms and Ecosystems

Articles about Organisms and Ecosystems

Science NewsĀ andĀ Science News for Students are our award-winning publications that cover current advances across all STEM disciplines. We have gathered a collection of articles specifically on Organisms and Ecosystems to further shed light on this topic and provide inspiration for student research projects.

Women in ecology, from forests to the sea

These women in science are all about ecosystems and environments

READ THEĀ SCIENCE NEWS FOR STUDENTSĀ ARTICLE

Pollen-deprived bumblebees may speed up plant blooming by biting leaves

In a pollen shortage, bees can make tomatoes bloom early by nipping foliage

READ THEĀ SCIENCE NEWSĀ ARTICLE

Cool Job: Rethinking how plants hunt for water

Researcher probes the very beginnings of root growth

READ THEĀ SCIENCE NEWS FOR STUDENTS ARTICLE

Earthworms: Can these gardenersā€™ friends actually become foes?

Invading jumping worms can remove leaf litter, making it hard for forest plants to grow

READ THEĀ SCIENCE NEWS FOR STUDENTSĀ ARTICLE

Burrowing birds create pockets of rich plant life in a desert landscape

Mounds of sand dug out by nest-digging birds are microhabitats where seeds can germinate

READ THE SCIENCE NEWS ARTICLE

Americaā€™s duck lands: These ā€˜potholesā€™ are under threat

Scientists study important U.S. grasslands to learn what it will take to save their vital ecosystems

READ THEĀ SCIENCE NEWS FOR STUDENTS ARTICLE

Plant-based fire retardants may offer a less toxic way to tame flames

Scientists have converted acids found in tea leaves and buckwheat into fire-resistant chemicals

READ THEĀ SCIENCE NEWSĀ ARTICLE

Young sunflowers keep time

The flowers track the sun using an internal clock

READ THEĀ SCIENCE NEWS FOR STUDENTSĀ ARTICLE

Warm petals may attract chilly bees

Violets with dark petals may give bees a warm spot to rest their bums

READ THEĀ SCIENCE NEWS FOR STUDENTS ARTICLE

Newfound desert soil community lives on sips of fog

Lichens and other fungi and algae team up to form a ā€˜grit-crustā€™ on ultra-dry soil

READ THEĀ SCIENCE NEWS FOR STUDENTSĀ ARTICLE

Need a little luck? Hereā€™s how to grow your own

Teen researcher from Japan uses plant hormone to boost leaf counts in clover

READ THEĀ SCIENCE NEWS FOR STUDENTSĀ ARTICLE

Earthworms lose weight in soils polluted with microplastics

Plants were stunted, too, as scrawnier worms may offer fewer benefits to them and their soil

READ THEĀ SCIENCE NEWS FOR STUDENTS ARTICLE

Taking a long look at lichen

ISEF finalist Madeline Handley examined lichens near streams in her native Alaska

READ THEĀ SCIENCE NEWS FOR STUDENTSĀ ARTICLE

Letā€™s learn about the creepy crawlies in your home

Ants, spiders and more may be hiding out

READ THEĀ SCIENCE NEWS FOR STUDENTS ARTICLE

As algae blooms increase, scientists seek better ways to predict these toxic tides

Knowing where ā€” and how bad ā€” toxic tides are can help protect health and the environment. Want Science News for free for your school? Teachers can sign up for Science News in High Schools.

READ THE SCIENCE NEWS ARTICLE

Cactus spine shapes determine how they stab victims

Tests in hunks of meat revealed that some spines simply poke, while others hitch a ride. Want Science News for free for your school? Teachers can sign up for Science News in High Schools.

READ THEĀ SCIENCE NEWS ARTICLE