BBC News - Science & Environment

Mammals decline in Chernobyl zone The largest wildlife census of its kind conducted in Chernobyl reveals evidence of mammals declining in the exclusion zone.

Chile prepares for possible quake Chilean authorities begin to prepare for a possible earthquake that could strike the north of the country "at any time", say scientists.

BP boss scaling back oil effort The incoming BP chief executive has said it is time to scale back some parts of the oil spill clean-up in the Gulf of Mexico.

Galapagos off Unesco danger list A UN panel votes to remove the Galapagos Islands from a "red list" of endangered heritage sites, to protests from a leading conservation group.

Hi-tech Indian water plant opens A desalination plant which begins operating in Madras on Saturday will provide some of the cheapest drinking water in India, backers say.

X Prize for oil spill solutions The X Prize foundation, best known for launching the private spaceflight industry, launches a $1.4 million oil clean-up challenge.

Doomed 1848 ship found in Arctic Canadian archaeologists locate the wreck of HMS Investigator, a British ship abandoned in the Arctic in the 19th Century.

Chemicals washed into China river Rescue teams in north-east China are working to retrieve 3,000 barrels of chemicals washed into a major river, state media say.

Deal finalised on fusion reactor The European Union and six member states have reached a deal on the experimental nuclear fusion reactor they are backing.

WWF sorry for Saudi Arabia insult Environmental group WWF apologises to Saudi Arabia after one of its workers vandalised the country's nameplate at a climate conference.

'Sniff code' device controls wheelchair Scientists develop a device that allows people with severe disabilities to control a wheelchair and communicate by sniffing.

Mars rocks may contain fossilised remains of life Researchers identify rocks that they say could contain the fossilised remains of life on early Mars.

Dogs 'mimic movements of owners' Do dogs really imitate body movements of owners?

Friends offer 'a survival boost' Having good friends and neighbours appears to boost survival chances by 50%, say researchers.

Researchers use more GM animals The number of UK scientific experiments involving genetically modified animals overtakes those involving "normal animals" for the first time.

Adventurers to fund space travel Future manned space travel will be the province of private adventurers, the astronomer royal believes.

Motherly love 'breeds confidence' Babies whose mothers shower them with affection are better at coping with stress when they get older, researchers say.

China considers big rocket power Chinese engineers are considering a new super-powerful engine for the next generation of space rockets, say officials.

Cheetah will run again in India The cheetah, eradicated in India by hunting nearly a century ago, will run again in the country, as three sites are earmarked for its reintroduction.

Plankton declining across oceans The amount of plankton in the oceans has declined markedly over the last century, with warming identified as a cause.

Surface Gulf oil 'vanishing fast' Oil from BP's damaged Gulf of Mexico well has cleared from the sea surface faster than expected, scientists say, 100 days after the disaster began.

Oz marsupials 'began in Americas' The characteristic koalas, kangaroos and wombats of Australia share a common American ancestor, according to genetic research.

Pampered pigs 'feel optimistic' Pigs feel optimistic or pessimistic about life depending on how pleasant their environment is, researchers at Newcastle University find.

Marshes 'at risk from hurricanes' Freshwater coastal wetlands are more vulnerable to erosion during hurricanes than habitats with higher levels of salinity, a study suggests.

Grim task of China oil clean-up China is struggling with an arduous clean up after the country's worst oil spill, with grim conditions for those involved.

Greek dolphin park welfare row Animal welfare groups in Greece are calling for the closure of the country's first dolphinarium and urging schools not to visit the attraction.

Rare zedonk born at US wildlife park A wildlife reserve in the US has a new star attraction after a donkey there gave birth to a foal with stripy legs.

Litter picking on the sea bed A team of divers - known as Neptune's Army of Rubbish Cleaners - are stepping up efforts to keep Britain's coastline clean and litter free.

Does music make you run faster? Music has helped elite tri-athletes in Australia increase their endurance by 15%, researchers say.

When 1,000 particle physicists collide What happens when 1,000 particle physicists meet? BBC News visited the 35th International Conference on High Energy Physics (ICHEP) in Paris to find out.

'Pampered' pigs are optimistic Pigs feel optimistic or pessimistic about life depending on how pleasant their environment is, researchers at Newcastle University have discovered.

How midges select their victims Midges have been blighting summers in the Scottish Highlands for generations, but new research suggests that the insects aren't as indiscriminate in their choice of victims as previously thought.

Deep blue fuels Russian sub searches Lake Baikal for energy reserves

'Ancient survivor' Experts find new colonies of prehistoric shrimp

Deep science Mini-sub gets to bottom of oil spill's risk to marine life