Most projections say at least 9 billion people will be alive on Earth come 2050 -- putting tremendous pressures on the natural systems that we all rely on for survival and prosperity.

Cool Green Science is where Nature Conservancy scientists and science writers discuss and debate how conservation can help meet those challenges head on -- in partnership with you, of course. You'll also find photos, videos and dispatches from our fieldwork, book reviews, raves and groans about new research, natural history accounts, citizen science opps, and much much more -- including stuff about critters that are just cool.

Cool Green Science is managed by Matt Miller, senior science writer for the Conservancy, and edited by Bob Lalasz, its director of science communications. Email us your feedback.

Matt Miller: Big Fish: Return of the Alligator gar
Alligator gars were persecuted and eliminated for crimes they didn't commit. A new conservation effort is bringing them back.

Mark Spalding: Marine Protected Areas: Tokens or Treasures?'
The creation of huge marine protected areas is being celebrated by conservationists around the world. But are they enough?

Sophie Parker: What Desert Plants Can Teach Us About Climate Change
Desert plants thrive in the hottest, driest places on earth. Do they have something to teach us about climate change?