Allie Wilkinson on Muck Rack

Allie Wilkinson

Washington, D.C.
As seen in: The New York Times, Forbes, Nature, The Independent (UK), The Washington Post, Yahoo News, National Geographic, WIRED Magazine, Ars Technica, Scientific American and
Covers:  environmental health, ecology, science policy, conservation, environmental science, women in stem, technology, marine science, endangered species, climate change, scientific discoveries
Freelance science journalist. Formerly at @sciencenews. Award-winning baker.
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Demand for Bananas Puts Costa Rica's Caimans at Risk

Demand for Bananas Puts Costa Rica's Caimans at Risk

National Geographic — Bananas are big business for Costa Rica, bringing in hundreds of millions of dollars each year. But the bright yellow fruit could spell trouble for the country's caimans, a crocodile relative. New research from the journal Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry found that spectacled caimans (Caiman crocodilus) near banana plantations were significantly thinner, and had higher pesticide concentrations in their blood, than caimans in more remote locations.
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Mobile Robotic Lab Will Track Ocean Toxins

Mobile Robotic Lab Will Track Ocean Toxins

www.popularmechanics.com — Harmful algal blooms can turn normal-looking shellfish into toxic payloads that, if eaten, can cause symptoms ranging from diarrhea to death. This unseen danger unnerves shellfish growers and fisheries managers, who need to know immediately when and where to shut down fisheries to prevent illness. Now, with the help of a new autonomous underwater robot, researchers from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) are one step closer to sniffing out ocean toxins and ensuring that safe seafood ends up on your plate.
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Scientists create a "Dow Jones" for ocean health

Scientists create a "Dow Jones" for ocean health

Ars Technica — Health can be assessed in many different ways-temperature, blood pressure, pulse, and respiratory rate are all measures of human health. But how do we know if the oceans are healthy? Scientists recently developed an index to answer that question.
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Certain coral species may be better adapted to deal with ocean acidification

Certain coral species may be better adapted to deal with ocean acidification

Ars Technica — Corals may be better able to cope with ocean acidification than previously believed, according to new research published in Nature Climate Change, providing a glimmer of hope for the future of coral reefs. As more carbon dioxide enters the atmosphere from the burning of fossil fuels, more carbon dioxide is dissolved in the ocean, lowering the pH of the water. This process, known as ocean acidification, is occurring at an unprecedented rate. This is causing problems for shell-building organisms, and it raises concerns for corals. Can corals and their symbiotic algae have the ability to adapt or acclimate to such rapid changes in ocean chemistry?
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Seeing red on eBay has buyers spending more green

Seeing red on eBay has buyers spending more green

Ars Technica — Red-it's the color of arousal, aggression, and...higher eBay bids? According to a new study published in the Journal of Consumer Research, the answer is yes. eBay items with a red background were found to receive higher bids, but the color had the opposite effect on negotiation-based sales, influencing consumers to make lower offers.
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Scientists take a bird's eye view to prevent bird-aircraft collisions

Scientists take a bird's eye view to prevent bird-aircraft collisions

Ars Technica — The audio recordings are stark. "Birds," the captain remarked. Thump. Thud. Then a shuddering sound was heard, followed by a decrease in engine noise as both of the engines' fans started to slow. "Mayday mayday mayday...this is....Cactus fifteen-fourty-nine. Hit birds. We've lost thrust in both engines. We're turning back towards LaGuardia." Unable to safely make it back to the airport, the captain announced, "We're gonna brace," before dramatically ditching the plane on the Hudson River. The emergency landing of US Airways Flight 1549 in 2009 gave increased media attention to bird-aircraft collisions, which poses a significant concern globally to both civil and military aviation.
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Seafood at risk: Dispersed oil poses a long-term threat

Seafood at risk: Dispersed oil poses a long-term threat

Scientific American — The two-hour drive from New Orleans to Venice, La., is like cutting into a slice of apple pie-it's as American as it gets. Busy streets and high-rise buildings give way to farms, fields, and wetlands, in the perfect picture of rural, small-town America. With the exception of the occasional oil refinery or church, most buildings in Plaquemines Parish stand no more than a single story high. Driving down Louisiana Highway 23, the sole road in and out of the parish, it is clear to see that fishing is a way of life down here; boats or fishing traps are present in the front yards of most homes.
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Toxic threat to nature's nursery?

Toxic threat to nature's nursery?

Long Island Herald — Imagine building an incinerator next to a hospital nursery. That, critics say, is about what the Village of Freeport would be doing if it were to build a $550 million waste-to-energy incinerator alongside a wetland in south Freeport, near the Merrick border. Plans for the facility appear in doubt (see related story, "What's up with Freeport's incinerator plans?"). But if eventually approved, the project could have serious consequences for the local environment and human health.
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