Giant clams write a “diary” of their lives in their shells – recording details of not only their own biology, but also the environment and climate conditions around them. Dan Killam, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Arizona, studies these amazing bivalves up close in the controlled conditions of the university’s Biosphere 2, where a huge indoor tank replicates a tropical ocean. In this way, Killam combines his two greatest scholarly passions: undersea creatures and climate change.

Allie Bernett is a PhD student in Natural Resources & the Environment at the University of Arizona, whose work involves urban ecology of large mammals in a major metropolitan area. Studying the movements of bobcats, coyotes and javelina in and around Tucson, she gathers data which can be used to inform policy and management decisions affecting the well-being of human and animal populations.

Guatemala's third largest export after raw sugar and bananas is coffee. ➡ Subscribe: http://bit.ly/NatGeoSubscribe ➡ Get More Short Film Showcase: http://bit.ly/ShortFilmShowcase #NationalGeographic #Coffee #ShortFilmShowcase About Short Film Showcase: The Short Film Showcase spotlights exceptional short videos created by filmmakers from around the web and selected by National Geographic editors. We look for work that affirms National Geographic's belief in the power of science, exploration, and storytelling to change the world. The filmmakers created the content presented, and the opinions expressed are their own, not those of National Geographic Partners. See more from National Geographic's Short Film Showcase at http://documentary.com Get More National Geographic: Official Site: http://bit.ly/NatGeoOfficialSite Facebook: http://bit.ly/FBNatGeo Twitter: http://bit.ly/NatGeoTwitter Instagram: http://bit.ly/NatGeoInsta The plant thrives in a narrow climate range at a certain elevation on the country's mountainous slopes. Changing rainfall, rising temperature, and a fungus called “coffee rust” is affecting the crop and the livelihoods of indigenous farmers in the region. However, scientists think they've found a way to ensure climate models are correct, which might help these farmers adapt. Filmmaker Mari Cleven interviews Diego Pons and Kevin Anchukaitis about their research in this informative short. About National Geographic: National Geographic is the world's premium destination for science, exploration, and adventure. Through their world-class scientists, photographers, journalists, and filmmakers, Nat Geo gets you closer to the stories that matter and past the edge of what's possible. Coffee Farmers Hopeful For Their Dying Crops | Short Film Showcase https://youtu.be/GT-JhME-xXw National Geographic https://www.youtube.com/natgeo

A National Science Foundation-funded collaboration between the University of Arizona and Dine Community College, the Indige-FEWSS program has enabled students to build an off-the-grid water filtration system with the ability to serve 50 families on the far-flung Navajo Nation. The goal of Indige-FEWSS is to teach the next generation of STEM professionals how to confront food, energy and water challenges in indigenous communities while letting traditional Navajo values and knowledge guide their work.

UA scientists are using hundreds of years of tree ring data to empower Guatemalan farmers. Read more at: https://research.arizona.edu/stories/video-climate-scientists-work-communities-guatemala

Barbara Lewis, a Dunbar School alumna and vice president of the Dunbar Coalition, and Tani Sanchez, UArizona associate professor in Africana Studies, discuss the black experience in Tucson and how an ongoing partnership is working to both preserve the past and turn a one-time segregated school into a revitalized community center. Read the full story: https://research.arizona.edu/stories/tucson-communities-color-preserve-piece-black-history-support-uarizona.

As bivalves that live up to 180 years and with shells that can last for as long as 2000 years, geoducks (pronounced gooey ducks) are the climate storytellers of the sea. Each year, a geoduck produces calcium carbonate and protein striations in its shell much as a tree produces rings in its trunk. And as dendrochronologists read a tree’s rings for insights into the terrestrial climate of the past, sclerochronologists study the geoduck’s shells to reveal oceanic climate data from the past. By cross-referencing the growing network of marine chronologies with terrestrial chronologies from tree rings, UArizona researchers are building a more complete picture of climate patterns over time.

Earyn explains her research, which focuses on the effects of stream drying on lizard communities.

The treasured painting, part of a series by celebrated abstract expressionist Willem de Kooning, is back home at the UA Museum of Art. To read the story go to: https://uanews.arizona.edu/story/after-31-years-stolen-womanochre-returns

Northern Arizona University School of Forestry collaborates with Diné College and Navajo Forestry to train students while researching the history of fire on the Navajo Nation.

For decades, radiocarbon dating has been a way for scientists to get a rough picture of when once-living stuff lived. The method has been revolutionary and remains one of the most commonly used dating methods to study the past, but according to UA researcher Charlotte Pearson, it’s ready for a makeover. By developing new ways to use radiocarbon in tree rings, she builds on the legacies of scientists before her. Learn more: http://research.arizona.edu/stories/radiocarbon-dating-gets-postmodern-makeover

George Ruyle has been interested in farming and ranching since he was a young boy in Illinois. At the UA, he helps Arizona’s ranching community work with state and federal government to act as stewards of the land.

NAU environmental students take their learning out of the classroom and onto the river for an immersive field experience.