We humans may have created most of the environmental problems plaguing the planet, but that doesn’t mean we have to fix them alone. Sometimes solutions require complex technology and an army of scientists; sometimes they just require a little help from our friends — i.e., the furry, finned and flying kind. What follows is a look at some amazing animals, living and manufactured, with just the right characteristics and skills to aid researchers in combating everything from global warming to ocean pollution. Now that’s interspecies teamwork at its best. (Text: Sidney Stevens)