Here, there, everywhere: Environmental DNA clues to biodiversity
Traces of life in the environment reveal ecosystem health, prompting a scientific hunt for them......»»
Rural migration tied to land use and climate change need more attention, scientists say
Climate and other environmental changes sometimes drive people to migrate, especially if the land no longer supports a population's way of life. In turn, mobile populations alter the environment in which they settle......»»
New research shows agricultural impacts on soil microbiome and fungal communities
New research from Smithsonian's Bird Friendly Coffee program highlights a type of biodiversity that often gets overlooked: soil bacteria and fungal communities. For over twenty years, Smithsonian research has shown that coffee farms with shade trees.....»»
Quantum breakthrough achieved in the coolest place on the space station
The Cold Atom Lab on the International Space Station has made use of atom interferometry in space to detect environmental changes......»»
Quordle today – hints and answers for Friday, August 16 (game #935)
Looking for Quordle clues? We can help. Plus get the answers to Quordle today and past solutions......»»
"Climinator" vs. greenwashers: Researcher develops AI tool to debate climate on a factual basis
Companies like to act "green" by publishing thick environmental sustainability reports replete with photography of pristine landscapes, but precious few of them keep their promises. Finance professor Markus Leippold is using AI-based tools to fight g.....»»
New generation of ecological models needed to safeguard future of biodiversity, says researcher
Protecting animals, ecosystems and biodiversity is one of the big challenges of our time. With climate change dramatically impacting the planet and transformations in society such as housing development and urbanization, protecting ecosystems and the.....»»
As human activities expand in Antarctica, scientists identify crucial conservation sites
A team of scientists led by the University of Colorado Boulder has identified 30 new areas critical for conserving biodiversity in the Southern Ocean surrounding Antarctica. In a study published Aug. 15 in the journal Conservation Biology, the resear.....»»
Zebrafish use surprising strategy to regrow spinal cord: Findings could help identify ways to heal spinal cord damage
Zebrafish are members of a rarefied group of vertebrates capable of fully healing a severed spinal cord. A clear understanding of how this regeneration takes place could provide clues toward strategies for healing spinal cord injuries in people. Such.....»»
Deer Island, Katrina Key expansions promise environmental benefits, storm protection
Amid predictions of sea level rise, higher storm surge and increased storm activity, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources have launched two projects to increase the security of the Mississippi coastline......»»
Surprise finding in study of environmental bacteria could advance search for better antibiotics
In what they labeled a "surprising" finding, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers studying bacteria from freshwater lakes and soil say they have determined a protein's essential role in maintaining the germ's shape. Because the integrity of a bacterial.....»»
First biogeographic map of ants reveals nine global realms
The distribution of species around the globe is not a random process but an outcome resulting from several evolutionary mechanisms as well as past and current environmental limitations. As a result, since the mid-19th century, biologists have identif.....»»
Rare archaeological site reveals "surprising" Neanderthal behavior at Pyrenees foothills
An unchartered area in the foothills of the Southern Pyrenees in Spain is providing insights into a poorly known period of Neanderthal history, offering clues that could help archaeologists uncover the mystery of their downfall, according to research.....»»
Planetary health diet adoption would reduce emissions by 17%, environmental scientists suggest
A report by a multi-institutional team of environmental scientists suggests that if everyone in the world adopted the EAT-Lancet planetary health diet, global dietary greenhouse gas emissions would drop by 17%......»»
Newly discovered ability of comammox bacteria could help reduce nitrous oxide emissions in agriculture
An international research team led by the Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science (CeMESS) at the University of Vienna has discovered that comammox bacteria, first identified by them in 2015, can grow using guanidine, a nitrogen-ric.....»»
Scientists cook up a plan to save freshwater crocodiles from toxic cane toads
Scientists from Macquarie University working with Bunuba Indigenous rangers and the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) in Western Australia have trialed a new way to protect freshwater crocodiles from deadly invasive cane.....»»
The plight of the pig-nosed turtle, one of the unlucky 13 added to Australia"s threatened species list
Australia's unique biodiversity is under siege. The national list of species threatened with extinction is growing, with eight animals and five plants added just last month......»»
Environmental violence and enterprise: The outsized role of business for environmental peacebuilding
Toxic pollution is the single largest cause of death and poor health, killing up to 9 million people each year—about 100 times more than war and terrorism combined. Business produces the bulk of this deadly pollution, but can also play a critical r.....»»
New evidence from West Papua offers fresh clues about how and when humans first moved into the Pacific
In the deep human past, highly skilled seafarers made daring crossings from Asia to the Pacific Islands. It was a migration of global importance that shaped the distribution of our species—Homo sapiens—across the planet......»»
Expansion of agricultural land threatens climate and biodiversity, land-use model finds
By 2030, global cultivation areas are expected to expand by 3.6%, increasing global agricultural production by 2%. This projection comes from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and the Organization for Economic Cooperat.....»»
The biggest-ever sample of core material from Earth"s mantle could have valuable clues into the origins of life
If you were to slice through it, you would see the Earth is divided into distinct layers. On top is the relatively thin crust where we live. Beneath that is the 2,900 km thick mantle layer. Then, enclosed within the mantle is the innermost metallic c.....»»