Out of danger because the UN said so? Hardly. The Barrier Reef is still in hot water
Today is a good day to be Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek. UNESCO, the United Nations body expected to vote on whether to list the Great Barrier Reef as "in danger," instead deferred the decision for another year. This, an insider told French ne.....»»
Worm study shows risks posed by antidepressants in water
Common drugs such as antidepressants enter the environment via sewage. In her PhD research, Toxicologist Merel van der Most has shown that this affects the behavior of nematodes. These drugs may also be harmful to many other aquatic creatures. Van de.....»»
Biochar doesn"t just store carbon—it stores water and boosts farmers" drought resilience
As the climate changes, large parts of southern Australia are projected to get drier. Extreme rains are also becoming more common......»»
India"s new mega-dam will roil lives downstream with wild swings in water flow every day
"Hey Rupam, open the door. Take this fish," a woman yelled from outside. I was sitting in the kitchen at my friend Rupam's house in rural northeast India. It was the heart of monsoon season, and rain had been falling since morning. The woman must hav.....»»
Bioengineers develop protein assembly road map for nature-derived nanobubbles
As far as water gear goes, floaties are not exactly high tech. But the tiny air-filled bubbles some microorganisms use as flotation devices when they compete for light on the water surface are a different story......»»
People eating beef are less likely to live near the industry"s pollution
Anyone who's researched ways to lower their environmental impact has likely heard they should eat less meat, particularly beef. Even at scale, cows are an inefficient way to feed people—it takes nearly four tons of water to recoup one ton of beef,.....»»
Researchers" video techniques reveal trout"s energy-saving secret
Mimicking animals is a proven strategy in robot design. Take, for example, Haibo Dong's seminal studies on how fins propel fish by churning the water in a vortex......»»
Research uncovers new strategy for salt-resistant poplar
Salt stress disrupts plant growth by impairing ion balance and reducing water uptake, posing a significant challenge to agriculture and forestry. Maintaining sodium (Na+) and potassium (K+) balance is particularly vital in woody plants like poplar, w.....»»
Wild and human-cared spotted dolphins harbor different gastrointestinal microbiomes, researchers find
A recent study published in Water Biology and Security highlighted the significant role of food source variations in shaping the gut microbiome of spotted dolphins, even when they inhabit similar environments......»»
High-sensitivity laser heterodyne radiometer developed for remote sensing of atmospheric water vapor, isotopes
A research team led by Prof. Gao Xiaoming from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences developed a near-infrared laser heterodyne radiometer (LHR), that could greatly improve water vapor measurements in the atmosph.....»»
Scientists develop multifunctional photocatalyst for wastewater treatment
Water contamination by pharmaceuticals and heavy metals poses severe environmental and health risks. Traditional methods like biodegradation and filtration often lack efficiency and sustainability. Photocatalysis, using solar energy to degrade pollut.....»»
How "collecting fog" could help solve global drinking water problems
UNSW experts say creating water from the air around us could be a significant tool in meeting the needs of millions of people around the world......»»
"It"s time to give up on normal": What winter"s weird weather in Australia means for the warm months ahead
Heavy winds struck south-east Australia over the weekend as a series of cold fronts moved across the continent. It followed a high fire danger in Sydney and other parts of New South Wales last week, and a fire in south-west Sydney that threatened hom.....»»
Wildfires Are Contaminating Water Supplies
Wildfires don’t just destroy forest—they can increase sediment in rivers and reservoirs, spark algae blooms, and pollute watercourses with dangerous chemicals, leaving water providers to grapple with long-term consequences......»»
Hillside erosion worsening in California due to wildfires and intense rain
Over the last three decades, California has seen increasing erosion after major wildfires—a phenomenon that not only endangers water resources and ecosystems, but is also likely to worsen with climate change, according to researchers......»»
Hunt for rare bird shows how Ecuador narco violence impedes research
Biologist Cesar Garzon was searching for a small, endangered parakeet in southern Ecuador when he was warned he may be kidnapped, highlighting the danger for scientists in the biodiverse country engulfed in narco violence......»»
Mini lab secures NASA ride to the moon
A miniaturized laboratory developed by The Open University (OU) with support from RAL Space will fly to the lunar South Polar region in the European Space Agency's (ESA) Prospect package in search of volatiles, including water ice, as part of NASA's.....»»
Tuberculosis under the sea: A marine sponge microbe provides insights into the bacterium"s evolution
The surprising discovery of a bacterium in a marine sponge from the Great Barrier Reef with striking similarity to Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the pathogen responsible for tuberculosis (TB), could unlock and inform future TB research and treatment st.....»»
AI peers into the deep: High-resolution 3D tracking of coral reef fish
A study by the Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) is employing new methods in coral reef research. Under the leadership of fish ecologist Dr. Julian Lilkendey, an international research team utilized innovative AI technologies to analy.....»»
Drowning tomatoes for science
I can barely hear Esther Ngumbi over the roar of greenhouse fans as she shows me around her rooftop laboratory in Morrill Hall. The benches are full of tomato plants, and the tomatoes don't look good. Half of the plants are submerged in bins of water.....»»
Nanoplastics put stress on trees and impair photosynthesis
It is well known that more and more plastic waste is ending up in soil and bodies of water. Researchers are particularly concerned about tiny micro- and nano-sized particles. It remains unclear how and to what extent they are able to enter living org.....»»