The ocean in a cup: Environmental DNA successfully captures marine biodiversity
Measuring marine biodiversity with "environmental DNA"—an application of gene sequencing to environmental biology—should permit rapid assessment of changes in marine life. That makes environmental DNA (eDNA) a critical tool for managing our respo.....»»
NASA pilots use specialty suits to validate data
Welcome to NASA's Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem Postlaunch Airborne eXperiment (PACE-PAX). We've been talking about this validation campaign and now are finally here. "Here" being one of three main locations where PACE-PAX validation effo.....»»
Drone footage provides new insight into gray whales" acrobatic feeding behavior
Drone footage captured by researchers in Oregon State University's Marine Mammal Institute is offering new insight into the acrobatics undertaken by gray whales foraging in the waters off the coast of Oregon......»»
Ultra-high speed camera for molecules: Attosecond spectroscopy captures electron transfer dynamics
In nature, photosynthesis powers plants and bacteria; within solar panels, photovoltaics transform light into electric energy. These processes are driven by electronic motion and imply charge transfer at the molecular level. The redistribution of ele.....»»
Medicinal tree successfully grown from 1,000-year-old seed found in cave
An international team of botanists, agriculturists and historians has successfully grown a mature tree from an ancient seed found in a cave in Israel. In their paper, published in the journal Communications Biology, the group describes where the seed.....»»
New evolutionary model revises the origins of biodiversity
An international team of scientists has made a discovery that could reshape our understanding of how global biodiversity evolved. By reconstructing the evolution of species over the past 45 million years, researchers found that the geographic origins.....»»
Nanostructures in the deep ocean floor hint at life"s origin
Researchers led by Ryuhei Nakamura at the RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science (CSRS) in Japan and The Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI) of Tokyo Institute of Technology have discovered inorganic nanostructures surrounding deep-ocean hydro.....»»
"Invisible forest" of phytoplankton thrives as ocean warms, study shows
An "invisible forest" of phytoplankton is thriving in part of our warming ocean, new research shows......»»
Tropical and subtropical industrial fisheries account for about 70% of methylmercury fished from the ocean: Study
Industrial fishing practices are increasing human exposure to methylmercury, a neurotoxicant associated with developmental delays in children and impaired cardiovascular health in adults......»»
Researchers explore environmental impacts of genetically modified crops
Genetically modified (GM) crops are widely used around the world, but their effects on the environment need to be better understood......»»
Quantum sensing approach captures nanoscale electrochemical evolution in battery
Battery performance is heavily influenced by the non-uniformity and failure of individual electrode particles. Understanding the reaction mechanisms and failure modes at nanoscale level is key to advancing battery technologies and extending their lif.....»»
New Zealand scientists discover ghostly "spookfish"
Scientists in New Zealand said Tuesday they have discovered a new species of "ghost shark", a type of fish that prowls the Pacific Ocean floor hunting prey more than a mile down......»»
Environmental groups urge EU "high risk" label for Sarawak
Environmental and rights groups urged the European Union Tuesday to label Malaysia's Sarawak region "high risk" under controversial new anti-deforestation rules to be implemented from the end of December......»»
Shoreline access, lack of parking found to be obstacles to shared usage of coastal resources in Rhode Island
There are obstacles when it comes to sharing marine space, infrastructure, and resources in Rhode Island, a recent study found. With the usage of the state's coastal and offshore waters increasing, University of Rhode Island professor of marine affai.....»»
Businesses trying to come clean about their impact on nature can end up concealing more than they reveal
Humans have overfished the ocean, cleared forests, polluted water and created a climate crisis by burning fossil fuels. These actions are affecting biodiversity around the world, from remote islands to our own backyards......»»
Our digital 3D models of huge coral reefs could help revive these precious ecosystems
As a team of marine biologists, assessing the health of thousands of square meters of coral reef can be a daunting prospect. Often, we have to monitor some of the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet, and there's a strict time limit due to the sa.....»»
Climate change is a pollution problem, and countries have stopped similar threats before—think DDT and acid rain
Climate change can seem like an insurmountable challenge. However, if you look closely at its causes, you'll realize that history is filled with similar health and environmental threats that humanity has overcome......»»
Extreme polar light environment of the North and South Poles sustains biodiversity, researchers suggest
Researchers working in Finland propose that the unique light environment of the Earth's polar regions creates conditions that result in circumpolar hybrid zones around the North and the South Poles. These extreme conditions increase the synchrony of.....»»
Deeper corals may help shallow reefs recover in the Florida keys
Since the 1970s, coral reefs in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS) have experienced catastrophic declines in coral cover, with as much as a 50% reduction between 1998 and 2011 alone. Although coral reefs within the FKNMS have been hea.....»»
Data from robots show steady increase in deep-ocean warming
New research published Sept. 19 in Geophysical Research Letters shows that using data collected by deep ocean robots, called Deep Argo floats, combined with historical data from research vessels has increased confidence that parts of the global deep.....»»
From pollution to power: Merging wastewater treatment and energy generation with capacitive MFC innovations
Imagine standing on the edge of a new frontier, where waste—something we often view as a problem—becomes the solution. We live in a world that needs innovation, where environmental challenges demand a sustainable approach, and where we need techn.....»»