These freeze-drying algae can awaken from cryostasis, and could help spaceflights go farther
Antarctica's McMurdo Dry Valleys contain some of Earth's coldest and driest deserts. The environment there is so extreme that the Dry Valleys have been used as Mars analogs to test prototype equipment for future Mars exploration......»»
Minnows blamed for algae-filled French, Spanish lakes
Perched 1,800 meters (about 6,000 feet) near France's border with Spain lies the emerald Areau lake—whose color experts blame on minnows used by anglers as live bait......»»
Algae provide clues about 600 million years of plant evolution
Earth's surface is covered by plants. They make up the majority of biomass on land and exhibit a wide range of diversity, from mosses to trees. This astounding biodiversity came into existence due to a fateful evolutionary event that happened just on.....»»
Does hot water freeze faster than cold water? Examining the Mpemba effect
Does hot water freeze faster than cold water? Aristotle may have been the first to tackle this question that later became known as the Mpemba effect......»»
Chytrid fungi revealed to be parasitic species that infects snow algae
The microbial communities found in glacier and snowpack ecosystems are an essential part of cold weather environments. Chytrids, a group of fungi that include well-known frog pathogens, are often found in abundance in these ecosystems, but culturing.....»»
Glitter impairs growth of organisms with key roles in aquatic ecosystems, study shows
A study conducted by researchers affiliated with the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil has concluded that particles of glitter can hinder the growth of organisms at the base of aquatic ecosystems, such as cyanobacteria (blue-green algae), whic.....»»
Ultrasound can briefly induce a hibernation-like state in animals
Science fiction has long described sophisticated technology that can temporarily put humans into a suspended state, permitting characters to awaken far into the future, often after extended journeys through space. In reality, the basis for suspended.....»»
Water managers warn that stretches of the Rio Grande will dry up without more rain
The ongoing lack of rain and hot conditions have left one of North America's longest rivers in dire shape again, prompting water managers on Thursday to warn farmers in central New Mexico who depend on the Rio Grande that supplies will be drying up i.....»»
Researchers develop novel technique for sniffing out toxic algae blooms
Researchers at Oregon State University have developed a new way to monitor the danger associated with algae blooms: "sniffing" the water for gases associated with toxins......»»
Scientists theorize a hidden phase transition between liquid and a solid
Anything made out of plastic or glass is known as an amorphous material. Unlike many materials that freeze into crystalline solids, the atoms and molecules in amorphous materials never stack together to form crystals when cooled. In fact, although we.....»»
Exposing the hidden genetic diversity of an ecologically harmful microbe
A microscopic species of algae is causing toxic algal blooms around the world, affecting two dozen states in the U.S., especially Texas. New research into the genetic diversity of the responsible organism, Prymnesium parvum, could help authorities pr.....»»
The Weird Way That Human Waste Is Killing Corals
Wastewater fuels blooms of reef-smothering algae. Better engineering and an army of funny-looking fish can come to the rescue......»»
How algae conquered the world—and other epic stories hidden in the rocks of the Flinders Ranges
Earth was not always so hospitable. Evidence of how it came to be so beautiful and nurturing is locked in the rocks of South Australia's Flinders Ranges—a site now vying for World Heritage listing......»»
Current estimates of Lake Erie algae toxicity may miss the mark
There is more to a harmful algal bloom than the green stuff in water that meets the eye—specifically, a changing hazard level of toxins produced by the microbes that make up the scummy mess......»»
Q&A: Toxic algae, warming waters imperil marine life on U.S. coasts
The images are heart-rending: hundreds of dolphins and sea lions washing up along the shores of Southern California, sick and dying from toxic algae poisoning. Photographed earlier this summer, they are the latest reminders that the climate crisis is.....»»
Dead fish carpet beaches at Pacific coast town in north Mexico as experts blame toxic algae bloom
A town on northern Mexico's Pacific coast saw its beaches carpeted with dead fish after what experts describe as a toxic algae bloom......»»
Water-purifying cup makes drinkable water from creeks and streams
A rash of storms in Texas in recent years—from Hurricane Harvey in 2017 to the deep freeze in 2021—has put big chunks of the population in danger and left millions without electricity or water for long periods......»»
Eight Colorado lakes suspected of toxic algae blooms: Why it is becoming worse
Colorado's lakes serve as a needed respite during sweltering summer days, but as climate warms, the state's lakes are becoming more susceptible to toxic blooms of algae......»»
A floating sponge could help remove harmful algal blooms
In the peak heat of summer, beachgoers don't want their plans thwarted by harmful algal blooms (HABs). But current methods to remove or kill toxin-producing algae and cyanobacteria aren't efficient or practical for direct applications in waterways......»»
The Mystery of the Colorado River’s Missing Water
Snow is falling—but it doesn’t show up to replenish the river. In a drying West, researchers are racing to find out where it goes......»»
Red algae proteins grafted into tobacco double plant growth
A Cornell researcher and her colleagues have solved one key piece of the molecular puzzle needed to dramatically improve plant productivity and increase carbon sequestration: They have successfully transferred key regions of a highly efficient red al.....»»