Showing 20 articles starting at article 741
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Categories: Chemistry: Thermodynamics, Geoscience: Geography
Published Marine bacteria take a bite at plastic pollution
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A bacterium found in the sea can degrade a plastic that otherwise resists microbial breakdown in marine environments.
Published More sustainable agriculture by global redistribution of nitrogen fertilizer
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The growing global population needs sufficient food. Its production causes overfertilization and increased nitrogen concentration in agriculture, which negatively affects the population, climate, and ecosystems. According to new models, however, today's crop production might be maintained with a far smaller global fertilizer consumption, if nitrogen fertilizer would be used more homogeneously across global croplands.
Published Rising seas will tighten vise on Miami even for people who are not flooded, says study
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study that examines both the physical and socioeconomic effects of sea-level rise on Florida's Miami-Dade County area finds that in coming decades, four out of five residents may face disruption or displacement, whether they live in flood zones or not. As inundation spreads, the effects will be felt predominantly by lower-income people as habitable areas shrink and housing prices rise, says the study. Only a small number of affluent residents will be able relocate from low-lying or waterfront properties, while many others without sufficient means may be trapped there, it says.
Published Climate change coping mechanism discovered in humble algae
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source One of the building blocks of ocean life can adapt to cope with the effects of climate change, according to new research. The discovery holds promises for biotechnology developments that could counter the negative effects of changing environmental conditions, such as ocean warming and even the reduction in the productivity of crops.
Published Management zone maps of little use to corn growers
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A multiyear analysis tested whether management zone maps based on soil conditions, topography or other landscape features can reliably predict which parts of a cornfield will respond best to higher rates of seeding or nitrogen application. The study found that -- contrary to common assumptions -- crop-plot responses to the same inputs vary significantly from year to year. The most unpredictable factor -- the weather -- seemed to have the biggest impact on how the crops responded to these inputs.
Published Second report on the status of global water resources published
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists recently presented a report on the status of global water resources. According to this report, large parts of the world experienced drier conditions in 2022 than those recorded on average for the equivalent periods over the last 30 years.
Published What phytoplankton physiology has to do with global climate
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Phytoplankton, tiny photosynthetic organisms in the ocean, play a crucial role in the global carbon cycle and influence Earth's climate. A new study reveals how variations in the physiology of phytoplankton, particularly regarding nutrient uptake, can impact the chemical composition of the ocean and even the atmosphere. This suggests that changes in marine phytoplankton physiology can affect global climate.
Published How weather phenomena affect ocean circulation
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study has investigated how future changes in weather patterns could affect the tropical Pacific Ocean and its ecosystems. The research, based on complex computer models, has shown that these changes will have far-reaching consequences for ocean circulation. The authors stress the need to take this more into account in future climate models.
Published Over 40 percent of Antarctica's ice shelves reduced in volume over 25 years
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source 71 of the 162 ice shelves that surround Antarctica have reduced in volume over 25 years from 1997 to 2021, with a net release of 7.5 trillion tons of meltwater into the oceans, say scientists. They found that almost all the ice shelves on the western side of Antarctica experienced ice loss. In contrast, most of the ice shelves on the eastern side stayed the same or increased in volume. Over the 25 years, the scientists calculated almost 67 trillion tonnes of ice was exported to the ocean, which was offset by 59 trillion tons of ice being added to the ice shelves, giving a net loss of 7.5 trillion tons.
Published Gray whales experience major population swings as a result of Arctic conditions
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Dynamic and changing Arctic Ocean conditions have likely caused three major mortality events in the eastern North Pacific gray whale population since the 1980s.
Published Coffee and cocoa plants at risk from pollinator loss
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Tropical crops such as coffee, cocoa, watermelon and mango may be at risk due to the loss of insect pollinators, finds a new study.
Published Large swings in past ocean oxygen revealed
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source As the climate warms, there is major concern that Earth's ocean will lose oxygen. A study has revealed that locked in ancient deep-sea sediments is evidence for oxygen loss in the world's ocean during past glacial periods, indicating that widespread oxygen loss with current climate change may not be permanent.
Published Close connectivity within the North Atlantic Current system identified
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have compared long-term data on the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation from two different latitudes and discovered a statistical correlation. Their aim was to investigate how the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation has developed over a period of 25 years, based on moored observation stations. These data will help to refine climate models in the future.
Published Killer whales' diet more important than location for pollutant exposure
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Both elegant and fierce, killer whales are some of the oceans' top predators, but even they can be exposed to environmental pollution. Now, in the largest study to date on North Atlantic killer whales, researchers report the levels of legacy and emerging pollutants in 162 individuals' blubber. The animals' diet, rather than location, greatly impacted contaminant levels and potential health risks -- information that's helpful to conservation efforts.
Published Remains of artificial turf is an important source of pollution of the aquatic environment
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Every year, around 1,200 and 1,400 artificial turf sports fields are installed in the European Union. These fields are made up of synthetic fibers, mainly plastics, that mimic the appearance of natural grass. Recently, scientists conducted a study that characterizes and quantifies the presence of artificial turf fibers in samples collected from surface waters of the Catalan coast and the Guadalquivir River. The findings indicate that artificial turfs can be an important source of pollution in the aquatic environment, accounting for up to 15% of the plastics larger than 5 mm in length that are found floating in the aquatic environment.
Published Study clearly identifies nutrients as a driver of the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Under normal conditions, the floating macroalgae Sargassum spp. provide habitat for hundreds of types of organisms. However, the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt (GASB) that emerged in 2011 has since then caused unprecedented inundations of this brown seaweed on Caribbean coastlines, with harmful effects on ecosystems while posing challenges to regional economies and tourism, and concerns for respiratory and other human health issues.
Published Evolutionary secrets of 'Old Tom' and the killer whales of Eden revealed by genetic study
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Evolutionary biologists have for the first time decoded the genetic lineage of a famous killer whale and a pod that once worked alongside whale hunters off the coast of Australia. In the Australian tradition of claiming New Zealand's celebrities as its own, Old Tom, the leader of a pod of killer whales that famously helped whalers hunt baleen whales in the 20th century, has ancestral links to modern-day killer whales in New Zealand, according to new DNA research. Old Tom also shared a common ancestor with killer whales from Australasia, the North Pacific, and North Atlantic Oceans, but is most similar to modern New Zealand killer whales. However, most of Tom's DNA code is not found in other killer whales globally suggesting that the killer whales of Eden may have become extinct locally.
Published Experiencing record-breaking heat days affects perception of weather trends
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Research finds that experiencing days in which the temperature exceeds previous highs for that time of year affects people’s perception of weather trends.
Published Paleoclimatologists use ancient sediment to explore future climate in Africa
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source With global warming apparently here to stay, a team of paleoclimatologists are studying an ancient source to determine future rainfall and drought patterns: fossilized plants that lived on Earth millions of years ago.
Published The changing climate creates more noise in the oceans
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Due to the changing climate, the underwater world is getting ever noisier.