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Categories: Engineering: Robotics Research, Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published Ecologists discover rare fiddler crab species on Hong Kong coast highlighting the impact of climate change and coastal development
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have made an exciting discovery on the Hong Kong coast. They have identified two fiddler crab species: Tubuca dussumieri, previously recorded in old literature but never confirmed in recent times, and Tubuca. coarctata, which has never been seen in Hong Kong. These findings not only confirm the presence of these insular species in Hong Kong but also explore the potential impact of climate change on their distribution.
Published Agriculture: Less productive yet more stable pastures
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Climate change will have a considerable influence on the biodiversity and productivity of meadows and pastures. However, according to the results of the large-scale climate and land use experiment the extent of these changes depends on the land use. Grassland optimized for high yield responds much more sensitively to periods of drought than less intensively used meadows and pastures.
Published Genome study informs restoration of American chestnut tree
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers use genomes to help restore the American chestnut population and adjust species breeding to the changing climate.
Published Waste Styrofoam can now be converted into polymers for electronics
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study describes a chemical reaction that can convert Styrofoam into a high-value conducting polymer known as PEDOT:PSS. Researchers also noted that the upgraded plastic waste can be successfully incorporated into functional electronic devices, including silicon-based hybrid solar cells and organic electrochemical transistors.
Published Chemists design novel method for generating sustainable fuel
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Chemists have been working to synthesize high-value materials from waste molecules for years.
Published New humidity-driven membrane to remove carbon dioxide from the air
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new ambient-energy-driven membrane that pumps carbon dioxide out of the air has been developed by researchers.
Published Converting wastewater to fertilizer with fungal treatment
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Creating fertilizers from organic waste can help reduce the consumption of fossil fuels and promote sustainable production. One way of doing this is through hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL), which converts biomass into biocrude oil through a high-temperature, high-pressure process. Two studies explore the use of a fungal treatment to convert the leftover wastewater into fertilizer for agricultural crops.
Published How pollution may remain in water after oil spill cleanups
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The way oil drops break up at the water's surface means some oil may not get cleaned up after a spill.
Published Rural belts around cities can reduce urban summer temperatures by up to 0.5°C
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The key to cooling 'urban heat islands' may lie in the countryside, according to a new study.
Published Study shows new efficiency standards for heavy trucks could boost energy use
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study suggests that the U.S. government's push to increase heavy-duty trucks' energy efficiency could encourage more shipping by truck instead of rail, reducing the policies' anticipated effectiveness by 20%.
Published Minerals play newly discovered role in Earth's phosphorus cycle
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Plants and microbes are known to secrete enzymes to transform organic phosphorus into bioavailable inorganic phosphorus. Now, researchers found that iron oxide in soil performs the same transformation. Discovery is important for food security, which requires phosphorus as a crop fertilizer.
Published Groundcherry gets genetic upgrades: Turning a garden curiosity into an agricultural powerhouse
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Imagine a small fruit that tastes like a cross between a tomato and a pineapple, wrapped in its own natural paper lantern. That's the groundcherry (Physalis grisea) -- a little-known relative of tomatoes that's been quietly growing in gardens and small farms across North America for centuries. Now, this humble fruit is getting a 21st-century upgrade thanks to some cutting-edge genetic research.
Published Microbes found to destroy certain 'forever chemicals'
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An environmental engineering team has discovered that specific bacterial species can cleave the strong fluorine-to-carbon bond certain kinds of 'forever chemical' water pollutants, offering promise for low-cost treatments of contaminated drinking water.
Published Sea ice's cooling power is waning faster than its area of extent
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source As sea ice disappears and grows less reflective, the Arctic has lost around a quarter of its cooling power since 1980, and the world has lost up to 15%, according to new research.
Published Ant insights lead to robot navigation breakthrough
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Have you ever wondered how insects are able to go so far beyond their home and still find their way? The answer to this question is not only relevant to biology but also to making the AI for tiny, autonomous robots. Drone-researchers felt inspired by biological findings on how ants visually recognize their environment and combine it with counting their steps in order to get safely back home. They have used these insights to create an insect-inspired autonomous navigation strategy for tiny, lightweight robots. It allows such robots to come back home after long trajectories, while requiring extremely little computation and memory (0.65 kiloByte per 100 m). In the future, tiny autonomous robots could find a wide range of uses, from monitoring stock in warehouses to finding gas leaks in industrial sites.
Published Diatom surprise could rewrite the global carbon cycle
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source When it comes to diatoms that live in the ocean, new research suggests that photosynthesis is not the only strategy for accumulating carbon. Instead, these single-celled plankton are also building biomass by feeding directly on organic carbon in wide swaths of the ocean. These new findings could lead to reduced estimates regarding how much carbon dioxide diatoms pull out of the air via photosynthesis, which in turn, could alter our understanding of the global carbon cycle, which is especially relevant given the changing climate.
Published Research tracks 66 million years of mammalian diversity
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research has examined the fossil record going back 66 million years and tracked changes to mammalian ecosystems and species diversity on the North American continent.
Published Children living in greener neighborhoods show better lung function
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A large study of 35,000 children from eight countries has found a 'robust' link between exposure to green spaces in early childhood and better lung function. The study used data from 10 European birth cohorts from 8 countries to conduct a meta-analysis. This assessment of the data was done at the individual level for each participant.
Published Researchers predict fewer, pricier strawberries as temperatures warm
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Strawberries could be fewer and more expensive because of higher temperatures caused by climate change, according to new research.
Published Smart soil can water and feed itself
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A newly engineered type of soil can capture water out of thin air to keep plants hydrated and manage controlled release of fertilizer for a constant supply of nutrients.