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Categories: Environmental: Ecosystems, Physics: Optics
Published Satellites for quantum communications
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Through steady advances in the development of quantum computers and their ever-improving performance, it will be possible in the future to crack our current encryption processes. To address this challenge, researchers are developing encryption methods that will apply physical laws to prevent the interception of messages. To safeguard communications over long distances, the QUICK space mission will deploy satellites.
Published Sonic youth: Healthy reef sounds increase coral settlement
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Healthy coral reefs have rich soundscapes, full of the croaks, purrs, and grunts of various fishes and the crackling of snapping shrimp. Larval coral uses these sounds as cues to identify the best places to settle and grow. The authors found that sound could potentially be a vital tool in the effort to restore coral reefs. Broadcasting the sounds of a healthy reef to a reef that is degraded encourages coral larvae to settle there. This indicates that it's possible that 'acoustic enrichment' can be a key intervention to support imperiled reefs.
Published New high-performance solar cell material
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study reports the discovery of an entirely new stable, earth-abundant, high-performance material for solar absorbers -- the central part of a solar cell that turns light into electricity. While identifying new solar materials is typically very time-consuming, the researchers used a unique high-throughput computational screening method to quickly evaluate around 40,000 candidate materials.
Published Summer solstice triggers synchronized beech tree reproduction across Europe
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study has found that the summer solstice acts as a 'starting gun' to synchronize beech tree reproduction across vast distances in Europe, affecting ecosystem functions.
Published Giant sequoias are a rapidly growing feature of the UK landscape
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Imported giant sequoia trees are well adapted to the UK, growing at rates close to their native ranges and capturing large amounts of carbon during their long lives, finds a new study.
Published Exploring arctic plants and lichens: An important conservation baseline for Nunavut's newest and largest territorial park
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A comprehensive study of the floristic diversity of Agguttinni Territorial Park, Nunavut's newest and largest Territorial Park, has documented 141 vascular plant, 69 bryophyte, and 93 lichen species from this unique protected area on northern Baffin Island. Through a combination of extensive fieldwork in 2021 and examination of hundreds of existing herbarium specimens, the authors have documented species newly reported for Baffin Island and have crafted a biodiversity baseline important for park management and conservation.
Published Have metalenses expanded their reach into the ultraviolet region?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A team achieves successful mass production of metalenses designed for application in the ultraviolet region.
Published History repeats as Coral Bay faces mass loss of coral and fish life
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A perfect storm of environmental factors has seen a monumental loss of fish and coral life at a popular area of Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia's Gascoyne region -- however research into the event shows there is hope it will recover. In March 2022, during the annual coral spawning event, calm weather and limited tidal movement combined to trap the coral's eggs within Bills Bay, at the town of Coral Bay. This led to an excess of nutrients in the water which consumed more oxygen than usual -- causing massive numbers of fish and corals to die from asphyxiation.
Published A coral superhighway in the Indian Ocean
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Despite being scattered across more than a million square kilometers, new research has revealed that remote coral reefs across the Seychelles are closely related. Using genetic analyses and oceanographic modelling, researchers demonstrated for the first time that a network of ocean currents scatter significant numbers of larvae between these distant islands, acting as a 'coral superhighway.'
Published Rainforest's next generation of trees threatened 30 years after logging
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Rainforest seedlings are more likely to survive in natural forests than in places where logging has happened -- even if tree restoration projects have taken place, new research shows.
Published New traffic signal would improve travel time for both pedestrians and vehicles
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Adding a fourth light to traffic signals -- in addition to red, green and yellow -- would shorten wait times at street corners for pedestrians, as well as improve traffic flow for both autonomous vehicles and human drivers. And the more autonomous vehicles there are in the traffic network, the shorter the wait times for everyone.
Published Powerful new tool ushers in new era of quantum materials research
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Research in quantum materials is paving the way for groundbreaking discoveries and is poised to drive technological advancements that will redefine the landscapes of industries like mining, energy, transportation, and medtech. A technique called time- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (TR-ARPES) has emerged as a powerful tool, allowing researchers to explore the equilibrium and dynamical properties of quantum materials via light-matter interaction.
Published Would the highly sensitive transparent ultrasound transducer revolutionize biomedical imaging technology?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A team develops an ultrasensitive broadband transparent ultrasound transducer.
Published Flexible artificial intelligence optoelectronic sensors towards health monitoring
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Artificial intelligence (AI) is known for its high energy consumption, especially in data-intensive tasks like health monitoring. To address this, researchers have developed a flexible paper-based sensor composed of nanocellulose and zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles that operates like the human eyes and brain. The sensor is energy-efficient, responds to optical input in real-time, and is both flexible and easy to dispose of, making it ideal for health monitoring applications.
Published Study explores impacts of Arctic warming on daily weather patterns in the U.S.
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Arctic sea ice is shrinking as the world continues to warm, and a new study may provide a better understanding of how the loss of this ice may impact daily weather in the middle latitudes, like the United States.
Published Wearable tech captures real-time hemodynamics on the go
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have developed a photoacoustic imaging watch for high-resolution imaging of blood vessels in the skin. The wearable device could offer a non-invasive way to monitor hemodynamic indicators such as heart rate, blood pressure and oxygen saturation that can indicate how well a person's heart is working.
Published Combined microscopy technique catches light-driven polymers in the act
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have used tip-scan high-speed atomic force microscopy combined with an optical microscope to observe light-induced deformation of azo-polymer films. The process could be followed in real time, and the film patterns were found to change with the polarization of the light source. The observations will contribute to the use of azo-polymers in applications such as optical data storage, and the approach is expected to be useful across materials science and physical chemistry.
Published Tiny wireless light bulbs for biomedical applications
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The combination of OLEDs and acoustic antennas creates a light source that could be used for minimally invasive treatment methods.
Published Good news for coral reef restoration efforts: Study finds 'full recovery' of reef growth within four years
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source While the majority of the world's reefs are now under threat or even damaged potentially beyond repair, a new study offers some encouraging news: efforts to restore coral reefs not only increase coral cover, but they can also bring back important ecosystem functions, and surprisingly fast.
Published New technique may help scientists stave off coral reef collapse
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Producing coral skeleton components in the easy-to-use soft-bodied sea anemone Nematostella creates a perfect lab system for studying, and eventually helping, corals threatened by a changing climate.