Environmental: Ecosystems Geoscience: Landslides
Published

Mangrove and reef restoration yield positive returns on investment for flood protection, study shows      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Restoration of mangroves and coral reefs can be a cost-effective solution for coastal flood reduction in more than 20 countries across the Caribbean. Researchers used methods from the risk and insurance industry to provide rigorous valuations of these natural defenses and show that they can deliver a positive return on investment, with the benefits from reduced flood damage exceeding the costs of restoration. The results point toward new opportunities to support restoration efforts with funds from sources that support hazard mitigation, climate adaptation, and disaster recovery, including FEMA.

Environmental: Ecosystems
Published

Are new corals in Sydney dangerous invaders or harmless refugees?      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A new study has found that invading subtropical corals will survive and thrive in coastal Sydney, which could spell trouble for existing Sydney coral species.

Environmental: Ecosystems
Published

Newly documented population of polar bears in Southeast Greenland sheds light on the species' future in a warming Arctic      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A new population of polar bears documented on the southeast coast of Greenland use glacier ice to survive despite limited access to sea ice. This small, genetically distinct group of polar bears could be important to the future of the species in a warming world.

Environmental: Ecosystems
Published

Off-season cattle grazing to help control fire danger from invasive cheatgrass      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Cheatgrass, an invasive annual grass that has invaded Nevada rangelands, is responsible for much of the increasing wildfire danger in the Intermountain West. However, scientists have discovered that fire danger can be reduced through the application of targeted cattle grazing in the dormant growing season by attracting the cattle with stations containing protein feed supplements.

Environmental: Ecosystems
Published

Co-existing mangrove-coral habitats have a new global classification system      (via sciencedaily.com) 

By coexisting more closely with mangroves, tropical coral species may have found an alternative habitat where they can thrive in the face of climate change.

Environmental: Ecosystems
Published

Seagrass meadows are reliable fishing grounds for food      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A new study in Ocean and Coastal Management shows that seagrass fisheries provide a reliable safety-net for poor, since fishermen perceive those habitats to maintain large fish catches over time. Surprisingly, even more so than coral reef fisheries, which people normally associate with small-scale fishery.

Environmental: Ecosystems
Published

A warming climate decreases microbial diversity      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers conducted an eight-year experiment that found that climate warming played a predominant role in shaping microbial biodiversity, with significant negative effect.

Environmental: Ecosystems
Published

Pioneering study shows climate played crucial role in changing location of ancient coral reefs      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Prehistoric coral reefs dating back up to 250 million years extended much further away from the Earth's equator than today, new research has revealed.

Environmental: Ecosystems
Published

Ningaloo corals are ill-equipped to handle future climate change      (via sciencedaily.com) 

The relatively pristine coral populations of WA's inshore Kimberley region are better equipped to survive ocean warming than the World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Marine Park, according to a new study.

Environmental: Ecosystems Space: Exploration
Published

Studying grassland from space      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Extensively used grassland is host to a high degree of biodiversity, and performs an important climate protection function as a carbon sink and also serves for fodder and food production. However, these ecosystem services are jeopardized if productivity on these lands is maximized and their use therefore intensified. Researchers have now described how satellite data and machine learning methods enable to assess land-use intensity.

Environmental: Ecosystems
Published

One-third of Greenlanders are at genetic risk for high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A genetic variant that is present in nearly 30% of Greenlanders is linked to high cholesterol and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, according to a new study.

Computer Science: Encryption Engineering: Biometric
Published

Radio waves for the detection of hardware tampering      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Up to now, protecting hardware against manipulation has been a laborious business: expensive, and only possible on a small scale. And yet, two simple antennas might do the trick.

Environmental: Ecosystems
Published

'Ugly' reef fishes are most in need of conservation support      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

What's the relationship between people's perception of beauty and animals' conservation needs? According to a machine-learning study, the reef fishes that people find most beautiful tend to be the lowest priority for conservation support.

Environmental: Ecosystems
Published

Scientists find new indicators of Alaska permafrost thawing      (via sciencedaily.com) 

More areas of year-round unfrozen ground have begun dotting Interior and Northwest Alaska and will continue to increase in extent due to climate change, according to new research.

Environmental: Ecosystems
Published

Lessons from the past: How cold-water corals respond to global warming      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Corals react to changes in their environment. This is true for tropical as well as cold-water corals and includes, among others, changes in temperature, salinity and pH values. Researchers have now investigated how warmer temperatures occurring as a result of climate change are affecting cold-water corals. For this purpose, they examined in detail how these corals have reacted to environmental changes over the past 20,000 years.

Environmental: Ecosystems
Published

Beyond 'plant trees!': Research finds tree plantations encroaching on essential ecosystems      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Trees planted in the tropics as part of nations' reforestation commitments can have unintended consequences, sometimes degrading biodiversity hotspots, damaging ecosystems like grasslands, or encroaching on protected areas.

Environmental: Ecosystems
Published

At least 2,000 species of reptiles are threatened, study finds      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A new study has found that 21 percent of the reptile species on Earth (one in five species), amounting to a total of about 2,000 species, are threatened with extinction. Experts estimate that there are over 12,000 species of reptiles in the world.

Environmental: Ecosystems
Published

Siberian tundra could virtually disappear by mid-millennium      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Due to global warming, temperatures in the Arctic are climbing rapidly. As a result, the treeline for Siberian larch forests is steadily advancing to the north, gradually supplanting the broad expanses of tundra which are home to a unique mix of flora and fauna. Experts have now prepared a computer simulation of how these woods could spread in the future, at the tundra's expense.

Computer Science: Encryption
Published

Secure communication with light particles      (via sciencedaily.com) 

While quantum computers offer many novel possibilities, they also pose a threat to internet security since these supercomputers make common encryption methods vulnerable. Based on the so-called quantum key distribution, researchers have developed a new, tap-proof communication network.

Computer Science: Encryption
Published

Emulating impossible 'unipolar' laser pulses paves the way for processing quantum information      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A laser pulse that sidesteps the inherent symmetry of light waves could manipulate quantum information, potentially bringing us closer to room temperature quantum computing.