Environmental: Ecosystems
Published

Plastic pollution on coral reefs increases with depth and mostly comes from fishing activities      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers reveal the extent of plastic pollution on coral reefs, finding that debris increases with depth, largely stems from fishing activities, and is correlated with proximity to marine protected areas.

Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Trees Environmental: Ecosystems Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Forest can adapt to climate change, but not quickly enough      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

America's forests have a tough time in store for them. Climate change is increasing temperatures and decreasing moisture levels across the country, not a winning combination for trees.

Computer Science: Encryption
Published

Solving rare disease mysteries ... and protecting privacy      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers have demonstrated a new way of linking personal records and protecting privacy. The first application is in identifying cases of rare genetic disorders. There are many other potential applications across society.

Ecology: Endangered Species Environmental: Ecosystems
Published

Conservation in Indonesia is at risk, a team of researchers who study the region argues      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Indonesia, home to the largest tropical rainforest in Southeast Asia and over 17,500 islands, is a country packed with biodiversity and endangered species. However, scientists studying the region's species and ecosystems are getting banned from Indonesia, and conservation plans are being blocked. A team of conservation researchers with long-term experience in Indonesia discuss scientific suppression and other research challenges they have witnessed while working in the region. They offer suggestions for how to promote nature conservation, protect data transparency, and share research with the public in this and other regions of the world.

Environmental: Ecosystems Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Arctic dust found to be a major source of particles that form ice crystals in Arctic low-level clouds      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists in Japan have used a global climate model to show that dust from land without snow cover in the Arctic is a major source of particles that form ice crystals in Arctic low-level clouds. This finding could help improve predictions of Arctic warming, which is suggested to be much faster than in other parts of the world.

Ecology: Endangered Species Environmental: Ecosystems
Published

Queensland native forestry can help achieve global environment goals      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Research has revealed that Queensland native forestry, including timber harvesting, could actually help conserve biodiversity and mitigate climate risks.

Environmental: Ecosystems Geoscience: Environmental Issues Paleontology: Climate
Published

Shrinking Arctic glaciers are unearthing a new source of methane      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

As the Arctic warms, shrinking glaciers are exposing bubbling groundwater springs which could provide an underestimated source of the potent greenhouse gas methane, finds new research.

Environmental: Ecosystems Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Tracking ships' icy paths amidst climate change      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Understanding when and where ships are entering areas of Arctic sea ice can help elucidate the potential impacts of vessel traffic in the region.

Computer Science: Encryption
Published

Stressed for a bit? Then don't click it, cybersecurity experts advise      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Workers feeling a specific form of stress are more likely than others to become the victims of a phishing attack, according to a new study.

Environmental: Ecosystems
Published

Hedging strategy for coral restoration balances diversity, ecosystem benefits      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

An international team of researchers developed an innovative new strategy for choosing a set of key coral species that will best maintain ecosystem functions critical for reef health. Their hedging approach provides a simple framework for aiding restoration practitioners in selecting target species for their projects, depending on spatial scale and resources.

Environmental: Ecosystems
Published

Expanding large-scale agriculture is escalating flooding in the largest South American breadbasket      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Driven by soaring international demand, extensive areas of grasslands, and forests across South American plains have rapidly been converted to the production of annual crops, such as soybean and maize. This agricultural expansion has been taking place at a staggering rate of 2.1 million hectares a year. A new study shows how these shifts to annual crop agriculture, which relies on rainfall rather than irrigation, is also rapidly disrupting the water table across the large flat regions of the Pampas and Chaco plains and contributing to significantly increased risks of surface flooding.

Ecology: Trees Environmental: Ecosystems
Published

A seed survival story: How trees keep 'friends' close and 'enemies' guessing      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study that included millions of tree-year observations worldwide for the first time documents and analyzes the intricate balance between seed defense and dispersal by forest trees at a global scale.

Computer Science: Encryption Mathematics: General Mathematics: Modeling
Published

Evaluating cybersecurity methods      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers created a generic framework that enables an engineer or scientist to evaluate the effectiveness of defense schemes that seek to limit a hacker's ability to learn secret information by observing the behavior of a victim computer program.

Computer Science: Encryption Physics: Acoustics and Ultrasound
Published

How secure are voice authentication systems really?      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Computer scientists have discovered a method of attack that can successfully bypass voice authentication security systems with up to a 99% success rate after only six tries.

Biology: Marine Ecology: General Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography
Published

New research finds that more than 90% of global aquaculture faces substantial risk from environmental change      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Many of the world's largest aquatic food producers are highly vulnerable to human-induced environmental change, with some of the highest-risk countries in Asia, Latin America and Africa demonstrating the lowest capacity for adaptation, a landmark study has shown.

Biology: Biochemistry Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Worse than diesel and gasoline? Bioenergy as bad as fossils if there is no pricing of CO2 emissions from land-use change, experts argue      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Demand for modern biofuels is expected to grow substantially in order to mitigate climate emissions. However, they are far from being a climate neutral alternative to gasoline and diesel. A new study shows that under current land-use regulations, CO2 emission factors for biofuels might even exceed those for fossil diesel combustion due to large-scale land clearing related to growing biomass. Before bioenergy can effectively contribute to achieving carbon neutrality, international agreements need to ensure the effective protection of forests and other natural lands by introducing carbon pricing, the expert team argues.

Biology: Marine Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Gray whales off Oregon Coast consume millions of microparticles per day      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers estimate that gray whales feeding off the Oregon Coast consume up to 21 million microparticles per day, a finding informed in part by feces from the whales.

Biology: General Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals Ecology: General Ecology: Research Environmental: Ecosystems
Published

Research questions value of sagebrush control in conserving sage grouse      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Sagebrush reduction strategies, including mowing and herbicide application, are often employed to enhance habitat for the greater sage grouse and other sagebrush-dependent species.

Biology: Biochemistry Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Investing in nature improves equity, boosts economy      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study shows that current trends in environmental degradation will lead to large economic losses in the coming decades, hitting the poorest countries hardest. But there is hope: investing in nature can turn those losses into gains.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Marine Biology: Microbiology Ecology: Extinction Ecology: General Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Geography
Published

How coral reefs can survive climate change      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Similar to the expeditions of a hundred or two hundred years ago, the Tara Pacific expedition lasted over two years. The goal: to research the conditions for life and survival of corals. The ship crossed the entire Pacific Ocean, assembling the largest genetic inventory conducted in any marine system to date. The team's 70 scientists from eight countries took around 58,000 samples from the hundred coral reefs studied.