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Categories: Ecology: General, Ecology: Sea Life
Published Conservation of nature's strongholds needed to halt biodiversity loss
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source To achieve global biodiversity targets, conservationists and governments must prioritize the establishment and effective management of large, interconnected protected areas with high ecological integrity, researchers argue in a new essay.
Published Regional differences in bird diversity in agroforestry systems
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The diversity and ecological functionality of bird communities in tropical agroforestry systems are shaped by the surrounding landscape, in particular the extent and composition of the forest.
Published A rise in sea urchins and related damage to kelp forests impacts Oregon's gray whales and their food
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A recent boom in the purple sea urchin population off the southern Oregon Coast appears to have had an indirect and negative impact on the gray whales that usually forage in the region, a new study shows.
Published Digging up good news for microbial studies
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Findings indicate that soil stored under refrigerated or air-dried conditions can still retain the needed information for understanding microbial community composition and structure for many years.
Published After hundreds of years, study confirms Bermuda now home to cownose rays
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Using citizen science, photographs, on-water observations and the combination of morphological and genetic data, researchers have provided evidence that the Atlantic cownose ray has recently made a new home in Bermuda. Results show that after hundreds of years of natural history records, this is a novel migration of Atlantic cownose rays to Bermuda.
Published Zombie cells in the sea: Viruses keep the most common marine bacteria in check
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Marine microbes control the flux of matter and energy essential for life in the oceans. Among them, the bacterial group SAR11 accounts for about a third of all the bacteria found in surface ocean waters. A study now reveals that at times nearly 20% of SAR11 cells are infected by viruses, significantly reducing total cell numbers. The viruses can also transform these once thriving bacteria into zombies, a phenomenon observed for the first time and widespread in the oceans.
Published Deep-sea sponge's 'zero-energy' flow control could inspire new energy efficient designs
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The deep-sea Venus flower basket sponge can filter feed using only the faint ambient currents of the ocean depths, no pumping required, new research reveals. This discovery of natural 'zero energy' flow control could help engineers design more efficient chemical reactors, air purification systems, heat exchangers, hydraulic systems, and aerodynamic surfaces.
Published Otters, especially females, use tools to survive a changing world
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Sea otters are one of the few animals that use tools to access their food, and a new study has found that individual sea otters that use tools -- most of whom are female -- are able to eat larger prey and reduce tooth damage when their preferred prey becomes depleted.
Published Jet-propelled sea creatures could improve ocean robotics
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have discovered that colonies of gelatinous sea animals swim through the ocean in giant corkscrew shapes using coordinated jet propulsion, an unusual kind of locomotion that could inspire new designs for efficient underwater vehicles.
Published From roots to resilience: investigating the vital role of microbes in coastal plant health
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Understanding how salt marsh grass stays healthy is of crucial ecological importance, and studying the ways bacteria interact with these plants is key. Thanks to recent advances in genomic technology, biologists have begun to reveal never-before-seen ecological processes.
Published Access to gardens and citizen science helps encourage conservation among children, study shows
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Access to gardens and citizen science projects at school can help promote pro-conservation behaviour among pupils, a new study shows.
Published Killer whales breathe just once between dives, study confirms
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study has confirmed a long-held assumption: that orcas take just one breath between dives. The researchers used drone footage and biological data from tags suction-cupped to 11 northern and southern resident killer whales off the coast of B.C. to gather information on the animals' habits. Confirming orcas take only one breath between dives allowed the researchers to calculate how many litres of oxygen adults and juveniles consume per minute. This provides another piece of the puzzle in estimating orca energy expenditure, and eventually, how many fish the animals need to eat per day, key to their conservation.
Published Final dust settles slowly in the deep sea
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source 'Dust clouds' at the bottom of the deep sea, that will be created by deep-sea mining activities, descend at a short distance for the biggest part. Yet, a small portion of the stirred-up bottom material remains visible in the water at long distances.
Published Analyzing androgynous characteristics in an emperor penguin courtship call
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source In the emperor penguin courtship call, male vocalizations are composed of long, slow bursts with lower frequency tones than the female version. But calls of SeaWorld San Diego male penguin E-79 defied this binary. Also unusual was this penguin's male companion, E-81. The pair 'kept company' and sometimes exhibited ritual courtship displays. Researchers studied the courtship calls of E-79 and E-81, recording the birds in their below-freezing enclosure and refining the usual technique for analyzing the bursts.
Published Climate change is most prominent threat to pollinators
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new article has found that climate change is the most prominent threat to pollinators -- such as bumblebees, wasps, and butterflies -- who are essential for biodiversity conservation, crop yields and food security. The research suggests that many of the threats to pollinators result from human activities.
Published Penalties for dropping out of ecosystem services incentive programs should equal lost environmental benefits
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source PES programs are currently structured in ways that could limit their participation or create incentives to drop out before the full environmental benefits are realized.
Published Genetics provide key to fight crown-of-thorns starfish
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists are one step closer to combating coral-destroying crown-of-thorns starfish, following a study into the pest's genetics.
Published Most dangerous areas for whale shark-shipping vessel collisions revealed
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Heavily-used shipping lanes that pass through whale shark feeding grounds pose a threat to the species, according to scientists who have revealed areas where the creatures are at the highest risk.
Published Mosaic grassland landscapes are the most beneficial
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Grassland provides many services for humans, animals and nature, such as feed production, carbon storage and recreation. Researchers spent two years investigating permanent grassland, its utilization, soils and plant communities in order to quantify the resulting ecosystem services. Grassland performs best when different types of use such as meadows, pastures and unfertilized extensive grassland exist together in a mosaic landscape.
Published Young whale's journey highlights threats facing ocean animals
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A young whale's journey across the Mediterranean highlights the many threats facing ocean animals, researchers say.