Ecology: Extinction Environmental: Ecosystems Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

New report on Great Barrier Reef shows coral cover increases before onset of serious bleaching, cyclones      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Coral cover has increased in all three regions on the Great Barrier Reef and is at regional highs in two of the three regions, according to a new report. But the results come with a note of caution.

Biology: General Biology: Zoology Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Nature Environmental: Biodiversity Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography
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The race to discover biodiversity: 11 new marine species and a new platform for rapid species description      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new paper describes a ground-breaking experiment that united 25 independent taxonomists from 10 countries. The initiative boasts the discovery of 11 new marine species from all over the globe, occurring at depths from 5.2 to 7081 meters. It also represents a significant step forward in accelerating the pace at which new marine species are described and published.

Biology: General Ecology: Nature Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography Mathematics: Modeling
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A new way of thinking about the economy could help protect the Amazon, and help its people thrive      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

To protect the Amazon and support the wellbeing of its people, its economy needs to shift from environmentally harmful production to a model built around the diversity of indigenous and rural communities, and standing forests.

Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues
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Groundwater reserves in southwestern Europe more stable overall than previously thought      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Groundwater is a vital resource, sustaining plants and ecosystems, ensuring agricultural production and serving as a core component of drinking water supplies. However, climate change and anthropogenic pressures can threaten groundwater availability, especially in southwestern Europe. This threat was evaluated by a research team using multidecadal data from more than 12,000 groundwater wells in Portugal, Spain, France, and Italy. The surprising finding: Groundwater levels are not declining everywhere as widely believed, but primarily in semi-arid regions with intensive agriculture and frequent droughts. Declines are also observed in temperate regions associated with large urban areas. The authors conclude that, with suitable management practices, groundwater can be utilized sustainably.

Environmental: Ecosystems Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography Paleontology: Climate
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Antarctic-wide survey of plant life to aid conservation efforts      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The first continent-wide mapping study of plant life across Antarctica reveals growth in previously uncharted areas and is set to inform conservation measures across the region. The satellite survey of mosses, lichens and algae across the continent will form a baseline for monitoring how Antarctica's vegetation responds to climate change.

Environmental: Ecosystems Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Geology Geoscience: Oceanography Paleontology: Climate Paleontology: General
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Greenland fossil discovery reveals increased risk of sea-level catastrophe      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Seeds, twigs, and insect parts found under two miles of ice confirm Greenland's ice sheet melted in the recent past, the first direct evidence that the center -- not just the edges -- of the two-mile-deep ice melted away in the recent geological past. The new research indicates that the giant ice sheet is more fragile than scientists had realized until the last few years -- and reveals increased risk of sea-level catastrophe in a warmer future.

Biology: General Ecology: Invasive Species
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Catching a new (sea) star      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have discovered a new species of sea star (also known as starfish). The discovery came about thanks to collaborative work among researchers, fishers, and aquarium and museum staff. The starfish, which has been named Paragonaster hoeimaruae, belongs to the family Pseudarchasteridae. It is a distinctive red and beige color, with five arms and spans just over 10 centimeters.

Biology: Zoology Ecology: Nature Ecology: Trees Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
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New research sheds light on relationships between plants and insects in forest ecosystems      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have published new findings on how leaf-eating insects affect forest ecosystems worldwide. Researchers are aware of how large herbivores cycle nutrients in forests. They know much less, however, about how leaf-eating insects impact forest carbon and nutrient cycling.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Botany Biology: General Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: General Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography Geoscience: Severe Weather
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Combined effects of plastic pollution and seawater flooding amplify threats to coastal plant species      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study highlights how a combination of environmental stressors -- namely plastic pollution and seawater flooding -- can increase the threats faced by plants in some of the planet's critical ecosystems. It showed that both stressors had some effects on the species tested, but being exposed to both microplastics and flooding together -- a threat likely to increase as a result of climate change and plastic use -- had a more pronounced impact on their resource allocation.

Biology: Zoology Ecology: Endangered Species Environmental: Ecosystems Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography
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Climate change may lead to shifts in vital Pacific Arctic fisheries      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Commercially important marine fish and invertebrate species will likely shift northwards under a warmer climate, according to new research.

Biology: Biochemistry Ecology: Extinction Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Oceanography
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3D models provide unprecedented look at corals' response to bleaching events      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Marine biologists are providing a glimpse into coral 'bleaching' responses to stress, using imaging technology to pinpoint coral survival rates following multiple bleaching events off the island of Maui. Using a time series of coral reef 3D models from Maui, the researchers tracked the bleaching response of 1,832 coral colonies from 2014 to 2021. The seven-year data set provided detailed imagery of the reefs year-by-year, allowing the team to identify patterns of coral growth and survivorship through sequential bleaching events that occurred in 2015 and 2019.

Biology: General Biology: Zoology Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Nature
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Cash and conservation: A worldwide analysis of wildlife represented on money      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers investigate the representation of native fauna on 4,541 banknotes from 207 countries between 1980 and 2017, to identify geographic hotspots and taxonomic patterns, and determine whether threatened and endemic species were more readily represented.

Biology: General Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Nature Geoscience: Geography
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Monarch butterflies need help, and a little bit of milkweed goes a long way      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers and community scientists monitored urban milkweed plants for butterfly eggs to learn what makes these city gardens more hospitable to monarchs. They found that even tiny city gardens attracted monarchs and became a home to caterpillars.

Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography
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What's the weather like in the deep sea?      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study has revealed how even the deepest seafloors are affected by the daily back-and-forth of the tides, and the change of the seasons, and that currents at the bottom of the ocean are far more complicated than previously thought. These findings are helping us understand the deep-sea pathways of nutrients that support important deep-sea ecosystems, assess where microplastics and other pollutants accumulate in the ocean, and reconstruct past climate change.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Botany Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Microbiology Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Nature Ecology: Trees Environmental: Ecosystems
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Scientists discover entirely new wood type that could be highly efficient at carbon storage      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers undertaking an evolutionary survey of the microscopic structure of wood from some of the world's most iconic trees and shrubs have discovered an entirely new type of wood.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Biology: Zoology Chemistry: Biochemistry Ecology: Nature Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography
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North Sea oil and gas extraction spikes pollution by 10,000 percent, study finds      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

North Sea oil and gas extraction can cause pollution to spike by more than 10,000 percent within half a kilometer around off-shore sites, a study has found. The research has uncovered the true impact on Britain's seabed life -- with the number of species plummeting nearly 30 percent near platforms.

Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Local food production saves costs and carbon      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Emphasizing local food production over imported substitutes can lead to significant cost and carbon savings, according to data from the Inuvialuit Settlement Region in the Canadian Arctic. The research shows potential annual savings of more than 3.1 million Canadian dollars and roughly half the carbon emissions when locally harvested food is used instead of imported food. The study underscores the importance of climate change policies that take local food systems into account. Weakening of these local systems could lead to increased emissions and jeopardize the health and food security of remote communities.