Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Botany Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Microbiology Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Nature Ecology: Trees Environmental: Ecosystems
Published

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.

Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Invasive Species
Published

Two shark species documented in Puget Sound for first time      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have made the first scientific confirmation in Puget Sound of two distinct shark species, one of them critically endangered.

Biology: Botany Biology: Zoology Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Nature Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography
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Climate is most important factor in where mammals choose to live, study finds      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Using data from 6,645 camera traps across the United States, researchers mapped populations of 25 mammal species. They determined that climate, not human activity, was the primary factor in mammals deciding where to live.

Biology: General Biology: Zoology Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction Ecology: General Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Geoscience: Geography
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New Zealand's flightless birds are retreating to moa refuges      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have found New Zealand's endangered flightless birds are seeking refuge in the locations where six species of moa last lived before going extinct.

Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography Geoscience: Severe Weather
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How Saharan dust regulates hurricane rainfall      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New research underscores the close relationship between dust plumes transported from the Sahara Desert in Africa, and rainfall from tropical cyclones along the U.S. Gulf Coast and Florida.

Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography
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Southern Ocean absorbing more carbon dioxide than previously thought, study finds      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New research has found that the Southern Ocean absorbs more carbon dioxide (CO2) than previously thought. Using direct measurements of CO2 exchange, or fluxes, between the air and sea, the scientists found the ocean around Antarctica absorbs 25% more CO2 than previous indirect estimates based on shipboard data have suggested.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Zoology Ecology: Endangered Species Environmental: Water Geoscience: Oceanography
Published

Researchers record images and data of a shark experiencing a boat strike      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have captured what they believe is the first ever video of a shark or any large marine animal being struck by a boat.

Ecology: Endangered Species Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Whale shark tracked for record-breaking four years      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have been tracking a 26-foot endangered whale shark -- named 'Rio Lady' -- with a satellite transmitter for more than four years -- a record for whale sharks and one of the longest tracking endeavors for any species of shark.

Ecology: Invasive Species
Published

Human-infecting parasite produces sterile soldiers like ants and termites      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New research finds a tiny freshwater parasite known to cause health problems in humans defends its colonies with a class of soldiers that cannot reproduce. The discovery vaults this species of parasitic flatworm into the ranks of complex animal societies such as ants, bees and termites, which also have distinct classes of workers and soldiers that have given up reproduction to serve their colony.

Biology: Botany Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Nature Ecology: Trees Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography
Published

Heat-sensitive trees move uphill seeking climate change respite      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Trees in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest are migrating in search of more favourable temperatures with species in mountain forests moving uphill to escape rising heat caused by climate change.

Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction Ecology: General Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science
Published

Tropical plant species are as threatened by climate change as widely feared, study confirms      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Biologists who set out to better understand the effects of climate change on plant species in tropical mountain regions found that even small variations in temperature and moisture can have massive impacts, threatening not only plants that live there, but also the ecosystems they support. A study based on labor-intensive fieldwork and analysis in tropical mountain regions shows that a warmer and drier climate will lead to massive losses of plant species.

Ecology: Nature Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography
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Ecologists discover rare fiddler crab species on Hong Kong coast highlighting the impact of climate change and coastal development      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have made an exciting discovery on the Hong Kong coast. They have identified two fiddler crab species: Tubuca dussumieri, previously recorded in old literature but never confirmed in recent times, and Tubuca. coarctata, which has never been seen in Hong Kong. These findings not only confirm the presence of these insular species in Hong Kong but also explore the potential impact of climate change on their distribution.

Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Geochemistry Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography
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Deep-ocean floor produces its own oxygen      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

An international team of researchers has discovered that metallic minerals on the deep-ocean floor produce oxygen -- 13,000 feet below the surface. Discovery challenges long-held assumptions that only photosynthetic organisms generate Earth's oxygen. Minerals at the abyssal seafloor appear to act like geobatteries to produce oxygen in a process that does not require sunlight.

Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography
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Sea ice's cooling power is waning faster than its area of extent      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

As sea ice disappears and grows less reflective, the Arctic has lost around a quarter of its cooling power since 1980, and the world has lost up to 15%, according to new research.

Biology: Botany Biology: Marine Biology: Microbiology Ecology: General Ecology: Research Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Ecosystems Geoscience: Geochemistry Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography
Published

Reef pest feasts on 'sea sawdust'      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have uncovered an under the sea phenomenon where coral-destroying crown-of-thorns starfish larvae have been feasting on blue-green algae bacteria known as 'sea sawdust'.

Biology: General Biology: Marine Biology: Microbiology Ecology: Nature Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography
Published

Diatom surprise could rewrite the global carbon cycle      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

When it comes to diatoms that live in the ocean, new research suggests that photosynthesis is not the only strategy for accumulating carbon. Instead, these single-celled plankton are also building biomass by feeding directly on organic carbon in wide swaths of the ocean. These new findings could lead to reduced estimates regarding how much carbon dioxide diatoms pull out of the air via photosynthesis, which in turn, could alter our understanding of the global carbon cycle, which is especially relevant given the changing climate.