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Categories: Biology: Developmental, Geoscience: Geography
Published Protein fragments ID two new 'extremophile' microbes--and may help find alien life



Perfectly adapted microorganisms live in extreme environments from deep-sea trenches to mountaintops. Learning more about how these extremophiles survive in hostile conditions could inform scientists about life on Earth and potential life on other planets.
Published Shark-bitten orcas in the Northeastern Pacific could be a new population of killer whale



Researchers believe a group of killer whales observed hunting marine mammals including sperm whales, as well as a sea turtle, in the open ocean off California and Oregon could be a new population. Based on available evidence, the researchers posit that the 49 orcas could belong to a subpopulation of transient killer whales or a unique oceanic population found in waters off the coast of California and Oregon.
Published Groundbreaking study reveals extensive leatherback turtle activity along U.S. coastline



A new study provides groundbreaking findings that offer insights on the migration and foraging patterns of leatherback sea turtles along the Northwest Atlantic shelf.
Published New study on mating behaviors offers clues into the evolution of attraction



In examining the mating rituals of roundworms, researchers uncovered a unique approach to reproduction that maximizes genetic fitness.
Published Researchers can reveal illegal timber exports



A new method of timber analysis can confidently identify the location in which the tree was harvested. The method has been developed with the aim of combating illegal timber imports from Russia and Belarus.
Published New discovery reveals how the egg controls sperm entry



After the egg has been fertilized by a sperm, the surrounding egg coat tightens, mechanically preventing the entry of additional sperm and the ensuing death of the embryo, a new study finds. The work also explains how mutations in egg coat proteins can cause female infertility and may eventually lead to new contraceptive methods.
Published Asian aerosols' impact on Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation



A new study identifies the role aerosols over Asia is having on the AMOC, a complex system of currents in the Atlantic Ocean.
Published The future is likely less skiable, thanks to climate change



Annual snow cover days in all major skiing regions are projected to decrease dramatically as a result of climate change, with 1 in 8 ski areas losing all natural snow cover this century under high emission scenarios, according to a new study.
Published With discovery of roundworms, Great Salt Lake's imperiled ecosystem gets more interesting



Biologists announce the discovery of numerous species of roundworm in the highly saline waters of Great Salt Lake, the vast terminal lake in northwestern Utah that supports millions of migratory birds. Previously, brine shrimp and brine flies were the only known multicellular animals living in the water column. The scientists found nematodes, belonging to a family known for inhabiting extreme environments, in the lake's microbialites, reef-like structures covering about a fifth of the lakebed.
Published Marine heat waves disrupt the ocean food web in the northeast Pacific Ocean



Marine heat waves in the northeast Pacific Ocean create ongoing and complex disruptions of the ocean food web that may benefit some species but threaten the future of many others, a new study has shown.
Published Researchers develop a new control method that optimizes autonomous ship navigation



Existing ship control systems using Model Predictive Control for Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) do not consider the various forces acting on ships in real sea conditions. Addressing this gap, researchers developed a novel time-optimal control method, that accounts for the real wave loads acting on a ship, enabling effective planning and control of MASS at sea.
Published High resolution imagery advances the ability to monitor decadal changes in emperor penguin populations



Emperor penguin populations have been exceedingly difficult to monitor because of their remote locations, and because individuals form breeding colonies on seasonal sea ice fastened to land (known as fast ice) during the dark and cold Antarctic winter. New research that incorporates very high-resolution satellite imagery with field-based validation surveys and long-term data has provided the first multi-year time series that documents emperor penguin global population trends.
Published Milk to the rescue for diabetics? Cow produces human insulin in milk



An unassuming brown bovine from the south of Brazil has made history as the first transgenic cow capable of producing human insulin in her milk. The advancement could herald a new era in insulin production, one day eliminating drug scarcity and high costs for people living with diabetes.
Published New study shows how AI can help us better understand global threats to wildlife



Researchers used AI to scour information from websites and social media to map bat hunting and trade. Research found evidence of bat exploitation in 22 countries that had not previously been identified by traditional academic research. Following concerns about the reliability of the IUCN Red List, new research demonstrates how AI's ability to filter vast amounts of online data can support wildlife conservation.
Published Grounding zone discovery explains accelerated melting under Greenland's glaciers



Researchers have conducted the first large-scale observation and modeling study of northwest Greenland's Petermann Glacier. Their findings reveal the intrusion of warm ocean water beneath the ice as the culprit in the accelerated melting it has experienced since the turn of the century, and their computer predictions indicate that potential sea level rise will be much worse than previously estimated.
Published AI analysis of historical satellite images show USSR collapse in 1990s increased methane emissions, despite lower oil and gas production



An AI-powered analysis of 25 years of satellite images yields the surprising finding that methane emissions in Turkmenistan, a former Soviet republic and major oil-producing region, actually increased in the years following the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
Published Exploring arctic plants and lichens: An important conservation baseline for Nunavut's newest and largest territorial park



A comprehensive study of the floristic diversity of Agguttinni Territorial Park, Nunavut's newest and largest Territorial Park, has documented 141 vascular plant, 69 bryophyte, and 93 lichen species from this unique protected area on northern Baffin Island. Through a combination of extensive fieldwork in 2021 and examination of hundreds of existing herbarium specimens, the authors have documented species newly reported for Baffin Island and have crafted a biodiversity baseline important for park management and conservation.
Published History repeats as Coral Bay faces mass loss of coral and fish life



A perfect storm of environmental factors has seen a monumental loss of fish and coral life at a popular area of Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia's Gascoyne region -- however research into the event shows there is hope it will recover. In March 2022, during the annual coral spawning event, calm weather and limited tidal movement combined to trap the coral's eggs within Bills Bay, at the town of Coral Bay. This led to an excess of nutrients in the water which consumed more oxygen than usual -- causing massive numbers of fish and corals to die from asphyxiation.
Published How a natural compound from sea squirts combats cancer



Trabectedin, a promising drug derived from the sea squirt Ecteinascidia turbinata, has shown potential in combating cancers resistant to conventional treatments. However, its precise mechanism of action has remained elusive -- until now.
Published Rice paddy snake diversification was driven by geological and environmental factors in Thailand, molecular data suggests



A new study of rice paddy snakes in Southeast Asia gives key details to their diversification and natural history, adding molecular evidence that the rise of the Khorat Plateau and subsequent environmental shifts in Thailand may have altered the course of the snakes' evolution some 2.5 million years ago.