Showing 20 articles starting at article 1301
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Categories: Biology: Zoology, Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published Killer whales' diet more important than location for pollutant exposure
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Both elegant and fierce, killer whales are some of the oceans' top predators, but even they can be exposed to environmental pollution. Now, in the largest study to date on North Atlantic killer whales, researchers report the levels of legacy and emerging pollutants in 162 individuals' blubber. The animals' diet, rather than location, greatly impacted contaminant levels and potential health risks -- information that's helpful to conservation efforts.
Published Not lazy at all: Honey bee drones
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Sometimes it is worthwhile to look at the details, to study aspects that seem to be uninteresting or were previously ignored, and see noteworthy phenomena come to light. Researchers showed that male honey bees (drones), long considered lazy, are (at times) the most active members of the colony.
Published Study clearly identifies nutrients as a driver of the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Under normal conditions, the floating macroalgae Sargassum spp. provide habitat for hundreds of types of organisms. However, the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt (GASB) that emerged in 2011 has since then caused unprecedented inundations of this brown seaweed on Caribbean coastlines, with harmful effects on ecosystems while posing challenges to regional economies and tourism, and concerns for respiratory and other human health issues.
Published Epiphytes, amazing plants like moss and bromeliads found in trees, face growing threats
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Epiphytes, plants such as orchids and mosses that grow in trees, draw nutrients from the air and create refuge for all sorts of other life forms. They are the foundation of forest canopy ecosystems, but they are facing threats from human and natural disturbances.
Published Death is only the beginning: Birds disperse eaten insects' eggs
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Relationship patterns among flightless stick insects suggest that birds disperse the eggs after eating gravid females. Lab experiments previously suggested the possibility, but a new genetic analysis of natural populations in Japan now supports the idea.
Published Titanium oxide material can remove toxic dyes from wastewater
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Discharged in large quantities by textile, cosmetic, ink, paper and other manufacturers, dyes carry high-toxicity and can bring potential carcinogens to wastewater. It’s a major concern for wastewater treatment — but researchers may have found a solution, using a tiny nanofilament.
Published Paleoclimatologists use ancient sediment to explore future climate in Africa
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source With global warming apparently here to stay, a team of paleoclimatologists are studying an ancient source to determine future rainfall and drought patterns: fossilized plants that lived on Earth millions of years ago.
Published Modular dam design could accelerate the adoption of renewable energy
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have developed a new modular steel buttress dam system designed to resolve energy storage issues hindering the integration of renewable resources into the energy mix. The new modular steel buttress dam system facilitates the rapid construction of paired reservoir systems for grid-scale energy storage and generation using closed-loop pumped storage hydropower, cutting dam construction costs by one-third and reducing construction schedules by half.
Published The changing climate creates more noise in the oceans
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Due to the changing climate, the underwater world is getting ever noisier.
Published Discovery of invisible nutrient discharge on Great Barrier Reef raises concerns
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists using natural tracers off Queensland’s coast have discovered the source of previously unquantified nitrogen and phosphorus having a profound environmental impact on the Great Barrier Reef. Groundwater discharge accounted for approximately one-third of new nitrogen and two-thirds of phosphorus inputs, indicating that nearly twice the amount of nitrogen enters the Reef from groundwater compared to river waters.
Published Researchers identify largest ever solar storm in ancient 14,300-year-old tree rings
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An international team of scientists have discovered a huge spike in radiocarbon levels 14,300 years ago by analyzing ancient tree-rings found in the French Alps. The radiocarbon spike was caused by a massive solar storm, the biggest ever identified. A similar solar storm today would be catastrophic for modern technological society – potentially wiping out telecommunications and satellite systems, causing massive electricity grid blackouts, and costing us billions. The academics are warning of the importance of understanding such storms to protect our global communications and energy infrastructure for the future.
Published Tropical ecosystems more reliant on emerging aquatic insects, study finds, potentially putting them at greater risk
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have found that tropical forest ecosystems are more reliant on aquatic insects than temperate forest ecosystems, making them more vulnerable to disruptions to the links between land and water. This is a significant finding, as tropical forests play a vital role in global biodiversity and climate regulation. The study's authors warn that any disruption to the land-water connections in these ecosystems could have serious consequences for their health and resilience.
Published Newly-discovered 'margarita snails' from the Florida Keys are bright lemon-yellow
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A newly-discovered, bright yellow snail has been discovered in the Florida Keys and named in honor of Jimmy Buffet's song 'Margaritaville.' The lemon-colored marine snail, along with its lime-green cousin from Belize, is the subject of a recent study ; researchers think these snails' bright colors might help deter predators.
Published Space weather disrupts nocturnal bird migration, study finds
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source It's well-known that birds and other animals rely on Earth's magnetic field for long-distance navigation during seasonal migrations. But how do periodic disruptions of the planet's magnetic field, caused by solar flares and other energetic outbursts, affect the reliability of those biological navigation systems?
Published Consistent metabolism may prove costly for insects in saltier water
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Increased salinity usually spells trouble for freshwater insects like mayflies. A new study finds that the lack of metabolic responses to salinity may explain why some freshwater insects often struggle in higher salinity, while other freshwater invertebrates (like mollusks and crustaceans) thrive.
Published Climate change brings earlier arrival of intense hurricanes
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research has revealed that since the 1980s, Category 4 and 5 hurricanes (maximum wind speed greater than 131 miles per hour) have been arriving three to four days earlier with each passing decade of climate change.
Published Discovery made about Fischer Tropsch process could help improve fuel production
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A fundamental discovery about the Fischer Tropsch process, a catalytic reaction used in industry to convert coal, natural gas or biomass to liquid fuels, could someday allow for more efficient fuel production. Researchers discovered previously unknown self-sustained oscillations in the Fischer Tropsch process. They found that unlike many catalytic reactions which have one steady state, this reaction periodically moves back and forth from a high to a low activity state. The discovery means that these well-controlled oscillatory states might be used in the future to control the reaction rate and the yields of desired products.
Published Plants could worsen air pollution on a warming planet
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research shows that plants such as oak and poplar trees will emit more of a compound called isoprene as global temperatures climb. Isoprene from plants represents the highest flux of hydrocarbons to the atmosphere after methane. Although isoprene isn’t inherently bad — it actually helps plants better tolerate insect pests and high temperatures — it can worsen air pollution by reacting with nitrogen oxides from automobiles and coal-fired power plants. The new publication can help us better understand, predict and potentially mitigate the effects of increased isoprene emission as the planet warms.
Published Researchers propose radical change in how animal facial expressions are defined and studied
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have developed a new method to analyze facial expressions, as part of efforts to better understand animal communication.
Published Shining a light on tiny, solar-powered animals
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Acoels have been found to host a wide diversity of symbiotic, photosynthetic microalgae.