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Categories: Biology: Zoology, Environmental: Ecosystems
Published Historic iceberg surges offer insights on modern climate change
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A great armada entered the North Atlantic, launched from the cold shores of North America. But rather than ships off to war, this force was a fleet of icebergs. And the havoc it wrought was to the ocean current itself. The future of the Atlantic circulation will be determined by a tug-o-war between Greenland's decreasing ice flux and its increasing freshwater runoff.
Published Novel virus identified in zebrafish from the pet trade causes disease in laboratory fish
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Zebrafish in the pet trade are asymptomatic carriers of previously undescribed microbes, including a novel virus that causes hemorrhaging in infected laboratory fish, researchers report.
Published High groundwater depletion risk in South Korea in 2080s
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Team utilizes advanced statistical techniques to project the future groundwater depletion risk.
Published Tracing the evolution of ferns' surprisingly sweet defense strategy
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Plants and the animals that eat them have evolved together in fascinating ways, creating a dynamic interplay of survival strategies. Many plants have developed physical and chemical defenses to fend off herbivores. A well-known strategy in flowering plants is to produce nectar to attract 'ant bodyguards.' Recent research explores the evolution of this same defense strategy in ferns.
Published Antibiotic pollution disrupts the gut microbiome and blocks memory in aquatic snails
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Antibiotics prevent snails from forming new memories by disrupting their gut microbiome -- the community of beneficial bacteria found in their guts.
Published Abandoned farmlands could play a role in fighting climate change: A new study shows exactly where they are
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The team used machine learning to map nearly 30 million acres of United States cropland abandoned since the 1980s, creating a tool that could guide decisions about how to balance production of energy and food.
Published Acute sense of touch helps hummingbirds hover near a flower without bumping into it
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Hummingbird flight mechanics have been well studied but far less is known about how their sense of touch helps them sip nectar from a flower without bumping into it. Most of what scientists know about how touch is processed in the brain comes from studies on mammals, but bird brains are very different from mammal brains. New research shows that touch and air pressure on the wings and legs activate specific clusters of neurons in two regions of the forebrain to create a map of their body, which may help hummingbirds make nuanced adjustments to flight.
Published Researchers improve satellite surveillance of emperor penguins
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New phenological and behavioral models will help scientists collect more accurate counts of emperor penguins. Emperor penguins are at the top of the food web. They are a reflection of how lower levels of the marine food web are being impacted by climate change. Systematic data collection on the biological component of ecosystems is still in its infancy, especially in harsh environments, in which consistent and repeatable research is particularly hard to achieve.
Published What makes some plant groups so successful?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers involved in cataloguing the world's plant species are hunting for answers as to what makes some groups of plants so successful. One of their major goals is to predict more accurately which lineages of flowering plants -- some of which are of huge importance to people and to ecosystems -- are at a greater risk from global climate change.
Published Aerosol pollution, greenhouse gases must be reduced simultaneously to keep forest fires in check
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source If we want cleaner air, fewer forest fires, and less severe climate change, a new study shows we must reduce aerosol pollution and greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide at the same time.
Published Slugs and snails love the city, unlike other animals
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Most native species avoid more urbanized areas of Los Angeles, but slugs and snails may actually prefer these environments, according to a new study.
Published Research to uncover the impact of water use in the Colorado River Basin
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Persistent overuse of water and long-term drought has depleted the Colorado River and highlighted the need for a comprehensive understanding of how waters are allocated and used to develop effective management strategies.
Published Bird flu: Diverse range of vaccines platforms 'crucial' for enhancing human pandemic preparedness
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Review of research to-date suggests vaccination remains the most effective strategy for avian influenza prevention and control in humans, despite varying vaccine efficacy across strains.
Published Marine Protected Areas don't line up with core habitats of rare migratory fish, finds new research
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source 62% of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) designated to protect rare migratory fish species are outside of their core habitats, according to a new modeling study.
Published The secret sex life of coral revealed
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Corals play an essential role in ocean ecosystems, and like many organisms, they are under threat from climate change and other human activities. To better protect coral, it's first necessary to understand them, in particular their reproductive life cycle, which only happens once a year. For the first time, researchers have produced a model for coral spawning, based on various environmental factors. They achieved this by tapping an often overlooked source of aquatic knowledge, an aquarium.
Published Bringing back an ancient bird
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Using ancient DNA extracted from the toe bone of a museum specimen, biologists have sequenced the genome of an extinct, flightless bird called the little bush moa, shedding light into an unknown corner of avian genetic history. The work is the first complete genetic map of the turkey-sized bird whose distant living cousins include the ostrich, emu, and kiwi.
Published Tracking animals without markers in the wild
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers developed a computer vision framework for posture estimation and identity tracking which they can use in indoor environments as well as in the wild. They have thus taken an important step towards markerless tracking of animals in the wild using computer vision and machine learning.
Published New research shows soil microorganisms could produce additional greenhouse gas emissions from thawing permafrost
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source As the planet has warmed, scientists have long been concerned about the potential for harmful greenhouse gasses to seep out of thawing Arctic permafrost. Recent estimates suggest that by 2100 the amount of carbon dioxide and methane released from these perpetually frozen lands could be on par with emissions from large industrial countries. However, new research led by a team of microbiome scientists suggests those estimates might be too low.
Published Global activity of seafloor biodiversity mapped
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A team of scientists has used artificial intelligence (AI) to map the activities of seafloor invertebrate animals, such as worms, clams and shrimps, across all the oceans of the world.
Published Secrets of sargassum: Scientists advance knowledge of seaweed causing chaos in the Caribbean and West Africa
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A research team tracked and studied floating sargassum in order to unlock its potential to be used to produce sustainable products.