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Categories: Environmental: Ecosystems, Environmental: Water
Published Adult coral can handle more heat and keep growing thanks to heat-evolved symbionts
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Adult fragments of a coral species can better tolerate bleaching and recover faster when treated with tougher heat-evolved symbionts, new research indicates. The study also found that treatment with the heat-evolved symbionts did not compromise the coral's ability to grow. This differs from previous studies on Great Barrier Reef corals which found that naturally heat tolerant symbionts could enhance heat resistance in adult corals, but at a cost to its growth.
Published Underground car parks heat up groundwater
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The heat given off by car engines warms up underground car parks in such a way that the heat passes through the ground into the groundwater. In Berlin alone, enough energy is transferred to the groundwater to supply 14,660 households with heat. According to the researchers, this warming could have long-term effects on groundwater quality. In their study, they also propose a solution. Using geothermal energy and heat pumps, the heat could be extracted from the ground and utilized.
Published Self-powered microbial fuel cell biosensor for monitoring organic freshwater pollution
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Biodegradable waste from plant and animal sources released into freshwater ecosystems is a significant environmental concern. Nonetheless, current methods for assessing water quality seem more or less impractical due to their complexity and high costs. In a promising development, a team of researchers has successfully constructed a self-sustaining and buoyant biosensor using inexpensive carbon-based materials for monitoring water quality at the inlets of freshwater lakes and rivers.
Published How a climate model can illustrate and explain ice-age climate variability
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source During the last ice age, the last glacial maximum about 20,000 years ago, the climate in the North Atlantic underwent much greater multi-centennial variability than it does in the present warm period. This is supported by evidence found in ice and seafloor cores. Researchers have now shown, based on a climate model, that internal mechanisms such as temperature and salinity distribution in the ocean are driving this multi-centennial variability.
Published Investigators examine shifts in coral microbiome under hypoxia
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study provides the first characterization of the coral microbiome under hypoxia, insufficient oxygen in the water.
Published Study links changes in global water cycle to higher temperatures
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study takes an important step toward reconstructing a global history of water over the past 2,000 years. Using geologic and biologic evidence preserved in natural archives -- including 759 different paleoclimate records from globally distributed corals, trees, ice, cave formations and sediments -- the researchers showed that the global water cycle has changed during periods of higher and lower temperatures in the recent past.
Published The ringed seals in Ilulissat Icefjord, Greenland are special
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Local hunters in the Icefjord near Ilulissat have long known about a special ringed seal -- the Kangia seal -- which is significantly larger and has a markedly different fur color and pattern than typical Arctic ringed seals. Now scientific studies have shown that the Kangia ringed seal has been isolated from other ringed seals for a long period of time -- more than 100,000 years.
Published Ocean warming is accelerating, and hotspots reveal which areas are absorbing the most heat
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study reveals increasing warming rates in the world's oceans in recent decades and the locations with the greatest heat uptake.
Published Dam removals, restoration project on Klamath River expected to help salmon, researchers conclude
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The world's largest dam removal and restoration project currently underway on the Klamath River in Oregon and California will aid salmon populations that have been devastated by disease and other factors. However, it will not fully alleviate challenges faced by the species, a team of researchers conclude.
Published Toward sustainable construction: Preparing liquefied stabilized soil from construction sludge
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Liquefied stabilized soil (LSS) is made with construction waste and used for filling and backfilling long, confined spaces where traditional compaction is difficult. Using LSS helps speed up construction processes while reducing costs, wastage, and environmental impact. Now, researchers have developed a superior, high-flowability LSS from construction sludge with better mechanical properties and fluidity than conventional LSS, which could make the construction industry more sustainable.
Published A mathematical model for studying methane hydrate distribution in the Nankai Trough
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Naturally occurring methane hydrate deposits are potential sources of energy. However, their observation in natural environments remains challenging. Researchers have now developed a one-dimensional mathematical flow model to indirectly observe the formation and accumulation of methane hydrates under different lithological and fluid conditions in the Nankai Trough of Japan. Numerical simulations using this model revealed important insights that could help in the extraction of methane hydrates and the prevention of geohazards in the future.
Published Efficient biohybrid batteries
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Formic acid, which can be produced electrochemically from carbon dioxide, is a promising energy carrier. A research team has now developed a fast-charging hybrid battery system that combines the electrochemical generation of formic acid as an energy carrier with a microbial fuel cell. This novel, fast-charging biohybrid battery system can be used to monitor the toxicity of drinking water, just one of many potential future applications.
Published Humans are disrupting natural 'salt cycle' on a global scale, new study shows
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new paper revealed that human activities are making Earth's air, soil and freshwater saltier, which could pose an 'existential threat' if current trends continue. Geologic and hydrologic processes bring salts to Earth's surface over time, but human activities such as mining and land development are rapidly accelerating this natural 'salt cycle.'
Published How common desert shrub efficiently harvests water from the air
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A team of scientists has revealed the mechanism a desert plant native to the United Arab Emirates uses to capture moisture from the desert air in order to survive.
Published Soy expansion in Brazil linked to increase in childhood leukemia deaths
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Brazil's rapid expansion of soy production has meant an associated rise in pesticide use. Researchers found a statistically significant correlation between soy expansion and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) deaths in children between 2008 and 2019, representing the first population-wide analysis of the association between indirect exposure to agricultural pesticides and cancer.
Published Amazon deforestation linked to long distance climate warming
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Deforestation in the Amazon causes land surfaces up to 100 kilometers away to get warmer, suggests a new study. The research suggests that tropical forests play a critical role in cooling the land surface -- and that effect can play out over considerable distances.
Published Amphibians have one more thing to worry about--mercury
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The first widescale assessment of methylmercury in adult amphibians in the U.S. to date shows that, in amphibians, this toxic compound is common, widespread and, at least for some, can reach very high levels.
Published Offset markets: New approach could help save tropical forests by restoring faith in carbon credits
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new approach to valuing the carbon storage potential of natural habitats aims to help restore faith in offset schemes, by enabling investors to directly compare carbon credit pricing across a wide range of projects.
Published Gaming strategy helps plan for and prevent attacks on infrastructure
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source As technology continues to advance, the likelihood of malevolent attacks and subsequent failures on society's critical infrastructures increases. Blackouts, water shortages, transport collapses -- these potential threats to cities not only come with a hefty price tag but are likely to cause chaos and affect the health and safety of communities. UBC Okanagan Postdoctoral Research Fellow Dr. Amin Ahmadi Digehsara, along with Assistant Professor Dr. Amir Ardestani-Jaafari, both with the Faculty of Management, recently published a study that will enhance the resilience of vital infrastructures against malevolent attacks.
Published Increasing risk of invasive species colonization on marine debris
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A groundbreaking scientific study conducted along the Southeast coast of India has unearthed a pressing environmental concern -- the increasing risk of invasive species colonization on marine debris. The research delves into the critical interplay between plastic pollution and the introduction of non-indigenous organisms into Indian waters.