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Categories: Environmental: Ecosystems, Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published Two fins are better than one: Fish synchronize tail fins to save energy
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source They say two heads are better than one. But in the world of fish, it appears two fins are better than one. Researchers have produced a theoretical model that demonstrates the underlying mechanisms behind how fish will synchronize their fin movements to ride each other's vortices, thereby saving energy.
Published Crust-forming algae are displacing corals in tropical waters worldwide
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Over the past few decades, algae have been slowly edging corals out of their native reefs across the globe by blocking sunlight, wearing the corals down physically, and producing harmful chemicals. But in recent years, a new type of algal threat has surfaced in tropical regions like the Caribbean -- one that spreads quickly and forms a crust on top of coral and sponges, suffocating the organisms underneath and preventing them from regrowing. Marine biologists report that peyssonnelioid alga crusts, or PACs, are expanding quickly across reefs worldwide, killing off corals and transforming entire ecosystems.
Published Large herbivores such as elephants, bison and moose contribute to tree diversity
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Using global satellite data, a research team has mapped the tree cover of the world's protected areas. The study shows that regions with abundant large herbivores in many settings have a more variable tree cover, which is expected to benefit biodiversity overall.
Published The kids aren't alright: Saplings reveal how changing climate may undermine forests
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers studied how young trees respond to a hotter, drier climate. Their findings can help shape forest management policy and our understanding of how landscapes will change.
Published Rats have an imagination, new research suggests
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have developed a novel system to probe a rat's thoughts, finding that animals can control their brain activity to imagine remote locations.
Published Chimpanzees use hilltops to conduct reconnaissance on rival groups, study finds
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Research on neighboring chimpanzee communities in the forests of West Africa suggests a warfare tactic not previously seen beyond humans is regularly used by our closest evolutionary relatives.
Published To restore ecosystems, think about thwarting hungry herbivores
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Re-establishing plantings of trees, grasses and other vegetation is essential for restoring degraded ecosystems, but a new survey of almost 2,600 restoration projects from nearly every type of ecosystem on Earth finds that most projects fail to recognize and control one of the new plants' chief threats: hungry critters that eat plants.
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 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 Researchers engineer colloidal quasicrystals using DNA-modified building blocks
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study unveils a novel methodology to engineer colloidal quasicrystals using DNA-modified building blocks. The implications of this breakthrough are far-reaching, offering a potential blueprint for the controlled synthesis of other complex structures previously considered beyond reach.
Published Giant dinosaur carcasses might have been important food sources for Jurassic predators
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Carnivorous dinosaurs might have evolved to take advantage of giant carcasses, according to a new study.
Published Where is a sea star's head? Maybe just about everywhere
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study that combines genetic and molecular techniques helps solve the riddle of sea star (commonly called starfish) body plans, and how sea stars start life with bilateral body symmetry -- just like humans -- but grow up to be adults with fivefold 'pentaradial' symmetry.
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 How sunflowers see the sun
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Sunflowers famously turn their faces to follow the sun as it crosses the sky. But how do sunflowers 'see' the sun to follow it? Plant biologists show that they use a different, novel mechanism from that previously thought.
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 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.