Geoscience: Earthquakes Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology
Published

Hebrew prayer book fills gap in Italian earthquake history      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The chance discovery of a note written in a 15th century Hebrew prayer book fills an important gap in the historical Italian earthquake record, offering a brief glimpse of a previously unknown earthquake affecting the Marche region in the central Apennines.  

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Biology: Marine Biology: Zoology Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Nature Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography
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Shifting nesting timing not enough to prevent fewer sea turtle hatchlings      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New research shows that potential adaptive responses by sea turtles, such as shifting the timing of when they nest, may not be enough to counteract the projected impacts from climate change on hatchling production.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Botany Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Genetics Ecology: Endangered Species Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
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.

Biology: General Biology: Marine Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Nature Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography
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.

Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography Paleontology: Climate
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Meltwater flowing beneath Antarctic glaciers may be accelerating their retreat      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new Antarctic ice sheet modeling study suggests that meltwater flowing out to sea from beneath Antarctic glaciers is making them lose ice faster.   

Environmental: Water Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Geology Geoscience: Oceanography Geoscience: Volcanoes Paleontology: Climate
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Mystery of volcanic tsunami solved after 373 years      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The explosion of the underwater volcano Kolumbo in the Aegean Sea in 1650 triggered a destructive tsunami that was described by historical eye witnesses. A group of researchers has now surveyed Kolumbo's underwater crater with modern imaging technology and reconstructed the historical events. They found that the eyewitness accounts of the natural disaster can only be described by a combination of a landslide followed by an explosive eruption.

Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Roosters might recognize themselves in the mirror      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scrape, cluck, lay eggs -- that's it? Anyone involved in chicken farming knows that the animals are capable of much more. Researchers have found evidence that roosters could recognize themselves in a mirror. Whether this is successful, however, depends on the experimental conditions -- a finding that points beyond the experiment with roosters and could also be of importance for other animal species.

Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Oceanography
Published

Marine protected areas and climate change      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New research offers a way to build climate resilience into the designs of ocean and coastal areas intended to protect marine species. The researchers recommend establishing numerous marine protected areas across political borders, starting with the Southern California Bight.

Biology: General Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals Ecology: Extinction Ecology: General Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Offbeat: Plants and Animals Paleontology: Climate
Published

Raining cats and dogs: Global precipitation patterns a driver for animal diversity      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A team has identified several factors to help answer a fundamental ecological question: why is there a ridiculous abundance of species some places on earth and a scarcity in others? What factors, exactly, drive animal diversity? They discovered that what an animal eats (and how that interacts with climate) shapes Earth's diversity.

Biology: Marine Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: Water Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography Paleontology: Climate
Published

Light, freshwater sticks to Greenland's east coast      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Meltwater that runs along the east coast of Greenland, hardly enters the open ocean before reaching the western side of the island.  In the changing climate, fresh water from Greenland and the Arctic could disrupt the circulation in the Atlantic Ocean.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Botany Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Molecular Ecology: Endangered Species Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Geochemistry Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Plants transformed into detectors of dangerous chemicals      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

What if your house plant could tell you your water isn't safe? Scientists are closer to realizing this vision, having successfully engineered a plant to turn beet red in the presence of a banned, toxic pesticide. 

Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography
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Increased West Antarctic Ice Sheet melting 'unavoidable'      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The West Antarctic Ice Sheet will continue to increase its rate of melting over the rest of the century, no matter how much we reduce fossil fuel use, according to new research. A substantial acceleration in ice melting likely cannot now be avoided, which implies that Antarctica's contribution to sea level rise could increase rapidly over the coming decades.

Biology: Marine Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: General Geoscience: Oceanography
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Soft, living materials made with algae glow under stress      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have developed soft yet durable materials that glow in response to mechanical stress, such as compression, stretching or twisting. The materials derive their luminescence from single-celled algae known as dinoflagellates, which are embedded within the materials. The work was inspired by the bioluminescent waves caused by dinoflagellates during red tide events at San Diego's beaches.

Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography
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El Niño's chang­ing pat­terns: Human influ­ence on nat­u­ral vari­abil­ity      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Two recent scientific studies provide new insights into Earth's climate dynamics, with a particular focus on the El Niño phenomenon. The results show how El Niño responds to natural factors over extended periods, while highlighting the increasing role of human activities in shaping this climatic phenomenon in the modern era.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Marine Ecology: Extinction Ecology: General Ecology: Research Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography Geoscience: Severe Weather
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Scientists discover deepest known evidence of coral reef bleaching      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists have discovered the deepest known evidence of coral reef bleaching, more than 90 metres below the surface of the Indian Ocean. Identified during a research cruise, the damage to the deeper reefs in the Central Indian Ocean has been attributed to significant changes in the region's ocean temperature caused by the Indian Ocean Dipole. The researchers have also warned such incidences are only likely to increase as a result of present and future climate change.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Marine Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography
Published

Ocean circulation, ice melt and increasing tourism could all be contributing to Arctic microplastics      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists measured microplastic concentrations in the highly productive Barents Sea and suggest that ocean circulation, ice melt, tourism, inadequate waste management, shipping and fishing are all likely contributors.