Feature Channels: Environmental Science

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Released: 22-May-2023 12:45 PM EDT
Earlier snowpack melt in the West could bring summer water scarcity
University of Colorado Boulder

Snow is melting earlier, and more rain is falling instead of snow in the mountain ranges of the Western U.S. and Canada, leading to a leaner snowpack that could impact agriculture, wildfire risk and municipal water supplies come summer, according to a new study from the University of Colorado Boulder.

Released: 22-May-2023 12:45 PM EDT
Eruption of Tonga underwater volcano found to disrupt satellite signals halfway around the world
Nagoya University

An international team has used satellite- and ground-based ionospheric observations to demonstrate that an air pressure wave triggered by volcanic eruptions could produce an equatorial plasma bubble (EPB) in the ionosphere, severely disrupting satellite-based communications.

Released: 22-May-2023 12:20 PM EDT
Microorganisms' climate adaptation can slow down global warming
Lund University

A new study from Lund University in Sweden shows that the ability of microorganisms to adapt to climate warming will slow down global warming by storing carbon in soil.

Released: 22-May-2023 11:30 AM EDT
Identifying the bee’s knees of bumble bee diets
Ohio State University

A new study has identified the bee’s knees of bumble bee dietary options in Ohio and the Upper Midwest. Researchers found these bees don’t settle for the most abundant flowers in their foraging area – suggesting they have more discerning dietary preferences than one might expect.

Newswise: Puppeteer fungus’ targeted takeover of zombie flies
Released: 19-May-2023 6:05 PM EDT
Puppeteer fungus’ targeted takeover of zombie flies
Harvard University, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology

In a new study published in eLife, lead author Carolyn Elya, postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at Harvard, reveals the molecular and cellular underpinnings behind the parasitic fungus, Entomophthora muscae’s (E. muscae), ability to manipulate the behavior of fruit flies.

Released: 19-May-2023 11:05 AM EDT
How good is the data for tracking countries' agricultural greenhouse gas emissions?
The Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT)

Limited accuracy and transparency of national greenhouse gas emission inventories are curbing climate action, especially in the agriculture and land use sector.

Released: 19-May-2023 11:05 AM EDT
Pollinators are attracted to humidity, not just scent
Cornell University

Humidity is as important as scent in attracting pollinators to a plant, new Cornell-led research finds, advancing basic biology and opening new avenues to support agriculture.

Newswise: Out of the frying pan: Coyotes, bobcats move into human-inhabited areas to avoid apex predators — only to be killed by people
Released: 19-May-2023 11:05 AM EDT
Out of the frying pan: Coyotes, bobcats move into human-inhabited areas to avoid apex predators — only to be killed by people
University of Washington

In Washington state, the presence of two apex predators — wolves and cougars — drives two mesopredator species — bobcats and coyotes — into areas with higher levels of human activity, with deadly results for the mesopredators.

Released: 18-May-2023 6:45 PM EDT
Accelerated Christian Education textbooks used in UK schools deny human-caused climate change
University College London

One of the world’s largest fundamentalist Christian education groups is teaching its students climate change denial as fact, and still presents the theory of evolution as an ‘absurd and discredited’ conspiracy theory, finds a report by UCL researchers.

Released: 18-May-2023 6:25 PM EDT
Chlamydia-like bacteria discovered in Great Barrier Reef
University of Melbourne

New research, published in Sciences Advances, has discovered a Chlamydia-like bacteria in corals of the Great Barrier Reef that could help scientists understand the coral microbiome and its potential impact on coral reef health.

Newswise: Why Antarctic ice shelves are losing their mass and how it leads to global sea level rise
Released: 18-May-2023 5:55 PM EDT
Why Antarctic ice shelves are losing their mass and how it leads to global sea level rise
Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Research (OLAR)

The Greenland ice sheet (GIS) and Antarctic ice sheet (AIS) contribute largely to global mean sea level (GMSL) changes, though the seas surrounding the Antarctic like the Bellinghausen-Amundsen Seas and the Indian Ocean sector are seeing significantly more warming than the rest of the marginal seas, with immediate noticeable effects on the mass balance (net weight of the glacier mainly accounting for ice gained by snow and lost by melting and calving) of the AIS.

Released: 18-May-2023 3:20 PM EDT
MSU researchers uncover the hidden complexity of the Montmorency tart cherry genome
Michigan State University

Since Michigan is the nation's leading producer of tart cherries, Michigan State University researchers were searching for the genes associated with tart cherry trees that bloom later in the season to meet the needs of a changing climate. They started by comparing DNA sequences from late-blooming tart cherry trees to the sequenced genome of a related species, the peach. However, in a surprise to the researcher, the genetic discrepancies between the species outweighed the similarities. This led the team to create the first annotated Montmorency tart cherry genome and identify the DNA segments that code for each gene.

Newswise: FSU researchers analyze carbon sequestration in California Current Ecosystem
Released: 18-May-2023 2:20 PM EDT
FSU researchers analyze carbon sequestration in California Current Ecosystem
Florida State University

Florida State University researchers have analyzed the carbon exported from surface waters of the California Current Ecosystem — the first-ever study to quantify the total carbon sequestration for a region of the ocean.

Released: 18-May-2023 12:35 PM EDT
The importance of social media in corporate social responsibility
PeerJ

A new study by Dr. Lucie Kvasničková Stanislavská from Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague published in PeerJ Computer Science titled ‘Global analysis of Twitter communication in corporate social responsibility area: sustainability, climate change, and waste management’ has found that social media is an increasingly important tool for companies to communicate their corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts.

Newswise: Conservationists Propose “Global Conservation Basic Income” to Safeguard Biodiversity
Released: 18-May-2023 11:40 AM EDT
Conservationists Propose “Global Conservation Basic Income” to Safeguard Biodiversity
Wildlife Conservation Society

A team of conservationists led by the Wildlife Conservation Society say that providing a “Conservation Basic Income” (CBI) – of $5.50 per day to all residents of protected areas in low- and middle-income countries would cost less than annual subsidies given to fossil fuels.

Newswise: A new tool for deforestation detection
Released: 18-May-2023 11:25 AM EDT
A new tool for deforestation detection
Journal of Remote Sensing

Every second, the planet loses a stretch of forest equivalent to a football field due to logging, fires, insect infestation, disease, wind, drought, and other factors.

Newswise: New Use for A.I.: Correctly Estimating Fish Stocks
Released: 18-May-2023 8:05 AM EDT
New Use for A.I.: Correctly Estimating Fish Stocks
Wildlife Conservation Society

For the first time, a newly published artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm is allowing researchers to quickly and accurately estimate coastal fish stocks without ever entering the water.

Released: 18-May-2023 6:05 AM EDT
Butterfly beginnings
Washington University in St. Louis

Biologists from Washington University in St. Louis collaborated with a large number of butterfly and plant specialists to reconstruct the origin and global spread of butterflies. Working with researchers from dozens of countries, Michael Landis and Mariana P. Braga in Arts & Sciences helped create the world’s largest butterfly tree of life, assembled with DNA from more than 2,000 species representing all butterfly families.

Newswise: Adult friendships can triumph over childhood trauma, even in baboons
Released: 17-May-2023 5:40 PM EDT
Adult friendships can triumph over childhood trauma, even in baboons
Duke University

Decades of research show that experiencing traumatic things as a child -- such as having an alcoholic parent or growing up in a tumultuous home -- puts you at risk for poorer health and survival later in life.

   
Newswise: The predicted average annual net carbon sink of Gracilaria cultivation in China from 2021 to 2030 may double that of the last ten years
Released: 17-May-2023 3:25 PM EDT
The predicted average annual net carbon sink of Gracilaria cultivation in China from 2021 to 2030 may double that of the last ten years
Science China Press

A marine research team led by Professor YAN Qingyun has proposed a method to assess the net carbon sink of marine macroalgae (Gracilaria) cultivation. Then, they calculated the net carbon sink of Gracilaria cultivation in China based on the yield of annual cultivated Gracilaria in the last ten years.

Newswise: Hanging by a purple thread
15-May-2023 12:00 AM EDT
Hanging by a purple thread
Kyoto University

A movement is raising awareness of native gromwell plant's importance in preserving Japanese culture. For example, revival projects currently underway throughout Japan are investigating the seed's origins and educating the public on the importance of protecting the plant's homogeneity. Purple gromwell contains shikonin derivatives in the plant's root surfaces, which are red naphthoquinones. This natural pigment and medicinal properties are linked to ancient East Asian traditions.

Newswise: Dr. Robin Kimmerer Elected to U.S. National Academy of Sciences
Released: 17-May-2023 1:15 PM EDT
Dr. Robin Kimmerer Elected to U.S. National Academy of Sciences
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer has been elected to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences (NAS) during the Academy’s annual meeting May 2.

Newswise: Extremely hot days are warming twice as fast as average summer days in North-West Europe
Released: 17-May-2023 1:15 PM EDT
Extremely hot days are warming twice as fast as average summer days in North-West Europe
University of Oxford

New study analysed data on near-surface air temperatures recorded for North-West Europe over the past 60 years.

Newswise: Upstate 2.0 Wins $1 Million NSF Award to Transform Economy
Released: 17-May-2023 12:55 PM EDT
Upstate 2.0 Wins $1 Million NSF Award to Transform Economy
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry

The SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) is pleased to announce Upstate 2.0, a partnership between ESF and Cornell University that aims to bolster economic development in upstate New York, has received a $1 million development award from the National Science Foundation’s Regional Innovation Engines.

Newswise: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Sea Grant to Map Potential Path of Proposed Wastewater Release from Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station
Released: 17-May-2023 10:05 AM EDT
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Sea Grant to Map Potential Path of Proposed Wastewater Release from Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) Sea Grant has been recommended for rapid response funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Sea Grant Program to study the pathways of circulation in Cape Cod Bay. This study is designed to shed light on the possible fate of 1.1 million gallons of radioactive wastewater from the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station, which the plant’s owner, Holtec, has proposed to release into Cape Cod Bay.

Newswise: Emissions reductions of Chinese EVs
Released: 16-May-2023 7:35 PM EDT
Emissions reductions of Chinese EVs
PNAS Nexus

Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) drive larger emissions reductions over time, due to increased operating efficiency and a greener electricity mix, according to a study.

Released: 16-May-2023 3:20 PM EDT
New DOE portal connects researchers and students with climate science and training opportunities
Argonne National Laboratory

The National Virtual Climate Laboratory is a new web portal for those who have a stake in the climate crisis. Portal users will be able to find a wide range of national laboratory experts, programs, projects, activities and user facilities.

Released: 16-May-2023 12:05 PM EDT
New strategy identified to curb a fungal infection affecting more than 150 crops
University of Cordoba

Tomatoes, bananas, cabbages, melons, pumpkins and cucumbers… are just some of the 150 crops of commercial interest that are victims of Fusarium oxysporum, one of the most important pathogens in the world due to the millions of dollars in losses it is responsible for and its ability to attack different types of plants.

Newswise: About 13,000 years ago, the water outflow from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic Ocean was twice that of today’s
Released: 16-May-2023 11:55 AM EDT
About 13,000 years ago, the water outflow from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic Ocean was twice that of today’s
Universitat de Barcelona

About 13,000 years ago, a climate crisis caused a global drop in temperatures in the northern hemisphere. This episode of intense cold, known as the Younger Dryas, also caused severe aridity across the Mediterranean basin, which had a major impact on terrestrial and marine ecosystems.

Newswise: “Warm Ice Age” Changed Climate Cycles
Released: 16-May-2023 11:45 AM EDT
“Warm Ice Age” Changed Climate Cycles
Universität Heidelberg

Approximately 700,000 years ago, a “warm ice age” permanently changed the climate cycles on Earth. Contemporaneous with this exceptionally warm and moist period, the polar glaciers greatly expanded.

Released: 16-May-2023 10:20 AM EDT
Oleander Project Transfers to WHOI Management
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) is assuming management of the Oleander Project, a 30-year effort to monitor circulation in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean using data gathered from sensors mounted on or launched from a cargo ship that makes regular crossings of the Gulf Stream. Magdalena Andres, an associate scientist in WHOI’s Department of Physical Oceanography will head the effort, which began in 1992 under the leadership of H. Thomas Rossby at the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography (URI GSO) and Charles Flagg at Stony Brook University, New York.

Released: 15-May-2023 7:15 PM EDT
'Love hormone' guides young songbirds in choice of 'voice coach'
Emory University

Oxytocin, the so-called “love hormone,” plays a key role in the process of how a young zebra finch learns to sing by imitating its elders, suggests a new study by neuroscientists at Emory University. Scientific Reports published the findings, which add to the understanding of the neurochemistry of social learning.

   
Newswise: Tank-mixing herbicides may not be enough to avoid herbicide resistance
Released: 15-May-2023 6:20 PM EDT
Tank-mixing herbicides may not be enough to avoid herbicide resistance
College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Eight years ago, University of Illinois and USDA-ARS scientists turned weed control on its head. More and more herbicide resistant weeds were popping up, and the pest plants were getting harder to kill. It was clear farmers could no longer rely on the same chemicals year after year. Industry campaigns and herbicide applicators began touting the benefits of rotating herbicides annually to avoid developing resistance, and rotation quickly became common practice.

Newswise:Video Embedded commentary-in-science-europe-s-old-forests-at-risk
VIDEO
Released: 15-May-2023 2:20 PM EDT
Commentary in Science: Europe’s Old Forests at Risk
University of Vermont

Walking along a steep ridge, under large hemlock trees, ten miles outside of Burlington, Vermont—Bill Keeton is worrying about Europe’s remaining old forests. He’s so concerned, in fact, that he and some colleagues wrote a letter to the journal Science—published on May 5, 2023—calling for rapid action to protect them.

Released: 15-May-2023 1:30 PM EDT
Out of this world control on Ice Age cycles
National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS)

A research team, composed of climatologists and an astronomer, have used an improved computer model to reproduce the cycle of ice ages (glacial periods) 1.6 to 1.2 million years ago. The results show that the glacial cycle was driven primarily by astronomical forces in quite a different way than it works in the modern age. These results will help us to better understand the past, present, and future of ice sheets and the Earth’s climate.

Released: 15-May-2023 1:20 PM EDT
New DOE Portal Connects Researchers and Students with Climate Science and Training Opportunities
Department of Energy, Office of Science

The National Virtual Climate Laboratory (NVCL), a comprehensive web portal for climate science projects funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science’s Biological and Environmental Research (BER) program, is now available.

Newswise: Coastal lights trick coral reefs into spawning earlier than they should
Released: 15-May-2023 1:15 PM EDT
Coastal lights trick coral reefs into spawning earlier than they should
University of Plymouth

The light pollution caused by coastal cities can trick coral reefs into spawning outside of the optimum times when they would normally reproduce, a new study has found.

Newswise: Sea anemone’s sweet efforts help reef ecosystems flourish
Released: 15-May-2023 12:35 PM EDT
Sea anemone’s sweet efforts help reef ecosystems flourish
King Abdullah University of Science & Technology (KAUST)

Tropical oceans are typically nutrient-poor, yet they host vast biologically diverse reef ecosystems built by symbiotic cnidarians (including corals and anemones).

Newswise: Urbanization leads to more pathogens and inbreeding of wild bees
Released: 15-May-2023 12:30 PM EDT
Urbanization leads to more pathogens and inbreeding of wild bees
York University

Wild bees living in cities like Toronto are facing increased environmental stressors compared to those in rural and even suburban areas, such as more pathogens and parasites, found researchers at York University.

Newswise: How old is that microplastic? A new way to estimate the age of microplastics in the upper ocean
Released: 15-May-2023 12:25 PM EDT
How old is that microplastic? A new way to estimate the age of microplastics in the upper ocean
Kyushu University

Researchers from Kyushu University and Asahi Kasei Corporation have developed a new way to estimate the age of microplastics found in the upper oceans.

Newswise: Novel sustainable electrochemical method converts carbon dioxide into carbonaceous materials
Released: 15-May-2023 12:15 PM EDT
Novel sustainable electrochemical method converts carbon dioxide into carbonaceous materials
Doshisha University

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a major greenhouse gas emitted through various types of human activities. In an effort to decrease humanity’s carbon footprint, scientists and policymakers across the globe are continuously trying to explore new methods for reducing atmospheric CO2 emissions and converting them into useful forms.

Newswise: Crushed Clams, Roaming Rays: Acoustic Tags Reveal Predator Interactions
Released: 15-May-2023 8:30 AM EDT
Crushed Clams, Roaming Rays: Acoustic Tags Reveal Predator Interactions
Florida Atlantic University

Inspired by clam fishermen reports, researchers used passive acoustic telemetry to gauge the interactions between two highly mobile rays. They monitored the tagged rays in the wild over two years to see how often and when they visited clam leases. Results provide both good news and bad news for clammers. Rays spent even more time in these clam lease sites than clammers reported or suspected, but it’s not necessarily where they prefer hanging out.

Released: 12-May-2023 2:35 PM EDT
MSU, Audubon fight to conserve a disappearing bird species
Michigan State University

Current conservation practices likely won’t do enough to save the black tern, a migratory bird species that nests in the northern U.S. and southern Canada, from disappearing. That’s according to new research from Michigan State University and the National Audubon Society published in the journal Biological Conservation. But the team’s report also reveals new opportunities to enhance the outlook for these birds by strategically expanding conservation and land management practices. Furthermore, the team’s approach can help inform conservation practices for other species.

Released: 12-May-2023 1:30 PM EDT
Professor and students seek to uncover Nature’s chilling secret
Creighton University

Eric Bredahl, PhD, and his team of undergraduate research assistants are trusting that Nature, if asked nicely, or at least insistently, will yield another of her secrets.

   
Released: 11-May-2023 7:20 PM EDT
Scientists discover fire records embedded within sand dunes
Desert Research Institute (DRI)

A new study shows that sand dunes can serve as repositories of fire history and aid in expanding scientific understanding of fire regimes around the world.

Released: 11-May-2023 6:00 PM EDT
Like ancient mariners, ancestors of Prochlorococcus microbes rode out to sea on exoskeleton particles
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

In a new study they propose that ancestors of Prochlorococcus acquired an ability to latch onto chitin — the degraded particles of ancient exoskeletons. The microbes hitched a ride on passing flakes, using the particles as rafts to venture further out to sea. These chitin rafts may have also provided essential nutrients, fueling and sustaining the microbes along their journey.

Newswise: Hammerhead sharks hold their breath on deep water hunts to stay warm
Released: 11-May-2023 5:00 PM EDT
Hammerhead sharks hold their breath on deep water hunts to stay warm
University of Hawaii at Manoa

Scalloped hammerhead sharks hold their breath to keep their bodies warm during deep dives into cold water where they hunt prey such as deep sea squids. This discovery, published today in Science by University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa researchers, provides important new insights into the physiology and ecology of a species that serves as an important link between the deep and shallow water habitats.

Newswise: Kentucky, Tennessee GAME Change team wins NSF Engines Development Award
Released: 11-May-2023 3:45 PM EDT
Kentucky, Tennessee GAME Change team wins NSF Engines Development Award
University of Kentucky

The University of Kentucky, as lead organization, together with partners across Kentucky and Tennessee, has been awarded $1 million from the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Regional Innovation Engines, or NSF Engines, program. This team’s proposal, “Advancing carbon centric circular economy technologies for advanced manufacturing solutions (KY, TN),” is led by a coalition named Generate Advanced Manufacturing Excellence for Change (GAME Change).

Released: 11-May-2023 2:45 PM EDT
Singing humpback whales respond to wind noise, but not boats
University of Queensland

A University of Queensland study has found humpback whales sing louder when the wind is noisy, but don’t have the same reaction to boat engines. Research lead Dr Elisa Girola from UQ’s Faculty of Science said this quirk of whale evolution could have consequences for breeding and behaviour.

11-May-2023 11:05 AM EDT
Nature is changing as land abandonment increases
International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)

A new perspective piece in Science shows that abandoned lands could be both an opportunity and a threat for biodiversity, and highlights why abandoned lands are critical in the assessment of global restoration and conservation targets.



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