Feature Channels: Environmental Science

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Released: 16-Sep-2020 11:05 PM EDT
Research shows potential of gene editing in barley
University of Adelaide

An international team of plant scientists have shown the potential to rapidly improve the quality of barley grain through a genetic tool known as CRISPR or gene editing.

Released: 16-Sep-2020 11:05 PM EDT
Climate change threatens Komodo dragons
University of Adelaide

The world’s largest lizard, the Komodo dragon, could be driven to extinction by climate change unless significant measures to intervene are taken soon.

Released: 16-Sep-2020 9:05 PM EDT
Isle Royale Winter Study: Fewer Wolves, Fewer Moose
Michigan Technological University

There are at least 12 wolves on the island and an estimated 1,876 moose. Twenty-five moose were outfitted with GPS-enabled radio collars this year.

Released: 16-Sep-2020 5:30 PM EDT
Mapping Cavefish Brains Leads to Neural Origin of Behavioral Evolution
Florida Atlantic University

While studied for nearly a century, little is known about how cavefish brains differ. A study is the first to look inside their brains with millimeter resolution to start to understand how the individual neurons and brain regions that drive complex behaviors, including sleep and feeding have evolved. This work has broad implications for the understanding of how brains evolve in many different animal models and is hoped to be widely used by the scientific community.

Released: 16-Sep-2020 2:35 PM EDT
Study: Europe’s Old-Growth Forests at Risk
University of Vermont

A new study presents the first comprehensive assessment of the conservation status of primary forests in Europe—and shows that many of them are not protected and at risk of being destroyed. The researchers conclude that formal conservation of these forests should be a top priority for EU countries to meet their climate change and biodiversity goals.

Released: 16-Sep-2020 1:40 PM EDT
Turbulence affects aerosols and cloud formation
Michigan Technological University

Turbulent air in the atmosphere affects how cloud droplets form. New research from Michigan Technological University’s cloud chamber changes the way clouds, and therefore climate, are modeled.

Released: 16-Sep-2020 12:20 PM EDT
New Great Lakes modeling improves operational forecast system
Michigan Technological University

Forecasting the water levels, temperatures, and currents of the Great Lakes is important because conditions on the lakes affect commerce, recreation, and community well-being. These forecasts comprise the Great Lakes Operational Forecast System (GLOFS), an automated model-based prediction system operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Michigan Tech helps NOAA improve the GLOFS model.

Released: 16-Sep-2020 12:10 PM EDT
Marine animals live where ocean is most ‘breathable,’ but ranges could shrink with climate change
University of Washington

Research shows that many marine animals already inhabit the maximum range of breathable ocean that their physiology allows. The findings are a warning about climate change: Since warmer waters harbor less oxygen, stretches of ocean that are breathable today for a species may not be in the future.

Released: 16-Sep-2020 8:30 AM EDT
FAU Lands $11 Million from U.S. Office of Naval Research for Oceanic Bioluminescence
Florida Atlantic University

FAU’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute has landed an $11,179,001 four-year contract from the U.S. Office of Naval Research to develop a next-generation, high-intake, compact, bathyphotometer sensor for natural oceanic bioluminescence assessments. Bioluminescent creatures are found throughout marine habitats and their “glowing” energy released from chemical reactions is used to warn or evade predators, lure or detect prey and communicate with the same species. Research surrounding bioluminescence will soon serve as an important tool to protect U.S. coastlines.

Released: 15-Sep-2020 7:05 PM EDT
Tail regeneration in lungfish provides insight into evolution of limb regrowth
University of Chicago Medical Center

A new study published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B from researchers at the University of Chicago and Universidade Federal do Pará explores regenerative ability in the tails of West African lungfish for the first time, and finds that the process shares many of the same traits as tail regeneration in salamanders. Their results indicate that this trait was likely found in a common ancestor – and provide a new opportunity for better understanding and harnessing the mechanisms of limb regrowth.

Released: 15-Sep-2020 4:25 PM EDT
Tracking hammerhead sharks reveals conservation targets to protect a nearly endangered species
Nova Southeastern University

They are some of the most iconic and unique-looking creatures in our oceans. While some may think they look a bit “odd,” one thing researchers agree on is that little is known about hammerhead sharks. And thanks to a team of researchers, that's about to change.

Released: 15-Sep-2020 3:55 PM EDT
Wolf Pups Born in Isle Royale National Park
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Isle Royale National Park and the SUNY College of Environmental Sciences and Forestry (ESF) have documented reproduction for wolves introduced to Isle Royale in 2018 and 2019, a key element of the National Park Service wolf introduction program’s success. GPS collar data and images from remote cameras suggest pups were born in 2019 and 2020. An exact number of pups is yet to be determined.

Released: 15-Sep-2020 3:05 PM EDT
FSU communication, engineering researchers awarded grant to study natural disaster response
Florida State University

When Hurricane Michael devastated rural inland communities in the Florida Panhandle in 2018, public libraries played a critical role in the natural disaster response. It also exposed the need for improved upon procedures and policies for public libraries responding to natural disasters.

   
Released: 15-Sep-2020 2:35 PM EDT
Study reveals impact of centuries of human activity in American tropics
University of East Anglia

The devastating effects of human activity on wildlife in the American tropics over the last 500 years are revealed in a new study published today.

Released: 15-Sep-2020 12:05 PM EDT
Study: Decreasing Wildfires Observed Over Central Africa
University at Albany, State University of New York

A new observational study has revealed a decreasing burned area trend that could impact African ecosystems.



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