Spending a sunny day on a boat in Casco Bay isn’t a bad summer job, at least not for BRI biologists Helen Yurek and Logan Route. On a Thursday morning, we loaded up into a boat to set off in search of Common Eiders, sea ducks that spend most of their time along rocky seacoasts.
Move over, Sonic. There’s a new spin-jumping champion in town – the globular springtail (Dicyrtomina minuta). This diminutive hexapod backflips into the air, spinning to over 60 times its body height in the blink of an eye, and a new study features the first in-depth look at its jumping prowess. Globular springtails are tiny, usually only a couple millimeters in body length.
Researchers have received a $650,000 NSF grant to investigate the cultural dimensions of ecological instability by studying the experiences of vulnerable communities in South Florida and Puerto Rico. Using ethnography, they will capture the nuanced ways in which communities are responding to ecological disruptions. Understanding how cultures adapt to ecological instability can provide valuable insights for communities worldwide, including those in the Caribbean. By documenting and analyzing these responses, researchers can develop and refine strategies to enhance collective survival.
Michigan State University researchers contributed to a recent amphibian-focused study that shed light on the ecological importance of red-backed salamanders.
An internationally collaborative study delves into how fluctuating rainfall impacts the development of sea turtle hatchlings, revealing that it has a more profound effect than changes in air temperature. Regional weather influences incubation and hatchling development and the impact of rainfall varies between species. For loggerhead turtles, heavier rainfall results in hatchlings with smaller carapaces (shell) but greater weight, while green turtle hatchlings grow smaller carapaces without a change in body mass.
Tracy Devine Guzmán, an associate professor of Latin American studies at the University of Miami, received a Fulbright Scholar Award to conduct research on Indigenous land rights in Mato Grosso, Brazil, which contains part of the Amazon rainforest.
In the agricultural and food industry, determining the chemical composition of raw materials is important for production efficiency, application, and price. Traditional laboratory testing is time-consuming, complicated, and expensive. New research from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign demonstrates that near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy and machine learning can provide quick, accurate, and cost-effective product analysis.
Researchers representing 13 projects were recently awarded funding through the Facilities Integrating Collaborations for User Science (FICUS) program. FICUS provides researchers with access to resources at multiple DOE user facilities through a single proposal. Awarded principal investigators and their research teams will receive access to instrumentation, resources, and expertise at the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL), Joint Genome Institute, and the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement user facility, which are Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Science Biological and Environmental Research program user facilities.
Not all communities in the United States face the same risks for environmental problems such as air pollution, noise and wastewater. But how can federal agencies fairly identify which areas deserve the most help?
Korean researchers have successfully developed an integrated ultra-high-speed compander system, which combines a compressor and an expander, utilizing advanced design technology.
In a significant move towards sustainability, the Flower Hall introduced new services designed to support energy-efficient use of the facility.
By analyzing foram shells recovered in drill cores, a study led by University of Utah geologists links rapid climate change that led to thermal maxima 50 million years ago to rising CO2 levels.
Six key ways that Argonne’s work in the field of hydropower is helping to revolutionize global energy infrastructure.
A new, biomass-based material developed by FAMU-FSU College of Engineering researchers can be used to repeatedly capture and release carbon dioxide. The material is primarily made from lignin, an organic molecule that is a main component of wood and other plants, and it can take up carbon dioxide (CO2) from concentrated sources or directly from the air.
Ancient viruses preserved in glacial ice hold valuable information about changes in Earth’s climate, a new study suggests.
Leaders from the Department of Energy (DOE) and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory celebrated the construction of the foundations for the lab’s newest facility on August 21, 2024. The Seismic Safety and Modernization (SSM) project is replacing the previous cafeteria building, which served the lab for 70 years. (The previous facility could not meet today’s standards for resilience in case of an earthquake, among other issues.) In contrast, the new facility has a 47,000-square-foot state-of-the-art design. It will encompass food service and conference facilities. The building will also be a home for operations services such as security, human resources, and the Health Services Clinic.
A cutting-edge study reveals the natural compound (-)-carvone in Spearmint as a potent and sustainable alternative to chemical herbicides. This research demonstrates how (-)-carvone targets and degrades microtubules in weeds, inducing cell death and inhibiting growth without harming the environment. The findings suggest a future where allelopathic plants offer eco-friendly solutions to weed management, supporting biodiversity and reducing the reliance on harmful chemicals in agriculture.
The College of Design and Engineering (CDE) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) has established the Centre for Environment and Ageing Well (ENgAGE) to take the lead in enhancing living environments that foster the physical, psychological and social well-being of individuals across all age groups, particularly in response to the challenges brought about by demographic shifts and climate change.
A pivotal study illuminates the essential function of magnesium in the metabolic and genetic makeup of tea plants. The research uncovers how magnesium deficiency impacts key growth processes and the synthesis of compounds that dictate tea's taste and quality. The identification of the CsMGT5 gene as a critical magnesium transporter offers a significant breakthrough, paving the way for enhancing tea cultivation and improving the final product's flavor profile.
A pioneering study introduces a functional data analysis (FDA) methodology to model the relationship between environmental factors and crop yields in year-round agriculture. Designed for crops like strawberries and tomatoes, this model offers a predictive framework that enhances agricultural management, optimizing resource use and promoting sustainability amidst climate change and increasing global food demands.
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