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Subcategory: Environment and Nature
New Study Debunks Myths About Vulnerability of Amazon Rain Forests to Drought
Mar 12 2010 - ScienceDaily
A new NASA-funded study has concluded that Amazon rain forests were remarkably unaffected in the face of once-in-a-century drought in 2005, neither dying nor thriving, contrary to a previously published report and claims by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
'Globetrotting' New Worms Discovered on Great Barrier Reef and Swedish Coast
Mar 9 2010 - ScienceDaily
Between the grains of sand on the sea floor there is an unknown and unexplored world. Pierre De Wit at Gothenburg University knows this well, and has found new animal species on the Great Barrier Reef, in New Caledonia, and in the sea off the Gullmarsfjord in the Swedish county of Bohuslän.
Common Weedkiller Turns Male Frogs into Females
Mar 3 2010 - Reuters
Atrazine, one of the most commonly used and controversial weedkillers, can turn male frogs into females, researchers reported on Monday.
E-Waste Creates Economic, Environmental Problem for Developing Nations
Feb 24 2010 - Voice of America News
A UN report warns of a dangerous rise in amount of electronic waste, which is often simply dumped in developing countries.
Evolution Impacts Environment, Study Finds
Feb 2 2010 - National Science Foundation
Biologists say they've found evidence that ecology and evolution are reciprocally interacting processes, a fundamental shift in scientists' understanding of the relationship between evolution and ecology.
UN Panel "Regrets" Exaggeration of Himalayan Thaw
Jan 20 2010 - Reuters
The U.N. panel of climate scientists expressed regret on Wednesday for exaggerating how quickly Himalayan glaciers are melting in a report that wrongly projected that they could all vanish by 2035.
Century-Old Antarctic Station Shows Warming
Jan 19 2010 - Discovery News
Weather data from the past 107 years have revealed a warming trend since the 1950s.
Fighting Deforestation Could Imperil Some Ecosystems, Study Finds
Dec 15 2009 - ScienceInsider
Negotiators in Copenhagen are very near to finalizing a remarkable deal that will see the vast majority of tropical nations attempt to reduce deforestation by 25% over the next 5 years. But a new study argues that if safeguards are not put in place, agriculture could be displaced and intensified in regions with relatively low levels of carbon.
Millions in U.S. Drink Dirty Water, Records Show
Dec 8 2009 - The New York Times (requires free registration)
More than 20% of the nation's water treatment systems have violated key provisions of the Safe Drinking Water Act over the last five years, according to a New York Times analysis of federal data.
Australian Research Shows Warmer Water Raises Aggression in Fish
Dec 7 2009 - Voice of America News
New research in Australia has shown that coral reef fish can undergo radical personality changes in warmer water, work that suggests climate change may make some marine species more aggressive.
Acidic Oceans May Be a Boon for Some Marine Dwellers
Dec 2 2009 - ScienceNow Daily News
Falling ocean pH might help some marine animals build stronger skeletons and shells.
Major Sea Level Rise Likely as Antarctic Ice Melts
Dec 1 2009 - BBC News
Sea levels are likely to rise by about 1.4 meters (4 feet 6 inches) globally by 2100 as polar ice melts, according to a major review of climate change in Antarctica.
Climate Is a Major Cause of Conflict in Africa
Nov 24 2009 - BBC News
Climate has been a major driver of armed conflict in Africa, research shows, and future warming is likely to increase the number of deaths from war.
Congo's 'Mother Lode' of Gorillas Remains Vulnerable
Nov 24 2009 - ScienceDaily
A new study says that western lowland gorillas living in a large swamp in the Republic of Congo—part of the "mother lode" of more than 125,000 gorillas discovered last year—are becoming increasingly threatened by growing humans activity.
Record High Temperatures Far Outpace Record Lows Across U.S.
Nov 13 2009 - Science Daily
Spurred by a warming climate, daily record high temperatures occurred twice as often as record lows over the last decade across the continental United States, new research shows.
Koalas Could Face Extinction
Nov 9 2009 - BBC News
Australia's koalas could be wiped out within 30 years unless urgent action is taken to halt a decline in population, according to researchers.
'Coral Bank' Created to Preserve Threatened Reefs
Oct 27 2009 - Discovery News
An international meeting on climate change in Copenhagen has heard the prospects of saving the world's coral reefs now appear so bleak there are plans to freeze samples to preserve them for the future.
Green Spaces Boost the Body and the Mind
Oct 15 2009 - Healthday.com
The closer you live to nature, the healthier you're likely to be. For instance, people who live within 1 kilometer of a park or wooded area experience less anxiety and depression, Dutch researchers report.
Giant Fish Verges on Extinction
Sep 29 2009 - BBC News
One of the world's largest freshwater fish is on the verge of going extinct. A three-year quest to find the giant Chinese paddlefish in the Yangtze river failed to sight or catch a single individual.
Global Increase in Atmospheric Methane Likely Caused by Unusual Arctic Warmth, Tropical Wetness
Sep 28 2009 - ScienceDaily
Unusually high temperatures in the Arctic and heavy rains in the tropics likely drove a global increase in atmospheric methane in 2007 and 2008 after a decade of near-zero growth, according to a new study.
Palau Pioneers Shark Sanctuary
Sep 25 2009 - BBC News
Palau is to create the world's first "shark sanctuary", banning all commercial shark fishing in its waters. With half of the world's oceanic sharks at risk of extinction, conservationists regard the move as "game-changing."
U.S. Scientists Net Giant Squid in Gulf of Mexico
Sep 22 2009 - Reuters
U.S. scientists in the Gulf of Mexico unexpectedly netted a 5.9-meter giant squid off the coast of Louisiana, the Interior Department said on Monday, showing how little is known about life in the deep waters of the Gulf.
Is There a Climate-Change Tipping Point?
Sep 4 2009 - Time
When a complex system, like the global climate, is about to experience a sudden, irrevocable change, there are early warning signs, according to a new paper in the journal Nature.
Royal Society Prods, Cautions on Fixing Climate
Sep 1 2009 - ScienceInsider
Today, Britain's Royal Society released a report, "Geoengineering the Climate," which urges the increased study of technologies that could counter global warming while cautioning that the side effects could be substantial and possibly prohibitive.
Pandas Could be Extinct in 2-3 Generations: Report
Aug 17 2009 - Yahoo! News
China's giant panda could be extinct in just two to three generations as rapid economic development is infringing on its way of life, state media said on Monday, citing an expert at conservation group WWF.
Are Germ-Killing Soaps Affecting Dolphin Development?
Aug 12 2009 - Scientific American
The antibacterial chemical Triclosan is accumulating in dolphins at concentrations known to disrupt the growth and development of other animals. It's the first time the chemical has been reported in a wild marine mammal—a worrisome finding because it shows it is building up in the ocean's food web.
Vast Expanses of Arctic Ice Melt in Summer Heat
Aug 10 2009 - Yahoo! News
The Arctic Ocean has given up tens of thousands more square miles (square kilometers) of ice on Sunday in a relentless summer of melt, with scientists watching through satellite eyes for a possible record low polar ice cap.
Dog Domestication Likely Began in Africa
Aug 4 2009 - Discovery Channel News
Modern humans originated in Africa, and now it looks like man's best friend first emerged there too. An extensive genetic study on the ancestry of African village dogs points to a Eurasian—possibly North African—origin for the domestication of dogs.
Expedition Sets Sail to the Great Plastic Vortex
Aug 3 2009 - Time
What's twice the size of Texas, floating in the Pacific in one spot between Hawaii and the mainland U.S., and is made up of nothing but plastic garbage? The great plastic vortex of the Pacific.
Freshwater Crabs Feel the Pinch
Jul 28 2009 - BBC News
Two thirds of all species of freshwater crab maybe at risk of going extinct, with one in six species particularly vulnerable, according to a new survey.
Report: 85 Percent of World's Oyster Reefs Have Been Lost
Jul 27 2009 - Voice of America News
A recent study by environmental organizations found that nearly 85% of the oyster reefs worldwide have been lost. But beyond providing food around the world, oyster reefs play a key role in the oceans.
Female Cats Are Right-Pawed, Males Are Lefties
Jul 23 2009 - Discovery Channel News
Female domestic cats tend to preferentially use their right front paw while male cats more often rely upon their left front paw, according to a new study that suggests the sex of a cat determines how its brain will be wired.
Longest Insect Migration Revealed
Jul 15 2009 - BBC News
Every year, millions of dragonflies fly thousands of kilometers across the sea from southern India to Africa. So says a biologist in the Maldives, who claims to have discovered the longest migration of any insect.
Dogs Get Gestures as Well as Toddlers
Jul 13 2009 - Discovery Channel News
Dogs possess a two-year-old child's capacity to understand human pointing gestures, with dogs requiring next to zero learning time to figure out the visual communication, according to two recent studies.
Peer Pressure Plays Major Role in Environmental Behavior
Jun 30 2009 - National Science Foundation
People are more likely to enroll in conservation programs if their neighbors do—a tendency that should be exploited when it comes to protecting the environment, according to results of a new study.
Carbon Counter Debuts in N.Y.C.
Jun 22 2009 - ScienceInsider
A new attraction debuted outside Madison Square Garden recently: a 20-meter-tall billboard that flashes the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The current number is 3.6 trillion metric tons, and is rising by about 2 billion a month.
White House: Climate Change Damage Happening Now
Jun 16 2009 - Associated Press
Harmful effects from global warming are already here and worsening, warns the first climate report from Barack Obama's presidency in the strongest language on climate change ever to come out of the White House.
Monster Jellyfish
Jun 9 2009 - Discovery News
Giant jellyfish are taking over parts of the world's oceans as overfishing and other human activities open windows of opportunity for them to prosper, say researchers.
Study: TV May Inhibit Babies' Language Development
Jun 2 2009 - Time
Recent studies show that TV-viewing tends to decrease babies' likelihood of learning new words, talking, playing and otherwise interacting with others.
Public Asked to Help Monitor Life on Earth
Jun 1 2009 - Reuters
Scientists asked people around the world on Monday to help compile an Internet-based observatory of life on Earth as a guide to everything from the impact of climate change on wildlife to pests that can damage crops.
Blue Whales Returning to Former Alaska Waters
May 18 2009 - Yahoo! News
Blue whales are returning to Alaska in search of food and could be re-establishing an old migration route several decades after they were nearly wiped out by commercial whalers, scientists say.
Coal Supply May Be Vastly Overestimated
May 12 2009 - Discovery News
Forget peak oil—a series of new estimates of the world's coal supply suggests reserves may
be vastly overestimated, and if the planet isn't running on a majority of alternative energies
within the next few decades, we could be facing an unprecedented global energy crisis.
First Pig Cases of H1N1—and Mixed Views on the Human Outbreak
May 4 2009 - ScienceInsider
The first pigs infected with the H1N1 influenza sweeping the globe have been found—but they're a long way from Mexico, the suspected origin of the virus. There’s also some optimism that the human outbreak of the virus is not as threatening as earlier feared.
New York City-Sized Ice Collapses off Antarctica
Apr 29 2009 - Reuters
An area of an Antarctic ice shelf almost the size of New York City has broken into icebergs this month after the collapse of an ice bridge widely blamed on global warming, a scientist said Tuesday.
Is a Bad Economy Good for the Environment?
Apr 28 2009 - The Christian Science Monitor
A recession may be a cruel remedy for environmental degradation. But some experts say the earth welcomes the breathing room.
Newly Discovered Iron-Breathing Species Have Lived in Cold Isolation for Millions of Years
Apr 17 2009 - ScienceDaily
A reservoir of briny liquid buried deep beneath an Antarctic glacier supports hardy microbes that have lived in isolation for millions of years, researchers report.
New Orangutan Population Found in Indonesia
Apr 13 2009 - Yahoo! News
Conservationists have discovered a new population of orangutans in a remote, mountainous corner of Indonesia—perhaps as many as 2,000—giving a rare boost to one of the world's most endangered great apes.
Ice Bridge Holding Antarctic Ice Shelf Cracks Up
Apr 6 2009 - Reuters
An ice bridge which had apparently held a vast Antarctic ice shelf in place during recorded history shattered on Saturday and could herald a wider collapse linked to global warming, a leading scientist said.
Stay Away From Pistachios, FDA Warns
Mar 31 2009 - CBS News
In another food scare sure to rattle consumers who watched the national salmonella outbreak in peanuts unfold, federal food officials are now warning people not to eat any food containing pistachios, which could carry contamination from the same bacteria.
EPA Halts Mountaintop Mining Permits
Mar 25 2009 - CBS News
The Environmental Protection Agency is putting on hold hundreds of mountaintop coal-mining permits until it can evaluate the projects' impacts on streams and wetlands.
Oldest Sea Creatures Have Been Alive 4,000 Years
Mar 25 2009 - U.S. News & World Report
Deep-sea corals are the oldest living animals with a skeleton in the seas, claims new research that found a 4,265-year-old coral species off the coast of Hawaii.
Exxon Valdez Oil-Spill Recovery Still Is Work in Progress, 20 Years Later
Mar 24 2009 - The Seattle Times
Twenty years after the Exxon Valdez oil spill, pockets of oil—an estimated 16,000 gallons—remain buried in small portions of the intertidal zone. And herring, a cornerstone species of Prince William Sound's ecosystem, is one of two species "not recovering." The herring population's failure to rebound has emerged as among the most perplexing ecological mysteries of the spill's legacy.
Global Crisis to Strike by 2030
Mar 20 2009 - BBC News
Growing world population will cause a "perfect storm" of food, energy, and water shortages by 2030, the UK government chief scientist has warned. Demand for food and energy will jump 50% by 2030 and for fresh water by 30%, as the population tops 8.3 billion, he told a conference in London.
Rare Reptile Hatchling Found in New Zealand
Mar 19 2009 - The New York Times (requires free registration)
A hatchling of a rare reptile with lineage dating back to the dinosaur age has been found in the wild on the New Zealand mainland for the first time in about 200 years, according to a wildlife official. The baby tuatara was discovered by staff during routine maintenance work at the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary in the capital, Wellington.
Earth's Cracks May Contribute to Global Warming
Feb 20 2009 - Discovery.com News
Whether devastating faults, dank caves or mud cracks on a drying desert plain, Earth's surface is riddled with fractures. Now a new study has found that the cracks exhale large quantities of gas, perhaps enough to affect global warming.
Study: Babies Who Gesture Learn Words Sooner
Feb 13 2009 - Time Magazine
Researchers found that at 14 months of age, babies already show a wide range of "speaking" ability through gestures, and that those differences are correlated with their socioeconomic background and how frequently their parents use gestures to communicate.
Researchers Find Wolves In Dogs' Clothing
Feb 6 2009 - CBS News
Today's dogs are descendants of ancient wolves. Now, it turns out, at least some of today's wolves inherited traits from ancient dogs.
Study Shows What Makes Locusts Swarm
Jan 30 2009 - Reuters
A brain chemical that lifts people out of depression can transform solitary grasshoppers into swarming desert locusts, a finding that could one day help prevent the devastating plagues, researchers say.
Warmer Climate Causing Huge Increase in Tree Mortality Across the West
Jan 26 2009 - National Science Foundation
Regional warming and drought stress are the "dominant contributors" to a rapid increase of tree mortality in old growth forests across the West during the past 50 years, a new report concludes, with the Pacific Northwest the hardest hit of all areas studied.
Study Gets Inside the World's "Brown Cloud"
Jan 23 2009 - Time Magazine
A high-altitude mass of air pollution stretches from the Arabian peninsula to the western Pacific Ocean. A new report confirms that the mass is soot from human burning of wood, dung, and crop residue, as well as industrial processes and traffic pollution.
Life Expectancy Up, Thanks to Cleaner Air
Jan 22 2009 - WebMD
Steps to curb air pollution in the U.S. are paying off, helping to dramatically increase average life spans, according to a new study in the New England Journal of Medicine.
As Humans Hunt, Their Prey Gets Smaller: Study
Jan 13 2009 - Reuters
Hunting and gathering has a profound impact on animals and plants, driving an evolutionary process that makes them become smaller and reproduce earlier, according to U.S. researchers.
Great Lakes Facing Wide Alien Species Invasion
Jan 8 2009 - Discovery.com News
Dozens of foreign species could spread across the Great Lakes in coming years despite policies designed to keep them out, causing significant environmental and economic damage, a federal report says.
Pink Iguana Evaded Darwin
Jan 6 2009 - MSNBC
When Darwin explored the Galapagos Islands in the early 1800s, he, and countless scientists since, overlooked a hefty pink iguana. The iguana, which has black stripes and is believed to be extremely rare, was discovered on Isabela Island, which Darwin missed during his five-week stay at the archipelago.
Have Americans Gone Nuts over Nut Allergies?
Jan 5 2009 - Time Magazine
Is evacuating a school bus full of children because of a lone peanut on the floor a smart precaution, or overkill? No one would disagree that children who suffer from life-threatening allergies need to be protected, but the growing trend of demonizing nuts only fuels anxiety, according to Harvard professor Nicholas Christakis.
Exploiting Nature to Cut Mosquitoes' Lives Short
Jan 2 2009 - Yahoo! News
Old mosquitoes usually spread disease, so Australian researchers figured out a way to make the pests die younger—naturally, not poisoned. A new report suggests an alternative to mass spraying of insecticides: Breeding mosquitoes to carry an insect parasite that causes earlier death.
Elephants Live Much Longer in Wild Than Zoos
Dec 12 2008 - Discovery.com News
Zoo elephants don't live as long as those in the wild, according to a study sure to stir debate about keeping the giant animals on display. Animals in the wild or in natural working conditions had life spans twice that or more of their relatives in zoos.
Media Bombardment Is Linked to Ill Effects During Childhood
Dec 2 2008 - The Washington Post (requires free registration)
In a detailed look at nearly 30 years of research on how television, music, movies, and other media affect the lives of children and adolescents, a new study found an array of negative health effects linked to greater use.
First Inventory of Life at Poles
Dec 1 2008 - BBC News
The first comprehensive inventory of the sea and land animals living in a polar region has been carried out by British and German scientists. More than 1,200 species were counted, including five new to science.
Dirty SoCal Air Deadlier Than Car Crashes?
Nov 13 2008 - CBS News
Lowering air pollution in Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley would save more lives annually than ending all motor vehicle fatalities in the two regions, according to a new study.
E.O. Wilson Shifts His Position on Altruism in Nature
Nov 10 2008 - The Boston Globe
If natural selection dictates that the fittest survive, why do we see altruism in nature? For decades, evolutionist E.O. Wilson thought he knew. But recently, he changed his mind.
Rebels Seize Congo Gorilla Park; Hopes Dim for Apes
Oct 29 2008 - National Geographic News
Rebels in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have overtaken the headquarters of a park that is home to most of the world's last mountain gorillas. The takeover forced more than 50 rangers from Virunga National Park to escape into the forest. The attack has diminished conservationists' hopes of monitoring the great apes.
"Walking Fish" Reveals Fresh Evolutionary Insights
Oct 16 2008 - Reuters
An extraordinary fish that existed 375 million years ago had unique features in its head that helped pave the way for vertebrate animals to live on land. Scientists for the first time described features in the underside of the skull of Tiktaalik roseae, the so-called "walking fish" discovered in the Canadian Arctic in 2004. It is considered an important transitional animal in the evolution of fish into amphibians, the first land-dwelling vertebrates.
One in Four Mammals Threatened with Extinction, Group Finds
Oct 7 2008 - The New York Times (requires free registration)
An “extinction crisis” is under way, with one in four mammals in danger of disappearing because of habitat loss, hunting, and climate change, a leading global conservation body warned Monday.
Black Rhinos Released into Wild
Oct 2 2008 - BBC News
For the first time in more than 25 years, captive-bred black rhinos have been released back into the wild. Experts have hailed it as a landmark step for African wildlife conservation.
GM Crops Make Good Neighbors
Sep 19 2008 - ScienceNow Daily News
Researchers have now found that genetically modified (GM) cotton that produces the natural pesticide casts a protective net over other kinds of crops in nearby fields—and not because introduced genes have spread beyond the cotton field.
No Plant CO2 Relief in Warm World
Sep 18 2008 - BBC News
Plants are unlikely to soak up more carbon dioxide from the air as the planet warms, research suggests. The conclusion parallels a real-world finding from Europe's 2003 heatwave, when the continent's plant life became a net producer, not absorber, of CO2.
Wild Dolphins Tail-Walk on Water
Aug 20 2008 - BBC News
A wild dolphin is apparently teaching other members of her group to walk on their tails, a behavior usually seen only after training in captivity. The tail-walking group lives along the south Australian coast. One of them spent a short time after illness in a dolphinarium 20 years ago and may have picked up the trick there.
Stone Age Graveyard Shows Sahara Was Once Green
Aug 15 2008 - Reuters
A Stone Age graveyard on the shores of an ancient, dried-up lake in the Sahara is brimming with the skeletons of people, fish, and crocodiles who thrived when the African desert was briefly green, according to researchers.
Lizard Love: 110-Year-Old Dinosaur Descendant to Become Daddy
Aug 7 2008 - CNN
At well over 100 years old and showing no interest in sex for over four decades, Henry is on his way to becoming a dad. Henry is a tuatara, a rare lizard-like creature that descended from dinosaurs. The tuatara has been endangered since the 1890s, and it's only found on a handful of New Zealand's offshore islands.
Antarctic Fossils Paint Picture of Much Warmer Continent
Aug 6 2008 - ScienceDaily
National Science Foundation–funded scientists working in an ice-free region of Antarctica have discovered the last traces of tundra, in the form of fossilized plants and insects, on the interior of the southernmost continent before temperatures began a relentless drop millions of years ago.
Thousands of Gorillas Found in Congo
Aug 5 2008 - CBS News
Wildlife researchers say that they've discovered 125,000 western lowland gorillas deep in the forests of the Republic of Congo, calling it a major increase in the animal's estimated population.
World's Smallest Snake Discovered on Barbados
Aug 4 2008 - Yahoo! News
As slim as a spaghetti noodle and able to fit snugly on a U.S. quarter, a new species of snake has been found hiding out in a forest on Barbados. The reptilian runt is now the world's smallest snake.
It's Always Happy Hour for Several Species in Malaysian Rain Forest
Jul 30 2008 - The New York Times (requires free registration)
German scientists have discovered that seven species of small mammals in the rain forests of western Malaysia drink fermented palm nectar on a regular basis. For several of the species, including the pen-tailed tree shrew, the nectar, which can have an alcohol content approaching that of beer, is the major food source—meaning they are chronic drinkers.
Dolly May Have Shrunk Gulf "Dead Zone"
Jul 29 2008 - USA Today
The oxygen-starved "dead zone" that forms every summer in the Gulf of Mexico is a bit smaller than predicted this year because Hurricane Dolly stirred up the water, a scientist reported Monday.
Tiny Fossils Reveal Warm Antarctic Past
Jul 28 2008 - National Geographic
Hundreds of fossils of crustacean-like animals no bigger than a pinhead have been found in Antarctica, scientists say. The 14-million-year-old called ostracods were found recently in an ancient lake bed in the Dry Valleys region in the continent's interior. The well-preserved fossils are likely the last remnants of a warmer Antarctica, before a massive and intense climate cooling millions of years ago set in, new research suggests.
"Greenhouse" Bees Spread Disease to Wild Bees
Jul 24 2008 - Reuters
Disease spread to wild bees from commercially bred bees used for pollination in agriculture greenhouses may be playing a role in the mysterious decline in North American bee populations, according to researchers.
Dead Penguins Washing Ashore in Brazil
Jul 21 2008 - CBS News
Hundreds of baby penguins swept from the icy shores of Antarctica and Patagonia are washing up dead on Rio de Janeiro's tropical beaches, rescuers and penguin experts said Friday. Experts are divided over the possible causes.
Over 200 Million Years Ago, Lizards Glided and Parachuted
Jul 16 2008 - Discover Magazine
In the primeval forests of Europe, scaly lizards leaped from the treetops and glided safely to the ground, according to a new study.
Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Mexico, Florida
Jun 23 2008 - ABC News
An outbreak of salmonella poisoning linked to raw tomatoes has been traced to Mexico and Florida, according to federal health officials. Officials are sending teams of investigators to Mexico and Florida but would not identify the farms that are being investigated, stressing that salmonella contamination could have occurred somewhere later along the distribution line.
North Pole May Be Ice Free for First Time This Summer
Jun 23 2008 - National Geographic
rctic warming has become so dramatic that the North Pole may melt this summer, report scientists studying the effects of climate change in the field.
'Methuselah' Tree Grows from Ages-Old Seed
Jun 20 2008 - Boston Globe
A sapling growing in a laboratory in Jerusalem, named Methuselah by one of the cultivators, grew from a 2,000-year-old seed, researchers confirm.
Ozone Layer to the Rescue?
Jun 16 2008 - ScienceNow Daily News
The recovery of the ozone layer is considered essential for the health of the planet's living creatures, but new research suggests it could also assist in the fight against global warming. Climatologists report that ozone recovery could restore wind patterns in the Southern Hemisphere that have blown out of kilter due to ozone depletion and the buildup of greenhouse gases.
Indonesian Monkeys Found Fishing for Food
Jun 10 2008 - CBS News
Long-tailed macaque monkeys have a reputation for knowing how to find food--whether it be grabbing fruit from jungle trees or snatching a banana from a startled tourist. Now, researchers say they have discovered groups of the silver-haired monkeys in Indonesia that fish.
Pesticides Blamed for Plummeting Salmon Stocks
Jun 9 2008 - NewScientist.com
A weak mix of pesticides in river water dampens a salmon's sense of smell, say researchers. A depressed sense of smell might also keep fish from finding mates and food.
"Frog-Amander" Fossil May Be Amphibian Missing Link
May 23 2008 - National Geographic
A new fossil find may be an evolutionary missing link in the amphibian family tree, scientists say. Dubbed Gerobatrachus hottoni, the animal looked somewhat like a salamander with a stubby tail and froglike ears.
Pandas Sensed China Quake Coming?
May 19 2008 - National Geographic
In the minutes before a massive earthquake shook central China last week, captive pandas near the epicenter began acting strangely. The observation, made by a British tourist who had been watching the pandas at the famous Wolong National Nature Reserve near Chengdu, mirrors previous accounts of animals "sensing" disasters before they occur.
Fewer Hurricanes as World Warms
May 19 2008 - BBC News
Hurricanes and tropical storms will become less frequent by the end of the century as a result of climate change, researchers suggest. But the scientists added their data also showed that there would be a "modest increase" in the intensity of these extreme weather events. The findings are at odds with some other studies, which forecast a greater number of hurricanes in a warmer world.
Endangered Destinations
May 16 2008 - U.S. News & World Report
From Antarctica to the Everglades, from Venice to the mountainous forests of East Africa, climate change and encroaching civilization imperil many of the world's most distinctive destinations. Like species, places can become endangered.
Polar Bear Is Made a Protected Species
May 15 2008 - The New York Times (requires free registration)
The polar bear, whose summertime Arctic hunting grounds have been greatly reduced by a warming climate, will be placed under the protection of the Endangered Species Act, Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne announced. But the long-delayed decision to list the bear as a threatened species may prove less of an impediment to oil and gas industries along the Alaskan coast than many environmentalists had hoped.
Better Dirt Key to Solving Food Crisis
May 12 2008 - CBS News
As seeds get better, much of the world's soil is getting worse and people are going hungry. Scientists say if they can get the world out of the economically triggered global food crisis, better dirt will be at the root of the solution.
Shift from Savannah to Sahara Was Gradual, Research Suggests
May 9 2008 - The New York Times (requires free registration)
Six thousand years ago, northern Africa was a place of trees, grasslands, lakes, and people. Today, it is the Sahara--a desolate area larger than Australia. In today's issue of the journal Science, researchers report that the climate transition occurred gradually.
Recall of the Wild
May 7 2008 - Discover Magazine
Captive breeding may sound great, but the captives don't do so well in nature. A disturbing new study reveals that captive breeding projects are rarely successful in the long run.
Fishing for Oxygen in Warming Oceans
May 5 2008 - Scientific American
Records stretching back to 1960 prove what climate models had predicted: warmer oceans contain less oxygen.
Insects Use Plants Like a Telephone
Apr 28 2008 - Science Daily
Dutch ecologists have discovered that subterranean and above-ground herbivorous insects can communicate with each other by using plants as telephones. Subterranean insects issue chemical warning signals via the leaves of the plant. This way, aboveground insects are alerted that the plant is already "occupied."
Humming Praises for the Wild Bee
Apr 24 2008 - New York Times (requires free registration)
The bumblebee and other native wild bees are all the more important in the garden now that the population of honeybees is in such decline--down to 2.4 million colonies last year from 5.5 million in 1945, according to the Department of Agriculture, due mainly, scientists say, to mites infesting the hives and, lately, to a mysterious epidemic called colony collapse disorder.
Is China's Cloud-Seeding Plan all Wet?
Apr 23 2008 - MSNBC
China's plans to force Mother Nature's hand with "cloud seeding" and keep rains at bay during the start of the Olympic Games this August may be all wet, one scientist says.
Wag the Dog
Apr 21 2008 - Scientific American
The next time you come face to face with a dog wagging its tail, you can make a quick determination on whether to reach out and pet it or step back in deference: check the tail-wag bias. If the wagging tail leans to the dog's right, you're safe; if the tail leans to the dog's left, don't move.
"Extinct" Elephants Still Alive
Apr 18 2008 - Time Magazine
Borneo's pygmy elephants may be descendants of an extinct Javan elephant race, saved by chance by an 18th century ruler, according to a new study.
Growing Pains for a Deep-Sea Home Built of Subway Cars
Apr 9 2008 - New York Times (requires free registration)
Delaware's novel use of submerged New York subway cars to revive a stretch of ocean floor has been so successful it is now competing with other states for a limited supply of cars.
"Living Dinosaur" Is Fastest-Evolving Animal
Apr 1 2008 - National Geographic
New Zealand's "living dinosaur," the tuatara, hasn't changed its look in millions of years. But the reptile is actually evolving faster than any other animal studied so far, new DNA analysis reveals.
On the Market: a Whole Rain Forest
Apr 1 2008 - TIME Magazine
A British financial group will pay Guyana's Iwokrama forest reserve for ownership of its "ecosystem services"--a green commodity the buyers hope to turn into cash.
Can Sharks Tell When Severe Storms Are on the Way?
Mar 25 2008 - BBC News
Sharks could be used to predict storms following research by a marine biology student.
Leafy Veggie Contamination Rate Rising
Mar 20 2008 - CBS News
If you've gotten the feeling that there are more contaminated leafy green vegetables out there than there used to be, new numbers from federal researchers suggest you're right.
Freak Winter Weather: Fluke or Fuel in Warming Debate?
Mar 19 2008 - National Geographic
Freak winter weather has struck almost every area of the Northern Hemisphere with bizarre extremes in recent months. The unusual season seems to be the result of a "perfect storm" of weather patterns occurring at once, experts say. But what does this mean for the debate about global warming?
Snakeless in Ireland: Blame Ice Age, Not St. Patrick
Mar 17 2008 - National Geographic
St. Patrick had nothing to do with Ireland's snake-free status, scientists say. Most scientists point to the most recent ice age, which kept the island too cold for reptiles until it ended 10,000 years ago. After the ice age, surrounding seas may have kept snakes from colonizing the Emerald Isle.
Alligators' Muscles Move Lungs Around for Sneaky Maneuvers in Water
Mar 14 2008 - ScienceDaily
Without a ripple in the water, alligators dive, surface, or roll sideways, even though they lack flippers or fins. Biologists have discovered that gators maneuver silently by using their diaphragm, pelvic, abdominal and rib muscles to shift their lungs like internal floatation devices: toward the tail when they dive, toward the head when they surface, and sideways when they roll.
Collapse of Salmon Stocks Endangers Pacific Fishery
Mar 13 2008 - New York Times (requires free registration)
Federal officials have indicated that they are likely to close the Pacific salmon fishery from northern Oregon to the Mexican border because of the collapse of crucial stocks in California's major watershed. That would be the most extensive closing on the West Coast since the federal government started regulating fisheries.
Invasive Species Create Dangerous "Genetic Hotspots"
Mar 11 2008 - NewScientist.com
The secret of invasive species' notoriously destructive power may have been discovered. Genetic analysis of an introduced snail suggests that successive waves of invasion create a "hotspot" of evolutionary potential that means conservationists should be even more vigilant against invading species.
Manmade Flood Unleashed in Grand Canyon
Mar 6 2008 - National Geographic
Federal officials have started a flood in the Grand Canyon, hoping to restore the ecosystem. The torrent will flow for three days from the Glen Canyon Dam on the Arizona-Utah state line. The canyon's ecosystem was permanently changed after the construction of the Glen Canyon Dam in 1963. The Colorado River downstream used to be warm and muddy, but now it's cold and clear. The shift helped speed the extinction of four fish species and push two others, including the endangered humpback chub, near the edge.
New Twist in Hobbit-Human Debate
Mar 6 2008 - BBC News
The row over the origins of "Hobbit" fossils found on the Indonesian island of Flores has taken a new twist. An Australian team claims the little people were not a new human species, but modern humans with a form of dwarfism caused by poor nutrition.
Scientists Advance "Drought Crop"
Feb 28 2008 - BBC News
Scientists say they have made a key breakthrough in understanding the genes of plants that could lead to crops that can survive in a drought. Researchers in Finland and the United States say they have discovered a gene that controls the amount of carbon dioxide a plant absorbs. It also controls the amount of water vapor it releases into the atmosphere. This information could be important for food production and in regulating climate change.
"Doomsday" Vault Opens its Doors
Feb 26 2008 - BBC News
Leading dignitaries have attended the official opening of a "doomsday" seed vault built 130 meters
(426 feet) inside a mountain on a remote Arctic island. Norwegian Prime Minister Jen Stoltenberg and Nobel Prize winner Wangari Maathai placed the first seeds in the depository during the ceremony. The vault, designed to withstand all natural and human disaster, will house samples of all known food crops.
Scientists Find Mysterious Creatures in the Deep
Feb 19 2008 - MSNBC
Scientists investigating the icy waters of Antarctica said they have collected mysterious creatures including giant sea spiders and huge worms in the murky depths. Australian experts taking part in an international program to take a census of marine life in the ocean at the far south of the world collected specimens from up to 6,500 feet beneath the surface, and said many may never have been seen before.
Ancient 10-Pound Frog Jumped Continents
Feb 19 2008 - ABC News
A frog the size of a bowling ball, with heavy armor and teeth, lived among dinosaurs millions of years ago; it was intimidating enough that scientists who unearthed its fossils dubbed the beast Beelzebufo, or Devil Toad. But its size (10 pounds and 16 inches long) isn't the only curiosity. Researchers discovered the creature's bones in Madagascar. Yet it seems to be a close relative of normal-sized frogs who today live half a world away in South America, challenging assumptions about ancient geography.
Map Shows Toll on World's Oceans
Feb 15 2008 - BBC News
Only about 4% of the world's oceans remain undamaged by human activity, according to the first detailed global map of human impacts on the seas. A study says that climate change, fishing, pollution, and other human factors have exacted a heavy toll on almost half of the marine waters. Only remote icy areas near the poles are relatively pristine, but they face threats as ice sheets melt. The authors say the data is a "wake-up call" to policymakers.
Too Late to Keep Arctic Sea Ice from Vanishing?
Feb 13 2008 - MSNBC
Arctic sea ice next summer may shrink below the record low last year and it's hard to see how it won't eventually melt away completely, according to a climatologist. Global warming combined with natural cyclical changes likely will continue to push ice into the North Atlantic Ocean. The last remnants of thick, old sea ice are dispersing and the unusual weather cycles that contributed to sea ice loss last year are continuing. Scientists are watching Arctic sea ice closely, trying to sort out the effects of global warming and natural cyclical changes.
Baby Dinosaur Was Able to Make Music
Feb 13 2008 - ABC News
Scientists report they have found a new dinosaur species in Mexico. It was apparently a duck-billed plant eater, probably about 25 feet long. Scientists hesitate to guess too much about it, but they say they can tell from its bone structure that it was probably not fully grown. It's different from almost any other duck-billed dinosaur ever found. The reassembled skull has a large hollow bulge on top, through which it probably breathed, and its nasal passages probably allowed it to make some kind of music, somewhat like what trumpeters make.
Modern Birds Existed Before Dinosaur Die-Off
Feb 11 2008 - National Geographic
Modern birds originated a hundred million years ago--long before the demise of dinosaurs, according to new research. In searching for the first ancestors of modern birds, studies have shown discrepancies between results from fossils and genetic analyses. Fossil records suggest that modern birds originated 60 million years ago, after the end of the Cretaceous period about 65 million years ago when dinosaurs died off. But molecular studies suggest that the genetic divergences between many lineages of birds occurred during the Cretaceous period. Now a new study based on molecular evidence suggests that avian ancestors were flapping their wings some 40 million years earlier than thought.
Biofuels Are Bad for Feeding People and Combating Climate Change
Feb 8 2008 - Scientific American
Converting corn to ethanol in Iowa not only leads to clearing more of the Amazonian rainforest, researchers report in a pair of new studies in Science, but also would do little to slow global warming, and often make it worse. Turning food into fuel also has the unintended consequence of driving up food prices, reducing the access of the neediest populations to grains and meat.
How Dinosaurs Bulked Up on a Veggie Diet
Feb 6 2008 - MSNBC
By mimicking the guts of the biggest dinosaurs, scientists now find the animals' diets of evergreens and ferns were more nourishing than previously thought. These new findings help solve the mystery of how such dinosaurs reached huge sizes off seemingly poor food.
DNA "Barcode" Revealed in Plants
Feb 6 2008 - BBC News
A "barcode" gene that can be used to distinguish among the majority of plant species has been identified, say scientists. This gene can be used to catalog plant life as it has a slightly different code among species but is nearly identical within a species.
Being Daddy's Girl Is a Good Thing for Baboons
Feb 5 2008 - MSNBC
Having daddy around when they are growing up is good for little girls, even if they are little baboon girls. While that's well known for people, it's a bit of a surprise for non-human primates. But a report found that female baboons in Kenya raised in groups with their fathers matured earlier and had a longer reproductive life than other baboons.
'Bizarre' New Mammal Discovered
Feb 1 2008 - BBC News
A new species of mammal has been discovered in the mountains of Tanzania, scientists report. The bizarre-looking creature, dubbed Rhynochocyon udzungwensis, is a type of giant elephant shrew, or sengi. The cat-sized animal looks like a cross between a miniature antelope and a small anteater. It has a grey face, a long, flexible snout, a bulky, amber body, a jet-black rump and it stands on spindly legs. Despite its name, the creature is not actually related to shrews; it's more closely related to a group of African mammals, which includes elephants, sea cows, aardvarks and hyraxes, having shared a common ancestor with them about 100 million years ago.
Smog Can Make People Sick, Even Indoors
Jan 30 2008 - Scientific American
Smog caused by ground-level ozone isn't just an outdoor air problem. A new study shows that when the irritant's level rises outside, the number of people inside suffering from so-called "sick building syndrome" also increases.
First Antarctic Marine Census Launched
Jan 29 2008 - ABC News
U.S., New Zealand, and Italian marine scientists began a two-month voyage to Antarctica's northern coast Tuesday as part of the first-ever census of Antarctic marine biodiversity. The census of Antarctic marine life is a multinational research project involving 23 countries and 11 coordinated voyages to survey marine ecosystems and habitats in waters surrounding Antarctica. The 26 scientists on the research ship will collect samples of sea life and capture images of the sea floor down to depths of 13,000 feet in previously unexplored areas. Experts say the voyage will provide essential information about the biodiversity and functioning of the Ross Sea ecosystem off the north Antarctic coast that would help safeguard its long-term ecological viability. The work is part of International Polar Year, a global science program designed to advanceknowledge of the land and sea environments of the Arctic and Antarctic.
Can Darwin’s Lab Survive Success?
Jan 28 2008 - The New York Times (free registration required)
For anyone touring the Galápagos Islands, it is hard to imagine the globe’s first World Heritage Site is at risk. Yet last June, Unesco added the archipelago to its "in danger list," specifically citing the fragile ecosystem and the negative effects of a sizable growth in tourism. The number of visitors to the Galápagos rose more than 250 percent to 145,000 in 2006 from 40,000 in 1990, while the number of commercial flights to the area has increased 193 percent from 2001 to 2006.
Does Global Warming Mean Fewer Hurricanes?
Jan 23 2008 - CBS News
New research shows that global warming could reduce the number of hurricanes in the United States. Chunzai Wang, a research oceanographer at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the study’s author explained that with every degree Celsius that the oceans warm, the wind shear increased by up to 10 mph, weakening storm formation. Critics argue that Wang’s work is based on poor data rejected by scientists on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Hurricanes hitting land “are not a reliable record” for how hurricanes have changed, noted Kevin Trenberth, climate analysis chief for the National Center for Atmospheric Research. A former National Hurricane Center director observed that no matter who is right, hurricanes can be “deadly.”
Researchers Challenge Water-Flow Model
Jan 18 2008 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
New research is challenging how water flows across land. Many years ago, scientists concluded that water naturally moved in ribbon-like channels cut through silty banks. However, researchers at Franklin and Marshall College argue the streams studied by their geological predecessors were not “natural archetypes,” but rather the artifacts of 18th and 19th century dam building and deforestation. Scientists note the new work has important implications for stream restoration. The findings appear in the journal Science.
Coral Reefs Unlikely to Survive in Acid Oceans
Jan 18 2008 - NSTA News
Scientists from the Carnegie Institution's Department of Global Ecology have calculated that if current carbon dioxide emission trends continue, by mid century, 98% of present-day reef habitats will be bathed in water too acidic for reef growth. The work is based on computer simulations of ocean chemistry under levels of atmospheric CO2 ranging from 280 parts per million (pre-industrial levels) to 5,000 ppm. Present levels are 380 ppm and rapidly rising due to accelerating emissions from human activities, primarily the burning of fossil fuels. The findings appear in the journal Science.
Researchers Capture Optical 'Rogue Waves'
Jan 16 2008 - NSTA News
Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science have succeeded in creating and capturing rogue waves. In their research, they have discovered optical rogue waves, freak, brief pulses of intense light analogous to the infamous oceanic monsters propagating through optical fiber. The findings appear in the journal Nature.
Antarctic Ice Loss
Jan 14 2008 - Terra Daily
Scientists are measuring the amount of lost ice mass in Antarctica and on the Antarctic peninsula. Researchers estimate a loss of 132 billion tons of ice from west Antarctica, and 60 billion tons from the Antarctic Peninsula in 2006. However, ice mass in east Antarctica has been stable. Researchers have concluded that the Antarctic ice sheet is more complex than indicated by the evolution of its surface mass balance or climate-driven predictions.
Nature and Man Blamed for Thawing Arctic
Jan 3 2008 - CBS News
New research suggests a natural and cyclical increase in the amount of energy in the atmosphere. But the energy transfer is not acting alone. An upcoming study concludes the combination of both the natural energy transfer increase and man-made global warming serve as a “one-two punch” that is causing the dramatic thawing of the Arctic. Some researchers agree that the Arctic thawing is a combination of the two. However, other researchers argue the new research underestimates the effect of global warming because it relied on older data that ceased in 2001 and was not completely accurate.
Bahamas "Blue Hole" Yields Pre-Human Fossil Treasures
Dec 18 2007 - National Geographic News
Scientists and divers exploring a “blue hole” in the Bahamas have discovered several well-preserved fossils, including the remains of tortoises and crocodiles previously unknown to exist in the West Indies. The sinkhole also holds the ancient remains of globally or locally extinct species of lizards, snakes, bats, birds, and plants. “Having so many species coming out of one particular site (shows) that there was a lot more going on than we formerly thought in the Bahamas,” observed study co-author Nancy Albury, project coordinator and scientist with the National Museum of the Bahamas, the Antiquities Monuments, and Museums Corporation.
Global Warming Exposes Millions to Health Risks
Dec 14 2007 - Daily News
The World Health Organization reports that more people will be at risk for various illnesses because of global warming. Climate experts explain a rise in temperatures and heat waves will increase the number of heat-related deaths, while higher ozone levels from pollution will mean more people suffering from cardio-respiratory disease. People may also suffer from malaria, dengue fever, and cholera.
Scientists: Seaweed Could Stem Warming
Dec 9 2007 - ABC News
Climate scientists say seaweed could be a “potent weapon” against global warming. Scientists explain the plant is capable of sucking damaging carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere at rates comparable to the mightiest rain forests. Critics note that a challenge behind the new solution is keeping the carbon, once absorbed, from reentering the atmosphere. Scientists also note it is unclear how a major increase in seaweed production would impact navigation or fisheries. Proponents say seaweed and algae’s rapid rate of photosynthesis “make it a prime candidate for absorbing carbon out of the environment.”
Fin Whales' Big Gulp
Dec 6 2007 - NSTA News
Some baleen whales, in their powerful feeding lunges, can gulp a volume of water equal to a school bus, according to new calculations by biologists at the University of British Columbia and the University of California (UC), Berkeley. The findings appear in the journal Marine Ecology Progress Series.
Between Water and Rock--A New Science
Dec 3 2007 - Terra Daily
Scientists have studied the chemistry of water and mineralogy for years. But the boundary of water and rock is a new field being explored by researchers. Scientists are discovering that aquatic nanoparticles can influence natural and engineered water chemistry and systems differently than similar materials of a larger size. More information about this new field can be found in the cover story of the December issue of the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Journal of Environmental Monitoring.
Scientists Unravel Plants' Natural Defenses
Nov 26 2007 - Science Daily
British scientists have discovered how plants protect their leaves from damage by sunlight when they are faced with extreme climates. The new findings could have implications for adapting plants to the threat of global warming and for helping man better harness solar energy. More information about the research can be found in the journal Nature.
Oceans Could Slurp Up Carbon Dioxide to Fight Global Warming
Nov 20 2007 - Science Daily
In an effort to reduce global warming, scientists are proposing the construction of special water treatment plants across the globe. The plants, which would use the ocean as a carbon dioxide collector, could cause a 15% reduction in emissions over several years, according to researchers. In addition to reducing carbon dioxide emissions by cutting down on fossil fuels, researchers are focusing on new technologies that remove the gas directly from the atmosphere.
Scientists Discover New Way to Make Water
Nov 6 2007 - NSTA News
Scientists have discovered a new way to make water, and without the pop. Not only can they make water from unlikely starting materials, such as alcohols, their work could also lead to better catalysts and less expensive fuels cells.
Ancient Sea Mud Records Supernova Blast
Nov 4 2007 - NewScientist.com
Ancient sea floor sediments show that a supernova exploded during the Pliocene era and may have caused a minor extinction event on Earth. Radiation from the blast could have weakened Earth’s atmosphere, exposing organisms to the Sun’s ultraviolet radiation, explained Brian Fields of the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Fields said this coincides with an extinction peak, but noted there is no evidence of a link. The work was reported this week at a meeting of the Geological Society of America in Denver.
Longest-Lived Animal Found
Nov 2 2007 - National Geographic News
Climate researchers say a clam pulled from the icy Arctic waters is the longest-living animal found. Scientists at the Bangor University in the United Kingdom are studying growth lines in clam shells as part of an effort to understand how the climate has changed during the past thousand years. “On a side note, we discovered this very old clam,” noted Al Wanamaker, a post-doctoral researcher at the university. Some people, however, are protesting the “oldest animal” designation, noting it should go to certain corals that grow together to form colonies. Opponents argue the clam would be the oldest noncolonial animal.
Study: A Third of Primate Species at Risk
Oct 26 2007 - CBS News
A new report reveals 114 of the world’s 394 primate species are in danger of extinction because of habitat destruction. Climate change is also altering the habitats of many species, leaving those with small habitat ranges even more vulnerable to extinction, the study noted. Conservation International and the International Primatological Society in Hainan, China, authored the report.
Mass Extinctions Tied to Past Climate Changes
Oct 24 2007 - Scientific American
The end Permian extinction resulted in large amounts of land plants, animals, and ocean organisms dying about 251 million years ago. The cause of the mass extinction is unknown. But scientists do know the event was an extremely warm one. A new analysis of temperature and fossil records during the past 520 million years shows the end of the Permian is not alone in this association. Scientists note global warming is consistently associated with planet-wide extinctions.
Coral Reefs on Brink of Disaster, Scientists Urge Action Now
Oct 23 2007 - Science Daily
Australian scientists have issued a statement noting the world has a narrow window of opportunity to save coral reefs from the destruction caused by extreme climate change. Scientists are calling on societies and governments worldwide to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as a way to help save coral reefs. The call for action is the outcome of a National Forum on Coral Reef Futures held at the Australian Academy of Sciences in Canberra.
Scientists Claim to Steer Hurricanes
Oct 22 2007 - The Standard (China)
Rival teams of scientists in the United States and Israel have devised various ways to prevent future hurricanes. One plan would involve using aircraft to drop soot into the near-freezing cloud at the top of the hurricane, causing it to warm, and reduce wind speeds. The theory has been tested only in computer simulations. Another plan would consist of simulating the effect of sowing clouds with microscopic dust to cool the hurricane’s base, which would reduce its force.
Environmental Changes Preceded First Great Rise in Atmospheric Oxygen
Oct 16 2007 - NSTA News
The history of life on Earth is closely connected to the appearance of oxygen in the atmosphere, which scientists think first occurred in significant amounts during a Great Oxidation Event some 2.4 billions years ago. However, until now, little was known of environmental changes prior to this event. New findings by two teams of scientists indicate that significant oxidative changes were occurring in the oceans and atmosphere before the Great Oxidation Event.
Study: Hotter Earth Also More Humid
Oct 11 2007 - MSNBC.com
A new study concludes the amount of moisture in the air near the surface increased 2.2% in less than three decades. Humidity increased over most of the globe, including the eastern United States. However, the western part of the country, South Africa, and parts of Australia were drier, noted Katharine Willett, a climate researcher at Yale University, who co-authored the study. Computer models show the only explanation is manmade global warming. More information about the study can be found in the journal Nature.
Plant Networks Can Send Warnings, Spread Viruses
Oct 3 2007 - National Geographic News
Ongoing research suggests that plants can exchange information along linked networks. Strawberry and clover plants, for example, spread by sending horizontal stems known as runners under the ground. The runners eventually bud off new plants, which often remain connected through the stem system.
Scientists Try to Save Coral Micro Species
Sep 27 2007 - Science Daily
The Smithsonian Institution’s National Zoo has acquired microscopic Elkhorn coral larvae harvested by zoo scientists as part of a program to save the species. The scientists hope to create a genome resource bank that will help preserve the genetic diversity of coral. “Conservation of a delicate underwater species is always a challenge,” noted zoo reproductive scientist Mary Hagedorn. For more information on Animals, NSTA members can refer to the September 2007 issue of Science & Children.
New Orchid Species Found in Vietnam
Sep 26 2007 - The Independent (London, England)
Eleven new species of plants and animals have been found in Vietnam’s Annamites Mountain Range, known as the Green Corridor. The new finds include a snake, two butterflies, five orchids, and three other plants. The latest discoveries were found in 2005 and 2006.
Earth's Water Brewed at Home, Not in Space
Sep 26 2007 - NewScientist.com
Planetary scientists report the world’s oceans were actually “home grown,” meaning they may have formed because the young Earth had a thick blanket of hydrogen, which reacted with oxides in the Earth’s mantle to form lakes and seas. Most scientists had thought that the Earth’s oceans had come from water-rich asteroids and comets raining down on the planet in its youth.
Scientists Discover Rare Albino Ratfish
Sep 25 2007 - ABC News
Although no one really loves the ugly fish with rodent-like front teeth, scientists feel it is important that the public be educated about a rare albino ratfish found in the Puget Sound. The ratfish is two or three years-old, pure white, with pale green eyes and has a crystalline layer near the surface of its skin. “This animal would just stand out like a beacon,” observed University of Washington fisheries professor Ted Pietsch. “I don’t know why it wasn’t eaten long before.” For more information on Animals, NSTA members can refer to the September 2007 issue of Science & Children.
Saving for the Future, Seed by Seed
Sep 25 2007 - CBS News
With one-fifth of the Earth’s plants in danger, scientists note there is an urgent need to bank seeds worldwide. “Everything that we do depends on plants and it just makes sense to preserve as much of that as we can,” explained Andrea Raven, a botanist at the Berry Botanical Center in Portland, Oregon. Many plants have been the source for medicines used to treat diseases. Others are used for food. So far, a billion seeds have been banked, but observers note efforts need to continue.
Rising Seas Could Threaten U.S. Landmarks
Sep 24 2007 - CBS News
Climate scientists predict rising sea levels will result in the disappearance of famous landmarks across the country. Sea level rise “has consequences about where people live and what they care about,” explained Donald Boesch, a University of Maryland scientist who has studied the issue. “We’re going to be into this big national debate about what we protect and at what cost.” For more information on Weather and Climate, NSTA members can refer to the September 2007 issue of The Science Teacher.
A Whale of a Mystery
Sep 19 2007 - CBS News
Large numbers of blue whales are appearing off the coast of southern California. But the appearance of the creatures is odd, according to scientists. Scientists explain the whales normally pass through the waters on their migration route. “It’s possible that this is in response to some greater thing that is happening because of global climate change, it could just be a variation in a natural cycle,” explained Dave Bade of the Aquarium of the Pacific. For more information on Animals, NSTA members can refer to the September 2007 issue of Science & Children.
Scientists Unravel Red Tide Secrets
Sep 19 2007 - NSTA News
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) chemists have demonstrated how tiny marine organisms likely produce the red tide toxin that periodically shuts down U.S. beaches and shellfish beds. The work could one day help prevent millions of dollars in economic losses for seaside communities.
Satellites Witness Lowest Arctic Ice Coverage in History
Sep 18 2007 - Terra Daily
New satellite images show the area covered by sea ice in the Arctic has shrunk to its lowest level since measurements began 30 years ago. “The strong reduction in just one year certainly raises flags that the ice (in summer) may disappear much sooner than expected, and that we urgently need to understand better the processes involved,” explained Leif Toudal Pedersen from the Danish National Space Centre. The previous record low was set in 2005.
Ancient Records Help Test Climate Change
Sep 17 2007 - ABC News
Diaries of daily weather details from the age before 19th century standardized thermometers are proving of great value to scientists who study today’s climate. Historical accounts were once largely ignored, as they were thought to be fraught with inaccuracy or were simply inaccessible or illegible. But the booming interest in climate change has transformed the study of ancient weather records from what was once a “wallflower science,” said Christian Pfister, a climate historian at the University of Bern. For more information on Weather and Climate, NSTA members can refer to the September 2007 issue of The Science Teacher.
Panel Faults Emphasis of U.S. Climate Program
Sep 13 2007 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
Created in 2002, the Climate Change Science Program is “saddled with delays and threatened by cuts in satellites and programs monitoring conditions on Earth,” according to a new report. The program has also not focused enough on assessing impacts of a warming world on human affairs, the panel said. The panel, comprised of 15 scientists primarily from academia, was convened by the National Academies. For more information on Weather and Climate, NSTA members can refer to the September 2007 issue of The Science Teacher.
Starving Whales Point to Depleted Oceans
Sep 11 2007 - NewScientist.com
A new genetic study suggests that starvation may be impeding the recovery of the Pacific Gray whale population. A research team led by Stephen Palumbi of Stanford University obtained DNA samples from 42 gray whales Eschrichtius robustus and sequenced it at 10 different points to see how much genetic variation there was between individuals. From the samples, the researchers determined that the Gray whale populations would have averaged between 78,000 and 118,000 in previous years rather than the current estimated population of 22,000. If the findings are true, they could imply that the world’s oceans are no longer able to support the same number of whales that they once could, Palumbi noted.
Polar Bear Population Seen Declining
Sep 10 2007 - ABC News
Government scientists predict that two-thirds of the world’s polar bear population will be gone by 2050. Researchers explain the reason for the extinction is because of thinning sea ice from global warming in the Arctic. The findings of the U.S. and Canadian scientists are based on six months of new studies, during which the health of three polar bear groups and their dependency on Arctic sea ice were examined using “new and traditional models,” explained Mark Myers, director of the U.S. Geological Survey. For more information on Animals, NSTA members can refer to the September 2007 issue of Science & Children.
Virus Blamed for Mystery of the Vanishing Bees
Sep 7 2007 - The Times
Scientists have found a virus that is likely connected to a mysterious disease devastating the U.S. bee population. Honey bees in 50% to 90% of all commercial hives have disappeared because of colony collapse disorder (CCD). “Our next step is to ascertain whether the virus, alone or in concert with other factors such as microbes, toxins and stressors, can induce CCD in healthy bees,” noted Ian Lipkin of Columbia University a member of the research team making the discovery.
Scientists to Study Pollution Particles
Sep 6 2007 - CBS News
Scientists plan to study thick black diesel smoke and other air pollution particles to figure out their impact on cardiovascular health. Researcher Timothy R. Nurkiewicz of West Virginia University has received a $2.1 million grant to conduct the research. Nurkiewicz noted that governments “cannot be expected to appropriately regulate air quality and set limits for acceptable human exposure” without a full understanding of the health effects.
Plant Genes Switched on by Sound Waves
Aug 30 2007 - NewScientist.com
Whether plants respond to sound may no longer be a mystery. Mi-Jeong Jeong of the National Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology in South Korea and colleagues say they have identified two genes in rice that respond to sound waves. The scientists also note that “the promoter of one of the sound-sensitive genes could be attached to other genes to make them respond to sound, too.” The findings follow similar but unsubstantiated claims that plants respond to sound. If Jeong’s team can prove their findings to be true, the scientists say “their discovery could enable farmers to switch specific crop genes on and off, such as ones for flowering.”
Scientists Verify Predictive Model for Winter Weather
Aug 21 2007 - Terra Daily
Scientists have verified the accuracy of a computer model that can predict winter weather. The seasonal Forecast Model (sCast) uses snowfall in Siberia that falls in October to predict upcoming winter temperatures and snowfall for the Northern Hemisphere. Judah Cohen of AER, Inc., and his colleagues used winter forecasts and hindcasts to verify sCast. “Dynamical model prediction of winter climate remains a formidable challenge, and statistical approaches such as Cohen’s continue to be a valuable alternative,” noted Jay Fein, program director in the National Science Foundation’s Division of Atmospheric Sciences, which funded the research.
'New Continent' and Species Discovered in Atlantic Study
Aug 20 2007 - Science Daily
Scientists aboard the Royal Research Ship, James Cook, who explored life for five weeks in the North Atlantic Ocean at various depths ranging from 800 to 3,500 meters have returned from their expedition with new information, images, and marine life specimens, with one species thought to be new to science. The work will help scientists understand life in the deepest oceans and contribute to the global Census of Marine Life, a 10-year global scientific initiative to assess and explain the diversity, distribution, and abundance of life in the oceans.
Clues From Hurricane 'Fingerprints'
Aug 17 2007 - Christian Science Monitor
Scientists at several universities are spending their time trying to build a record of Atlantic tropical-cyclone activity. Researchers are using various strategies to achieve this goal, including dissecting the chemistry of tree rings and stalagmites to pulling long cores of muck from beneath coastal lakes and lagoons. The scientists hope their efforts will enable them to predict the strength of future storms.
Climate Models May Never Be Able to Predict Climate Accurately
Aug 13 2007 - Science News
Climate models may never produce predictions that agree with one another, even with dramatic improvements in their ability to imitate the physics and chemistry of the atmosphere and oceans, according to a report by James McWilliams, an applied mathematician and earth scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles. The mathematics of complex models guarantees that they will differ from one another, he argues. Therefore, says McWilliams, climate modelers need to change their approach to making predictions.
Soot Sped Up Arctic Ice Melt, Study Says
Aug 10 2007 - CBS News
Researchers studying how humans have impacted the climate say the Arctic “took a sooty turn for the worse.” Ice cores from before 1850 reveal most soot came from forest fires. However, since that time, black soot in the snow has increased several times over and most of it now comes from industrial activities, according to a new study published in the journal Science. In a related paper in the same journal, researchers forecast that climate warming will slow for about a decade, and then bounce back to record-setting temperatures.
UQ Researchers Discover Some of the Oldest Forms of Life
Aug 8 2007 - Terra Daily
Researchers have identified microbial remains in some of the oldest preserved organic matter on Earth. The discovery is the first to conclusively confirm the nature and source of the organic material. The researchers collected samples for their work from the Pilbara region in Western Australia. “The Pilbara region is such a good research site as it has ancient forms of the white smokers active at plate margins today and black sulfidic smokers found in sea floor vent systems in tectonically active sites,” noted University of Queensland doctoral student Lawrie Duck, a member of the research team.
Coral Reefs in Pacific Ocean Dying Faster than Expected
Aug 8 2007 - KABC News (Los Angeles, California)
Coral reefs in much of the Pacific Ocean are dying faster than previously thought, according to a new study. Researchers from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, found that coral coverage in an area stretching from Indonesia’s Sumatra Island to French Polynesia decreased 20% in the past two decades. The study also found a decline in coral coverage in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef and in poorly managed marine reserves in the Philippines.
Math Used in New Climate Change Assessment
Aug 2 2007 - Science Daily
University of Washington scientists have used mathematics to assess the effect of natural solar variation on climate change. Charles Camp and Ka Kit Tung of the university’s Department of Applied Mathematics explained that to accurately assess effects from human sources on the planet’s climate, scientists must first be able to quantify the contribution of natural variation in solar irradiance to temperature change. More information about the research can be found in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.
Rare Fossilized Cypress Trees Found in Hungary
Aug 1 2007 - ABC News
Scientists in Hungary have found fossilized swamp cypress trees preserved from eight million years ago. “The importance of the findings is that so many trees got preserved in their original position in one place,” explained Alfred Dulai, a geologist at the Hungarian Natural History Museum. “But the real rarity about these trees is that…their original wood got preserved…they did not turn into stone.” The findings could provide clues about the climate of prehistoric times, according to scientists.
Stronger Link Found Between Hurricanes and Global Warming
Aug 1 2007 - Scientific American
Researchers have discovered an increase in the number of Atlantic hurricanes that track the increase in sea surface temperatures related to climate change. Opponents of this connection say this trend “is merely because of better observations since the dawn of the satellite era in the 1970s.” The authors of a new study, however, say the connection is difficult to argue.
Ozone Has 'Strong Climate Effect'
Jul 26 2007 - BBC News
A new study shows that ozone could have a deeper effect on climate change than previously thought. Researchers say that the effects of a greenhouse gas known as formula 03 have been overlooked. As a result, more carbon dioxide will build in the atmosphere instead of being absorbed by plants. This in turn will increase climate change, researchers explain. More information about the study can be found in the journal Nature.
River Flows Again with Water
Jul 24 2007 - CBS News
Discovered in 2001, a sparkling subterranean crystalline calcite formation known as Snowy River is running with about a half-foot to a foot-and-a-half of water after being a dry riverbed. Scientists believe the last time water flowed in the Snowy River formation may have been 150 years ago. For more information on Investigating Water, NSTA members can refer to the July 2007 issue of Science & Children.
Increased Sea Levels Expected
Jul 20 2007 - China Daily
A new study shows ice loss from glaciers and ice caps is expected to cause more global sea rise during this century than the massive Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets. University of Colorado, Boulder, researchers noted that glaciers and ice caps are currently contributing about 60% of the world’s ice to the oceans, and the rate has been increasing in the past decade. In contrast, the researchers estimated Greenland is contributing 28% of the total global sea rise from ice loss, and Antarctica is contributing 12%. More information about the study can be found in the journal Science.
Study Shows Flood Separated Britain and France
Jul 19 2007 - ABC News
A new study published in the journal Nature explains that one of Earth’s largest floods separated a strip of land connecting what is now Britain and France. The flood was later followed by rising sea levels that created what is now the English Channel, according to the report. The theory that Britain became an island during a catastrophic flood rather than through the course of normal erosion was first proposed in the 1980s. The new research consisted of using high resolution sonar data that were previously unavailable to produce three-dimensional, high quality images of the region. For more information on Investigating Water, NSTA members can refer to the July 2007 issue of Science & Children.
Lake Remnants Located in Sudan
Jul 18 2007 - CBS News
Scientists have discovered the underground remnants of an ancient lake in Sudan’s and Darfur region. The water reservoir lies underneath a former highland lake whose features are covered by wind-blown sand, researchers said. The ancient lake occupied an area of 11,873 square miles, about the size of Lake Erie, and would have contained approximately 977 square miles of water when full. Researchers noted the discovery offers hope of tapping a precious resource and easing water scarcity, which experts say is the root of much of the unrest in the region. For more information on Investigating Water, NSTA members can refer to the July 2007 issue of Science & Children.
New Orchid Species Found
Jul 17 2007 - CBS News
Scientists have discovered a rare orchid species. “I was out surveying clovers one afternoon, and I started smelling something. I was like, ‘Eew, what’s that?” noted botanist Alison Colwell of how she made the discovery. The plant, which is the only known orchid species endemic to California’s Sierra Nevada range, grows in spring-fed areas between 6,000 and 9,000 feet. All nine sites where the orchid has been spotted are in Yosemite National Park.
Study Shows Sun Not to Blame for Global Warming
Jul 11 2007 - Daily Mail
A new study says that variations in the sun are not connected to global warming. If anything, they should have cooled the Earth during the past 20 years, the report noted. The findings add to a growing body of evidence that human activity, not natural causes, lies behind rising average world temperatures, which are expected to reach their second highest level this year since records began in the 1860s.
Scientists Find Squid as Long as a Bus
Jul 11 2007 - CBS News
Scientists have found a squid the size of a bus in Australia. Measuring three feet across at its widest point and 25 feet from the tip of its body to the end of its tentacles, the squid was found by a beachcomber at Ocean Beach on the island state of Tasmania’s west coast, according to officials at the Tasmanian Museum. The squid was expected to be taken to the museum, where DNA and other scientific tests would be carried out before it is preserved and possibly put on public display.
Exploring Water
Jul 10 2007 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
Whether it means taking a vacation in a location near an ocean or drinking the fluid, water is all around us, according to this article. Water also serves as a nearly universal solvent, able to dissolve more substances than any other liquid. It can act as an acid, it can act as a base, with a pinch of salt it is the solution in which the cell’s thousands of chemical reactions take place. For more information on Investigating Water, NSTA members can refer to the July 2007 issue of Science & Children.
Researchers Find Underwater Volcanoes
Jul 9 2007 - NewScientist.com
Researchers have found thousands of new volcanoes in the ocean. The scientists have counted 201,055 underwater cones, 10 times more than what has been located in the past. “The distribution of underwater volcanoes tells us something about what is happening in the center of the Earth,” explained John Hiller of the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.
Ponds Dry Up as Climate Warms
Jul 3 2007 - ABC News
Canadian researchers report that ancient ponds in the Arctic are drying up during the polar summer as warmer temperatures evaporate shallow bodies of water. The scientists noted that the evaporation of these ponds illustrates the rapid effects of global warming, threatening bird habitats and breeding grounds, and reducing drinking water for animals. “It is really interesting to see how quickly it is happening. We could see this trend had started a while ago, but at no time did we expect it to accelerate,” observed Marianne Douglas, director of the Canadian Circumpolar Institute at the University of Alberta.
Scientists Find Clear Waters
Jun 29 2007 - NewScientist.com
Scientists have found the clearest and most lifeless patch of ocean in the Pacific. Patrick Raimbault of the University of the Mediterranean in France and his colleague Marc Tedetti made the discovery during a three month cruise that left from Tahiti in French Polynesia and ended on the Chilean coast. During the expedition, they sampled the water’s chemistry, physics, and biology. Tedetti noted that he was struck by the color of the water, which he described as closer to violet than to blue. For more information on Investigating Water, NSTA members can refer to the July 2007 issue of Science & Children.
Scientists Search for Life in Ocean's Gakkel Ridge
Jun 22 2007 - Christian Science Monitor
Scientists from across the globe are headed for the Arctic Ocean in an effort to search for life along a gash in the ocean’s floor called Gakkel Ridge. The project would have seemed quixotic a decade ago. But since then, scientists have uncovered evidence suggesting that spots along this ridge might be capable of supplying the heat and nutrients to support colonies of creatures that thrive in the pitch-black water thousands of feet below the surface. Once that evidence emerged, the search for basic life in one of the world’s most inaccessible places became a must, according to the project’s scientists.
The Birth of the Arctic Ocean
Jun 21 2007 - NewScientist.com
Some 20 million years ago, the Arctic Ocean was best described as a very large lake, whose fresh water leaked southwards through a narrow strait into the Atlantic. Then, 18.2 million years ago, something happened. Drawn by shifting tectonic plates, the strait began to widen. Slowly, over the course of hundreds of thousands of years, salt water from the Atlantic began flowing into the Arctic turning it into the ocean we know today.
Spring in Arctic Arrives Earlier
Jun 19 2007 - NewScientist.com
Researchers report that spring in the Arctic now arrives about two weeks earlier than a decade ago because the snow is melting earlier. “In the short term, this is probably mainly good news, since the growing season is extending and the organisms now have more time to complete their reproductive cycle,” said Toke Hoye at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark. Hoye and his colleagues observed the dates of a range of phenomena that signal the arrival of spring, including plant flowering and when insects, butterflies, mites, and spiders emerged from hibernation to make their findings. Hoye warns that the long-term outlook may not be so positive because global warming is expected to push species that normally live further south up into the Arctic.
Climate Models Help Scientists with Ocean Warming Record
Jun 19 2007 - Terra Daily
Climate models are reliable tools that help researchers better understand the observed record of ocean warming and variability. That’s the finding of a group of Livermore scientists, who in collaboration with colleagues at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, had earlier established that climate models can replicate the ocean warming observed during the latter half of the 20th century, and that most of this recent warming is caused by human activities. The observational record also shows substantial variability in ocean heat content on interannual to decadal time scales. The new research by Livermore scientists demonstrates that climate models represent this variability much more realistically than previously believed.
Technology Group Seeks to Save Power
Jun 13 2007 - New York Times
Google and Intel are leading a consortium of major technology companies in an effort to sharply reduce the amount of power wasted by personal computers and servers. (Free registration required)
Ice Age Ends Smashingly: Did a Comet Blow Up Over Eastern Canada?
Jun 8 2007 - Science News
Evidence unearthed at more than two dozen sites across North America suggests than an extraterrestrial object exploded in Earth’s atmosphere above Canada about 12,900 years ago as the climate was warming at the end of the last ice age. Scientists say the explosion sparked immense wildfires, devastated North America’s ecosystems and prehistoric cultures, and triggered a millennium-long cold spell.
Coral Reveals Increased Hurricanes May be the Norm
Jun 6 2007 - NewScientist.com
The recent increase in the number of major Atlantic hurricanes may just be a return to the norm after a period of unusually low storm frequency, according to researchers. Johan Nyberg of the Geological Survey of Sweden and colleagues used marine sediment cores of coral samples from the northeast Caribbean to build a proxy record of wind shear and sea surface temperatures since 1730. From this, they estimated hurricane activity since that time.
Lizard Survey Reveals Greater Abundance of Animals on Islands than Mainland Ecosystems
Jun 4 2007 - NSTA News
A comprehensive survey of lizards on islands around the world has confirmed what island biologists and seafaring explorers have long observed: animals on islands are much more abundant than their counterparts on the mainland. Besides confirming that longstanding observation, the study signals an alarm for island populations in a rapidly warming world. It suggests that climate change may have devastating consequences for lizards and other animals that inhabit islands because their ecosystems are much more sensitive than those on the mainland to change.
Scientists Study Animal 'Fingerprints'
May 25 2007 - Science Daily
Scientists and criminal justice investigators have developed a technique designed to more accurately track and conduct a census of some animals. The research focuses on the fisher, a member of the weasel family, and the only carnivore known to develop “fingerprints.” The process involves using prints left at special tracking boxes to identify which fishers come in for the bait and, therefore, count the number of animals using the area.
Radiation-Eating Fungi Could Change the Energy Balance on Earth and Beyond
May 23 2007 - Space Daily
Scientists have long assumed that fungi exist mainly to decompose matter into chemicals that other organisms can then use. But researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have found evidence that fungi possess a previously undiscovered talent with profound implications: the ability to use radioactivity as an energy source for making food and spurring its growth.
New Species Found in Belly of Whale
May 21 2007 - MSNBC.com
A new species of sea anemone has been found in the carcass of a whale that sunk to the ocean floor off the coast of Monterey, California, marking the first discovery of one of these filter-feeding marine animals living in a so-called whale fall. Whale falls, the resting place of a dead whale, provide temporary, but important nutrition boosts and habitats for deep-sea life. The flesh of the dead whale decomposes within weeks, but the bones can last anywhere from 60 to 100 years as bacteria break down the bones, releasing sulfur that aquatic creatures use to make energy.
Quantum Dot Recipe May Lead to Cheaper Solar Panels
May 18 2007 - NSTA News
Rice University scientists have revealed a breakthrough method for producing molecular specks of semi-conductors called quantum dots, a discovery that could clear the way for better, cheaper solar energy panels. The research, by scientists at Rice’s Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology (CBEN), appears in the journal Small.
Ocean May Be Absorbing Less Carbon Dioxide
May 18 2007 - CBS News
The ocean, which has absorbed some excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere for centuries, may be losing that ability, a new report says. The buildup of carbon dioxide in the air since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution has raised concerns that it would trap solar energy and cause a warming of the climate. The oceans are believed to absorb about one-quarter of human-related carbon emissions. But researchers reporting in the journal Science say at least one large ocean area, the Southern Ocean that surrounds Antarctica, seems to be losing its ability to take up the gas.
'Aquanauts' Train for Future Space Trips in Underwater Lab
May 18 2007 - NewScientist.com
Surrounded by friendly sharks and curious turtles 18 meters below the surface of the ocean, NASA astronauts are working to prepare future missions to the Moon.
Scientists Demonstrate First Use of Nanotechnology to Enter Plant Cells
May 17 2007 - Space Mart News
Iowa State University plant scientists and materials chemists have successfully used nanotechnology to penetrate plant cell walls and simultaneously deliver a gene and a chemical that triggers its expression with controlled precision. The breakthrough brings nanotechnology to plant biology and agricultural biotechnology, creating a powerful new tool for targeted delivery into plant cells. For more information on Plants, NSTA members can refer to the May 2007 issues of Science Class.
Hot "Ice" May Cover Planet Circling Distant Star
May 17 2007 - ABC News
An odd planet the size of Neptune, made mostly of hot, solid water, has been discovered orbiting a nearby star and offers evidence that other planets may be covered with oceans, European astronomers reported on May 16. Called GJ 436b, the planet orbits quickly around a cool, red star some 30 light-years away, the team at the Geneva Observatory said. "It's not a very welcoming planet," Frederic Pont, an astronomer who helped make the discovery, said in a telephone interview. The planet is hot because it is near its star and under high pressure because of its mass.
Rare Turtle Discovered in Cambodia
May 16 2007 - CBS News
A rare soft-shell turtle thought to be on the brink of extinction has been discovered in Cambodia in a former stronghold of the Khmer Rouge, conservationists report. The turtle, known for its rubbery skin and jaws powerful enough to crush bone, was captured and released by researchers in March, the Conservation International (CI) and World Wildlife Fund said in a statement. “We thought it might be almost gone, but found it in abundance in this one pristine stretch of the Mekong, making the area the world’s most important site for saving this particular species,” David Emmett, a CI wildlife biologist, said in the statement.
Sudden Melting in Antarctic Seen by Satellite
May 16 2007 - ABC News
Vast areas of snow in Antarctica melted in 2005 when temperatures warmed for a week in the summer during a process that may accelerate invisible melting deep beneath the surface, NASA officials reported on May 15. A new analysis of satellite data showed that an area the size of California melted and then refroze, the most significant thawing in 30 years, the space agency said. Unlike the Arctic, Antarctica has shown little to no warming in the recent past with the exception of the Antarctic Peninsula, where ice sheets have been breaking apart.
Ocean Parks Help Corals Rebound
May 15 2007 - Scientific American
Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park in the Bahamas has existed since 1959 and been protected from fishing since 1986. But it took until now to prove that such fisheries management could actually help corals rebound. One of the Caribbean's largest marine reserves at 171 square miles, the park has been studied as part of the Bahamas Biocomplexity Project, an effort to learn about the interaction of water, wildlife, and human activity in this subtropical archipelago. As part of that project, researchers proved that grouper, a highly valuable commercial fish species, rebound in areas that are protected as marine reserves.
Lightning Spurs Hurricanes
May 11 2007 - Nature News
What creates an Atlantic hurricane? The most devastating ones are spurred by intense thunderstorms in the Ethiopian highlands, according to new research. The link between lighting strikes and hurricane formation should give researchers a heads-up about when a nasty hurricane might form, weeks before it could make landfall in the United States, says atmospheric scientist Colin Price of Tel Aviv University in Israel. Price and his colleagues at Israel’s Open University studied the 2005 and 2006 hurricane seasons, which were markedly different from each other, to conduct their research.
Astronomers Make First Exoplanet Weather Map
May 10 2007 - Space Daily
Researchers using NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope have learned what the weather is like on two distant, exotic worlds. One team of astronomers used the infrared telescope to map temperature variations over the surface of a giant, gas planet HD 189733b, revealing it likely is whipped by roaring winds. Another team determined that gas planet HD 149026b is the hottest planet yet discovered. Both findings appear in the journal Nature.
Scientists to List all Species on the Web
May 9 2007 - MSNBC.com
The world’s scientists plan to compile everything they know about all of Earth’s 1.8 million known species and put it all on one website that will be open to everyone. The effort, called the Encyclopedia of Life, will include species descriptions, pictures, maps, videos, sound, sightings by amateurs, and links to entire genomes, and scientific journal papers. The website’s first pages of information will be shown May 9 in the nation’s capital where the massive effort is being announced by some of the world’s leading institutions. The project will take about 10 years to finish.
The Mathematical Lives of Plants
May 9 2007 - Science News
New research shows the seeds of a sunflower, the spines of a cactus, and the bracts of a pine cone all grow in whirling spiral patterns. Remarkable for their complexity and beauty, they also show consistent mathematical patterns that scientists have been striving to understand. For more information on Plants, NSTA members can refer to the May 2007 issues of Science Class.
Snowball Fight Erupts Over Frozen Earth Theory
May 8 2007 - MSNBC.com
The theory that the Earth long ago froze completely over, like a giant snowball, is challenged by new data from desert outcroppings in Oman. The geological measurements indicate that even as glaciers spread across all the continents 700 million years ago, warm spells with liquid water were still common. The question now is how did our planet resist becoming a popsicle.
Feeling Warmth, Subtropical Plants Move North
May 3 2007 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
If global warming has any upside, it would seem to be for gardeners, who comprise three-quarters of the population and spend $34 billion a year, according to the National Gardening Association. Many experts agree that climate change, which by some estimates has already nudged up large swaths of the country by one or more plant-hardiness zones, has meant a longer growing season and more robust selection. But horticulturists warn that it is shortsighted to view this as good news. For more information on Plants, NSTA members can refer to the May 2007 issues of Science Class.
Puzzling Plankton Yield Secrets of Evolution and Global Photosynthesis
May 2 2007 - Terra Daily
The analysis of DNA sequences from tiny green algae have provided new insights into the mystery of how new species of plankton evolve, and further highlights their critical role in managing the global cycling of carbon. These findings, by a group led by the DOE Joint Genome Institute; the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego; and the Pierre and Marie Curie University, can be found in this week’s Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Arctic Ice Melting Much Faster Than Predicted
May 2 2007 - National Geographic News
Arctic Ocean sea ice is melting faster than even the most advanced climate change models can predict, concludes a new study. The work, published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, used the models to retroactively predict sea ice decline from 1953 to 2006. Scientists then compared the results to what has actually been recorded by Earth-based and satellite observations during that time frame.
Coral is Dying. Can it be Reborn?
May 1 2007 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
The Environmental Protection Agency is looking at water quality standards for corals in Florida, Hawaii, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico, the only American territories where they occur. The Coral Reef Task Force, created in the Clinton administration, regularly assesses coral health. The World Bank, motivated in large part by corals’ importance for ecosystems and ecotourism, has embarked on a global program to assess restoration efforts and to identify tactics to combat their decline.
Flotsam Science
Apr 30 2007 - Science News
Researchers have harnessed the power of flotsam, floating items as diverse as tennis shoes, tub toys, and hockey gloves, to chart the path and speed of the Pacific Subarctic Gyre, a group of currents in the North Pacific Ocean.
Volcanic Activity Triggered Deadly Prehistoric Warming
Apr 27 2007 - National Geographic News
The prehistoric bout of volcanic activity that slowly ripped Greenland from Europe triggered a deadly global warming event, according to a new study. The event, which happened 55 million years ago, has similarities to today’s climate changes. These changes have been linked to the human generation of greenhouse gases from fossil fuels.
NASA Launches First Ice Cloud Mission
Apr 26 2007 - Science Daily
NASA has launched the first spacecraft dedicated to exploring the mysterious ice clouds that dot the edge of space in Earth’s polar regions. The Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM) spacecraft was launched April 25 by a L-1011 aircraft from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California to study the noctilucent clouds. These types of clouds can be seen from the ground only at night, when they are illuminated by sunlight no longer visible from the Earth’s surface.
First Rainforest Unearthed
Apr 24 2007 - Terra Daily
Howard Falcon-Lang from the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom and scientists in the United States has discovered a 300 million-year-old forest in the underground workings of a coalmine in Illinois. The fossilized forest was preserved following a major earthquake. The scientists note the finding has transformed our understanding of the ecology behind the Earth’s first rainforests.
Bees Vanish, and Scientists Race for Reasons
Apr 24 2007 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
More than a quarter of the country’s 2.4 million bee colonies have been lost, tens of billions of bees, according to an estimate from the Apiary Inspectors of America, a national group that tracks beekeeping. So far, no one can say what is causing the bees to become disoriented and fail to return to their hives.
Botanists Discover the Signal that Triggers Flowering
Apr 20 2007 - NewScientist.com
After a quest lasting more than 70 years, botanists may finally have found what one leading textbook describes as “the Holy Grail of plant biology”—the molecular command that tells a plant it is time to flower.
Newfound Fossils Reveal Secrets of World's Oldest Forest
Apr 19 2007 - National Geographic News
The world’s earliest forest may have been filled with slender trees that were three stories tall and capped with branches that resembled bottlebrushes. That’s the picture painted by two, newfound fossils that are providing unprecedented insight into the appearance and ecology of the first known forest, according to a new study.
Map Reveals Secret of Awesome Mavericks Waves
Apr 19 2007 - NewScientist.com
The magnificent waves in Half Moon Bay off the coast of California, known as the Mavericks, are famous among surfers the world over. Now, geologists mapping the ocean floor have revealed the secret of the 15-meter high waves.
Decades Needed to Tell Whether Ocean Currents are Slowing
Apr 18 2007 - Nature News
Is the powerful Atlantic current that has a major role in ocean circulation slowing down? We won’t know until we have collected more than 20 years worth of continuous measurements, researchers said at the general assembly of the European Geoscience Union in Vienna, Austria.
Green, Life-Giving and Forever Young
Apr 18 2007 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
According to Peter H. Raven, director of the Missouri Botanical Gardens, many of us suffer from an insidious condition called “plant blindness.” We barely notice plants, can rarely identify them, and find them incomparably inert. “Animals are much more vivid to the average person than plants are,” Raven noted, “and some people are not even sure that plants are alive.”
When it Comes to Photosynthesis, Plants Perform Quantum Computation
Apr 16 2007 - Scientific American
Plants soak up some of the joules of solar energy that bathe Earth each second, harvesting as much as 95% of it from the light they absorb. The transformation of sunlight into carbohydrates takes place in a million billionths of a second, preventing much of that energy from dissipating as heat. But exactly how plants manage this nearly instantaneous trick has remained elusive. Now biophysicists at the University of California, Berkeley, have shown that plants use the basic principle of quantum computing—the exploration of a multiplicity of different answers at the same time—to achieve near perfect efficiency.
Massive Coral Death Caused by Earthquake
Apr 12 2007 - Science Daily
An international group of scientists has reported what is believed to be the largest death of corals off the coast of Indonesia. The scientists said the massive coral death is attributed to a March 2005 earthquake in Aceh, Indonesia, that shook more than 190 miles of sea floor, raising it more than three feet.
Effects of Climate Change Tallied Up
Apr 6 2007 - Nature News
Climate change is very likely having an impact on our planet and its life, according to the latest installment of a report published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The panel noted that the future problems caused by rising seas, growing deserts, and more frequent droughts, all look set to affect the developing world more than rich countries.
Dust Blamed for Warming on Mars
Apr 4 2007 - NewScientist.com
Scientists have been puzzling over the cause of dramatic global warming on Mars, which has made parts of the south polar ice cap disappear in recent years. The answer, it seems, is blowing in the wind: the planet’s famous red dust.
Scientists Gather for Climate Conference
Apr 3 2007 - CBS News
Climate change could threaten the lives of hundreds of millions of people in the decades to come, according to a draft of a major report being released this week.
Miniature Lab Spikes May Hold Clues to Glacier Warming Impacts
Mar 28 2007 - NSTA News
Tiny lab versions of 12-foot snow spikes that form naturally on some high mountain glaciers may someday help scientists mitigate the effects of global warming in the Andes, according to a professor at the University of Colorado, Boulder.
Botanists Discover New Bamboo Species
Mar 22 2007 - MSNBC.com
Iowa State University and University of North Carolina botanists have discovered a new species of North American bamboo, making it the third known native species of the hardy grass in the United States. The scientists found the bamboo in the Appalachian Mountains. The new species is different from the other two discovered 200 years ago because it drops its leaves in the fall.
Dazzling New Images Reveal the 'Impossible' on the Sun
Mar 22 2007 - NewScientist.com
The restless bubbling and frothing of the Sun’s chaotic surface is astonishing astronomers who have been treated to detailed new images from a Japanese space telescope called Hinode. Hinode was launched in September 2006 to study the solar magnetic field and how magnetic energy is released as the field rises into the Sun’s outer atmosphere. The mission was formerly known as Solar-B.
Snowflakes as Big as Frisbees?
Mar 20 2007 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
Since at least the 19th century, people have periodically claimed to see giant snowflakes falling from the sky, big ones the sizes of saucers and plates or even larger, their edges turned up, their heaviness making them descend faster than small flakes. But the evidence was always sketchy and, because of the fragile nature of snowflakes, fleeting. The giant flakes were not quite in the category of sea monsters or UFOs. Even so, skeptics noted the human fondness for exaggeration, as well as the lack of convincing photographs. And the organizations that compile weather records never made tracking big flakes an observational requirement. So the giants languished in a twilight world of science, their existence claimed but seldom documented. Now, theorists, weather historians, and field observers are concluding that most of the reports are true.
Many Major Rivers in Danger of Drying Out
Mar 20 2007 - Scientific American
Many major rivers in the world are at risk of drying out because of climate change and dam construction, which could affect fresh water supplies and marine life, according to the World Wildlife Fund.
Not-So-Perma Frost
Mar 15 2007 - Science News
Earth’s warming climate is taking its toll on the permafrost that lies beneath about one-fourth of the Northern Hemisphere’s land area. In many parts of the Arctic, changing patterns of precipitation and wildfires are accelerating that loss.
Bees' Buzzes Warn of Chemical Threats, Disease
Mar 14 2007 - National Geographic News
You’ve heard of the canary in the coal mine: In the presence of poisonous gas, the bird will sway or drop dead, alerting miners to get out. Now researchers have learned that the collective buzzing of honeybees can provide a similar biological alert. But unlike canaries, bees can differentiate between chemicals and will produce different sounds based on what toxin they detect, scientists say.
Efficient Methods Could Bail Out Biofuels
Mar 13 2007 - Scientific American
A new, more efficient method for manufacturing biofuels could generate enough fuel to supply the entire U.S. transportation sector while sharply reducing the amount of raw material required to make it, researchers say. By recycling the carbon dioxide wasted in current manufacturing methods, Purdue University scientists believe they could reduce the amount of plant and plant-derived material required to make biofuels. For more information on Energy, NSTA members can refer to the March 2007 issue of Science & Children.
Asia Pollution Changing World's Weather, Scientists Say
Mar 8 2007 - National Geographic News
Pollution in Asia is altering global weather patterns by creating larger clouds and more intense storms, according to a new study. Scientists say the findings are the first definitive link between human activities and significant shifts in storm patterns that influence weather worldwide.
Earthquakes Shake Sumatra, Killing at Least 70
Mar 7 2007 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
Two powerful inland earthquakes rattled the Indonesian island of Sumatra on March 6, leveling hundreds of buildings and killing at least 70 people, according to government officials in Jakarta. The death toll was expected to increase as rescue workers continued to dig through the rubble. For more information on Natural Disasters, NSTA members can refer to the March 2007 issue of Science Scope.
How Green is Nuclear Power?
Mar 7 2007 - Christian Science Monitor
In Kansas, where winds blow strong, the push for clean energy includes not only new wind turbines, but also new nuclear power plants as part of a “carbon-free” solution to climate change. It’s an idea that may be catching on. At least 11 new nuclear plants are in the design stage in nine states, including Virginia, Texas, and Florida, according to the Nuclear Energy Institute website. For more information on Energy, NSTA members can refer to the March 2007 issue of Science & Children.
Tornadoes 101--How and Why Twisters Form
Mar 6 2007 - National Geographic News
The United States is no stranger to tornadoes. With 800 annual strikes, the U.S. is hit by more tornadoes than any other country. Click on the link above to learn how and why twisters form. For more information on Natural Disasters, NSTA members can refer to the March 2007 issue of Science Scope.
Measuring Weather Harder Than You Think
Mar 5 2007 - MSNBC.com
With constant weather forecasts on television and the Internet, and all the precise storm totals that are reported, some people might think scientists had a firm grasp on how much snow and rain falls around the planet. “It’s amazing how much we don’t know about global patterns of rain and snow,” explains Walt Petersen, an atmospheric scientist with the National Space Science and Technology Center and the University of Alabama, Huntsville. NASA promises a greater understanding with future observations from space.
Early Flurry of Killer Tornadoes Linked to Cold Winter
Mar 2 2007 - NewScientist.com
The tornadoes that tore across the southeastern United States on March 1 were devastating, but not unprecedented, tornado experts say. However, experts note the twisters did strike unusually early in the year and that the recent cold air was a contributing factor. For more information on Natural Disasters, NSTA members can refer to the March 2007 issue of Science Scope.
20 New Ocean Species Found in Indonesia
Feb 28 2007 - CBS News
Twenty new species of sharks and rays have been discovered in Indonesia in a survey of catches at local fish markets, Australian researchers report. The survey represents the first in-depth look at Indonesia’s sharks and rays since Dutch scientist Peter Bleeker described more than 1,100 fish species from 1842 to 1860.
New Search for Global Warming at Poles
Feb 26 2007 - Christian Science Monitor
On Thursday, March 1, International Polar Year (IPY) will begin. Some 10,000 scientists from more than 60 countries encouraged the IPY effort because of significant changes they see taking place on Antarctica and in the Arctic. Many hold that global warming is triggering these changes, including shrinking sea ice in the Arctic Ocean, thawing permafrost, and growing instability in Greenland’s ice cap and in some floes coursing through Antarctica’s ice cap. Scientists hope IPY will enable them to gain a deeper understanding of processes affecting everything from the flow of glaciers, and key features of polar climate change, to plankton and polar bears.
Life Under Larsen Revealed by Antarctic Survey
Feb 26 2007 - NewScientist.com
A voyage to explore the marine life beneath a vast sheet of Antarctic sea ice has enjoyed great success, uncovering new species and terrain ranging from barren to teeming with fast-growing life. Researchers have described the barely known ecosystems below the Antarctic ice sheets as “the last marine frontier.”
Scientists Build a Better Rocket Engine
Feb 23 2007 - Science Daily
U.S. rocket scientists say they have developed a prototype engine that allows satellites to take off carrying up to 40% less fuel.
Volcanic Lightning Sparked by "Dirty Thunderstorms"
Feb 23 2007 - National Geographic News
When it comes to volcanic eruptions, mile-high ash clouds and geysers of molten lava grab most of the attention. But lightning often accompanies the blasts, and new research suggests that the electrical bolts may be part of a system dubbed “a dirty thunderstorm.”
Space Lasers Detect Big Lakes Under Antarctic Ice
Feb 16 2007 - Scientific American
Lasers beamed from space have detected big sloshing lakes of water underneath Antarctic ice, according to a new study published in the journal Science. The report’s authors note that knowing how these lakes behave is important to understanding the impact of climate change in the Antarctic ice sheet.
Photos Reveal Mars Had Water Underground
Feb 16 2007 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
New detailed photos of Mars show evidence of subterranean streams of liquid, including water, that once flowed long enough that they could have sustained simple forms of life, researchers say.
Bats Might Eat Birds, Study Finds
Feb 15 2007 - MSNBC.com
Bats, lauded for scooping up mosquitoes and other nasty pests, but reviled for drinking blood and spreading rabies, now have another unpopular habit to live down. Swiss and Spanish researchers report they can eat songbirds.
'Amphibian Ark' Planned to Save Frogs
Feb 15 2007 - CBS News
Ponds and swamps are becoming eerily silent. The familiar melody of ribbits, croaks, and chirps is disappearing as a mysterious killer fungus wipes out frog populations around the globe, a phenomenon likened to the extinction of dinosaurs.
Sea Creatures to Be Tracked Electronically
Feb 13 2007 - CBS News
In a modern update of "fish and chips," researchers are planning a worldwide effort to track the movement of sea creatures tagged with tiny electronic devices. Following pilot testing in the north Pacific, the Ocean Tracking Network will expand to the Atlantic, Arctic, Mediterranean, and Gulf of Mexico.
What are the Major Obstacles for Sustainable Energy?
Feb 8 2007 - NewScientist.com
What are the major obstacles that lie between our fossil fuel guzzling present and a future dominated by renewable and sustainable forms of energy? Inadequate ways of storing solar energy, building photovoltaic cells, burying carbon dioxide, and converting sugars into fuel are some of the answers given by scientists in a special issue of the journal Science.
Fake Fruits Could Help Restore Rainforest
Feb 8 2007 - Nature News
Researchers have discovered that bats can be lured into large areas of destroyed rainforest with fake fruits. The researchers note that this could be the key to restoring patchy parts of the landscape.
Climate Panel Issues Urgent Warning to Curb Gases
Feb 2 2007 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
In a bleak and powerful assessment of the future of the planet, the leading international network of climate change scientists has concluded for the first time that global warming is “unequivocal” and that human activity is the main driver, “very likely” causing most of the rise in temperature since 1950.
Scientists Figure Out Origins of Sea Smell
Feb 2 2007 - MSNBC.com
A trip to the beach means sand between your toes, salt water in your mouth, and that aromatic sea air in your nose. But what gives the ocean air that delightful and distinctive smell? The smell comes from a gas produced by genes recently identified by researchers in ocean-dwelling bacteria.
Ecologists Must Work Faster
Feb 1 2007 - Christian Science Monitor
With global farming projected to double my mid century, researchers are seeking quicker ways to assess the impact of land use on wildlife. Ecologists also need more knowledge of how land use changes affect food webs and other subtle wildlife interrelationships, according to the author of this article. For more information on Populations and Ecosystems, NSTA members can refer to the January 2007 issue of Science Scope.
Evolution Change May Help Plants Cope Better
Jan 30 2007 - NSTA News
Countering Charles Darwin’s view that evolution occurs gradually, scientists at the University of California, Irvine, have discovered that plants with short life cycles can evolutionally adapt in just a few years to climate change.
Fight Watching Fish Can Figure Out Local Pecking Order, Study Shows
Jan 25 2007 - National Geographic News
A new study shows that fish can watch their rivals face off and then figure out where they all rank compared to each other.
Survey: Waterbird Species Are In Decline
Jan 23 2007 - CBS News
Nearly half of the world's waterbird species are in decline, mostly due to rapid economic development and the effects of climate change, according to a global survey. The fourth Waterbird Population Estimate found that 44% of the 900 species globally have fallen in the past five years, while 34% were stable, and 17% rising. Altogether, 12 families of birds have half or more of their global populations showing a decreasing trend, including storks, shoebills, and plovers. For more information on Populations and Ecosystems, NSTA members can refer to the January 2007 issue of Science Scope.
Mammals Can Smell Objects Under Water
Jan 23 2007 - NSTA News
A Vanderbilt University researcher has discovered that some stealthy mammals have been doing something previously thought impossible—using their sense of smell under water.
Scientists Spend 10 Years Watching Leaf Litter Decay for Clues to Climate Change
Jan 19 2007 - Scientific American
Plants thrive off the nutrient remnants of their ancestors and peers. Trees in a temperate forest draw nitrogen from the soil that is largely derived from the breakdown of the leaves that carpet the ground. From the Arctic tundra to the tropical jungles of Costa Rica, this cycle of decay follows roughly the same rules, according to a new study. For more information on Populations and Ecosystems, NSTA members can refer to the January 2007 issue of Science Scope.
More Heat = Less Oxygen
Jan 18 2007 - Christian Science Monitor
Ten years of research that combined laboratory study with field work has given scientists new insight into the decline of eelpout populations in the southern part of the North Sea. For more information on Populations and Ecosystems, NSTA members can refer to the January 2007 issue of Science Scope.
Shrimpy Invader Raises Big Concerns
Jan 17 2007 - Science News
Scientists have identified a new creature that is causing concerns for the Great Lakes. The mysid shrimp is part of a warm water species known as Hemimysis anomala and appears to be reproducing in southeastern Lake Ontario, according to a report received by the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration. Anthony Ricciardi of McGill University said he predicts it will be a “highly disruptive species” because the mysid consumes microscopic animals at the bottom of the food chain, which are dietary staples for many young fish. For more information on Populations and Ecosystems, NSTA members can refer to the January 2007 issue of Science Scope.
Backyard Weather Network Set to Expand
Jan 16 2007 - Scientific American
Satellites have not yet replaced the humble rain gauge when it comes to collecting weather data in the United States, but scientists plan to expand the network over the next few years. Under the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network, volunteers will measure the amount of rain in their backyard gauges on a daily basis and add the information to an online database. “With all the advances we have had in the science of weather observations over the past several decades, there is still nothing that can compare to the human observer,” said Bruce Sullivan, program coordinator and a scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Long Term Global Forecast? Fewer Continents
Jan 9 2007 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
Geologists have long prided themselves on their ability to peer into the distant past and discern the slow movements of land and sea that have continuously revised the planet’s face over eons. Drawing on new insights, theories, measurements, and technologies, and perhaps a bit of scientific bravado, they are now forecasting the shape of terra firma in the distant future.
Plants That Grow Faster May Have Advantage
Jan 9 2007 - CBS News
The ability to grow like a weed may be an advantage when it comes to coping with climate change. Plants with short life cycles can adapt more quickly to change than those that reproduce slowly, according to a new study by researchers at the University of California, Irvine. The findings are reported in the latest issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Fish Follow Their Noses Back Home
Jan 9 2007 - MSNBC.com
Baby tropical fish, drifting at the mercy of ocean currents, probably follow their noses back to their home reefs when they grow large enough to swim, according to researchers. Fish that dwell on Australia's Great Barrier Reef generally like to stick closer to home, where they know to find food and hide from predators. But in their first few weeks of life, lacking the ability to swim, larval fish can drift up to 20 miles from where they were born. They likely rely on their sense of smell to make their way back home, according to scientists at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts.
After Long Struggle, Whooping Crane Population Hits Milestone
Dec 27 2006 - Washington Post
The whooping crane, the tallest bird in North America, whose numbers dwindled to fewer than 20 in 1941, is not only back from the brink of extinction but also thriving--a comeback story, federal wildlife officials say, that illustrates how a coordinated conservation effort can save a species.
"The whooping crane continues to mirror the success of endangered species recovery when man sets his mind to it," said Tom Stehn, the national whooping crane coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "We have come a long way, but we do have a long, long way to go."
Carbon Nanotube Aquatic Dispersal Studied
Dec 20 2006 - Science Daily
U.S. scientists have issued another warning about nanomaterials, saying some show significant potential for dispersal in aquatic environments. For more information on nanotechnology or Small Science, NSTA members can refer to the December 2006 issue of The Science Teacher.
Earth-Friendly Fabrics
Dec 19 2006 - Science News for Kids
Students today might soon have another consideration when buying the latest fashions: Do the clothes have a positive environmental impact? Although it's already possible to buy shirts made from bamboo and socks made from corn, some companies interested in sustainable development might also soon produce clothes made from chicken feathers or rice straw to provide things that people need while protecting natural resources and preserving biodiversity.
Extreme New Species Discovered By Sea Life Survey
Dec 13 2006 - National Geographic News
A host of weird and wonderful discoveries from across the seven seas has been discovered this year, according to a global consensus of ocean life. Heat-resistant volcanic shrimps, bacteria-farming furry crabs, and a giant species of lobster are among the finds made by marine scientists probing some of the world’s deepest and remotest seas. The discoveries add to the Census of Marine Life, a project that aims to record all known ocean life, living and extinct, by 2010.
DNA-Like Ice 'Seen' Inside Carbon Nanotubes
Dec 12 2006 - NewScientist.com
New detailed computer simulations suggest that nanoscale ice formations resembling the double helices of DNA will form when water molecules are frozen inside carbon nanotubes. For more information on nanotechnology or Small Science, NSTA members can refer to the December 2006 issue of The Science Teacher.
All But Ageless, Turtles Face Their Biggest Threat: Humans
Dec 12 2006 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
As a major new book and a wealth of discoveries have made clear, turtles are built for hard times. Through famine, flood, heat wave, ice age, a predator’s inspections, and a paramour’s rejections, turtles take adversity in stride, usually by striding as little as possible.
Ancient Tsunami Smashed Europe, Middle East, Study Says
Dec 5 2006 - National Geographic News
A massive tsunami smashed Mediterranean shores some 8,000 years ago, when a giant chunk of volcano fell into the sea, according to a new study by Italian researchers. The researchers based their findings on geological clues and evidence of a hastily abandoned Stone Age fishing settlement in Israel.
Study: Beetles May Reduce Wildfire Risk
Nov 30 2006 - CBS News
The infestation of tree-killing bugs sweeping through millions of acres of forests in the West might help prevent wildfires rather than fuel them as feared, according to a new study.
Scientists Study 'Snowball Earth'
Nov 28 2006 - Science Daily
Canadian scientists have determined the factors involved in ending a severe ice age 750 million years ago that almost completely froze Earth’s oceans.
Toxic Seed Becomes Hope for the Hungry
Nov 27 2006 - Christian Science Monitor
Where most people might look at a white-capped cotton plant and see the makings of next year’s T-shirts, Keerti Rathore sees food for a hungry world. Rathore and his colleagues have figured out how to make poisonous cottonseeds fit for human consumption. The new, nontoxic seeds could give 500 million people an additional source of high-quality protein, the team estimates, if the genetically engineered plant is approved for cultivation.
Scientists Want More Ethanol Research
Nov 17 2006 - CBS News
To ensure there's enough corn to fuel humans as well as vehicles, scientists are urging more research into boosting corn yields and improving ethanol production.
Wave-Powered 'Ducks' Could Purify Seawater
Nov 7 2006 - NewScientist.com
Researchers in the United Kingdom report that ocean waves could provide an energy–efficient way to desalinate seawater. While conventional purification plants have high-energy demands, the rocking motion of floating buoys could be used to drive a pump system for desalination.
Indian Scientists Find Rare Plant
Nov 7 2006 - CBS News
Indian scientists working in a tropical forest of the country’s remote northeast have found a rare medicinal plant last seen 115 years ago, according to a scientific journal report.
Humans Will Need Two Earths, Report Claims
Oct 24 2006 - MSNBC.com
Humans are stripping nature at an unprecedented rate and will need two planets worth of natural resources every year by 2050 if current trends continue, according to a new report published by the World Wildlife Fund and the Global Footprint Network.
Study: Africa Dust May Hamper Hurricanes
Oct 11 2006 - CBS News
Dust storms swirling out of Africa's Sahara Desert may help reduce hurricane activity in the Atlantic Ocean, a new study suggests. The findings are not conclusive, but researchers led by Amato T. Evan of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, found that years with more African dust had fewer tropical storms and years with less dust had more storms.
Seals Don't Shiver in Chilly Waters
Oct 10 2006 - Nature News
Diving head first into a tank of chilly water would cause even the most stoic of us to shiver, but not the hooded seal (Cystophora cristata). Although the plucky marine mammals shiver on cold, dry land, they stop as they plunge into nippy waters, a strategy that probably helps them to conserve oxygen and minimize the brain damage that could result from long dives, according to new research.
Wild Bees Make Honey Bees Better Pollinators
Sep 29 2006 - NSTA News
When honey bees interact with wild native bees, they are up to five times more efficient in pollinating sunflowers than when native bees are not present, according to a new study by researchers at the Berkeley and Davis campuses of the University of California.
Scientists Issue Strongest Coral Warning
Sep 27 2006 - CBS News
Scientists have issued their strongest warning so far this year for coral reefs, saying that unusually warm Caribbean Sea temperatures threaten their existence. The warning from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration urges scuba dive operators and underwater researchers in the U.S. Caribbean territories to look for coral damage and use caution around the fragile reefs, which are easily damaged by physical contact.
Science of the Season
Sep 26 2006 - MSN.com
Bill Nye, a scientist and author who hosts two television series, explains why leaves change color and fall off trees in autumn.
Scientists Study Decline in Turtle Nests
Sep 25 2006 - CBS News
Scientists are trying to figure out why the number of loggerhead sea turtle nests has significantly declined over the past seven years. This trend has been seen throughout Florida, but is especially noticeable from Brevard to Palm Beach counties, where 80% of the sea turtle nesting takes place in the state. The lack of nests could be a sign of a population decline, according to scientists.
Shrimpy Krill May Cause Big Ocean Mixing
Sep 22 2006 - Scientific American
Scientists report that schools of tiny animals and fish might be a huge and unnoticed contributor to the churning of ocean water. Rough estimates of the water–stirring potential of underwater organisms suggest they could be responsible for one third of all ocean mixing. For more information on water science and oceanography, NSTA members can refer to the September 2006 issue of The Science Teacher.
Shark That Walks on Fins is Discovered
Sep 18 2006 - CBS News
Scientists combing through undersea fauna off Indonesia’s Papua province have discovered 52 new species. These species include 24 new species of fish, 20 new species of coral, and eight new species of shrimp. Among the highlights are an epaulette shark that walks on its fins, a praying mantis–like shrimp, and scores of reef–building corals. Papers on two of the new fish species have been accepted for publication.
Most Corals Unable to Adapt to Warming Oceans
Sep 13 2006 - NewScientist.com
Three–quarters of the world’s coral reefs may lack the ability to cope with climate change, despite previous optimistic predictions, according to a new review of coral research. Earlier studies had demonstrated that some corals are able to adapt to warmer water temperatures by forming new, additional symbiotic relationships with algae. But a new analysis of more than 400 coral species suggests that only one–quarter of them would be able to adapt in this way.
Environmental Forensics is New Field
Sep 11 2006 - Science Daily
Researchers at Queen’s University are working to promote the application of forensics to the field of environmental science. Lead researcher Bob Kalin says environmental forensics focuses on identifying how and when contamination took place, its extent and impact, and whether there have been attempts to illegally cover it up. Determining scientifically who is responsible for pollution will be of benefit to major projects under way, including the redevelopment of the site for the 2012 Olympic games in East London and the Clyde Gateway project in Glasgow.
Evolution of Fruit Fly Mirrors Climate Change
Sep 7 2006 - NSTA News
Fast-warming climate appears to be triggering genetic changes in a species of fruit fly that is native to Europe and was introduced into North and South America about 25 years ago.
Butterfly Wings May Inspire New Flat Panel Displays
Sep 6 2006 - NewScientist.com
Copying the way butterflies create the extraordinary metallic coloring on their wings could lead to new kinds of dyes, cosmetics, and even flat panel displays. Furthermore, the materials could be grown, potentially making them less expensive than manufactured alternatives. The latest work supporting these ideas comes from a group of European and American researchers, who have measured for the first time the structure and optical characteristics of the photonic crystals that naturally occur in the wings of the butterfly Cyanophrys remus.
Scientists Map Canyon Below Atlantic
Sep 4 2006 - CBS News
Although it is located 100 miles off the coast of New York and New Jersey, the features of the Hudson Canyon have been largely hidden beneath hundreds of feet of water. Created by the Hudson River centuries ago, parts of the massive, undersea region rival the Grand Canyon in scale. Now, for the first time, scientists have a vivid picture of what the mysterious region looks like.
Anemic Phytoplankton Absorb Less Carbon Than Thought
Aug 31 2006 - Scientific American
Researchers have found that phytoplankton in the Pacific Ocean are starved for iron. As a result, these microscopic plants soak up less of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide than previously thought. Although the difference in carbon uptake is not enough to significantly perturb climate predictions, the research could lead to an improved understanding of how climate changes will affect phytoplankton’s ability to take up carbon. For more information on Ocean Science, refer to the August issues of Science Class.
Water Crisis Happening Now
Aug 21 2006 - Nature News
One third of the world’s population is living in areas that are short of water, according to a new study titled Insights from the Comprehensive Assessment of Water Management in Agriculture. Scientists had predicted that such a situation would not arrive until 2025. The new research improves upon a similar assessment made in 2000, which primarily examined the use of water for crops. The new study includes an assessment of water use for cattle and fisheries, and integrates new data on individual river basins, and satellite measurements of irrigated land areas.
"Red Devil" Squid, Jellyfish Point to Ocean Upsets
Aug 21 2006 - Scientific American
Scientists say South American "Red Devil" squid found off the Alaskan coast and jellyfish plaguing the Mediterranean may point to vast disruptions in the seas linked to global warming, pollution, or over–fishing. They also say that tropical coral reefs could die in warmer waters. Many reefs, often known as “nurseries of the seas,” are struggling with higher temperatures. For more information about Ocean Science, refer to the August issues of Science Class.
Scientists Add Years to Ozone Recovery
Aug 18 2006 - ABC News
Scientists say it will take the atmosphere 15 years longer than expected to recover from pollution and repair its ozone hole over the southern hemisphere. Officials with the United Nations’ weather organization explain that thinning in the ozone layer is due to chemical compounds that have leaked from refrigerators, air conditioners, and other devices, which have exposed the Earth to harmful solar rays. Experts noted that they extended the projected recovery date to 2065 because chlorofluorocarbons would continue to leak into the atmosphere from air conditioners and other pieces of equipment for years to come.
Deep Sea Graveyard for CO2
Aug 8 2006 - NewScientist.com
Researchers say the biggest and safest place to dump carbon dioxide would be deep within sediments on the ocean bed. Several hundred meters down in the sediment, the high pressures and low temperatures would ensure that the carbon dioxide would quickly liquefy or form hydrates. Even earthquakes would not shift it, says Kurt House, a Harvard University geoscientist who has researched the possibility with his peers. For more information on Ocean Science, refer to the August issues of Science Class.
Stressed Plants Pass on Ability to Quickly Adapt
Aug 7 2006 - Scientific American
Researchers have shown plants’ ability to adapt to changing conditions in stressful situations can be passed on to four generations. Barbara Hohn of the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research in Switzerland and her colleagues subjected several thale cress plants to harsh levels of ultraviolet light or evidence of bacterial pathogens. The plants survived the ordeal by increasing the frequency of homologous recombination during cell division as expected. But the plants also passed this elevated mutation rate onto their offspring at a rate of two to four times higher than in the progeny of unstressed parents, even when these offspring were not challenged with ultraviolet light or pathogens.
Energy From the Restless Sea
Aug 3 2006 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
Machines of various shapes and sizes are being tested off shores from the North Sea to the Pacific to see how they capture waves and tides to create marine energy. With high oil prices, dwindling fuel supplies, and a growing pressure to reduce global warming, governments and utilities have high hopes for tidal energy. The challenge, however, is turning an accumulation of research into a viable commercial enterprise, which has proved elusive for many years. For more information about Ocean Science, refer to the August issues of Science Class.
Oceans Contain More Microorganisms
Aug 1 2006 - CBS News
New findings published in the online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences show the world’s oceans contain more microorganisms than previously thought. “In our new study, we discovered more than 20,000 in a single liter of seawater, having expected just 1,000 to 3,000. The number of different kinds of bacteria in the oceans could eclipse five to 10 million,” said Mitchell Sogin of the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. The work performed by Sogin and his colleagues is part of the International Census of Marine Microbes, a 10-year project consisting of researchers in 70 countries studying the diversity of life in the oceans.
Scientists Break Down Oil-Eating Microbe
Jul 31 2006 - Scientific American
Oil spills continue to be a major problem across the globe. The spills have soiled the world’s seas every year causing ecological damage. Scientists developing strategies to clean the oceans have looked to the microbes that thrive in the wake of such spills as one solution. A detailed analysis of a microbe named Alcanivorax borkumensis, a rod-shaped bacteria that relies on oil to provide it with energy, has enabled scientists to move one step closer to having biologically-based remedies for oil spills.
Scientists to Stake Out World's Hurricane Nursery
Jul 27 2006 - NewScientist.com
Scientists from NASA, NOAA, and U.S. universities plan to use several pieces of equipment on belts of thunderstorms and low pressure systems moving westward from the African coast to figure out why and how these disturbances grow into hurricanes. The project will focus on how monsoon weather patterns evolve as they move off the African coast and over the Atlantic. Scientists note that advances in predicting hurricane intensity are 15 to 20 years behind schedule. More detailed data will help researchers refine their computer models of hurricane growth and behavior.
What Shape is a Pebble?
Jul 24 2006 - Nature News
When asked what shape is a pebble, most people might answer by saying “pebble-shaped.” But scientists from France and the United States have now defined what pebble-shaped means. Material physicist Doug Durian of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and his colleagues explain that a pebble is a rounded body with a near-gaussian distribution of curvatures. While no two pebbles are exactly alike, the scientists say all pebbles seem to end up with this mathematical form.
Scientists Map Miles of Underwater Dunes
Jul 21 2006 - ABC News
Scientists have mapped some of the world’s largest underwater sand dunes to better understand beach erosion. The submerged dunes, known as sand waves, are located west of the Golden Gate Bridge, measuring 30 feet high and 700 feet long, according to researchers with the U.S. Geological Survey. “Part of the purpose of our (sand wave) survey was to assess changes in San Francisco Bay in the last 50 years,” explains Patrick Barnard, who authored the study. “We have found the bay has lost a huge amount of sediment since 1956—approximately 137 million cubic yards.”
Top Predators Key to Ecosystem Survival
Jul 19 2006 - MSNBC.com
A new study reveals how ecosystems can crumble without the presence of top predators by keeping populations of key species from growing too large. Researchers led by Neil Rooney of the University of Guelph in Canada studied eight natural food webs, each with distinct food chains, leading from the bottom of the web to the top, to conduct their research. The researchers discovered that the top predators play their role by gradually eating each chain’s top consumers. “Top predators are kind of like the regulators of the food web—they keep each energy channel in check,” said Rooney.
Rogue Giants at Sea
Jul 11 2006 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
Enormous waves that sweep the ocean are traditionally called rogue waves. Over the decades, skeptical oceanographers have doubted their existence and tended to lump them together with sightings of mermaids and sea monsters. But scientists are finding that these giants of the sea are far more common and destructive than previously thought, which has prompted a rush of new studies and research projects.
Intensive Care Heals Damaged Coral Reefs
Jul 9 2006 - NewScientist.com
Several areas of the world’s coral reefs are in a desperate state after years of damage. Marine conservationists are fighting to provide the necessary intensive care to repair them. One approach being taken by the conservationists is sending divers into the ocean to glue the damaged reefs back together, using coral nurtured in large underwater nurseries.
Fossil Fuels Said to Damage Ocean Life
Jul 6 2006 - ABC News
A panel of scientists says corals and other marine creatures are threatened by chemical changes in the ocean caused by the carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels. The scientists, from the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimate that between 1800 and 1994 the world’s oceans absorbed 118 billion metric tons of carbon, which reduces the natural alkalinity of seawater.
Scientists Investigate Marsh Die-Off
Jun 27 2006 - CBS News
Scientists are trying to figure out what is killing salt marshes along the coastline in Connecticut. Dubbed “sudden wetlands dieback,” the mysterious phenomenon has also been reported in several other states. The marshes are considered the foundation of the marine food chain and buffer the shoreline against flooding and storms. On healthy salt marshes, the smooth cord grass grows in a belt right up to the water’s edge, securing the marsh. The death of the grasses means that section of marsh ceases to exist as a productive habitat.
Scientists Taking Cues from Nature
Jun 20 2006 - CBS News
People have always looked to nature for inspiration. But for the past 30 years, such observations have become the foundation of an increasingly popular scientific field—biologically inspired design. Dozens of researchers gathered in Atlanta in May to share their experiments in what observers said was a sign of the field’s coming of age. Projects on display included how bat ears could improve sonar technology and using worms to learn how to develop sensors that could one day distinguish smell. Critics argue the “relative dearth of discoveries and the staggering cost to develop them is not worth the final product.” Scientists in the field say “recent advances will lead to new discoveries that will far outweigh any concerns.”
Experts Tracking Coral Reef Killers
Jun 13 2006 - ABC News
Biologists and criminal experts from around the world are joining forces to develop crime scene investigation techniques that work under water. The effort will help marine biologists document and preserve their findings so they will hold up in court if death strikes a coral reef. The “CSI”-type standards will govern such things as how to take notes under the sea, how to mark off and photograph a crime scene, and how to preserve the chain of custody so that defense attorneys cannot argue that evidence was tampered with.
Scientists Discover 8 New Species
Jun 2 2006 - CBS News
Israeli scientists have discovered an ancient ecosystem containing eight previously unknown species. Scientists found the new crustaceans and invertebrates in a lake inside a cave near the city of Ramle in central Israel. “This is a very unique ecosystem that is completely isolated from the surface,” explains team leader Amos Frumkin. Frumkin said the animals had been completely sheltered from the outside world by a thick layer of chalk that was impenetrable to water or exterior nutrients.
Scientists Say Arctic Once Was Tropical
Jun 1 2006 - ABC News
Core samples dug up from deep beneath the Arctic Ocean floor show that 55 million years ago an area near the North Pole was a subtropical paradise, according to three new studies. Scientists say their findings are a “glimpse backward into a much warmer than thought polar region heated by run-amok greenhouse gases that came about naturally.” However, skeptics of manmade causes of global warming have nothing to rejoice over. The researchers say their studies also offer information on how bad conditions can get.
Two Studies Link Global Warming to Greater Power of Hurricanes
May 31 2006 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
Climate researchers from two universities have separately released new studies supporting the idea that global warming is causing stronger hurricanes. The idea is the subject of a long-running scientific dispute. Although the new research supports one side, neither the authors nor other climate experts, say it is conclusive. Stanley B. Goldenberg, a meteorologist with the hurricane research division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration who has expressed skepticism about any connection between global warming and hurricane intensity, said he has not seen the new studies, but had read nothing in other recent research to change his view.
Global Warming Stretches Subtropical Boundaries
May 26 2006 - NewScientist.com
The atmosphere is warming faster in subtropical areas compared to other areas across the globe, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Washington. The researchers analyzed the tropical air circulation pattern and found that this climate belt has expanded by about 70 miles toward both the north and south poles during the past 27 years. As a result, the north and south jet streams have also moved closer to each of their respective poles. Scientists note this new feature of global warming could cause deserts to expand into heavily populated urban areas and force other changes.
Humans May Have Limiting Effect on the Origin of (New) Species
May 23 2006 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
Humans can threaten species with extinction in many ways, including pollution, deforestation, and over fishing. But two new studies point to another danger to the world’s biodiversity. Scientists explain in this article that humans may be blocking new species from evolving.
Caterpillars Scent Signs of Trouble
May 22 2006 - NewScientist.com
Japanese scientists have discovered that harsh chemicals released by plants can serve as a warning sign to insect predators. Kaori Shiojiri and his colleagues at Kyoto University have shown that corn plants release a chemical when they are consumed during daytime hours. The scents attract predatory wasps that can attack caterpillars that feed on the plants. The caterpillars, however, use the signals to predict the presence of the wasps. The researchers had previously thought that levels of light or darkness might have served as the caterpillars’ primary environmental cue.
French Scientists Find 'Living Fossil'
May 20 2006 - CBS News
French scientists who recently explored the Coral Sea have found a new species of crustacean previously thought to be extinct. The living fossil, a female baptized Neoglyphea Neocaledonica, has been described by scientists as “halfway between a shrimp and a mud lobster” with huge eyes, reddish spots, and a thick body. Scientists found the living fossil more than a thousand feet under water during an expedition in the Chesterfield Islands, northwest of New Caledonia.
Mammoth Extinction Caused By Trees, Study Suggests
May 10 2006 - National Geographic News
New research shows that climate change, not humans, may be what killed off Ice Age mammoths, horses, and other large animals in North America. Dale Guthrie, a researcher at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks, has spent some 20 years examining more than 600 bones of large mammals from Alaska and the Yukon Territory. Guthrie’s analysis can be found in the May 11 issue of the journal Nature.
Evolution Happens Faster in the Tropics
May 2 2006 - MSNBC.com
A new study suggests that plants and animals living in warm, tropical climates evolve faster than those living in more temperate zones. Scientists from the University of Auckland in New Zealand examined the rate of molecular evolution for 45 tropical plants and compared it to related species living at more temperate latitudes to make their finding. Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the finding could help explain why rainforests have such rich biodiversity compared with other parts of the planet.
Tsunami Network on Lookout for Giant Waves
Apr 28 2006 - ABC News
More than 200,000 people perished when a monstrous wave swept the Indian Ocean in 2004. In hopes of avoiding a similar disaster here, a tsunami warning system has been expanded to both coasts of the United States. DART Deep-ocean sensors in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Caribbean now listen for earthquakes on the seafloor, sense the pressure of waves passing over them, and radio their findings to scientists at warning centers in Alaska and Hawaii.
Writing Systems Traced Back to Nature
Apr 25 2006 - MSNBC.com
The shapes of letters in all languages are derived from common forms in nature, according to a new hypothesis. The idea comes from a study of how robots see the world. Robots employ object recognition technology to navigate a room by recognizing contours. A corner is seen as a “Y,” for example, and a wall is recognized by the L-shape it makes where it meets the floor. “It struck me that these junctions are typically named with letters, such as L, T, Y, K, and X and that it may not be a coincidence that the shapes of these letters look like the things they really are in nature,” said Mark Changizi, a theoretical neurobiologist at the California Institute of Technology.
Hurricanes Could Cause Tsunami Threat
Apr 21 2006 - Nature News
Researchers at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory say that hurricanes can pile up sediment underwater that could then slip, causing a tsunami. The research team has based their finding on geological evidence for unexplained landslides in the Gulf of Mexico that took place thousands of years ago.
Scientists Find Rivers Under Antarctic Ice
Apr 19 2006 - MSNBC
Scientists report rivers as big as the Thames in England that may connect sub-glacial lakes have been found deep under the Antarctic ice. British researchers who discovered the plumbing system that moves water hundreds of miles said it challenges the notion that lakes under the Antarctic ice evolved independently and could support ancient life. “Previously, it was thought water moves underneath the ice by very slow seepage,” explained professor Duncan Wingham of University College London, who headed the research team. “But this new data shows that, every so often, the lakes beneath the ice pop off like champagne corks, releasing floods that travel very long distances.”
Scientists Predict Extinctions From Global Warming
Apr 12 2006 - Scientific American
Global warming has extended the destructive reach of humankind. Plants and animals far from human habitation are now threatened by the climate change resulting from the carbon we release into the atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels. But a new study shows that global warming may surpass other by-products of human activity, such as deforestation, in driving species into extinction.
Balloon Data Confirms Antarctic Warming Trend
Mar 31 2006 - Scientific American
Launching weather balloons has been a nearly daily habit at some Antarctic research facilities since 1957. Carrying radiosondes--instruments that measure atmospheric conditions such as temperature and wind speed—the balloons travel as high as 12 miles or more. A new analysis of the past 30 years of records from nine research stations, including Amundsen-Scott at the South Pole, reveals that the air above the entirety of Antarctica has warmed by as much as 0.70 degree Celsius per decade during the winter months.
Climate Model Predicts Greater Melting, Submerged Cities
Mar 24 2006 - Scientific American
New research shows that a refined climate model is predicting sea level increases as much as 20 feet. Two scientists matched results from the Community Climate System Model and climate records preserved in ice cores, exposed coral reefs, fossilized pollen and the chemical make-up of shells to determine the accuracy of the computer simulation. “Getting the past climate change correct in these models gives us more confidence in their ability to predict future climate change,” said Otto-Bliesner of the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado.
Statistical Analysis Bolsters Theory Linking Warmer Oceans to Stronger Hurricanes
Mar 17 2006 - Scientific American
Since the 1970s, ocean surface temperatures around the globe have been on the rise, from one half to one degree Fahrenheit, depending on the region. Last summer, two studies linked this temperature rise to stronger and more frequent hurricanes. Skeptics called other factors into question, such as natural variability. A new statistical analysis, however, shows that only the sea surface temperature increase explains this trend.
Manatee, Sea Lion Deaths May Be Health Warnings for Humans
Feb 28 2006 - National Geographic News
You may think you have little in common with a sea lion, otter, or manatee. But if you happen to eat seafood, own a cat, or live near the coast, the health of these ocean animals may be relevant to your own. Marine mammals, scientists say, are often indicators of environmental problems such as disease-causing life forms and biologically-produced toxins. For more information on Health, Nutrition, and the Human Body, NSTA members can refer to the March 2006 issue of Science & Children.
Scientists Focus on Tiny Ice Worms
Feb 22 2006 - ABC News
A tiny ice worm that lives in glaciers and snowfields is drawing attention for what it could reveal about life on other planets. Ben Lee, a senior at the University of Puget Sound and his roommate Dave Eiriksson, found the worms in the slopes of Mount Rainier. In 2005, NASA provided $200,000 to explore the worms’ cold tolerance and what it might reveal about the possibility of life on Jupiter’s icy moons and other planets. That work could also improve cold storage of organs and tissues for transplantation.
Scientists May Have Found New Fish Species
Feb 15 2006 - ABC News
Scientists have discovered what they believe is a new fish species and at least 20 types of previously unknown seaweeds in a coral-covered underwater mountain off the Dutch island of Saba in the Caribbean. The scientists found unique striped patterns on the seaweeds and a goby with orange spots, a fish that researchers believe is new to science, during the January expedition. Scientists note it could take a year before the findings are confirmed.
January Was America's Warmest on Record
Feb 8 2006 - ABC News
January 2006 was the warmest January ever recorded. The country’s average temperature for the month was 39.5 degrees Fahrenheit, 8.5 degrees above average for January. The previous record was 37.3 degrees set in 1953, according to the National Climate Data Center. The agency explained that during the month the jet stream stayed unusually far to the north, keeping the coldest air in Canada and Alaska. While the United States enjoyed the warm weather, parts of Europe and Asia were battered by bitter cold. Climate details for the rest of the world are expected to be available next week. For more information on Weather, NSTA members can refer to the February 2006 issue of Science Scope.
Scientists Discover 'Lost World'
Feb 7 2006 - CBS News
A team of scientists have identified dozens of new species of frogs, butterflies, plants, wildlife, as well as large mammals hunted to near extinction elsewhere. The discoveries were made during a survey of the Foja Mountains, an area in eastern Indonesia with more than two million acres of old growth tropical forest. The findings, however, will have to be published and then reviewed by peers before being officially classified as new species, a process that could take six months to several years.
Malaria and Weather Come Under Same Umbrella
Feb 1 2006 - Nature News
Today’s forecast predicts heavy showers and a chance of mosquitoes? That’s the hope of scientists who have unveiled a weather forecasting computer model that can provide up to five months warning of malaria epidemics in the most vulnerable countries. Previous climate models have been able to predict malaria epidemics up to one month in advance by analyzing rainfall and sea surface temperatures. The new malaria forecast model relies on ensemble forecasting, a technique that combines several different climate models into one system to provide a more accurate prediction. For more information on Weather, NSTA members can refer to the February 2006 issue of Science Scope.
Hurricanes Shape New Natural Order
Jan 31 2006 - ABC News
The 2005 hurricane season not only changed life for humans, but nature as well. Scientists have observed disrupted patterns around the Gulf of Mexico. The force of hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Dennis altered coral reefs, sea birds, crab and shrimp-filled meadows, and dune-crowned beaches. Hurricanes have been kneading the Gulf Coast like putty for eons, carving out inlets and bays, creating beaches, and altering plant and animal life. However, the natural world has been able to rebound. But scientists say nature might not be able to rebound so quickly in the future due to the “human factor.” For more information on Weather, NSTA members can refer to the February 2006 issue of Science Scope.
Scientists Find Frozen Methane Gas Deposit
Jan 30 2006 - ABC News
Scientists have discovered an undersea deposit of frozen methane off the Southern California coast, but whether it can be harnessed as a potential energy source is unknown. Believed to be substantial in size, the new deposit was found off the coast at a depth of 2,600 feet at the summit of an undersea mud volcano. Scientists estimate the methane trapped in previously known frozen reservoirs around the globe could power the world for centuries. But finding the technology to mine such deposits has proved elusive.
Scientists Discover World's Smallest Fish
Jan 26 2006 - ABC News
Scientists have discovered the world’s smallest known fish in an Indonesian swamp. “This is one of the strangest fish that I’ve seen in my whole career,” observed Ralf Britz, a zoologist at the Natural History Museum in London. “It’s tiny, it lives in acid, and it has these bizarre grasping fins. I hope we’ll have time to find out more about them before their habitat disappears completely.” The previous record for the world’s smallest fish was held by a species of Indo-Pacific goby one-tenth of a millimeter long, according to the history museum.
Japan Scientists Find Million-Year-Old Ice
Jan 25 2006 - ABC News
Japanese scientists drilling on Antarctica have recovered what is believed to be the oldest sample of ice. The ice sample was taken from a depth of 9,994 feet into the Antarctic ice sheet near the Japanese camp at Fuji Dome, according to Yuji Umezaki, an official with the education and science ministry. Umezaki explained the ice sample might provide important insights into climate change because it contains ancient air that was trapped in bubbles as the snows piled up deeper and deeper above. By studying the mix of gasses inside the air, scientists can follow changes in the composition of the Earth’s atmosphere.
Mineral Analysis May Reveal Life on Mars
Jan 5 2006 - New Scientist.com
A new study shows that minerals, as opposed to organic compounds, could reveal the presence of ancient life on Mars. Some evidence has suggested that Mars was warm and wet in its first hundred million years, raising the possibility that it could have fostered life. But neither of the two Viking landers found organic molecules when they studied the planet’s soil in the 1970s. Now, researchers led by Fabien Stalport of the University of Paris in France say inorganic compounds, which tend to survive longer than their organic counterparts, may act as “tracers of biological activity.”
Ice Core Extends Climate Record Back 650,000 Years
Nov 28 2005 - Scientific American
Researchers have recovered a nearly two-mile-long cylinder of ice from eastern Antarctica that contains a record of atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide and methane—two potent and ubiquitous greenhouse gases—spanning the last two glacial periods. The core is a result of the European Project for Ice Coring in Antarctica and extends the climate record 210,000 years further back than previous ice cores from Vostok Station on the same continent.
Why Your Dog is Smarter than a Wolf
Oct 26 2005 - Christian Science Monitor
After a decade studying dogs in their human habitat, researchers have accumulated a body of evidence suggesting that dogs have far greater mental capabilities than scientists had thought. Dogs' smarts, it turns out, come out in their relationships with people. The implications of this research are more esoteric than the average dog owner may appreciate. The research doesn't exactly mean that dogs and their masters can enjoy Chaucer together, but it does mean scientists have reason to consider what dog-human communications may say about language skills development. Another implication is that dogs may make better cognitive study subjects than primates, which have been the focus of the field so far.
No Winter by 2105? New Study Offers Grim Forecast for U.S.
Oct 17 2005 - National Geographic News
A study conducted by scientists in the U.S. and Italy warns that summers could be much hotter in a 100 years because of global warming caused by greenhouse gases. "Summer is likely to be more severely hot everywhere in the U.S.," explains Noah Diffenbaugh, an atmospheric scientist at Purdue University who co-authored the study. Winter weather could be affected as well, Diffenbaugh adds. "You're looking at the coldest couple of weeks of the year not existing anymore in a lot of places.”
Warmer Climate Produces Less Rain
Oct 17 2005 - Scientific American
New climate simulations from NASA show that under the warmer global temperatures of the 20th century, water vapor in the atmosphere took longer than normal to fall out of the sky as rain, snow, and other precipitation. With a few exceptions, the amount decreased over land but increased over oceans. The simulations are the first to take into consideration a part of Earth’s water cycle that until now has been overlooked—the storage of water vapor in the atmosphere. Scientists note these findings could play an important role in climate models used to provide short-term weather forecasts critical to water resource managers, as well as models used to predict long-term climate trends.
Animals "Hit by Global Warming"
Oct 5 2005 - BBC News
Climate change could lead to the extinction of many animals including migratory birds, says a report commissioned by the British government. Melting ice, spreading deserts, and the impact of warm seas on the sex of turtles are among threats identified. It says that warming has already changed the migration routes of some birds and other animals. While many species have been able to adapt to new conditions simply by moving their ranges further towards the poles, the study warns that this option is not available to other animals such as polar bears and seals, whose habitat is disappearing rapidly with the melting of Arctic sea ice. Even subtle changes in sea temperature can have dramatic impacts on wildlife with rapid depletion of the tiny plankton organisms which form the base of the food web in the oceans.
Arctic Ice "Disappearing Fast"
Sep 28 2005 - BBC News
The area covered by sea ice in the Arctic has shrunk for a fourth consecutive year, according to new data released by US scientists. They say that this month sees the lowest extent of ice cover for more than a century. The Arctic climate varies naturally, but the researchers conclude that human-induced global warming is at least partially responsible. (See also this story on the increased effect of greenhouse gases.)
Scientists Debunk Quicksand Myth
Sep 28 2005 - MSNBC.com
Falling into quicksand is not quite as bad as some movies make it out to be. Instead of being sucked all the way in, quicksand victims will float once they get about waist deep, according to a new study. Yet while the risk of vanishing has apparently evaporated, escaping the muck is still a tough task. To pull one leg free requires the amount of force needed to lift a small car. Scientists say the trick to survival is to remain calm.
Scientists Conduct Wind Energy Projects
Sep 26 2005 - ABC News
In an effort to make the country less dependent on foreign oil, experimental wind energy projects are under way in Georgia. Although scientists have been exploring wind power for decades, wind energy technology continues to be in its infancy a quarter-century after the energy crisis of the 1970s, observed Bill Bulpitt, senior research engineer for Georgia Tech’s Strategic Energy Initiative. “There was a sense of urgency at that time,” Bulpitt explains. “Sadly, 25 years later, we have not turned the corner…this country just has not done a very good job of taking care of its energy problem.”
Storms Get Fewer But Fiercer
Sep 15 2005 - Nature News
There are fewer hurricanes today than there were a decade ago, but they are stronger and more destructive. That’s the conclusion of a paper in this week’s Science, which examines satellite images of storms from 1970 to 2004. But it is not known whether the changes are associated with global warming, according to a research team led by Peter Webster of the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta.
Frog Action Plan to Cost Millions
Sep 14 2005 - BBC News
Scientists plan to convene in the nation’s capital this weekend to launch an action plan to stem the global decline of amphibians. The meeting in Washington, D.C. will consist of establishing a large-scale captive breeding program. About a third of frog, toad, and salamander species are facing extinction. Threats to amphibians include fungal disease, pollution, and habitat loss. Scientists say establishing the reasons behind the decline have proved more difficult than finding out the numbers. The extent of amphibian decline was revealed in October 2004 with the publication of the Global Amphibian Assessment, a comprehensive worldwide survey.
Plants May Not Mitigate Global Warming
Sep 2 2005 - Discovery News
Swiss scientists warn in a new study that plants may not suck up as much carbon dioxide as previously thought. "Our data suggests that trees do not grow faster if provided with more carbon dioxide. They simply pump more carbon through their body, and release it through root and soil microbe respiration within a few days," explains Christian Koerner, a plant ecologist at the University of Basel. Scientists also found that not all species reacted in the same way to excess carbon dioxide. If the scientists’ findings hold, it may mean global warming is happening at a faster rate than predicted.
Behind the Science of Tracking Storms
Aug 29 2005 - MSNBC.com
Science teachers who want to help students understand the science of tracking hurricanes can check out this article. The story provides information about various types of hurricane-tracking equipment used by scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in cooperation with NASA and the U.S. Air Force. Readings from the NOAA instruments are radioed back to the National Hurricane Center in Miami, where they are combined with data from other sources, then fed into the National Weather Service’s modeling software. The computer models create a picture of the actual storm and its future.
Space Survey Confirms Ice-Lightning Link
Aug 18 2005 - Discovery News
New space-borne data of ice and lightning flashes in storms around the globe reveal a remarkable marriage that is giving climate and weather scientists a novel way to gauge the wetness of storms, as well as new confidence in their understanding of how lightning is made. “No matter where you consider, when you look at the big picture, ice volume and flash lightning is essentially the same,” observed Walter Petersen of the University of Alabama in Huntsville.
Giant Ocean Waves More Common Than Thought
Aug 5 2005 - Washington Post (Requires free registration)
Ocean waves in excess of 90 feet during hurricanes may be more common than previously thought, scientists say. In September 2004, scientists were able to measure a 91–foot wave south of the Gulf Coast, thanks to a new array of instruments on the ocean floor. Details of the finding can be found in the journal Science. And with forecasters expecting continued high hurricane activity in the next few years, scientists say the study could be “a good starting point to increase wave-height research.”
3 Biologists Question Evidence in Sighting of Rare Woodpecker
Jul 21 2005 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
Three biologists are questioning the evidence used by a team of bird experts who recently sighted an ivory-billed woodpecker, a bird presumed to have vanished from the United States more than 60 years ago in southeast Arkansas. A paper questioning the discovery has been submitted to a peer-reviewed journal. The report will be accompanied by a fierce rebuttal by the team that announced the discovery, and a response to that rebuttal by the challengers. If the challenge were held, it would undermine not only a scientific triumph, but also significant new conservation expenditures in the region.
Birds Carry Pollution to Arctic
Jul 15 2005 - BBC News
Sea birds are transporting industrial and agricultural pollutants to the Arctic, according to new research. Canadian scientists found that birds carry pollutants like DDT and mercury and deposit them in sites where other animals feed. They say this process may be contributing to the high levels of industrial chemicals found in some Arctic peoples.
Researchers Study Tallest Man-Made Tsunami
Jun 30 2005 - Boston Globe
Although many researchers have studied the mechanics of tsunamis, scientists at the Tsunami Research Center in Japan has come closer than anyone else to mimicking and measuring the actual power of such waves. By determining the power and behavior of a tsunami, the scientists at the center hope to devise enhanced seawalls and more precise evacuation plans for coastal communities at risk of a direct hit.
Woodpecker Feared Extinct Sighted
Apr 28 2005 - CBS News
America may have another chance to protect the future of a spectacular bird and the awesome forests in which it lives. The ivory-billed woodpecker has been sighted in the Big Woods region of Arkansas. About 40 percent of the forest in this region is approaching maturity, and nearby land has been reforested in the last decade. The Nature Conservancy, which has protected a large segment of land in the area, noted the first sighting of the woodpecker was on Feb. 11. A total of 15 sightings of the bird have been made in 7,000 hours of search time. The last conclusive sighting of the bird in continental North America was in 1944.
Earth Day Concern: Tech Waste
Apr 22 2005 - CBS News
When Earth Day dawned in 1970, optimistic environmentalists predicted emerging technologies would help reduce the nation’s reliance on coal, oil, insecticides, and other pollutants. But 35 years later, a big part of the problem appears to be technology itself. Computers, monitors, televisions, and other electronic equipment that contains hazardous chemicals or “e-waste” may be poisoning people and ground water. Activists, however, say the nation’s biggest environmental problem may be the smallest devices. As part of Earth Day, those activists are launching campaigns to increase awareness about recycling cell phones, music players, handheld gaming consoles, and other electronics. Meanwhile, other Earth Day observances are being held nationwide.
Climate Models Reveal Inevitability of Global Warming
Mar 18 2005 - Scientific American
How to best curb greenhouse gas emissions is a hotly debated topic. But new research suggests putting the brakes on greenhouse gas levels is not enough to slow down climate change because the ocean responds slowly to perturbations. The new research indicates that even if greenhouse gas levels had stabilized five years ago, global temperatures would continue to increase by about half a degree by the end of the century, and sea levels would rise eleven centimeters.
The Struggle to Save Earth's Largest Life Form
Mar 10 2005 - Christian Science Monitor
Observers of coral reefs worldwide have noticed a grim picture emerging. Because of too much fishing, climate change, as well as soil and nutrient runoff, a fifth of reefs have been destroyed and are not recovering. Another quarter face the threat of imminent collapse from human activities, while others face long-term collapse. Those dire facts, drawn from the latest Global Coral Reef Status Report, however, are serving as a springboard for scientists to create strategies to save the world’s coral communities and the thousands of marine species that rely on them.
Ecologists Propose "Intactness Index"
Mar 2 2005 - nature.com
Scientists have proposed a new way to calculate the overall impact that different countries are having on species richness. "The basic problem with using extinction as an indicator," one researcher explains, "is that by the time you get the information, it is too late to take any action." The Biodiversity Intactness Index involves grouping similar species together and then estimating the effect that changes in land use will have on each of the groups to give a broader picture of how ecosystems are faring.
Scientists Zero in on True Color of the Sea
Feb 11 2005 - Los Angeles Times (Requires free registration)
A group of NASA and university scientists have learned how to measure the hue and brightness of ocean coloration, thanks to a breakthrough in analyzing satellite images. The scientists claim the new techniques hold great promise in helping measure changes in ocean plankton, which are the “undersea lungs of the planet” and can help determine how many fish are produced.
Bat Evolution Linked to Warming
Jan 28 2005 - BBC News
What’s the connection between bats and global warming? Science magazine says a sharp rise in global temperatures about 50 million years ago may have been responsible for the evolution of bats. New DNA data traces the origin of four major bat lineages to a brief period in the Eocene epoch, when the average global temperature increased about seven degrees Celsius. This warming is also linked to an explosion in the diversity of other mammals, but little is known about bat evolution.
Climate Change Desiccating the Planet, Researchers Conclude
Jan 12 2005 - Scientific American
A new study suggests the portion of our planet affected by serious drought has doubled in the last three decades. The widespread drying took place in large regions of Canada, Europe and Asia, eastern Australia, as well as western and southern Africa. The United States, however, experienced the exact opposite—exhibiting an increase in precipitation over the past 50 years.
Climate Change Issues Clouded by Ozone
Dec 20 2004 - New Scientist.com
Air pollutants like ozone are fundamentally changing the way clouds form, by destroying organic compounds that usually coat airborne particles and slow droplet formation. Researchers who discovered this say the new mechanism could have “large climate effects.” Scientists note, however, that nobody knows whether the effect will accelerate global warming or slow it down.
Science Taps into Ocean Secrets
Nov 23 2004 - BBC News
Approximately 13,000 new marine species have been discovered in the past year, according to information released by an international group of scientists from more than 70 countries. The Census of Marine Life has also found previously unknown migration routes used by fish, such as tuna and shark. Scientists say these latest discoveries will help inform future conservation and fisheries policies.
Pumpkins Pull Pollutants Out of Contaminated Soil
Oct 25 2004 - Scientific American
Although many people are using pumpkins this week to carve out Jack-o-lanterns in honor of Halloween, Canadian scientists say they have another purpose for the plant. Ken Reimer of the Royal Military College of Canada and his colleagues report in the journal Environmental Science that pumpkins can cheaply remove DDT from contaminated soil. The scientists note using plants to clean contaminated soils is an approach that would work best for smaller sites that don’t urgently need cleaning or those in areas that lack access to more technologically advanced and more expensive options.
Those Brilliant Fall Outfits May Be Saving Trees
Oct 19 2004 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
As the leaves on trees in the northern part of the United States change color, scientists are debating what those colors are for. Scientists agree the colors are for something, which is a major shift in thinking. Textbooks have claimed for decades that autumn colors were just a byproduct of dying leaves. Scientists, however, have recognized in recent years that fall colors probably play a significant role in the life of many trees. Click on the above link to learn more.
Worldwide Report Says Amphibians are in Peril
Oct 15 2004 - The Washington Post
Amphibians are experiencing a precipitous decline across the globe, according to the first international survey of the creatures. The Global Amphibian Assessment found 122 species have disappeared since 1980 and 1,900 are in danger of becoming extinct. Scientists say the rapid drop is a result of several factors including deforestation, pollution, habitat loss, and climate change. Researchers add this trend also tells a “disturbing tale of broad environmental degradation that may ultimately threaten humans and other animals, as well.”
World's Pollution Hotspots Revealed from Space
Oct 12 2004 - New Scientist.com
Scientists report that a global map of nitrogen dioxide in the atmosphere has revealed the most precise view so far of pollution hotspots around the world. High levels of nitrogen dioxide have been found above major European and North American cities, and across most of northeast China. Southeast Asia and Africa also have high levels of the gas due to burning vegetation. Researchers who worked on the map note this data could be used for air quality prediction in the future.
Life Found Lurking Under Arctic Rocks
Sep 23 2004 - Scientific American
A study published in the journal Nature suggests that polar deserts may house photosynthetic organisms in an unlikely place—under rocks in the Arctic tundra. “This shows us that places we may think of as extreme—for example other planets like Mars—could nurture surprising habitats for life,” observed Charles S. Cockell. Cockell and M. Dale Stokes of the British Antarctic Survey evaluated approximately 850 rocks on two islands in the Canadian High Arctic to reach their conclusions.
Researchers Study Plastics From Feathers
Sep 23 2004 - Yahoo-Associated Press
Whether its golf tees or a biodegradable flowerpot that can be planted directly into the ground, scientists are studying different ways of making plastics from things such as chicken feathers and soy protein. Scientists working on the project say converting chicken and turkey feathers into biodegradable plastics will help the environment, as well as farmers, gardeners, and consumers. For more information on Food Science, NSTA members can refer to the October 2004 issue of The Science Teacher.
Warming May Be Less Severe in Central U.S.
Sep 22 2004 - ABC News
Anticipated global warming by mid-century might be less severe in the central United States than other parts of the country, according to scientists. Researchers at Saint Louis University and Iowa State University used a detailed regional climate model to make their findings. "The modeling showed that warming in the United States will be stronger in winter than summer and stronger at night than during the day," noted Zaitao Pan, a Saint Louis University assistant science professor. Researchers add these findings underscore the need to consider the impact of global warming on a region-by-region basis.
Extinction May Have Trickle-Down Effect
Sep 9 2004 - ABC News
Conservationists concerned about the extinction of plants and animals may be overlooking the danger to thousands of other species that depend on the threatened ones. A team of researchers led by Lian Pin Koh of the National University of Singapore studied 12,200 plants and animals considered to be threatened, and calculated that an additional 6,300 dependent insects, mites, fungi, and other species could be considered endangered. The scientists’ findings have been published in the journal Science.
Hurricane Tracking Isn't an Exact Science
Sep 2 2004 - MSNBC
It shouldn't be so surprising that hurricanes can be surprising — after all, they rank among the most violent and chaotic weather phenomena on Earth. Their fearsome power makes it difficult to get close enough to take an accurate reading. So how do meteorologists get the data they need for better predictions? Click on the link above to find out.
A Voracious Earth
Sep 2 2004 - The Christian Science Monitor
It’s the region of the world that leaves the biggest human footprint. It consumes 80 percent of the crop and other plant resources it produces each year. If things don’t change, its ecological survival looks iffy. What part of the world is facing this challenge? A segment of Asia, located between India and China. And it leads to a startling question: If these areas of the world are nearing an ecological budget deficit, how much longer can they sustain their growth?
Chaotic Homes Hamper Child Development
Aug 26 2004 - New Scientist.com
Growing up in a chaotic home could be bad for a child’s developing mind, according to a study conducted by scientists. “If a kid is in a really chaotic home, it’s hard to imagine that they can learn in a normal way. Their surroundings just are not subtle enough for them to tease apart the world,” said Robert Plomin, a co-author of the report. The study also found that when the environment is more stressful, intelligence is more likely to be constrained by genes.
Researchers Work On Predicting Rainfall
Aug 24 2004 - ABC News
How much rain can one expect based on how often lightning strikes? That’s the question University of Arizona researchers are attempting to answer. The scientists have already come up with quotients for small-scale storms in Florida and in the Midwest. “We expect to see something different here because the storms we have tend to be higher and air itself tends to be drier,” noted E. Philip Krider, a University of Arizona atmospheric scientist.
Scientists Say Risk of Water Wars Rising
Aug 20 2004 - ABC News
Scientists say the risk of wars being fought over water is on the rise as a result of global population growth and widespread complacency. Researchers attending the World Water Week conference in Stockholm this week note ignorance and complacency were widespread in wealthier countries. “I don’t know what will shake these regions out of complacency other than the fact there will be droughts, pestilence, and wars that break out over water rights,” observed William Mitsch, professor of natural resources at Ohio State University.
Model Predicts Future Heat Waves Will Be More Intense
Aug 13 2004 - Scientific American
Climate modeling results published in today’s issue of the journal Science suggest heat waves will last longer and become more frequent and severe than those in recent years. “Extreme weather events will have some of the most severe impacts on human society as climate changes,” observed Gerald Meehl of the National Center for Atmospheric Research, who co-authored the study. A National Science Foundation spokesman noted that while the study provides significant insight into global climate responses on future economic and regulatory policies, the societal implications of the report need further study.
Corals Adapt to Cope With Global Warming
Aug 11 2004 - New Scientist.com
Two new studies suggest that global warming does not spell imminent danger for the world’s coral reefs. Scientists say corals might be able to survive an increase in temperature by forming new symbiotic relationships with algae that can take the heat. Click on the above link to learn more.
Explorers Put Science on the Map
Aug 3 2004 - The Statesman Journal (Salem, Oregon)
Although Lewis and Clark lacked sophisticated tools to observe science and nature, researchers have much to learn from the famous explorers, according to Daniel Botkin, an author, professor, and president of the Center for the Study of the Environment in San Francisco. Botkin recently noted in a keynote address at the 89th annual Ecological Society of America meeting in Portland, Oregon, that Lewis and Clark’s “field observations set the foundation for research and analysis today.”
Scientists Measure Giant Drops of Rain
Jul 14 2004 - The Oregonian
Two scientists say they have found raindrops of at least 8.8 millimeters and possibly as large as one centimeter. Peter V. Hobbs and Arthur L. Rango of the University of Washington note the average drop of rain ranges from one to two millimeters in diameter. Hobbs and Rango detected the raindrops over Brazil and the Marshall Islands. “If you were hit by one of the large drops, you probably wouldn’t notice it much,” said Hobbs. “But if you were in a shower of them, you’d definitely think that was pretty heavy rainfall—they’re almost the size of grapes.”
Scientists to Study Old Pool in Arctic
Jun 25 2004 - Yahoo-Associated Press
Scientists from more than 50 countries hope to learn about the genetics of species that can survive in extreme conditions through an investigation of an ice-covered pool in the Arctic. A sampling of the pool has already yielded five new species as well as creatures previously unknown. Scientists note time is running out for the project. “There are animals here that are uniquely adapted to that ice cover. If the arctic continues to lose ice each summer, these animals could become extinct, not to mention overall changes,” said Russ Hopcroft, a marine ecologist at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, the project headquarters.
Scientists Propose Ecology for a Crowded Planet
Jun 16 2004 - Science Daily
As the Earth’s population continues to grow and more demands are placed on natural resources, ecological scientists will need to work with other experts such as wastewater engineers to ensure basic survival needs are met, according to a new report. Scientists who authored the study say ecological research needs to reflect the reality that Earth will be overpopulated and impacted by human activities in the future. As a result, scientists are proposing a new research agenda that includes a focus on finding ways to maintain the benefits that natural ecosystems provide humans.
Record-Breaking Ice Core May Hold Key to Climate Variation
Jun 10 2004 - Scientific American
Researchers will be able to better understand the planet’s history of cyclical climate variation, thanks to the longest ice core ever recovered from the Antarctic. The European Project for Ice Coring in Antarctica, an international group of scientists, recovered the ice core, which dates back nearly 740,000 years ago. Scientists note temperature records for eight ice ages are documented in the new core. Further information about this discovery can be found in today’s issue of the journal Nature.
Arctic Cores Offer Climate Clues
Jun 4 2004 - BBC News
A group of scientists from around the globe will travel to the Arctic to extract cores from sediments deep below the seabed. The group, known as the Arctic Coring Expedition (ACEX), plans to use the data to answer such questions as how long the Arctic sea ice has existed, when and how it formed, and what kind of impact the Arctic Ocean has had on global climate. Professor Jan Backman of Stockholm University in Sweden and one of ACEX’s two chief scientists noted the group is unaware what role the ice has played in normal climate change in the past 50 million years.
Scientists Devise Formula For Perfect Sandcastle
May 28 2004 - Chicago Sun-Times
How do you make a sandcastle remain standing? Scientists have come up with a formula: 0.125 X S = OW. The S stands for the quantity of sand and the OW is the quantity of water. Researchers from Bournemouth University created the formula after spending two days testing sand samples from 10 different British beaches for their suitability for sandcastle building.
New Mars Rock Hints at Short-Lived Lakes
May 18 2004 - New Scientist.com
Scientists report the Mars rover Opportunity has discovered clues indicating a new type of rock on the Red Planet that could show any watery periods on Mars' surface were cold and short-lived. Although scientists have yet to determine the identity of the rock, researchers speculate the discovery is sandstone made of grains of basalt. This suggestion is based on data from Mini-TES, a remote sensing instrument on Opportunity that uses infrared radiation to identify minerals. Scientists say a closer look at the rock will be needed before its identity can be confirmed.
Study Supports New Mass Extinction Theory
Mar 18 2004 - CNN
A detailed survey of birds and butterflies in Britain shows a population decline of 54 percent to 71 percent, a finding that suggests the world may be undergoing another major extinction. Researchers said the study helps support the theory that the sixth big extinction in Earth's history is under way - this one caused by humans.
Warming May Threaten 37 Percent of Species by 2050
Jan 8 2004 - The Washington Post
Scientists say global warming will push 15 to 37 percent of living species toward extinction by mid-century, according to a report published in the journal Nature. The study marks the first time scientists have produced a global analysis with concrete estimates of the effect of climate change on habitat. Previous efforts focused on smaller regions or limited numbers of species. One critic noted this research has “ignored species ability to adapt to higher temperatures.” Proponents called the study’s results “ironclad.”
Scientists Blame Soot for Global Warming
Dec 23 2003 - Yahoo-Associated Press
A new study suggests that soot—mainly from diesel engines—is to blame when it comes to global warming. "We suggest that soot contributes to near worldwide melting of ice that is usually attributed solely to global warming," NASA scientists James Hansen and Larissa Nazarenko wrote in a report published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Scientists had previously thought that only carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases had an impact on global warming.
Scientist Links Man to Climate Over the Ages
Dec 10 2003 - The New York Times (Requires free registration)
A Virginia scientist claims humans have changed the world’s climate by generating heat-trapping gases for nearly 10,000 years. Most scientists attribute a rise in global temperatures during the past century in part to emissions of carbon dioxide by human activities such as driving cars and operating factories. Further information about William Ruddiman’s findings can be found in the journal Climatic Change.
Climate Said to Influence Violin's Sound
Dec 2 2003 - Yahoo! News - AP
No one disputes that Stradivarius violins, in the right hands, produce a miraculously fine sound. The mystery is: why? Theories have abounded: long-lost secret-recipe varnishes, waterlogged logs floating down Italian rivers, etc. Now a tree-ring dating expert and a climatologist offer a new theory: the wood developed special acoustic properties as it was growing because of an extended period of long winters and cool summers - the "Little Ice Age" that gripped Europe from the mid-1400s to the mid-1800s.
Whale Births Linked With Climate
Nov 26 2003 - BBC News
Scientists in the United States have discovered that monitoring the climate in the North Atlantic can help predict the birth rate of an endangered species of whale called Eubalaena glacialis. Researchers will explain in an upcoming issue of the journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment that atmospheric conditions above the oceans can affect zooplankton concentrations which the whales depend on for food, impacting their reproductive success.
Scientists Conduct First Fish Census
Oct 23 2003 - Yahoo-Associated Press
Hundreds of scientists from 53 countries have collaborated to conduct the first fish census. Researchers say there might be as many as 5,000 unknown fish species that have gone undetected, according to an preliminary report released Oct. 23. Scientists say they may find more than 2 million different species of marine life when their $1 billion effort is completed by the year 2010.
Taking the Oceans' Pulse, With Help From Robot Subs
Sep 30 2003 - The New York Times (Requires free registration)
Scientists have a new tool to help them forecast the weather of oceans. Robotic submarines can enable scientists to gather data on the complex interplay of currents or when an upwelling of cold water from the depths of the ocean might appear off the coast.
Scientists Race to Bank Endangered Plant Species
Sep 17 2003 - Yahoo-Reuters
Time is running out for a group of scientists who are trying to save many of the world’s endangered plants. Researchers are hoping to collect 24,000 species of the world’s seed-bearing plants by 2010. Scientists have already saved 300 million seeds from nearly 8,000 species of plants and trees. Scientists say climate change and environmental factors will put a quarter of the world’s plant species in danger within a half century.
Whale Deaths Puzzle Scientists
Aug 14 2003 - The Boston Globe
Scientists are trying to solve a mystery—the deaths of more than a dozen whales found on a 125-mile stretch of ocean in the United States and Canada. Researchers are considering exposure to military testing as a possible cause of death, but say that is unlikely. Federal officials hope test results from the whales’ stomach contents will provide more clues.
Martian Warm Spots Could Be Towers of Ice
Jul 25 2003 - New Scientist.com
An Australian scientist has concluded that unusual warm spots on Mars might represent ice towers found in Antarctica. Although Nick Hoffman of Melbourne University is known for his theory that water and life do not exist on Mars, other scientists say Hoffman’s finding provides “a good working hypothesis” for future exploration.
GM Decaf Coffee Plant Created
Jun 19 2003 - BBC News
Japanese scientists have created the first decaffeinated coffee plant using genetic modification (GM) technology. The scientists, from the Nara Institute of Science and Technology, say their GM plants contain approximately a third of the caffeine content of natural varieties. Researchers note it could be several years before engineered coffee beans are used to make such beverages in cafes across the world.
Scientists Studying Ocean Data Network
Jun 12 2003 - Portland Press Herald (Maine)
America’s ocean scientists are meeting in Portland, Maine today and Friday to explore the possibility of creating a coastal data collection network on a national level. “The national system would be an underwater analog of the National Weather Service,” explained Philip Bogden, chief executive officer of The Gulf of Maine Ocean Observing System. Bogden added that federal funding for the project won’t be available until the year 2006 and it could be another four to nine years before the project begins to take shape.
Butterflies Guided by Body Clocks, Sun
May 23 2003 - The Washington Post
Scientists have learned for the first time how monarch butterflies make their annual journey from the United States to central Mexico. Researchers report in the journal Science that the monarchs use their body clocks to orient themselves in a southwesterly direction as they fly to Mexico and are guided by the position of the sun as it moves across the sky. Scientists have also discovered the sun’s ultraviolet light plays an important role in the monarchs’ journey to Mexico.
Extinction Nears for Whales and Dolphins
May 14 2003 - BBC News
An international group of cetacean experts note that some whales, dolphins, and porpoises are so endangered they could disappear within the next 10 years. The scientists say humans have not caused the extinction of the mammals, but note that could change. Further information about the scientists warning can be found in Dolphins, Whales, and Porpoises: 2002–2010 Conservation Action Plan for the World’s Cetaceans. The plan is the third of three reports written by cetacean experts during the past 15 years.
Doing Science at the Top of the World
May 13 2003 - The New York Times (Requires free registration)
The simplest setback can threaten ambitious research, and potentially, researchers themselves, according to this article. Click on the above link to learn more about how researchers recently endured frigid temperatures and numerous colliding ice floes as they camped near the North Pole to retrieve and install instruments that were designed to track changes in the Artic.
Tiny Seahorse Identified
May 12 2003 - BBC News
Marine biologists have identified the smallest seahorse known to science. The Hippocampus Denise is smaller than the human fingernail and lives in the tropical waters of the western Pacific Ocean. “Compared with other small seahorses, they are active little creatures,” observed Sara Lourie, a member of the team that identified the new seahorse.
Oldest DNA Exposes Ancient Ecosystems
Apr 18 2003 - New Scientist.com
Scientists from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark have discovered DNA from plants and animals that populated Alaska and Siberia nearly 400,000 years ago. The finding has already shed new light on the extinction of Alaska and Siberia’s large mammals. Scientists note the genetic fragments will also enable them to reconstruct ancient ecosystems and track them through time.
Light Pollution Taking Toll on Wildlife, Eco-Groups Say
Apr 18 2003 - National Geographic Today
New research has revealed that light pollution is taking a toll on wildlife by disrupting the biological rhythms and other behaviors of animals. Scientists say bird populations seem to be the most affected, but note that light pollution also endangers sea turtles, salamanders, frogs, snakes, and fireflies. Michael Mesure, executive director of the Fatal Light Awareness Program, a Toronto-based environmental organization says unlike most ecological problems, light pollution has a solution: flick the switch.
New Study Finds Agent Orange Use Was Underestimated
Apr 17 2003 - Scientific American
A new report shows that far more herbicides were used during the Vietnam War than previously thought. Columbia University scientist Jeanne Mager Stellman and her colleagues made their discovery after uncovering government documents describing how much Agent Orange and its carcinogenic component dioxin were used during the war. The scientists then recreated the flight paths of American military aircraft that distributed the herbicides across Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1961 to 1971.
Robot Rover Simulates Mars Trek
Apr 4 2003 - BBC News
In an effort to develop advanced rovers for Mars exploration, scientists have sent an autonomous robot to the Atacama Desert in Chile. “Our goal is to make genuine discoveries about the limits of life on Earth, and to generate knowledge that can be applied to future missions to Mars,” said project leader David Wettergreen of the Carnegie Mellon University Robotics Institute. Wettergreen noted three annual field experiments would be conducted with the robot in Chile.
Fossil Find Sheds Light on Ancient Plants
Apr 1 2003 - BBC News
American scientists have been able to detect the presence of lignin—an important chemical in the development of land plants—after finding a plant fossilized in 400 million-year-old Scottish quartz. "We think this is a rather significant result from an amazing locality,” Dr. George Cody of the Carnegie Institution said of the finding made in Rhynie, Aberdeenshire.
Scientists See Sand's Future
Mar 21 2003 - Scientific American
Two scientists have developed the first mathematical model that can forecast changes in wave velocity and predict sandbar migration. Steve Elgar of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and Fernanda Hoefel of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology measured changing currents and sand distribution using a series of floating pressure gauges, sonar devices, and water velocity meters on a beach in Duck, North Carolina to create their model. The pair plans to continue their efforts in the future by measuring wave properties with a single offshore buoy.
Study of Antarctic Points to Rising Sea Levels
Mar 7 2003 - The New York Times (Requires free registration)
A new study of floating ice shelves on the Antarctic Peninsula shows that ice can flow into the sea more quickly than previously thought and might lead to a rise in sea levels. Polar and ice experts have described that prospect as a “slow motion disaster” and say the cost of increasing sea levels would impact future generations of ecosystems.
Synthetic Trees Could Purify Air
Feb 21 2003 - BBC News
A Columbia University physicist has proposed inventing an artificial tree. Dr. Klaus Lackner’s creation would draw carbon dioxide out of the air and retain the carbon, but not release oxygen. Lackner estimates 250,000 synthetic trees would be needed across the globe to absorb the 22 billion tons of carbon dioxide produced on an annual basis. Engineer experts, however, question the idea and say more research is needed on the proposed technology.
W&J College Biologist Questions Disposal of Snow in Rivers
Feb 20 2003 - The Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh, PA)
Scientists in Pennsylvania are worried that dumping snow in the state’s rivers might threaten ecosystems. Philadelphia and other parts of the northeast United States were recently buried under nearly two feet of snow. Robert East Jr., a biologist at Washington and Jefferson College, said stone flies are starting to emerge in Pennsylvania’s rivers and could be harmed by salts used to melt snow. Philadelphia officials note dumping snow in rivers is “a last resort.”
Experts Study How Quakes Trigger Quakes
Jan 29 2003 - Yahoo-Associated Press
A study to be published in the Jan. 30 issue of the journal Nature reports researchers have directly measured for the first time how strong seismic shakings can weaken an adjacent and unrelated geologic fault. Christopher Scholz of the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, who did not participate in the study, observed scientists have known “earthquakes trigger other earthquakes on other faults." He noted, however, this new finding may explain how that happens.
GM Crops Will Help Wildlife
Jan 15 2003 - BBC News
Genetically modified crops could be a key way to help endangered species, according to a study performed by scientists in England. Researchers say the crops can be managed to produce ample weeds and insects for wildlife without sacrificing farmer’s yields. The scientists, from the Broom’s Barn research station, note their work is the first to show that genetically modified crops can offer environmental benefits.
Clothes Clean Drinking Water
Jan 14 2003 - Nature
A new study shows that filtering drinking water through an old piece of sari folded four times might reduce the amount of cholera cases by 50 percent. Rita Colwell, the study’s leader and director of the U.S. National Science Foundation, said researchers expected to see a reduction in their efforts but were surprised to learn their numbers were so high. Researchers found that old sari makes a better filter than new and expensive cloth because its threads are loose which result in a smaller pore size.
Global Warming Found to Displace Species
Jan 2 2003 - The New York Times (Requires free registration)
Two new studies show that global warming is forcing species around the globe to change their habits. The new finding could result in the disruption of ecosystems, according to the reports. “If we’re already seeing such dramatic changes” among species, “it’s really pretty frightening to think what we might see in the next 100 years,” said Dr. Terry Root, an ecologist and lead author of one of the studies.
Mistletoe Myth
Dec 24 2002 - ABC News
A sprig of mistletoe might provide the perfect backdrop for a holiday kiss. However, the plant has a dark side, according to scientists. Mistletoe can worm its way into tree branches and suck their nutrients from within. It can also spread through the feces of bird droppings. “It’s more difficult to control than an insect,” said Todd Watson, an urban forester who teaches at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas.
Butterflies' Flights Disclose Free Spirits
Dec 12 2002 - The New York Times (Requires free registration)
Scientists now have evidence of how free-flying insects use their wings in air. Researchers at the University of Oxford recently captured digital images of free-flying butterflies and the swirling patterns their wing beats make in wisps of smoke. According to Dr. Michael Dickinson, who studies insect flight at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, “this is a new era of research. We know how a bumblebee flies. Now, the challenge is understanding how insects actually use those mechanisms.”
Scientists Sound Alarm over World's Plants
Nov 1 2002 - St. Louis Post-Dispatch
According to a new study, the Earth is losing plant diversity faster than previously thought. "We're probably going to lose things that haven't even been named and for which we have no idea what their utility for mankind might be," said George Schatz, a botanist at the Missouri Botanical Garden. Why are so many plant species threatened with extinction? The main reason is human destruction of their habitats.
Iceland Invents Energy-from-water Machine
Oct 23 2002 - BBC News
A new device uses an old idea to translate the difference between the temperature of hot and cold water into energy. According to the inventor, "In between the hot and the cold side are crystals made of semiconductors. As the heat is transferred through these crystals part of it is converted from heat energy into electric energy."
Extinction Risk for 1 in 3 Primates, Study Says
Oct 8 2002 - National Geographic
A new study released this month by Conservation International and the Primate Specialist Group of the World Conservation Union shows one in every three of the world’s apes, monkeys, lemurs, and other primates is threatened with extinction. The World’s Top 25 Most Endangered Primates–2002 revealed that primate species and sub-species defined as “critically endangered” and “endangered” increased from 120 to 195 since this report was first released in January 2000. Asia is home to 11 of the endangered primates on the top 25 list, followed by Africa with eight and central and South America and Madagascar, both with three. Primates listed in the top 25 include the greater bamboo lemur (Madagascar), the northern muriqui (Brazil), and the guizhou snub-nosed monkey (China). “It’s important to point out that the Top 25 list is just the tip of the iceberg and a call for more conservation action,” commented Bill Konstant of Conversation International who co-authored the report.
Finding a Wild, Fearsome World Beneath Every Fallen Leaf
Sep 25 2002 - New York Times (requires free registration)
This article takes you on a tour with the renowned entomologist Edward O. Wilson, a self-described "lover of little things," as he explores the micro-wilderness near Henry David Thoreau's cabin at Walden Pond and stresses the importance of protecting biodiversity. Be sure and click on the link in the right-hand column ("Interactive Feature: Micro-Wilderness, Teeming With Life").
Voracious Fish Wiped Out in Maryland
Sep 18 2002 - Yahoo! News/AP
Maryland officials have declared victory against the northern snakehead, an alien species of fish that threatened to upset the ecosystem of the Little Patuxent River region. The state's Department of Natural Resources is taking measures to neutralize any fish poison that still remained in the pond where the snakeheads were breeding.
Earth Summit Pact Gets Mixed Reviews; U.S. Role Criticized
Sep 4 2002 - Yahoo -- Reuters
As the U.N. World Summit in Johannesburg comes to a close today, many governments are giving a cool welcome to the summit's blueprint to tackle global problems such as AIDS, poverty, clean water, and the need for renewable energy supplies. Environmentalists have been particularly forceful in their rhetoric, slamming the summit for setting few firm targets and for failing to raise aid. Yesterday, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell addressed delegates, using the occasion to stress the United States' commitment to the environment and the developing world. Click above to see what he had to say and how his speech was received...
Soaring City Slickers: Bald Eagles, Other Birds of Prey Being Reintroduced to U.S. Cities
Aug 30 2002 - Scientific American
Earlier this summer, New York City's Parks Department teamed with the Earth Conservation Corps to transplant four young bald eagles to a park on the northern tip of Manhattan. The project is one of many efforts nationwide to reintroduce birds of prey to cities, with the hope that they will adapt to urban life. A promising precedent, for instance, is that of the peregrine falcon, which now thrives in cities across the United States. But how will the bald eagle fare? Will the regal bird some day be seen soaring among New York's trademark skyscrapers? Click above to read more...
New Process Could Harness Hydrogen Fuel From Plants
Aug 29 2002 - Scientific American
Many believe that hydrogen can someday be widely used as a clean-burning energy source, decreasing our reliance on fossil fuels that generate greenhouse gases. The problem: hydrogen has proven very difficult and expensive to procure. A new study, however, offers some hope. Published in today's Nature, the study details a new technique for making hydrogen from plant matter. While the process is not yet commercially viable, the researchers expressed confidence that the necessary improvements can be made.
From Toilet to Tap: Engineers Seek to Conserve by Recycling Urine
Aug 28 2002 - ABCNews.com
One of the biggest issues being tackled this week at the Earth Summit in Johannesburg is limited water supplies. In fact, it is estimated that by 2025, 48 countries representing 35 percent of the world's population will face chronic water shortages. What can be done? As the above article reports, engineers for NASA and for at least one municipality in the U.S. are experimenting with treatment projects that would recycle human wastewater for drinking. Of course, for their idea to catch on, they'll first have to overcome the "yuck" factor.
World Summit Delegates Get Down to Business
Aug 26 2002 - Yahoo -- Reuters
The United Nations' World Summit on Sustainable Development opened today in Johannesburg, attracting delegates from nearly 200 governments. Building on the pledges made at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, the 10-day summit will focus on how to increase prosperity worldwide without doing further harm to the environment. In particular, the meeting is expected to tackle issues related to clean water, renewable energy, health care, agriculture, and the biodiversity of species. Click above for the news article, or track developing news at the summit's official website: www.johannesburgsummit.org/
Economic Interests Keep Drive for Renewable Energy Stuck in Neutral
Aug 21 2002 - New York Times (requires free registration)
Despite concerns over the environmental problems associated with fossil fuels, renewable energy sources, such as the sun and the wind, account for just 1 percent of the world's supply. In contrast, fossil fuels, which are much cheaper than renewables, provide about 85 percent. What can be done to increase the rate at which renewables are developed and used? As the above article reports, that's a question that the major energy companies, even as much as many environmentalists, are taking very seriously.
Study Adds Up Economic Benefits of Conservation
Aug 20 2002 - National Geograhic News
Conservation pays, concludes a new study, which assigned dollar values to the ecological and social benefits of preserving large tracts of wild nature. These benefits include climate regulation, soil formation, flood protection, the sustainable harvesting of wild species, and aesthetics. In fact, the authors estimate that an annual investment of $45 billion in nature preservation would yield an astounding 100 to 1 return on the investment. Why, then, aren’t entrepreneurs rushing to put their money into conservation? Read more…
Maryland Starts Poisoning Alien Fish
Aug 19 2002 - MSNBC -- AP
Hasta la vista, snakehead! Maryland officials applied chemicals to three ponds yesterday to kill the northern snakehead fish, a voracious predator from China that scientists feared would harm native ecosystems (see previous story). “This is the beginning of the end for the snakehead fish,” a state spokeswoman said. The state opted to poison the ponds on the advice of a 12-member expert panel.
Study: Oceans May Help Clean the Air
Aug 16 2002 - MSNBC -- AP
Ahhhhh, that sea air. You always knew there was something unusually refreshing about it. Now, new scientific evidence seems to support that perception. According to a study in today's Science, salty sea spray could be helping to clean the atmosphere, encouraging rain that washes out dust and other pollutants. The findings may also help scientists find new ways to increase rain in arid climates. Read more...
Is Acid Rain Killing Off Wood Thrushes?
Aug 14 2002 - National Geographic News
Remember acid rain, the aerial affliction that attracted so much attention in the 1980s but has since fallen off the public's radar screen? Well, it appears that the problem has not entirely disappeared. A study released this week links acid rain to the decline of the wood thrush, a forest bird known for its beautiful song. The study is said to be the first in North America to present large-scale evidence linking the population decline of a land bird to acid rain. Click above to learn more...
Beware the Brown Cloud: Blanket of Pollution Covers South Asia
Aug 13 2002 - ABCNEWS -- AP
A dense cloud of pollution over South Asia may be causing a half-million premature deaths in India each year, warns a new U.N. study that was prepared for the upcoming Earth Summit in Johannesburg. The pollution also seems to be altering the region's weather patterns, contributing to deadly flooding in some areas and drought in others, the report finds. Click above to learn more about the dangerous haze, including what's causing it and how it can be controlled...
Experts: West Nile Virus Will Sweep Across Whole U.S.
Aug 7 2002 - NewScientist.com
The bad news: West Nile virus is continuing to sweep westward across the nation, with experts predicting that it will soon encompass the entire continent. The good news: Climate-based "risk maps" for each state are being developed to predict precisely which areas will be hit, giving public health officials more time to plan for and control the disease.
Fish Killer May Not Be Toxic, After All
Aug 6 2002 - Yahoo -- Reuters
The tiny organism Pfiesteria has been blamed for killing billions of fish along the East Coast and making some fishermen sick. But new research suggests that such a fearsome reputation may be undeserved, with scientists finding no evidence that the microbe secretes a deadly toxin. At worst, the organism may simply weaken fish by nibbling holes in their skin, leaving the fish open to infections.
Survival by Fire: Study Finds Some Trees Will Disappear Without Fire
Aug 5 2002 - ABC News.com
This summer has been witness to an unusually intense wildfire season, sparking renewed debate around a contentious question: What's the best way to manage wildfires? As the above article reports, new research suggests that in some cases, allowing small, controlled burns might be the best way to prevent massive fires down the road. Still, not everyone is convinced. Read more...
Keeping Foreign Critters at Bay: Countries Struggle to Fend Off Invasive Species
Aug 2 2002 - Christian Science Monitor
While the northern snakehead fish has become the latest poster child for invasive species (see previous story), variations of the tale are being repeated worldwide, the above article reports, as countries struggle to fend off and control nonnative organisms. For example, it is estimated that in the U.S. alone, some 50,000 invasive species cost the country $137 billion a year. What's the best strategy for dealing with this problem? "Prevention, prevention, prevention," experts say, because once nonnative organisms become established, they're almost impossible to get rid of.
Poison Alien Fish, Experts Recommend
Jul 22 2002 - Yahoo -- AP
The saga continues over what to do with the northern snakehead fish, a voracious predator from China that recently turned up in a Maryland pond (see previous story). Last Friday, a 12-member panel of scientists agreed that the state needs to eradicate the fish, with poison being one of the main options. "You're talking about a total rearrangement of the food chain when you introduce a top predator like this," one expert said. "It definitely changes the neighborhood.”
Is a "Sixth" Extinction Looming?
Jul 22 2002 - Yahoo -- Reuters
To our knowledge, mass extinctions have occurred five times in the long history of life on Earth. Now, some scientists are fretting that we may be on the brink of a sixth mass extinction, with one U.N. report showing that nearly a quarter of all mammal species are globally threatened. The difference, of course, is that this time around it's not meteors and other natural phenomena that deserve the blame; it's humans.
Science and Business: The Struggle to Sell a "Green" Wrapper
Jul 22 2002 - New York Times (requires free registration)
EarthShell, a California-based company, is touting its product -- a mix of limestone, sand and starch -- as an environmentally friendly alternative to the paper and plastic foam used in food packaging. And so far, the environmental benefits appear promising, with tests showing that the material decomposes in weeks when exposed to air. But as the above article reports, the most difficult step for EarthShell still lies ahead -- making the leap to commercial success.
Navy Gets OK for Controversial Sonar
Jul 17 2002 - MSNBC -- AP
National security vs. environmental protection. That was the difficult tradeoff facing the Bush administration when it recently approved the Navy's request to use a powerful low-frequency sonar that supporters say is crucial to detecting super-quiet submarines. Environmentalists, however, fear that the sonar will endanger whales and other marine mammals, who rely on sound for communication, feeding, mating, and migration.
Maryland Suffers Setback in War on Invasive Walking Fish
Jul 16 2002 - National Geographic News
The news is getting worse for wildlife officials who recently identified a northern snakehead in a Maryland pond (see previous story). It appears that the air-breathing, land-crawling fish is multiplying, posing a serious threat to Maryland's freshwater ecosystems. Experts say the next step is to rid the pond of the unwanted predator, but doing so won't be easy.
Seal Epidemic Begins Anew
Jul 12 2002 - Scientific American
Researchers writing in today's Science report an alarming rise in the phocine distemper virus (PDV) among Northern Europe's seals. The same virus almost wiped out the region's seals in 1988, but for the past 10 years, investigators found no sign of the disease, offering hope that it had disappeared completely. Unfortunately, with no uniform strategy in place to halt the spread of PDV, it's unclear at this point what humans can do to help minimize the number of deaths.
Pesticides, Parasite May Cause Frog Deformities
Jul 10 2002 - National Geographic News
Frogs with extra or missing legs have been showing up with greater frequency over the past decade. What's the cause? Some say the culprit is pesticide runoff from farms; others point the finger at a common parasite, the trematode worm. Now, a new study suggests that both these factors in combination are to blame, with pesticides such as Atrazine making frogs much more susceptible to parasitic infections. Scientists say society can learn a lot from such studies because environmentally induced problems in amphibians tend to foreshadow similar effects on humans.
Report: Earth's Resources Could be Exhausted
Jul 10 2002 - Yahoo -- Reuters
The planet's resources are being used up faster than they can be regenerated, threatening the living standards of future generations, warns a new report by the World Wildlife Fund. What's more, North Americans and Europeans are among the biggest culprits, consuming far more natural resources than their Asian and African counterparts. "It's like drawing down on a bank deposit much faster than it is being fed by interest payments. At some point, the money's going to run out," said one WWF official.
Maryland Wages War on Invasive Walking Fish
Jul 9 2002 - National Geographic News
Alien species -- plants and animals that become established outside their natural habitat as a result of human activity -- pose a huge threat to the biodiversity and health of an ecosystem. The latest unwelcome guest is the northern snakehead fish, a voracious predator from Asia that was recently spotted in a Maryland pond. Biologists have stressed that the creature, which has the unique ability to breathe out of water and travel across land, must be eradicated before it spreads to the state's river system. Complicating the task, however, is the fact that nobody knows for sure how many snakeheads are out there.
Aqua Makes a Splash
Jun 28 2002 - BBC News
A new satellite named Aqua is already producing spectacular data on the stuff that makes us "The Water Planet." Its six sensors will study the infrared and the visible spectrum to determine cloud properties, sea-surface temperatures, and ocean color. Aqua is a joint project between the US, Japan, and Brazil. An Aqua scientist at NASA: "If all goes as planned, these data will lead to improved weather forecasts and a better understanding of Earth's climate system - especially the role of water in it."
Caffeine Shows Promise as Pest Repellent
Jun 26 2002 - Nature News
Is your vegetable garden under attack by slugs and snails? According to a new report in this week's Nature, you may not need to look any further than your morning cup of coffee for an environmentally friendly pesticide. Learn more...
Study: Warmer Climate Linked to Disease Epidemics
Jun 21 2002 - NewScientist.com
Global warming appears to be a major factor in the spread of diseases among marine and land animals, including humans, a study in this week's Science reports. The study found that as temperatures increase, pathogens and their carriers (e.g., mosquitoes) are able to spread into new areas where they can devastate species that have not been previously exposed. "We don't want to be alarmist, but we are alarmed," one of the researchers said. Critics, however, say there is insufficient evidence to support the climate-disease connection.
Desert-Adapted Crocs Found in Africa
Jun 20 2002 - National Geographic News
If you were looking for a crocodile, chances are you'd focus your search on their usual stomping grounds -- lakes, rivers, swamps, and other aquatic habitats. Imagine the surprise of researchers then when several small communities of crocs were found living on the southern edge of Africa's Sahara in desert conditions. How have these water-loving reptiles managed to survive amid such inhospitable conditions? Click above to learn more...
U.N. Unveils Web-Based Oceans Atlas
Jun 6 2002 - MSNBC -- AP
After a decade of planning, the United Nations yesterday launched an online atlas of the oceans. A collaborative effort involving numerous scientific institutions, the atlas features 14 global maps, links to hundreds of other sites, and more than 2,000 documents on 900 subjects (it will also be constantly updated). The ultimate aim of the project is to help scientists, policymakers, and educators better track key marine issues, such as overfishing, pollution, destruction of coastal areas, and the effects of climate change on the Earth's ice caps. Click above for the news article, or check out the atlas at www.oceansatlas.org.
Sharks Falling Prey to Humans' Appetites
Jun 4 2002 - National Geographic News
Contrary to Hollywood-inspired notions, shark attacks against humans are relatively rare, scientists say, with more people killed driving to and from the beach than by sharks. The threat posed to sharks by humans is another matter though. According to the above article, the growing popularity of shark meat and products has fueled an unprecedented onslaught on shark populations, spelling big trouble for ocean ecosystems worldwide. Click above to learn more...
Climate Changing, U.S. Says in Report
Jun 3 2002 - New York Times (requires free registration)
In a sharp contrast to previous statements on the matter, the Bush administration has sent a climate report to the United Nations detailing the far-reaching effects that it says global warming will inflict on the American environment. But while the report mostly blames humans actions (e.g., the burning of fossil fuels) for recent global warming, it does not propose any major shift in the administration's policy on greenhouse gases, an omission that has reportedly irritated many environmental groups. Click above for the New York Times article, or click here to read an online version of the report.
Early Blooming Flowers Tied to Warmer Earth
May 31 2002 - MSNBC -- AP
British scientists report in this week's Science that the first spring flowering of many British plants has advanced by 4.5 to 15 days over the last decade, a finding that offers "the strongest biological signal yet of climatic change." Moreover, with still warmer temperatures predicted for upcoming years, the researchers warn that this trend toward changing biology is likely to continue: “Plants will respond (first) by flowering earlier. The next thing they will do will be to migrate, and I guess we will see that very soon.”
Scientists Return to Galapagos Sea Vents
May 30 2002 - National Geographic Today
In 1977, the discovery of deep sea hydrothermal vents and thriving ocean floor gardens captivated the world and revolutionized how biologists viewed the requirements for life. Now, 25 years later, scientists are revisiting the site of that discovery, the Galapagos Rift, hoping to compare the current inhabitants with those documented in previous years. They are also on the look-out for so-called "high-temperature black smokers," dramatic geological forms that may have nurtured the first life on Earth. How is the expedition faring so far? Click above for the latest report...
Hydrogen Puts Iceland on Road to Oil-Free Future
May 30 2002 - Yahoo -- Reuters
Can you imagine a world without greenhouse gases? The nation of Iceland can. The small island on the edge of the Arctic has launched a 40-year plan aimed at ditching fossil fuels entirely. Under the plan, all of the country's car's, buses, and ships will eventually be driven by electric motors powered by hydrogen-fuel cells that produce nothing but water in their exhausts. The scheme is also backed by major energy companies, who view Iceland as a test-bed for a technology that some think holds the key to the world's energy needs. While significant technical challenges remain, Icelanders will get their first taste of the new era next year when three hydrogen-powered buses hit the road.
UN Report: Global Environment in Jeopardy
May 22 2002 - NewScientist.com
Despite some positive signs, such as declining water and air pollution in some affluent countries, a new UN assessment reports "a steady decline in the [global] environment," especially in much of the developing world. In fact, by the year 2032, more than 70 percent of the Earth's land surface could be "destroyed, fragmented, or disturbed" by cities, roads, mines, and other human developments. But the report is also emphatic that the future does not have to be so bleak -- so long as meaningful action is taken now.
WWF Report: Climate Change Threatens Polar Bears
May 21 2002 - NewScientist.com
Polar bears depend on sea ice to launch hunting expeditions for ringed seals, their primary prey. But according to a new WWF report, rapidly rising Arctic temperatures are melting summer sea ice, thus threatening the polar bear's basis for survival. "The sea ice is melting earlier in the spring, which is sending the polar bears to land earlier, without them having developed enough fat reserves," explained a co-author of the report. Click above for the news article, or click here for the full WWF report.
New Zealand Tries to Cap Gaseous Sheep Burps
May 14 2002 - National Geographic News
Who ever thought burping could be so harmful to the environment? Believe it or not, scientists estimate that 90 percent of New Zealand's methane emissions arise from "enteric fermentation," which is part of the normal digestive process of animals such as cows and sheep. The good news, however, is that researchers may have found a partial solution for curbing these noxious belches: feeding livestock plants that are high in condensed tannins. Read more...
Hawaii Suffers an Amphibious Invasion
May 7 2002 - Washington Post
"Hawaii has been invaded by a dun-colored, 2-inch-long, cute little frog native to Puerto Rico," the above article reports. Not only is the critter annoying residents and tourists with its relentless mating call (the sound has been compared to that of a car alarm), but more important, the voracious amphibian represents a major potential disruption of the islands' native ecosystems. So what should Hawaii do about its uninvited guest? Click above to learn more...
Traveling Trash Threatens Ecosystems
Apr 26 2002 - MSNBC -- AP
According to a new study, tiny species like barnacles, worms, and mollusks are hitching rides across the globe on plastic trash, threatening fragile ecosystems such as Antarctica and the Galapagos Islands. While the problem of invasive species is not new, the threat in a marine environment may be particularly acute, the study says. "No marine invasive organism has even been removed from anywhere," noted the lead author, who advocates cutbacks in the use of plastic bags as one simple course of action.
Sea Turtles Diving Toward Extinction
Apr 24 2002 - MSNBC -- Reuters
The victims of commercial fishing and commercial development of their nesting areas, Giant Pacific leatherback sea turtles are on a fast track to extinction, scientists warned yesterday. Around since the dinosaurs, the giant creatures have seen their numbers dwindle rapidly in recent years, from 91,000 20 years ago to just 3,000 today. "The decline...is nothing short of catastrophic," one expert said. "The number has dropped at a precipitous rate." At the same time, there is hope for the species, scientists said, so long as something is done soon. Find out more...
Environmental Movement at 40: Is Earth Healthier?
Apr 22 2002 - National Geographic News
Forty years ago, Rachel Carson published Silent Spring, a book that is widely credited as the launching pad of today's environmental movement. With today being Earth Day, it seems only fitting to ask: Is the Earth better off (or worse) since Carson first opened our eyes to the chemical warfare that human beings are waging against nature? The above article takes a look...
Mutated Mummichogs: Scientist Studies Tiny Fishes' Adaptation to Pollution
Apr 17 2002 - ABC News.com
Is pollution driving evolutionary changes among some species -- and if so, how? One scientist's study of the so-called mummichog, a tiny fish found in Virginia's notoriously foul Elizabeth River, might shed some light on those questions. "We're interested in how human disturbances affect other organisms over multiple generations," he said, including the "tradeoff between being able to adapt versus what the cost of that adaptation is." Find out more...
Offshore Harvest of Wind is Proposed for Cape Cod
Apr 17 2002 - New York Times (requires free registration)
Wind-power proponents are itching to build the nation's first offshore "wind farm" off the coast of Massachusetts. They say the wind park will generate nearly half the electrical supply for Cape Cod and nearby islands, all while protecting the environment and easing dependency on foreign oil. But critics of the plan are skeptical, expressing fears that the turbines will harm birds and sea life -- or just be loud and ugly. As the above article notes, the result has been a fervent debate about how and where to harvest the wind.
Researchers Link Common Weed Killer to Flaws in Frogs
Apr 16 2002 - MSNBC -- AP
A new study suggests that male frogs exposed to even very low doses of the popular weed killer atrazine can develop multiple sex organs -- sometimes both male and female. The researchers contend that the effect on the frogs results from atrazine promoting the conversion of testosterone to estrogen, adding that the widespread presence of the chemical may be a factor in global amphibian population declines. A company that manufactures an atrazine-based herbicide, however, questions the study's results. Read more...
China's Growing Deserts Are Suffocating Korea
Apr 15 2002 - New York Times (requires free registration)
Huge dust storms from China's deserts are blowing into Korea for the third consecutive year, creating serious economic and public health problems, the above article reports. Scientists say the storms are a result of the rapid desertification of China, a phenomenon most likely being accelerated by overfarming, overgrazing and the widespread destruction of forests. "The puzzle of Asian dust is a huge question in weather science right now," one expert noted. "And if human activity is proven to be the cause, it stands to reason that this problem is going to keep getting worse."
Arctic Ice "Melting from Below"
Mar 26 2002 - BBC News
In answer to skeptics who argued that recent increases in air temperature are insufficient to cause thinning of the Arctic ice cap, scientists at the Scott Polar Research Institute in Cambridge, UK, offer evidence of a two-pronged thermal attack: warmer air above (during increasingly longer Arctic summers) and warmer water below. A shrinking ice cap would be a boon for shippers, but a serious challenge for wildlife, such as the polar bear.
The Rule of the Game
Mar 25 2002 - Nature
Every kilogram of meat-eating mammal needs 111 kilograms of prey to sustain it, a new study says. The ratio appears to hold for all carnivores, from tiny weasels to massive polar bears. "To see this rule emerging across a wide range of carnivores was a real surprise to me, and I think it'll surprise a lot of ecologists," one of the co-authors said. The discovery could aid conservation efforts. Read more...
USGS: Beauty Aids, Other Chemicals Contaminating Waterways
Mar 13 2002 - Yahoo -- AP
A new analysis by the U.S. Geologic Survey shows that the nation's waterways are awash in traces of chemicals commonly used in beauty aids, medications, cleaners, and foods. These substances, known as pharmaceutical and personal care pollutants (PPCPS), largely escape regulation, and according to experts, represent the "next big unknown" in environmental contamination. Industry and water utility officials said they expect the EPA to decide in the next few years how to regulate PPCPs.
The Search for a Lost Woodpecker
Mar 8 2002 - MSNBC -- Reuters
In 1941, the famed ivory-billed woodpecker was labeled "probably extinct," and it hasn't been seen for decades. Nevertheless, many wildlife experts refuse to give up on the species. Recently, a team of researchers prowled the swamps of Louisiana, uncovering tantalizing clues that America's largest woodpecker may still be alive. And in coming weeks, more than 5,000 hours of digital recordings will be analyzed in an effort to capture definitive proof of the bird’s distinctive calls. Will the bird be found? "We deeply, passionately sense it our souls," said the president of the American Ornithologists' Union. "This would be so huge."
Team Races to Catalog Every Species on Earth
Mar 6 2002 - National Geographic
It looks as if the Earth is not such a small world after all. To date, taxonomists have identified about two million distinct species, mostly mammals and birds. But it's estimated that the number of undiscovered species ranges from ten million to more than one hundred million -- that's somewhere between 80 and 98 percent of all the species on Earth. Will it ever be possible to identify and classify all these living creatures? Believe it or not, the All Species Foundation, a nonprofit organization, is dedicated to achieving that feat in a mere 25 years. Can they do it? Read more...
Study Says Global Warming May Rob States of Their Official Birds
Mar 5 2002 - Washington Post
Can you imagine the state of Maryland without its beloved Baltimore oriole? Unfortunately, that scenario is highly likely, says a new study that will be released this week by the National Wildlife Federation and the American Bird Conservancy. The study claims that the Earth's rising temperature is already altering songbird ranges and migration behavior; as a result, Maryland and a half-dozen other states could lose their state birds later this century. Can such a gloomy outcome be averted? Click above to read more...
New Satellite Will Track Earth's Health
Feb 28 2002 - Nature
Our planet will soon be getting the equivalent of a full-body check-up. On Friday, the European Space Agency plans to launch Envisat, the world's biggest and most expensive environmental monitoring satellite. From its vantage point 500 miles above the planet, the huge spacecraft, equipped with an array of sensors, will simultaneously check Earth's vital signs, from its surface features to its atmosphere. Of particular interest, the craft will make the first ever attempt to study global carbon dioxide levels from space. Read more...
Young Elephants Emit Sweet Smell
Feb 28 2002 - ABC News
In another example of how animals use chemicals to communicate, researchers have learned that young male Asian elephants signal their innocence through secretions that smell like honey. "The sweet smell tells females that an immature male still has some growing up to do and informs aggressive mature males that they pose no threat," one of the lead researchers said. These sweet smells don't last forever though. When a male elephant matures, his secretions turn rancid, tipping off females that he is ready to mate.
Bush Offers Alternative Plan on Greenhouse Gases
Feb 14 2002 - Reuters
Offering an alternative to the Kyoto Treaty, President Bush today proposed a set of voluntary measures and tax incentives aimed at reducing carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions. Environmentalists immediately criticized the plan, however, arguing that it will have a negligible effect on the growing problem of global warming. Read more...
Ocean Pooper Scoopers: Scientists Study Whale Waste for Clues to Diet
Feb 13 2002 - MSNBC--Reuters
Yesterday's gross-out story centered on dinosaur vomit (read story). Today, the focus is whale poop. As reported in the above article, scientists have developed a way to study the eating habits of whales by scooping up their waste and analyzing the DNA of digested prey. Researchers hope the method could serve as an alternative to Japan's annual kill of minke whales to study their impact on commercial fish stocks.
Chemicals in Feathers Shed Light on Songbird Migration
Feb 12 2002 - Scientific American
Based on their work with the black-throated warbler, a North American songbird, scientists have developed a new technique for tracking some birds' complex travel habits. The technique involves analyzing the chemicals present in a bird's feathers, which are influenced by diet, to determine where the bird was when the feathers grew. Ultimately, researchers hope that a better understanding of birds' migratory patterns will aid conservation efforts. Read more...
State Bird of Hawaii Unmasked as Canadian
Feb 7 2002 - National Geographic
Many birds head south for the winter months. Some, it turns out, stay forever. In a surprise discovery, scientists have learned that the distinctive-looking and endangered Hawaiian goose, known as the nene, is in fact an evolutionary descendant of the Canada goose. The finding is shedding light on how quickly a population that becomes isolated can develop specialized adaptations. Read more...
Tree Invaders Reshape the American Landscape
Feb 5 2002 - New York Times (requires free registration)
Imported tree diseases are sweeping across the nation, the above article reports, destroying forests, altering ecosystems, and causing economic losses along the way. The devastation is being felt from Maine to California, with chestnuts, Dutch elms, oaks, dogwoods, butternuts, cedars, and other species among the victims. Moreover, many believe the problem is only going to get worse before it gets better. "I get concerned about what the forests of the future will look like," one ecologist commented. Read more...
Mountain Ecosystems in Danger Worldwide, UN Says
Feb 4 2002 - National Geographic
Most people flee to the mountains for fresh air and tranquility. But according to a new United Nations analysis, pressures from tourism, development, pollution, climate change, and other forces are permanently eroding the landscape of many mountain ranges, posing serious problems for society. In the U.S., the Rockies in particular were singled out as being in ecological danger, with tourism and soaring development cited as the chief culprits. Read more...
Scientists Study Effects of Artificial Light on Wildlife
Feb 4 2002 - ABC News--AP
It is already well documented that artificial light can disrupt the natural biological patterns that guide sleep, body temperature, and other functions in humans. But what are the effects on plants and animals? The little research that has been done on this subject suggests that the effects of artificial lights on wildlife may be dramatic, if not lethal, and some scientists want to learn more. "All of the things we do for nature preservation are necessary, but they might not be sufficient if we don't address this," one conservationist said.
Seal for Hire: Scientists Use Seals To Videotape Fish at Antarctic Depths
Feb 1 2002 - ABC News.com
How can marine ecologists find out what it's really like to survive as a seal or fish in the dark, cold waters that lie deep beneath Antarctica's floating ice shields? A group of researchers had an idea; they recruited a bunch of Weddell seals to serve as their film crew, strapping cameras and instruments on to their assistants' pelts. Was this hard to pull off? As it turned out, catching the seals was not difficult at all. The hard part, the crew said, was making sure their collaborators came back at the end of the experiment. Read more...
Is Logging Bane or Balm? Plan Stirs Debate
Jan 29 2002 - New York Times (requires free registration)
In Montana, immense fires from the summer of 2000 have blackened the dense forests on the Bitterroot Mountains. Under a proposed plan, the United States Forest Service wants to cut and sell many of the burned trees, arguing that careful logging is not only benign, but critical to the forests' recovery and protection. Some environmentalists, however, take a different view, claiming that logging could exacerbate the damage; it's better to let the forests recover naturally, they say. Who's right? The above article examines the debate...
For Zoo Denizens, A Taste of the Wild
Jan 25 2002 - MSNBC--Washington Post
Did the animals seem wilder the last time you visited the zoo? If so, you may have been picking up on a nationwide cultural change in zoos, many of which are employing a variety of "enrichment activities" to simulate the challenges animals would face in a wild environment. Some facilities, pushing this idea to its controversial limit, are even feeding roadkill to their carnivores in public view. "It's important for carnivores to do what they are intended to do, and the [carcass] animals are dead anyway," one advocate said. Read more...
Slick Birds Are Wearing Wool
Jan 23 2002 - Nature
Last year, an oil slick from an illegal discharge washed into the habitat of tiny "fairy" penguins, who make their home on an island in southern Australia. The oil clogged the birds' waterproof insulating feathers, preventing them from making daily mid-ocean forays in search of food, and threatening their survival. But thanks to the help of knitters worldwide, who volunteered their services to make protective wool jumpers for the penguins, this story has a happy ending. Click above for the full story...and an adorable photo.
Africa's Congo Devastated by Volcanic Eruption
Jan 22 2002 - Reuters, MSNBC
The furious eruption of Mount Nyiragongo in Congo has displaced hundreds of thousands of residents and threatens to wipe out wildlife in nearby forests. The tragic event also raises an important question: Are scientists any closer to predicting where and when the next volcano will blow? Click above to learn more about what's happening in Congo, as well as ongoing efforts to monitor volcanic activity worldwide...
A Look at Wind Power
Jan 16 2002 - National Geographic
Is the answer (to our energy needs) blowing in the wind? Proponents of wind energy say that it is an emissions-free, quiet, and renewable source of energy. Currently, Europe leads the world in the use of wind power, with Ireland on the verge of building a giant 200-turbine wind farm that will generate about 10 percent of the country's energy needs. In contrast, wind supplies less than one percent of the United States' energy needs. But wind power may be gaining popularity in America, albeit slowly. Click above to learn more...
Joy in Rwanda: Signing on With the Gorillas
Jan 16 2002 - New York Times (requires free registration)
The above article profiles Drs. Bill Weber and Amy Vedder, a husband-wife conservation team who helped found the Mountain Gorilla Project in Rwanda in the late 1970s. The pioneering eco-tourism effort is designed to attract visitors willing to pay hundreds of dollars to see the free-ranging gorillas, and thus to make the preservation of gorilla habitat at least as profitable as clearing the land for farming and cattle grazing. So far, the undertaking has paid off, with the gorilla population in Rwanda climbing from about 250 to 360 in the past 25 years. Given the warfare and poverty that Rwanda has endured in recent years, "it's a [conservation] model for the rest of the world to aspire to," Dr. Vedder said.
Why Forests Need Fire
Jan 11 2002 - BBC News
While the bush fires raging across Australia are exacting a heavy toll on the natural environment, the fires may actually offer some benefits to the forests in the longer term, the above article notes. That's because "fires are a natural way of clearing old growth, causing organic matter to decompose rapidly into mineral components which fuel rapid plant growth, and recycling essential nutrients, especially nitrogen." Still, if the forest flora stand to make some gains from the flames, the story will likely be different for much of the fauna, which tend to suffer greater devastation during large fires.
Rust-Buster for Ships May Also Aid Environment, Scientists Say
Jan 10 2002 - Nature
It's a common problem: When ships are weighted by filling their ballast tanks or empty cargo holds with seawater, animals, plants, and microbes also come on board. And when the vesels flush these tanks at their destination port, the stowaway organisms often find a new home, displacing native plants and animals and altering ecosystems in the process. What can be done? According to scientists, a new way to reduce rust on ships--which involves removing oxygen from the seawater that ships carry--may also offer an antidote to the worldwide spread of invasive species.
Fluorescent Feathers Give Parrots Added Allure in Courtship, Study Finds
Jan 8 2002 - National Geographic
According to a recent study of budgerigars (a type of parrot), having a bright set of fluorescent feathers is a distinct reproductive advantage, with both males and females preferring "glowing" companions. Predictably, then, budgerigars perform courtships displays in the early morning, when the birds can catch the maximum amount of UV light and thus appear at their most radiant. Click above to learn more...
An Unlikely Pair: Lioness and Baby Antelope Develop Bond in Wild
Jan 7 2002 - BBC News
A lioness in central Kenya recently baffled wildlife experts (and delighted tourists) by adopting and providing protection to a baby oryx, a kind of small antelope normally preyed upon by big cats. One wildlife expert believes the lioness spared the oryx "because animals have a special instinct to care for the young." Sadly, however, the rule of the wild ultimately prevailed yesterday when a male lion attacked and killed the baby oryx while the lioness was sleeping.
Satellites Clear Up White Shark Mysteries
Jan 4 2002 - National Geographic
Despite their legendary "performances" in Hollywood movies, the truth is that scientists know very little about the behavior of white sharks. But thanks to breakthroughs in satellite technology, this is beginning to change. For example, a new study using such technology offers the most extensive record ever compiled on the ecological niche of white sharks, and the results are challenging old assumptions. Among the surprising findings: White sharks travel farther off-shore and dive deeper than previously thought, spending up to five months in deep ocean waters. Experts say such information has important implications for protecting the species. "We need to know where they go in order to consider conservation initiatives," a co-author of the study said. "This study has broadened our perspective."
Whales' Deaths Linked to Navy's Sonar Tests
Jan 3 2002 - Washington Post
According to a newly released government report, the mass stranding of 16 whales (of which at least six died) in the Bahamas in March 2000 was caused by U.S. Navy tests in which intense underwater sounds were generated for 16 hours. Experts said the study places the Navy on notice that it will have to balance more carefully its need to conduct underwater sonar tests against the need to protect marine mammals.
Scientists Take a Census of Life in Great Smoky Mountains
Jan 2 2002 - MSNBC/Associated Press
In what is being called the most ambitious plant and animal census ever attempted on the planet, nearly 2,000 volunteers--from school children to international scientists--are participating in the All-Taxa Biodiversity Inventory of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Since the project began in 1998, about 1,480 species have been discovered in the preserve, adding to an original list of 12,000. The goal is to find a total of 100,000 species in 15 years. "Some things are so small you can't even see them with your eyes," said a 16-year-old student volunteer. "But they play big roles. You just really don't know until you study them."
Coaxing Rhinos to Do What Comes So Naturally
Dec 27 2001 - New York Times (requires free registration)
For fans of the endangered Sumatran rhinoceros, the birth a few months ago of Andalas--the first Sumatran rhino to be born and bred in captivity in more than 100 years--was a momentous event. Perhaps no person deserves more credit for this feat than Dr. Terri Roth, the vice president for animal sciences at the Cincinnati Zoo, where Andalas was born. Click above to read an interview with Dr. Roth in which she discusses Andalas's significance to science--and shares some tips for giving a 1,700-pound creature a sonogram.
"Weird" New Squid Species Discovered in Deep Sea
Dec 21 2001 - National Geographic
Scientists have spotted and filmed a new type of squid in the deep waters (ranging from 6,300 to 15,500 feet below sea level) of the Gulf of Mexico, and the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans. "We have never seen anything like it," says one of the researchers involved in the effort. "It just shows how little we know about life-forms in the deep sea." What makes this newly discovered species so "weird"? Click above to find out...
Opinion: How Do You Miss a Whole Elephant Species?
Dec 18 2001 - National Geographic
As reported in a previous news item, geneticists who conducted a comprehensive DNA sampling of elephants from across Africa recently found that there are in fact two species of African elephants: the savanna (Loxodonta Africana) and the forest (Loxodonta africana cyclotis). But how did scientists overlook an entire elephant species for so long, especially when the new genetic evidence shows that the two species are more distant from each other than a tiger is from a lion? Noted paleontologist Lee R. Berger sheds some light on the mysterious ancestry of the African elephant.
To Help Land, Australians Rethink Role of Kangaroos
Dec 17 2001 - New York Times (requires free registration)
Would you eat kangaroo meat? That question is on the minds of a growing number of Australian scientists, ranchers, environmentalists, government officials, and others, who are pondering the idea of harvesting Australia's 25 million-strong kangaroo population as one of the many long-term actions needed to halt chronic soil degradation and diversify sources of farm incomes. At the same time, the proposal is renewing debate among Australians over the value and treatment of the nation's most famous animal.
Abrupt Climate Change Likely
Dec 14 2001 - Nature
Abrupt changes in global climate, common in the past, will become more so in future, thanks to the impact of humans on the environment, according to a new report from the US National Research Council. "Realization has been growing over the past decade that climate change is not always gradual," says Richard Alley of Pennsylvania State University in University Park, chair of the committee that produced the report. Studies of past climate swings indicate that climate is flexible up to a point, but that beyond certain thresholds change can be rapid and long-lasting. It can be like turning the dial on a thermostat, says Alley. "But now we know that climate has switches as well as dials," he says.
Fungal Disease is Killing Oak Trees in Parts of U.S.
Dec 11 2001 - National Geographic
A fungal disease has killed tens of thousands of stately oak trees in California and southwestern Oregon, and the clock is ticking as scientists race to stop its spread. If the disease is not controlled, experts fear that oak trees could go the way of the American chestnut tree, which was wiped out by a fungus in the early part of the 20th century.
Study Suggests Predators are Vital to Health of Ecosystems
Dec 4 2001 - Scientific American
Do predators at the top of the food chain or plants at the bottom exert more control over ecosystems? The question lies at the heart of a long-standing debate among ecologists, and a recent study weighs in on the side of predators as essential regulators. "If predators are gone, the number of [herbivores] explodes, leading to a "state of collapse" among all but the most toxic plant species, the lead author argues.
World's Smallest Lizard Found in Caribbean
Dec 3 2001 - Nature
At just 16 millimeters from nose to tail, the newly discovered Jaragua lizard of Isla Beata may be about as small as a land vertebrate--the 23,000 species of reptiles, birds, and mammals--can get. The lizard takes its place among other diminutive animals (including the world's smallest bird, frog, and snake) that make their home on the Caribbean islands, which are known for their unique ecosystems.
Mothers Could Save the Right Whale from Extinction
Nov 30 2001 - Nature
A new study suggests that saving just two or three females a year could halt the decline of one of the most endangered species on the planet, the northern right whale. There are now believed to be only 300 right whales left on the planet, and even though whaling stopped in 1935, the sea-faring mammals remain in grave peril--often falling victim to collisions with ships and entanglements in fishing nets. Nevertheless, the study offers hope that increasing the life expectancies of mothers, who now live an average of only 15 years, will increase the reproductive opportunities of the whales, thus putting the species back on the road to recovery.
Scientist Uses Tombstones to Track Environmental Changes
Nov 29 2001 - National Geographic
We all know that graveyards hold many secrets. But who would have guessed that among these secrets would be clues to the causes of pollution? Over the last 25 years, scientist Tom Meierding has measured the weathering rates of about 15,000 tombstones in more than 700 cemeteries to gain insights into what environmental or human factors may be contributing to the deterioration of historic buildings, monuments, and stones. You might be surprised by his results.
Explorer's Notebook: Orangutans Headed Toward "Catastrophe"
Nov 26 2001 - National Geographic
Orangutans, which live only on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra in Indonesia, are becoming easy prey to poachers as the country's national parks continue to be devastated by illegal logging. In fact, eighty percent of orangutans' habitat has disappeared over the last 20 years, raising concerns that orangutans themselves may be gone from the wild in another decade. In response to this crisis, efforts are underway in Indonesia to restore orphaned orangutans to the wild. But what can people teach these animals about how to survive in the forest? Read one explorer's first-hand account...
Climate Change Caused Extinction of Big Ice Age Mammals, Scientists Say
Nov 15 2001 - National Geographic
What caused the mass extinction of more than 30 large mammals in North America some 10,000 years ago? For years, the so-called "overkill hypothesis," which blames the extinction on excessive hunting by humans, has reigned supreme. But now, some scientists are leading a renewed assault against that theory, arguing instead that climate shifts and related changes in weather and vegetation patterns were the true culprits. Who's right? And why does it matter?
Beetles' Water Wings Aid Desert Survival
Nov 1 2001 - Nature
Could the water-gathering tricks of desert beetles help humans survive harsh environments? It appears so, say British scientists, who have found that the beetle Stenocara uses its hard front wings to turn fog into drinking water. Inspired by the process, the scientists are now working to design fog-collecting materials that mimic those used by the insect.
Hydrogen Cars May Hit Showrooms by 2005
Oct 18 2001 - National Geographic
Engineers at Hypercar, Inc., hope to have their first model ready to roll off the production line by 2005. Their vision: a lightweight vehicle powered by a hydrogen fuel cell that not only gets 99 miles per gallon emissions-free but also plays a key role in providing electricity to a power-hungry world. Sound too good to be true? Hypercar energy expert Amory Lovins doesn't think so...
Scientists Check Coral Reef Health From Above
Oct 11 2001 - National Geographic News
With the aid of an aerial device called a spectrographic imager, scientists can now rapidly assess the health of the world's coral reefs without ever stepping foot in the water. Unfortunately, the data they collect are not always encouraging. According to the new World Atlas of Coral Reefs, the world's remaining coral is considerably less than was thought to exist, underscoring the need for immediate preservation efforts.
Bacteria Offer Tips For Creating Clean Fuel
Oct 10 2001 - Nature News
Are non-polluting, hydrogen-fueled cars in our future? Based on new research, scientists at the University of Illinois believe they can steal the secrets of hydrogen-generating bacteria to make the gas cheaply and efficiently for industrial use.
Meerkats Become Fat Cats in Large Cooperatives
Oct 10 2001 - National Geographic News
When it comes to meerkat society, scientists say a basic rule prevails: The more, the fatter. Researchers have found that the larger their social cooperatives, the more these squirrel-sized mammals are able to spread the duties of rearing their young and standing guard against predators—-giving individuals greater opportunities to look for food and increase their heft.
Space Age Plan To Save Gorillas
Oct 4 2001 - BBC News
The European Space Agency will use satellite technology to keep an eye on the African forests where endangered gorillas live, under new plans to protect their habitat. Only about 650 mountain gorillas remain in Africa, a population that scientists fear may not be large enough to maintain genetic diversity.
For Caterpillars, Making a Racket Goes With the Territory
Oct 2 2001 - New York Times (requires free registration)
When it comes to staking out territory, it appears that trash talk is everything for the hook-tip moth larva. New research shows that the caterpillars, when nesting, make hostile noises with their tails and jaws to chase off intruders of the same species. The research provides the first evidence of intraspecies acoustic communication among caterpillars.
Alien Invasion: Exotic Species Sow Destruction Across the Atlantic
Sep 27 2001 - National Geographic News
What do zebra mussels, America's western corn rootworm, and the Australian melaleuca tree have in common? These pests are all prime examples of how global trade has spread invasive species around the world, sometimes grossly upsetting the balance of nature. Read more about the economic damage and the menace to indigenous species caused by these alien invaders--and learn what you can do to help contain the problem.
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