Feature Channels: Environmental Science

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Newswise: Biodiversity appears to strongly suppress pathogens and pests in many plant and animal systems, but this “dilution effect” can vary strikingly in magnitude
23-Feb-2024 2:40 PM EST
Biodiversity appears to strongly suppress pathogens and pests in many plant and animal systems, but this “dilution effect” can vary strikingly in magnitude
PLOS

This study uses forest inventory data from over 25,000 plots to show that the prevalence of tree pests is jointly controlled by the diversity and phylogenetic composition of forests.

Newswise: NASA Space Technology and Google Earth Engine Computing Power Are Helping to Save Tigers
Released: 27-Feb-2024 12:05 PM EST
NASA Space Technology and Google Earth Engine Computing Power Are Helping to Save Tigers
Wildlife Conservation Society

A new computer platform called TCL 3.0 represents a breakthrough in how scientists measure and monitor changes in tiger habitat and provides a framework for monitoring other wildlife species across the globe.

Newswise:Video Embedded janitors-of-the-sea-overharvested-sea-cucumbers-play-crucial-role-in-protecting-coral
VIDEO
Released: 27-Feb-2024 9:25 AM EST
‘Janitors’ of the Sea: Overharvested sea cucumbers play crucial role in protecting coral
Georgia Institute of Technology

In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology discovered that sea cucumbers — sediment-eating organisms that function like autonomous vacuum cleaners of the ocean floor — play an enormous role in protecting coral from disease. The problem is, they've been overharvested for more than 100 years, and they're now rare.

Released: 27-Feb-2024 7:05 AM EST
Butterflies mimic each other’s flight behaviour to avoid predators
University of York

Researchers have shown that inedible species of butterfly that mimic each others’ colour patterns have also evolved similar flight behaviours to warn predators and avoid being eaten.

Newswise: New discovery suggests significant glacial retreat in West Antarctica began in 1940s
Released: 27-Feb-2024 6:05 AM EST
New discovery suggests significant glacial retreat in West Antarctica began in 1940s
University of Houston

Among the vast expanse of Antarctica lies the Thwaites Glacier, the world’s widest glacier measuring about 80 miles on the western edge of the continent.

Newswise: Birds and bee lessons as Pacific field trips also solve 'Michener's mystery'
Released: 26-Feb-2024 10:05 PM EST
Birds and bee lessons as Pacific field trips also solve 'Michener's mystery'
Flinders University

Eight new Pacific bee species and new insights into Fijian bird behaviour on Viti Levu Island have been described in new scientific studies led by Flinders University.

Newswise: How did a tiny bee get to French Polynesia? Eight new species help solve a scientific mystery
Released: 26-Feb-2024 10:05 PM EST
How did a tiny bee get to French Polynesia? Eight new species help solve a scientific mystery
Frontiers

In 1934, American entomologist Elwood Zimmerman, then an undergraduate student at Berkeley, participated in the ‘Mangarevan expedition’ to Polynesia.

Released: 26-Feb-2024 9:05 PM EST
Vanishing forests and suffering children: The hidden toll of deforestation in Cambodia
Sophia University

Deforestation, a critical consequence of human activity, has garnered significant attention due to its impact on environmental sustainability, biodiversity and climate change.

   
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Released: 26-Feb-2024 12:05 PM EST
UNCW Researchers Excavating Evidence of Early Agricultural Engineering
University of North Carolina Wilmington

UNC Wilmington environmental sciences assistant professor Joni “Osku“ Backstrom and Mark Wilde-Ramsing, underwater archaeologist and former director of the Underwater Archaeology Branch of the North Carolina Office of State Archaeology, have traversed the lower Cape Fear and Brunswick rivers searching for archaeological evidence of the rice fields once situated along the rivers’ banks.

Newswise: Researchers use AI, Google Street View to predict household energy costs on large scale
Released: 26-Feb-2024 11:15 AM EST
Researchers use AI, Google Street View to predict household energy costs on large scale
University of Notre Dame

An interdisciplinary team of experts from the University of Notre Dame, in collaboration with the University of Maryland and University of Utah, have found a way to use artificial intelligence to analyze a household’s passive design characteristics and predict its energy expenses with more than 74 percent accuracy. By combining their findings with demographic data including poverty levels, the researchers have created a comprehensive model for predicting energy burden across 1,402 census tracts and nearly 300,000 households in Chicago.

   
Newswise: Turning Waste into Wonder: A Breakthrough in Pollution Control
Released: 26-Feb-2024 9:00 AM EST
Turning Waste into Wonder: A Breakthrough in Pollution Control
Chinese Academy of Sciences

Researchers have made significant strides in the field of environmental pollution mitigation by enhancing the effectiveness of vanadium-based catalysts through nitrogen-doped biomass carbon for the degradation of furan at lower temperatures. This innovative approach not only offers a more efficient means of breaking down harmful pollutants but also represents a significant step towards more sustainable and cost-effective environmental protection measures.

Newswise: Turning Waste into Wealth: Breakthrough in Metal Recovery from Copper Slag
Released: 26-Feb-2024 9:00 AM EST
Turning Waste into Wealth: Breakthrough in Metal Recovery from Copper Slag
Chinese Academy of Sciences

Copper smelting, a critical process in metal production, often leads to the generation of slag containing valuable metals. Traditionally, this slag has been discarded, causing environmental issues and resource loss. A recent study introduce a method for recovering copper, lead, and zinc from copper smelting slag, addressing both environmental concerns and resource recovery.

Newswise: High production of polyols using crude glycerol by wild-type safe yeasts
Released: 26-Feb-2024 7:05 AM EST
High production of polyols using crude glycerol by wild-type safe yeasts
Chinese Academy of Sciences

Utilization of crude glycerol generated as a by-product from biodiesel production process, for the production of high value-added products, represents an opportunity to overcome the negative impact of low glycerol prices in the biodiesel industry. In the present investigation, alternative ways of valorization of crude glycerol have been provided, by using this renewable material as substrate by natural yeasts of the Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) species Yarrowia lipolytica.

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Released: 23-Feb-2024 3:05 PM EST
Expert says West Coast flooding, mudslides remain threat from multiple large winter storms
Virginia Tech

As California and the west coast stare down yet another major winter storm, the threat of devastating flooding and mudslides is even more urgent. Drew Ellis, a climate science and meteorology expert at Virginia Tech, explains what causes these conditions.

Newswise: Barriers against Antarctic ice melt disappearing at the double
Released: 23-Feb-2024 10:05 AM EST
Barriers against Antarctic ice melt disappearing at the double
University of Edinburgh

Undersea anchors of ice that help prevent Antarctica’s land ice from slipping into the ocean are shrinking at more than twice the rate compared with 50 years ago, research shows.

Released: 22-Feb-2024 7:05 PM EST
Climate change linked to rise in mental distress among teens, according to Drexel study
Drexel University

Worsening human-induced climate change may have effects beyond the widely reported rising sea levels, higher temperatures, and impacts on food supply and migration – and may also extend to influencing mental distress among high schoolers in the United States.

   
Newswise: Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats have long been in flux
Released: 22-Feb-2024 6:05 PM EST
Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats have long been in flux
University of Utah

It has been long assumed that Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats was formed as its ancient namesake lake dried up 13,000 years ago. But new research from the University of Utah has gutted that narrative, determining these crusts did not form until several thousand years after Lake Bonneville disappeared, which could have important implications for managing this feature that has been shrinking for decades to the dismay of the racing community and others who revere the saline pan 100 miles west of Salt Lake City. Relying on radiocarbon analysis of pollen found in salt cores, the study concludes the salt began accumulating between 5,400 and 3,500 years ago, demonstrating how this geological feature is not a permanent fixture on the landscape.

Newswise: Snakes: An Evolutionary Winner
19-Feb-2024 2:05 PM EST
Snakes: An Evolutionary Winner
Stony Brook University

A study of more than 60,000 specimens of snakes and lizards worldwide reveals that snakes stand out alone in the evolution of reptiles. The team of scientists discovered that snakes evolved incredibly fast, as their ancestors shed limbs and adapted on multiple levels to live and spread out into thousands of species of snakes over 66 million years, up to today.

Newswise: Air Pollution Hides Increases in Rainfall
20-Feb-2024 8:00 AM EST
Air Pollution Hides Increases in Rainfall
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

In a new study, researchers broke down how human-induced greenhouse gas and aerosol emissions influence rainfall in the United States.

Newswise: Burning landfill gases is dangerous, RUDN ecologists say
Released: 21-Feb-2024 9:10 AM EST
Burning landfill gases is dangerous, RUDN ecologists say
Scientific Project Lomonosov

RUDN University ecologists and a professor from the Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST) have shown that the combustion of landfill gas in flares continues to pose a danger to the health of the environment and humans. Moreover, it is likely that the situation only gets worse after flaring

Newswise: Study Details Toxic Elements Found in Stranded Whales, Dolphins Over 15 Years
Released: 21-Feb-2024 8:30 AM EST
Study Details Toxic Elements Found in Stranded Whales, Dolphins Over 15 Years
Florida Atlantic University

Researchers evaluated the prevalence, concentration and tissue distribution of essential and non-essential trace elements, including heavy metal toxicants in tissue (blubber, kidney, liver, skeletal muscle, skin) and fecal samples. Findings reveal how toxicant levels relate to their sex, breed, age and other demographic factors.

16-Feb-2024 8:00 AM EST
Highways through historically redlined areas likely cause air pollution disparities today
American Chemical Society (ACS)

Historically "redlined" areas – neighborhoods with primarily Black or immigrant communities – are exposed to more air pollution than other urban neighborhoods. According to research published in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology, the cause could relate to nearby highways or industrial parks.

16-Feb-2024 8:00 AM EST
Mercury levels in tuna remain nearly unchanged since 1971, study says
American Chemical Society (ACS)

Tuna can build up high levels of methylmercury from feeding on contaminated prey. Despite efforts to reduce mercury emissions, researchers report in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology Letters that levels in tuna appear to be unchanged.

Newswise: Genetic insights and conservation challenges of Nara's sacred deer
Released: 21-Feb-2024 3:05 AM EST
Genetic insights and conservation challenges of Nara's sacred deer
Fukushima University

In a world where human activities have left an indelible mark on ecosystems, the preservation of species and natural landscapes has become an urgent global concern.

Newswise: Giant new snake species identified in the Amazon
Released: 21-Feb-2024 2:05 AM EST
Giant new snake species identified in the Amazon
University of Queensland

A team of scientists on location with a film crew in the remote Amazon has uncovered a previously undocumented species of giant anaconda.

Released: 19-Feb-2024 3:05 PM EST
ORNL researchers and leaders reflect on AGU23 and future plans for “wide open science”
Oak Ridge National Laboratory

A multidirectorate group from ORNL attended AGU23 and came away inspired for the year ahead in geospatial, earth and climate science

Newswise: Why two prehistoric sharks found in Ohio got new names
Released: 19-Feb-2024 9:30 AM EST
Why two prehistoric sharks found in Ohio got new names
Ohio State University

Until recently, Orthacanthus gracilis could have been considered the “John Smith” of prehistoric shark names, given how common it was. Three different species of sharks from the late Paleozoic Era – about 310 million years ago – were mistakenly given that same name, causing lots of grief to paleontologists who studied and wrote about the sharks through the years and had trouble keeping them apart.

Newswise: NSU Researcher Helps International Team Create Plan to Protect the Biodiversity of U.S. Waters
Released: 19-Feb-2024 9:05 AM EST
NSU Researcher Helps International Team Create Plan to Protect the Biodiversity of U.S. Waters
Nova Southeastern University

Studying the world’s oceans can be difficult – an NSU researcher lead a team that is working to do just that.

Newswise: Advanced artificial photosynthesis catalyst uses CO2 more efficiently to create biodegradable plastics
Released: 16-Feb-2024 10:05 PM EST
Advanced artificial photosynthesis catalyst uses CO2 more efficiently to create biodegradable plastics
Osaka Metropolitan University

An innovative and more efficient way to produce fumaric acid that not only reduces carbon dioxide emissions, but also reuses waste resources to make biodegradable plastics.

Newswise: Beyond peak season: Bacteria in the Arctic seabed are active all year round
Released: 16-Feb-2024 9:05 PM EST
Beyond peak season: Bacteria in the Arctic seabed are active all year round
Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology

Despite the pronounced seasonality in their habitat, the bacterial community in Arctic sediments is taxonomically and functionally very stable.

Newswise: Online digital data and AI for monitoring biodiversity
Released: 16-Feb-2024 9:05 PM EST
Online digital data and AI for monitoring biodiversity
University of Helsinki

The random information posted online could be used to generate information about biodiversity and its conservation.

Released: 16-Feb-2024 9:05 PM EST
Climate change has brought forward the flowering period in Doñana National Park by 22 days
University of Seville

A team at the University of Seville has studied trends in the flowering date of around fifty plant species over the last 35 years in Doñana National Park.

Released: 16-Feb-2024 1:05 PM EST
A climate-friendly way to capture carbon dioxide in the air
Ohio State University

In a new study, researchers have developed a method for capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, powered by clean and relatively inexpensive geothermal energy.

Newswise: Chula Geologists Find New Evidence of Historic Human Activity on Khao Phanom Rung-Khao Plai Bat, Buriram
Released: 16-Feb-2024 8:55 AM EST
Chula Geologists Find New Evidence of Historic Human Activity on Khao Phanom Rung-Khao Plai Bat, Buriram
Chulalongkorn University

Prof. Dr. Santi Pailoplee, Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, in collaboration with the Faculty of Archaeology, Silpakorn University, discovered a large number of rocks and rock formations on Khao Phanom Rung-Plai Bat, Chaloem Phra Kiat District, Buriram Province, which geologically signify human activity in the past, not natural formation.

   
Newswise: Early-stage subduction invasion
Released: 15-Feb-2024 7:05 PM EST
Early-stage subduction invasion
Geological Society of America (GSA)

Our planet’s lithosphere is broken into several tectonic plates. Their configuration is ever-shifting, as supercontinents are assembled and broken up, and oceans form, grow, and then start to close in what is known as the Wilson cycle.

Newswise: How is deforested land in Africa used?
Released: 15-Feb-2024 7:05 PM EST
How is deforested land in Africa used?
GFZ GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam

Africa's forested areas – an estimated 14 % of the global forest area – are continuing to decline at an increasing rate – mostly because of human activities to convert forest land for economic purposes.

Newswise: ORNL study projects geothermal heat pumps’ impact on carbon emissions and electrical grid by 2050
Released: 15-Feb-2024 5:05 PM EST
ORNL study projects geothermal heat pumps’ impact on carbon emissions and electrical grid by 2050
Oak Ridge National Laboratory

A modeling analysis led by the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory gives the first detailed look at how geothermal energy can relieve the electric power system and reduce carbon emissions if widely implemented across the United States within the next few decades.

Released: 15-Feb-2024 2:05 PM EST
The ties that bind
Washington University in St. Louis

In a study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, WashU researchers discovered that a common mineral called goethite — an iron-rich mineral that is abundant in soils that cover the Earth — tends to incorporate trace metals into its structure over time, binding the metals in such a way that it locks them out of circulation.

Newswise: Methane Emissions from Wetlands Increase Significantly over High Latitudes
Released: 15-Feb-2024 12:00 PM EST
Methane Emissions from Wetlands Increase Significantly over High Latitudes
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Wetlands are Earth’s largest natural source of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that is about 30 times more powerful than carbon dioxide at warming the atmosphere. A research team analyzed wetland methane emissions data across the entire Boreal-Arctic region and found that these emissions have increased approximately nine percent since 2002.

Newswise: New Research Reveals: The New York Bight Is an Important Year-Round Habitat for Endangered Fin Whales
Released: 15-Feb-2024 11:05 AM EST
New Research Reveals: The New York Bight Is an Important Year-Round Habitat for Endangered Fin Whales
Wildlife Conservation Society

Researchers aim to use their science to help inform best practices and strategies to better protect fin whales in waters off NY and NJ.

Released: 15-Feb-2024 11:05 AM EST
UC Irvine researcher co-authors ‘scientists’ warning’ on climate and technology
University of California, Irvine

Irvine, Calif., Feb. 15, 2024 – Throughout human history, technologies have been used to make peoples’ lives richer and more comfortable, but they have also contributed to a global crisis threatening Earth’s climate, ecosystems and even our own survival.

Released: 15-Feb-2024 10:05 AM EST
U.S. Department of Energy Accepting Nominations for 2025 Ernest Orlando Lawrence Award
Department of Energy, Office of Science

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced a call for nominations for the 2025 Ernest Orlando Lawrence Award, one of the longest running and most prestigious science and technology awards given by the U.S. government.

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Released: 15-Feb-2024 10:05 AM EST
‘Cone of uncertainty’ graphic to feature more information
University of Miami

University researchers explain why the revamped graphic, to be unveiled this hurricane season, will better aid residents.

Released: 14-Feb-2024 8:05 PM EST
Is the Amazon forest approaching a tipping point?
University of Birmingham

Global warming may be interacting with regional rainfall and deforestation to accelerate forest loss in the Amazon, pushing it towards partial or total collapse.

Released: 14-Feb-2024 8:05 PM EST
Amazon rainforest at the threshold: loss of forest worsens climate change
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK)

The Amazon rainforest could approach a tipping point, which could lead to a large-scale collapse with serious implications for the global climate system.

Newswise: WCS Joins Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi to Advance Conservation Efforts
Released: 14-Feb-2024 1:05 PM EST
WCS Joins Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi to Advance Conservation Efforts
Wildlife Conservation Society

The Wildlife Conservation Society was honored to be invited to participate in a high-level event today hosted by His Excellency Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, the President of the Republic of Mozambique, at Maputo National Park.

Newswise: Urban heat: Research may point the way to cooling steamy cities
Released: 14-Feb-2024 11:05 AM EST
Urban heat: Research may point the way to cooling steamy cities
Binghamton University, State University of New York

New research from Binghamton University, State University of New York might point the way to cooling steamy cities. A Binghamton professor has received a grant for his work pertaining to the urban heat island effect in cities. 

Newswise: Argonne scientists use AI  to identify new materials for carbon capture
Released: 14-Feb-2024 10:05 AM EST
Argonne scientists use AI to identify new materials for carbon capture
Argonne National Laboratory

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory have used new generative AI techniques to propose new metal-organic framework materials that could offer enhanced abilities to capture carbon



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