Without a diversion from the Mississippi River or the introduction of other sources of fresh water in the near future, the Maurepas Swamp in southeast Louisiana will continue on a clear path toward becoming marsh and open water, a new study by Southeastern Louisiana University biologists and other scientists confirms.
Writing in the Journal of Coastal Research, Gary P. Shaffer, Southeastern professor of biological sciences, notes that the Maurepas Swamp complex, the second largest coastal forest in Louisiana, has been radically reduced over the years due to excessive logging, development, changing water levels, nutrient deprivation and saltwater intrusion. The paper was co-authored with several other scientists from Southeastern and LSU. Continue Reading »
Australia’s Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is showing an extraordinary range of benefits from the network of protected marine reserves introduced there five years ago, according to a comprehensive new study published in the Proceedings of the US National Academy of Sciences.
The scientific team, a ‘who’s-who’ of Australian coral reef scientists, describe the findings as “a globally significant demonstration of the effectiveness of large-scale networks of marine reserves.” Continue Reading »
The old balkanized approach to ocean management, in which different resources and activities are governed by different laws and administered by different agencies, has failed to protect ocean ecosystems or reduce conflicts between ocean users, a panel of international scientists says, and should be replaced with a more balanced approach using marine spatial planning. Continue Reading »
With a few simple improvements to the biogas plants, the figure can rise to 120 per cent — i.e. biogas becomes more than climate neutral. This can be compared with the standard figures used today, which indicate that biogas produces 80 per cent lower emissions than gasoline.
A research group at the Lund University has calculated the figures on behalf of the Swedish Energy Agency after having analysed a biogas plant in Skåne. The case study will make it easier to study and optimise other biogas facilities. In Sweden there are some 20 similar plants, producing biogas for use in cars and other vehicles. As much vehicle gas is produced by sewage treatment works that produce biogas from sewage sludge. Continue Reading »
Morphologically distinct types are often found within species, and biologists have speculated that these “morphs” could be the raw material for speciation. What were once different types of individuals within the same population could eventually evolve into separate species.
A new study conducted by researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, supports this idea. The study documents the disappearance of certain morphs of the side-blotched lizard in some populations. The researchers reported their findings in a paper published February 17 in the online early edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). Continue Reading »
When Earth was young, it exhaled the atmosphere. During a period of intense volcanic activity, lava carried light elements from the planet’s molten interior and released them into the sky. However, some light elements got trapped inside the planet. In this week’s issue of Nature, a Rice University-based team of scientists is offering a new answer to a longstanding mystery: What caused Earth to hold its last breath? Continue Reading »
A cheap and simple way of making vaccines stable – even at tropical temperatures – has been proven to work by scientists at Oxford University.
The British technology, developed by specialist manufacturer Nova Bio-Pharma Technologies, removes the need for fridges, freezers and associated health infrastructure. It has the potential to revolutionise vaccination efforts – particularly in the developing world where infectious diseases kill millions of people every year. Continue Reading »
Electric cars have many merits: They are quieter and require less maintenance than cars with internal combustion engines. A network of smartly located charging stations covering the entire Harz region is bound to make electric cars a regional feature. Continue Reading »
In the words of Todd Squires, of the University of California, Santa Barbara “Nature has long inspired researchers in fluid mechanics to explore the mechanical strategies used by living creatures. Where better to look for innovative solutions to a technological challenge than to organisms that have had millions of years to devise strategies for related challenges?” Continue Reading »
Roots are the most underestimated parts of a plant, even though they are crucial for water and nutrient uptake and consequently growth. In a world of changing water availability and an ever-increasing human population, it will therefore be crucial to understand how root development is controlled in plants. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology in Tübingen, Germany, now described that the plant hormone auxin together with an increased cell cycle activity leads to a boost in root branching in the common thale cress Arabidopsis thaliana. Continue Reading »
