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envirobites

environmental science research for everyone

Month: May 2019

Environmental Science 

The Future of Seafood: Integrated Multitrophic Aquaculture

Lauren Bonatakis 0 Comments , , ,

Aquaculture has long been revered as a benefit to the seafood industry by increasing food availability for developing nations and taking pressure off of overexploited wild fish stocks. However, aquaculture has also been cited for its negative environmental impacts. Integrated Multitrophic Aquaculture (IMTA) is a solution that combines species of different trophic levels to be grown together in the same aquaculture setting, reducing environmental impacts and increasing overall production.

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Environmental Science 

Panda Pillow Talk: Vocal Analysis of Captive Pandas Helps Zoologists Understand Breeding Habits

Laine Farber 0 Comments

For years scientists have pondered, do pandas tell each other when they’re in the mood for love? Now, we know.

In an attempt to improve captive breeding of the endangered species, researchers took a stab at decoding panda pillow talk. After analyzing the vocalizations of 23 captive pandas, they had a definitive answer: pandas let each other know when they are down to clown.

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Case Studies Climate Ecosystems Environmental Science 

Islands and Alleles: How genetics can help protect endangered species

Sarah Shainker 0 Comments , , , , , , , ,

When talking about diversity in the natural world, we often think of the bright colors and bold patterns of fish gliding among a reef, or the variety of flying, creeping, and crawling critters found in the layers of a rainforest canopy. However, diversity even within a single species is an important indicator of a population’s health and stability. This type of diversity can be invisible to us when contained in the form of genes that control which traits organisms possess. In this study, scientists helped us to see the invisible diversity of an endangered skink and learn how to more effectively conserve this diversity.

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Cities Climate Ecosystems 

Mother of dragons in the city

Kevin Aviles Rodriguez 0 Comments , , , , ,

City habitats are often much warmer due to lower forest cover and an increased density of manmade surfaces which retain heat. Increased temperatures can greatly affect animals that develop as male or female depending on the incubation temperature of the eggs. Read on to find out how mothers of eastern water dragons deal with living in the warm cities of Australia.

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Climate Environmental Science 

We need to talk about the elephant in the carbon budget

Jeannie Wilkening 0 Comments , , ,

In order to create a carbon budget, we need to identify everything that is taking carbon in and out of the atmosphere. While we have a pretty good idea of the important processes, could we be missing another “big” piece of the puzzle? In this study, scientists try to figure out if elephants are having an impact on the carbon cycle where they live.

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