Aidan Barry

Sunday, September 24, 2023

Seaweed as far as the eye can see

July 17, 2019June 10, 2020 Aidan Barry 0 Comments Climate, coastal environments, eutrophication, Ocean, water management

In the center of the Atlantic Ocean lies the Sargasso Sea. The brown seaweed, Sargassum, gives the Sea its name. However, in the past decade this belt of Sargassum has been exploding. During certain seasons, the Sargassum belt has expanded from West Africa to the Americas. Beached seaweed has led to numerous problems and concerns for much of the Caribbean, Central America, and South America. Research led by Dr. Mengqiu Wang from the University of South Florida used previous data to determine what makes these seaweeds take over the ocean in order to better predict when these blooms may occur.

Environmental Science

Fishing for a Personality

May 1, 2019May 1, 2019 Aidan Barry 0 Comments behaviour ecology, Conservation, fisheries

Koeck B, Závorka L, Aldvén D, Näslund J, Arlinghaus R, Thörnqvist PO, Winberg S, Björnsson BT & Johnsson JI (2019)

Environmental Science Human Exposure and Public Health

Dung Beetles and Soil Bacteria Promote Food Safety

April 10, 2019March 13, 2020 Aidan Barry 0 Comments agriculture, ecology and society, environmental science

Having a diverse farm benefits everyone Not only will the soils be richer and the number of different crops grow higher but also diversity may also potentially be safer. By limiting the use of pesticides and maintaining various landscapes throughout a farmland, organic farming increases the number of insects, namely beetles, and bacteria that help break down potential pathogens before they infiltrate the growing crops. Jones and colleagues examined 70 vegetable fields throughout California and conducted several laboratory experiments to find that organic farms had richer, more diverse communities of beetles and soil bacteria that help breakdown foodborne pathogens.