environmental science research for everyone
3D printing is a new tool that is starting to be used in ecology. Researchers from the University of Delaware conducted an experiment to test whether 3D printed corals impact the behavior of a coral reef fish, the blue green chromis, in a laboratory setting. The results of experiments like these can pave the way for innovative techniques for habitat manipulation studies in the future.
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Our cars are taking on more of the work of driving, and someday we may not have to drive ourselves at all. We might think this is great for the environment, but that may not be the case.
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Climate warming in the Arctic is happening faster than other regions of the globe and leading to earlier springs. The timing of spring is important for ecosystems because it often signals the arrival of food resources and favorable weather. In Arctic seabirds, springs arrival often begins the start of breeding season. A recent study looked at how the timing of spring has changed in the Arctic and what impact this may be having on Arctic seabirds based on where birds forage for food. The results suggest that birds that feed in the upper layers of the ocean have been strongly impacted by climate change and have significantly advanced their breeding.
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Unhealthy foods are a major cause of several human diseases today. The harm caused by such foods to human health is well known. Recent research shows that some of the unhealthiest foods may also be the most damaging to the environment.
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Half of the world’s population depends on rice. We’ve studied how rice will respond to predicted changes in climate. But do we know how it will also interact with one of its most common pollutants? Researchers study how rice responds to the dual stressors of both climate change and arsenic, and ultimately find that arsenic may be the stressor we should be worried about.
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No one doubts that breathing is essential for human life. But when the air you inhale is tainted with pollutants, that life-giving breath could have unintended, negative consequences for your health later in life. A new study explores whether there might be an association between long-term exposure to air pollution and the development of dementia.
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Ebola has transcended science and medicine to become a modern day term of panic. Though its effects on the body are well known, its effects on personal, familial, and societal activities like food are less clear. Emerging research shows the long-term and even permanent effects of this deadly disease on food and nutrition in Sierra Leone, one of the worst-hit areas during the 2013-2016 Ebola oubreak.
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The visible cringe. The reflex to cover your ears. A constant piercing noise can be a horrific experience for a person. Research has shown that noise pollution can negatively impact the health of humans, animals and possibly entire ecosystems. What are the consequences of a lifetime surrounded by noise? Two scientists aim to characterize the costs of chronic noise pollution on the survival, growth and reproductive success of animals over their entire lifetime.
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Algal blooms aren’t a new environmental problem, but is climate change making them worse? In this study scientists use a new method to see how the occurrence and severity of algal blooms has changed in lakes around the world as the climate has been getting warmer.
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Chances are that you take steps to protect yourself from the sun’s ultraviolet radiation, but have you ever wondered if other animals have to do this as well? What about the ones that live underwater? Read on to learn how plankton are affected by UVR, and the adaptation that helps to protect them.
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