Search Results for “core” – Page 2

Friday, April 26, 2024

In need of a spa day? Why whales migrate to tropical waters

May 11, 2020July 13, 2020 Andrew Abraham 0 Comments

Whales have long been known to undertake mega-migrations. The seasonal occurrence of these marine giants provides great excitement, opportunities for tourism and a myriad of local ecological benefits. Yet, whilst scientists have documented and mapped these journeys for many whale populations across the world, the underlying reason for such odysseys has remained elusive. New research now suggests that whales may make these epic undertakings for the benefit of their skin.

Cities Ecosystems Environmental Science

The five-dimensional road map: how can we foster positive human-nature interactions?

May 4, 2020May 4, 2020 Pernilla Borgstrom 0 Comments

As humans, we interact with nature whether we want to or not. But the interaction and its outcome can look very different, depending on our background, and on where in the world we are. A new paper sets out to map the human-nature relationship, with the hope that we can better understand and foster it.

Environmental Science

The Endangered Species Act doesn’t protect all habitat equally

May 2, 2020May 2, 2020 Sarah Shainker 0 Comments Conservation, endangered species, endangered species act, environmental policy

Biodiversity loss causes a reduction in ecosystem services, a loss of potential medical substances, and a less secure food supply chain. Habitat loss is the top reason for biodiversity loss as it reduces the size of populations and hinders reproductive success.

Animal behavior Remote Environments

Holding Your Breath: Surviving the Heart of Marine Darkness

April 30, 2020June 11, 2020 Lucila Bloemendaal 0 Comments deep-sea, fish, fish biology, ocean exploration, physiology

As you swim through a coral reef, you see parrot fish, clams and other colorful aquatic creatures swimming elegantly and going about their lives. While you, with your snorkel, are confined to the surface of the water and the occasional dive for as long and as deep as you can hold your breath, the fish “breathe” easily with their gills (or lungs in the cases of some evolutionarily interesting fish). But do they breathe that easily? Living in and getting oxygen from a high-pressure aquatic environment is difficult and metabolically demanding, and some fish have found special ways to make it easier.

Climate Ecosystems Environmental Science Remote Environments

Bring on the (prescribed) fire!!!

April 29, 2020April 29, 2020 Luiza Aparecido 0 Comments

Prescribed burns should be applied not only to avoid uncontrolled wildfires, but also to maintain open vegetation types and their biodiversity as fundamental pieces of savannas and grasslands, threatened by fire suppression or modified fire regimes. (Modified from Durigan et al. (2020))

Animal behavior Environmental Science

Do Crustaceans Feel Pain?

April 24, 2020April 25, 2020 Whitney Kroschel 0 Comments

Believe it or not, quite a bit of research has gone into determining the answer to this question. Crustaceans have long been viewed as only having reflexes without any associated pain, but evidence is building that they experience more than just a reflex under “painful” circumstances. So what’s the consensus?

Ecosystems Environmental Science

What Smokey the Bear didn’t know about invasive species

March 13, 2020September 12, 2022 Brianne Palmer 0 Comments invasive species, United States, Wildfire

Fires are increasing across the United States and researchers are looking to weed out the one of the culprits — invasive grasses. Using information from fires and non-native grass invasion across the country, researchers from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst set out to determine if invasive grasses increase the number of fires across the United States. Of the twelve grass species analyzed, 66% increased fire frequency, adding another layer to the complexity of managing wildfires. As individuals we can help halt this “grass-fire cycle” by reducing the spread of invasive grasses and human-caused sparks.

Ecosystems Environmental Science

Spotting the Shy Guy – Why Collaboration With Local Indigenous People Can Be An Asset to Conservation Management

February 26, 2020 Jessica Espinosa 0 Comments amphibians, behavior, conservation biology, ecosystems, indigenous communities, invasive species

A recent Australian study highlights the importance of including local and indigenous people in conservation research. While examining mitigation of lizard population declines, scientists stumbled upon a surprising finding about how researchers’ cultural differences can affect fieldwork and experimental outcomes.

Climate Environmental Science

Mosquitoes in Winter (what the..?)

February 19, 2020February 22, 2020 Whitney Kroschel 0 Comments adaptation, Climate Change, insect, invasive species, mosquitoes

In many regions witnessing a mosquito in winter is common. Though many mosquitoes die off when temperatures get too cold outside, many of them don’t. It all depends on the species; and with warming climates, we can expect to see a lot more of them in the coming decades.

Environmental Science Remediation

Junk food fit for the bugs

February 17, 2020February 19, 2020 Mary Davis 0 Comments insects, plastic, Pollution

Some “food” doesn’t have much nutritional value… and this is certainly true of plastic! Some bug larvae seem to be eating plastic, but they don’t live very long as a result. In a recent study, researchers experimented with different diet supplements to improve larvae’s ability to live off of plastic.