Prickly Adaptability: Will Crown-of-Thorn Starfish Populations Survive Rising Ocean Temperature and Acidity?

Crown-of-Thorns starfish outbreaks are of growing concern for the wellbeing of Indo-Pacific coral reefs. When these starfish populations grow too quickly, they feed on corals at rates that don’t allow the ecosystem to recover fast enough. With coral reefs struggling to survive rising ocean temperatures and acidity, it is essential to determine how these conditions affect their predators – in this case, the Crown-of-Thorn starfish. A recent study found that ocean warming and acidification affect larval development but not survivability. Could this mean bad news for coral reefs?

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Unleashing Pollutants: Environmental Fate of Antarctica In a Warmer World

Antarctica has been a depository for pollutants for decades. The brutal cold has kept them dormant and unable to inflict harmful effects on nature. As temperatures rise and ice melts, what is the fate of these pollutants in this unique landscape?

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It Makes “Cents”: Generating Renewable Electricity Benefits Health and Climate

Replacing fossil fuel electricity generation with renewable technologies has measurable benefits to human health and the climate. Researchers recently developed a simulation tool that reveals benefits are higher in certain regions of the US than others. Read more to see where deploying renewables would have the biggest impact!

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100% Sustainable Electricity by 2050 is Quite Possible

The technology to produce electricity from renewable resources like sunlight and wind has been around for many years. However, the vast majority of electricity in the world is generated from fossil fuels, which is a major contributor to pollution and climate change. Recent research shows that sustained, incremental changes can lead to sustainable, renewable electricity around the globe by 2050 – mitigating environmental damage from current practices.

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In a climate crisis no one is safe, but marine species are getting hit twice as hard

Our world is undergoing a climate crisis, which threatens every living thing on the planet. A study by Pinsky et al. (2019) has found that marine species are more vulnerable to warming than terrestrial species which may change the course of conservation management and deployment of conservation resources.

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Is the Planet Warming?

The Earth is warming. No climate scientist would disagree with that conclusion. Right?  Nevertheless, controversy persists. Some climate change deniers point to a “global warming hiatus” after 1998. And there’s that striking warm peak during WWII.  What’s with that? A new statistical analysis of temperature records addresses these and other questions that nag some who follow climate science. Statistical analysis may not seem sexy or easy, but the math in this article once again confirms profound climate realities facing humanity—and scientists.

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