temperature – envirobites

The Clock is TICKing – Tick attachment may increase under climate change

August 4, 2023August 4, 2023 Brandi Pessman 0 Comments Climate Change, diseases, humidity, temperature, ticks

Ticks are risk-takers facing a daily dilemma: stay near the damp soil or climb the grass to find a host. Choosing one means losing access to the other. Ticks use weather conditions to inform whether to climb or stay put, but climate change may alter their behavior. Life or death for the tick has huge implications for human and animal health since ticks can transfer diseases with their bite. Click the tick to find out how hotter, more humid days will affect tick behavior.

Climate Ecosystems

Talk Turtle to Me: How Algae Could Drive Sea Turtle Populations to Extinction

April 1, 2022April 1, 2022 Andrea Valcarcel 0 Comments caribbean, Climate Change, population ecology, Sargassum, sea turtles, seaweed, sex determination, temperature, tropical ecosystems, turtles

Rising ocean temperatures have been increasing the size of algal blooms, with Sargassum being one of the most prominent algae species affecting coastlines in the Caribbean. When beached, Sargassum can only be removed from shores through human intervention, which is both costly and time-consuming. These algal outbreaks are ending up on beaches where sea turtles are known to nest, affecting their biology and survivability. Will beached Sargassum on Caribbean shores affect sea turtle populations irreversibly, or will we find a more effective way of dealing with the changing algal populations?