California’s ecosystems underpin the state’s economy: they nurture and protect the state’s water supply, shorelines, agriculture, fisheries and wildlife. But many of these ecosystems are in very poor health, and climate change is now accelerating the loss of biodiversity already underway. Ecosystem degradation is having ripple effects across the state. Serious water supply problems, dwindling […]
Monthly Archives: August 2021
California’s ecosystems underpin the state’s economy: they nurture and protect the state’s water supply, shorelines, agriculture, fisheries and wildlife. But many of these ecosystems are in very poor health, and climate change is now accelerating the loss of biodiversity already underway. Ecosystem degradation is having ripple effects across the state. Serious water supply problems, dwindling […]
A new study published in the journal Science discovered that plant roots and animal embryos depend on the same chemicals for successful development. Although the animal tissue-generating abilities of a group of chemical compounds called retinoids are already well known, it was only recently that scientists discovered that they also regulate the development of lateral […]
Large ramshorn snails (Planorbarius corneus) eat algae, scratching it off rocks with a tongue that has sunken teeth. The red tint of their shell is caused by hemoglobin – the same substance that colors our blood. © Stuart Jackson Carter Many species of aquatic plants provide micro-habitats for invertebrates, amphibians, birds and mammals. For example, […]
Living things depend on the daily cycle of light and dark which governs behaviors such as reproduction, sleep and migration Looking at the night sky, stars and other astronomical objects is an absolute delight. Who can forget the synchronized movement of fireflies on a dark night? While these phenomena can still be observed in rural […]
With its lemon and black plumage, Scott’s oriole shines like a flame in the desert. But the name of the bird carries a violent history that Stephen Hampton cannot forget. He used to see the orioles often, living in California. Now that he lives out of the bird’s reach, “I’m a little relieved,” he says. […]
A few days ago, I opened a jar of honey that I hadn’t touched in months. The thick golden molasses was strewn with black spots – ants that had died after gorging on nectar. It was something I hadn’t seen in years. It now seems far away that a forgotten candy bar, a piece of […]
In the middle of hurricane season, most people dread hearing of an oncoming storm, but Kelly Kibler, an associate professor of water resources engineering at UCF, says storms actually benefit people. our state in some respects. Kibler spoke to News 6 anchors Matt Austin and Ginger Gadsden on Florida’s Fourth Estate podcast about the positive […]
August 20, 2021 — Walking along the shore of the Thousand Islands of the St. Lawrence River, the beaches can seem picturesque and pristine. However, on closer inspection, a barely perceptible form of pollution is encroaching on the natural ecosystem. Small blue and white plastic foam particles accumulate along the sand, become entangled in plant […]
The Kendall-Frost Mission Bay Marsh Reservation at the University of California, San Diego received an $85,000 grant from Honda to create an integrated research and public engagement program focused on integrating Native American perspectives and cutting-edge science in the management and access decisions needed to secure the marsh. survival as a community good. The significance […]
In addition to being visually stunning, schools of herring, herds of wildebeest and countless other groups of organisms acting in concert can help complex ecosystems maintain their diversity and stability, according to new research from the Oregon State University. Published today in Nature Ecology and Evolution, the study demonstrates that when individuals come together to […]
Biosphere 2 rises from the desert in Arizona. (Glen Rosales/For the Albuquerque Journal) ORACLE, Ariz. — Decades ago, the thought of a group of humans locked in a life-cycle experiment was pure science fiction — until a group of visionaries realized this on a pristine 40-acre slice of the Sonoran Desert north of Tucson. For […]
August 13, 2021Reviewed by Alex Smith Herds of wildebeest, schools of herring and various other groups of organisms that live together are not only visually stunning, but capable of supporting complex ecosystems for life, according to a new study by researchers at Oregon State University. maintain diversity and stability. Blue rockfish. Image credit: Oregon State […]
VOICE OFF: Multicellular organisms are organized into increasingly complex parts… Cells. Fabrics. Organs. organ systems. And the organism itself. Cells are the building blocks of life. Tissues are made when specialized cells with the same function come together. For example, millions of muscle cells make up muscle tissue. An organ is made up of two […]
The new grant will help improve ecosystem resilience and fortify wildlife habitats in the marsh. Kendall-Frost Mission Bay Marsh Reservation at the University of California, San Diego received an $85,000 grant from Honda to create an integrated research and public engagement program focused on integrating Native American perspectives and cutting-edge science in the management and […]
Paleontologist François Therrien measures the jaws of a Gorgosaurus. Royal Tyrrell Museum tyrannosaurus rex may be the most perfect dinosaur name ever invented. What else would you call a carnivorous, bipedal reptile that could grow to over 40 feet in length and weigh over nine tons? The size and apparent ferocity of T. rex was […]
A lush canopy is a defining characteristic of most forests on the planet. But canopy-forming species can be particularly vulnerable to disturbance and environmental change – even forests that lie under the sea. But what is a forest without its trees? Researchers from the University of Virginia and the University of California, Santa Barbara are […]
How a multi-stakeholder project, MOCUPP, is moving Costa Rica towards sustainable practices to protect the country’s biodiversity Costa Rica is one of the most biodiverse places in the world, containing nearly 6 percent of global biodiversity. As a result, its ecosystem provides a range of services, including wood and timber, plants and fruits, among many […]
















