Decades of accumulated change court ecosystem catastrophe
Subjected to decades of gradual change by humans, many of the world’s natural ecosystems – from coral reefs and tropical forests to northern lakes and forests – appear susceptible to sudden catastrophic ecological change, an international consortium of scientists reports Thursday October 11 in the journal Nature. “Models... view more... (2001-10-08)
Stress Buildup Precedes Large Sumatra Quakes
The island of Sumatra, Indonesia, has shaken many times with powerful earthquakes since the one that wrought the infamous 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Now, scientists from the California Institute of Technology and the Indonesian Institute of Sciences are harnessing information from these and earlier quakes to determine where the next ones will... view more... (2008-05-28)
Fungi the cause of many outbreaks of disease but mostly ignored
Fungi can cause a number of life-threatening diseases but they also are becoming increasingly useful to science and manufacturing every year. view more (2008-07-02)
Engineered weathering process could mitigate global warming
Researchers at Harvard University and Pennsylvania State University have invented a technology, inspired by nature, to reduce the accumulation of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) caused by human emissions. view more (2007-11-08)
Humans
Mounting evidence that human activity is changing the world's oceans in profound and damaging ways is outlined in a new scientific discussion paper released today. view more (2009-07-29)
New Medicines At Risk From Biodiversity Loss
Science study reveals that habitat loss and overexploitation imperil the world's most promising source of new drugs In a letter published in the October 17th issue of Science, three scientists warn that biodiversity loss could have devastating consequences for drug discovery and the development of new medicines. "Tropical cone snails may... view more... (2003-10-22)
Biologists surprised to find parochial bacterial viruses
Biologists examining ecosystems similar to those that existed on Earth more than 3 billion years ago have made a surprising discovery: Viruses that infect bacteria are sometimes parochial and unrelated to their counterparts in other regions of the globe. view more (2008-03-05)
MIT radar technology fights breast cancer
Treating breast cancer with a type of heat therapy derived from MIT radar research can significantly increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy, according to results from the fourth clinical trial of the technique reported online Nov. 25 in the journal Cancer Therapy. view more (2007-11-28)
Naming evolution's winners and losers
Mammals and many species of birds and fish are among evolution's "winners," while crocodiles, alligators and a reptile cousin of snakes known as the tuatara are among the losers, according to new research by UCLA scientists and colleagues. view more (2009-07-29)
WHAT FACTORS FAVOUR THE ECOLOGICAL DIVERSITY OBSERVED IN ATOLL LAGOONS ?
The first step in the investigation was the mapping by remote sensing techniques of more than two-thirds of the 76 atolls of the Tuamotu archipelago. High resolution maps, which did not exist before, were then established. Using the cartographic data thus gleaned alongside morphometric parameters picked out (size and shape of the lagoons, degree... view more... (1999-04-14)
Smithsonian study concludes Caribbean extinctions occurred 2M years after apparent cause
Smithsonian scientists and colleagues report a new study that may shake up the way paleontologists think about how environmental change shapes life on Earth. The researchers summarized the environmental, ecological and evolutionary consequences for Caribbean shallow-water marine communities when the Isthmus of Panama was formed. view more (2007-03-13)
Richness of Marine Life is Under Threat
Future potential for the production of new wonder drugs - including anti-cancer agents - from marine animals and plants, is under threat according to biodiversity expert Professor Carlo Heip, speaking at the European marine science and ocean technology conference EurOCEAN 2004 in Galway, today. According to Professor Heip, marine biodiversity -... view more... (2004-05-11)
Australia's climate: Drought and flooding in annual rings of tropical trees
Annual rings are acclaimed in representing natural climate archives. For the temperate latitudes it is known that the growth of these annual rings depend mainly on temperature and precipitation. view more (2009-06-12)
Underdogs in the understory: Study suggests nature favors rarer trees
A study of seven tropical forests around the world has revealed that nature encourages biodiversity by favoring the growth of less common trees. view more (2006-01-30)
Climate variation in the tropical Pacific: coral provides proof
The Younger Dryas period, about 12 000 years ago, was marked by a sharp cooling event in the Northern Hemisphere. Temperatures there fell by between 2 and 10°C. The East Antarctic in contrast experienced an episode of warming. Data have up to now been insufficient or too inconclusive to enable palaeoclimatologists to track this climatic event... view more... (2004-05-03)
Potential for another large earthquake off the coast of Sumatra, say scientists
Three great earthquakes and destructive tsunamis over the past four years is not enough to spare the region of another large earthquake, warns an international group of earthquake researchers in their paper published in the 4 December issue of the journal Nature. view more (2008-12-05)
Tentacles of venom: new study reveals all octopuses are venomous
Once thought to be only the realm of the blue-ringed octopus, researchers have now shown that all octopuses and cuttlefish, and some squid are venomous. The work indicates that they all share a common, ancient venomous ancestor and highlights new avenues for drug discovery. view more (2009-04-15)
Sea Coral's Trick Helps Scientists Tag Proteins
The glow emitted by a variety of sea coral helped Russian scientists harness the protein that generates the light to create a tiny fluorescent tag that responds to visible light. view more (2006-03-20)
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