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Science News for June 27, 2008


Climate change causing significant shift in composition of coastal fish communities

A 50-year analysis of Narragansett Bay fish-trawl surveys reveals a shift from vertebrate to invertebrate species and from benthic to pelagic species composition. The study attributes this change primarily to global warming, with smaller, warm-water species increasing while larger, cool-water species declining.

SourceUniversity of Rhode Island·JournalCanadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences·DateJun 27, 2008

Prebiotic potential of almonds

Recent research suggests that almonds contain prebiotics that can stimulate the growth of beneficial gut bacteria, supporting overall digestive health. The study found that finely ground almonds significantly increased levels of certain beneficial gut bacteria, with this effect being attributed to the presence of almond lipids.

SourceNorwich BioScience Institutes·JournalApplied and Environmental Microbiology·DateJun 27, 2008

Passports for penguins

Scientists at the University of Bristol developed an intelligent, visual surveillance system to track African penguins' population dynamics and social behavior. The 'Penguin Recognition Project' uses unique biometric identifiers to monitor large numbers of species cheaply and automatically.

Genome communication

Paramutations, a process where one copy of a gene can alter the expression of another, have been found in plants and may be important for introducing changes under environmental stress. Researchers studying paramutations in maize identified genes and mechanisms involved in this epigenetic process.