As jellyfish grow, their size changes largely due to the chances of prey encounter, the length and number of tentacles, and their bells (the umbrella-like part of them). As a result, smaller jellyfish eat phytoplankton, microzooplankton, and eggs, while larger jellyfish can eat all of that plus shrimp and even fish. However, jellyfish are also …
Jellyfish size might influence their nutritional value Read More »
The direct approach At the HZB Institute for Solar Fuels, several teams are working on a direct approach to solar water splitting: they are developing photoelectrodes that convert sunlight into electrical energy, are stable in aqueous solutions, and catalytically promote water splitting. These photoelectrodes consist of light absorbers that are intimately coupled to catalyst materials …
‘Green’ hydrogen: How photoelectrochemical water splitting may become competitive Read More »
A new study led by researchers at the University of Utah explores a record of birds’ diets preserved in their feathers and radio tracking of their movements to find that birds eat far fewer invertebrates in coffee plantations than in forests, suggesting that the disturbance of their ecosystem significantly impacts the birds’ dietary options. “Growing …
In conservation terms, Gabon is a success story — protected areas and tough anti-poaching measures have allowed the numbers of critically endangered African forest elephants to stabilize. But with food prices rising, anti-elephant protests have been spiking too. “Some people cannot farm anymore — the elephants are eating so much of their crops,” Gabon’s environment …
How do we make farming better for the planet? Ask women Read More »
The team quantified and mapped the presence and extent of major land-based and marine stressors, finding that 97 per cent of coastal areas globally had at least one major stressor present. Professor Salit Kark from UQ’s School of Biological Sciences said the research team were surprised at the sheer extent and far-reaching impact revealed by …
Stressed out: Mapping the human footprint on coastal areas globally Read More »
One tool that they use to survive cold nights is called torpor, a hibernation-like state that allows them to ramp down energy consumption to well below what they normally use during the day. But it’s not just a matter of flipping a switch that turns metabolism on or off. Instead, hummingbirds use torpor in varying …
Hummingbirds use torpor in varying ways to survive cold temps Read More »
With the rising awareness of environmental issues, such a gap between the performance of humans versus that of conventional robots has spurred innovation to improve the latter. A group of researchers led by Takuya Otani, an Assistant Professor at Waseda University, in collaboration with Sustainergy Company and Sony CSL, have designed a new robot that …
A sowing, pruning, and harvesting robot for SynecocultureTM farming Read More »
In findings published March 16in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, the researchers identified a gene encoding a transcription factor — a protein useful for converting DNA into RNA — that triggers a genetic sequence responsible for the development of an important trait enabling corn roots to acquire more water and nutrients. That …
Discovery of root anatomy gene may lead to breeding more resilient corn crops Read More »
Scientists reviewed hundreds of studies on the impact of noise on marine invertebrates (such as crabs, molluscs, squid, prawns and worms). They concluded that noise caused by humans is harming invertebrates in numerous ways, from cellular level to entire ecosystems. The international team, including Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya — BarcelonaTech (UPC) and the University of …
Noise harming ocean invertebrates and ecosystems Read More »
Though their rugged location once protected mountain forests from deforestation, they have been increasingly exploited since the turn of the 21st century as lowland areas become depleted or subject to protection. A team of scientists led by Xinyue He (@xinyue_he), Dominick Spracklen and Joseph Holden at Leeds University in the United Kingdom, and Zhenzhong Zeng …
Mountain forests are being lost at an accelerating rate, putting biodiversity at risk Read More »
