Our planet’s history includes episodes of cold so extreme that glaciers reached sea level in equatorial regions. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/whats-coldest-earth-has-ever-been…
Tag: algae
Hundreds of fish species, including many we eat, are consuming plastic
As more and more plastic trash permeates the oceans, microplastics are making their way into fish and shellfish, and potentially into humans. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/hundreds-fish-species-consume-microplastics-including-human-food…
Certain corals can recover from bleaching during prolonged heatwaves
Corals that are in partnerships with certain kinds of symbiotic algae are able to recover from bleaching, even while marine heatwaves are ongoing Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2262056-certain-corals-can-recover-from-bleaching-during-prolonged-heatwaves/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…
World’s oldest animal fossil actually came from rotting algae
Fat molecules attributed to ancient sea sponges actually belonged to algae, two new studies suggest. Source: https://www.livescience.com/oldest-animal-evidence-negated.html
Death of Sea Life Off Russia Peninsula ‘Caused by Algae’
Blooming algae was behind a recent mass death of sea animals that saw octopuses and seals wash up on the shore off a Russian peninsula, scientists said on Friday in the final conclusion to their probe. From a report: Locals in Kamchatka, a volcanic peninsula in Russia’s Far East, raised the alarm in September after the animals were found dead and…
The Great Barrier Reef Has Lost Half Its Corals
The Great Barrier Reef, one of the earth’s most precious habitats, lost half of its coral populations in the last quarter-century, a decline that researchers in Australia said would continue unless drastic action is taken to mitigate the effects of climate change. From a report: Researchers studied coral colonies along the length of the reef between 1995 and 2017 and found…
Tiny algae can photosynthesise and grow in the dark beneath Arctic ice
Microscopic marine algae can use even the smallest amount of reflected light to grow in near darkness during winter under the Arctic sea ice Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2255501-tiny-algae-can-photosynthesise-and-grow-in-the-dark-beneath-arctic-ice/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…
2020 Arctic sea ice minimum 2nd lowest on record
On September 15, 2020, Arctic sea ice reached its annual minimum extent, the 2nd-lowest on record. The Arctic region in general is warming 3 times faster than the rest of the planet. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/arctic-sea-ice-2020-minimum-2nd-lowest-on-record…
The Case for Life on Venus
CNET describes Venus as “a toxic, overheated, crushing hellscape where nothing can survive.” But they reported Friday that one astronomy team’s hypothesis published last month “could prompt a reevaluation of how and where we look for life in the universe.” Carl Sagan speculated about life in the clouds of Venus back in 1967, and just a few years ago, researchers suggested…
Cool! Here’s how Venus would look as a water world
A new map created by a Reddit user – based on what we know about the highs and lows on Venus’ surface – shows what this neighboring, cloud-shrouded, blazing hot planet might look like with oceans. Wow! Source: https://earthsky.org/space/venus-map-with-oceans-on-surface-terraforming…