A new study has confirmed the presence of microplastics in birds of prey, including hawks, ospreys and owls. The accumulation of microplastics in birds’ digestive systems could lead to poisoning, starvation and death. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/microplastics-florida-birds-of-prey…
Tag: Marine
First animal ‘buckyballs’ discovered in 80-million-year-old sea lillies
Buckyballs are geometric shapes previously only seen in nature at the molecular scale. Scientists recently found them in marine animals dating to the Cretaceous. Source: https://www.livescience.com/hollow-buckyballs-in-cretaceous-fossils.html
A Japanese nuclear power plant created a habitat for tropical fish
A small increase in water temperature near a Japanese nuclear power plant allowed tropical fish to colonise the area, suggesting global warming will drastically alter some marine ecosystems Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2242786-a-japanese-nuclear-power-plant-created-a-habitat-for-tropical-fish/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…
Glowing Blue Waves Lighting Up SoCal Coastline Roll Into the South Bay
Crashing waves emitting a flash of neon blue have lit up darkened stretches of Southern California’s coastline this month, most recently making an appearance in the South Bay. From a report: The sporadic phenomenon — sometimes called sea sparkle — is something scientists have been studying for 120 years. It’s associated with a red tide, or an algae bloom, made up…
Ancient parties of bacteria found thriving deep beneath the South Pacific seafloor
Scientists developed a new method for preparing rock samples that revealed new species of marine microbial life below the seafloor. Source: https://www.livescience.com/ancient-bacteria-under-seafloor.html
Intel’s Project Corail Monitors Coral Reef Health With AI
To commemorate Earth Day, Intel — in partnership with Accenture and Sulubaai Environmental Foundation, a Philippine-based nonprofit dedicated to protecting Palawan’s natural resources — detailed Project Corail, an AI-powered platform that monitors and analyzes the resiliency of coral reefs. From a report: Since its launch in May 2019, it’s collected 40,000 images of the reef surrounding Pangatalan Island, which researchers have…
Racing Team Exploits Pandemic to Drive Across America in Under 27 Hours
There’s a new landspeed record for driving from New York City to Los Angeles — but “unlike most speed records and races, there’s no sanctioning body or official rules,” notes Road and Track. “That’s because setting a ‘Cannonball’ record invariably involves breaking multiple traffic laws.” But now Cannonball purists “are criticizing the run as grossly irresponsible while the nation deals with…
Great Barrier Reef Suffers Its Most Widespread Mass Bleaching Event On Record
An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Washington Post: Surveys conducted by scientists at Australia’s James Cook University and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority show that a summer of extreme heat has caused the reef, which is a World Heritage Site, to suffer a mass bleaching of unprecedented scale. Corals from the far north to the southern tip…
New Renewable Energy Capacity Hit Record Levels In 2019
According to data from the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena), solar, wind and other green technologies now provide more than one-third of the world’s power, marking another record. The Guardian reports: Fossil fuel power plants are in decline in Europe and the U.S., with more decommissioned than built in 2019. But the number of coal and gas plants grew in Asia,…
Warming oceans are causing marine life to shift towards the poles
Climate change is leading to lower numbers of marine life towards the equator – including mammals, birds, fish and plankton – while populations nearer the poles increase Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2238538-warming-oceans-are-causing-marine-life-to-shift-towards-the-poles/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…