Top Stories

Mussels Downstream of Wastewater Treatment Plant Contain Radium, Study Reports

Burrowed into streambeds and rarely moving for their decades-long lifespans, freshwater mussels are biomonitors, meaning they indicate how clean their environment is, according to Penn State researchers. 

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Fungus Breaks Down Ocean Plastic

A fungus living in the sea can break down the plastic polyethylene, provided it has first been exposed to UV radiation from sunlight. 

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Research to Uncover the Impact of Water Use in the Colorado River Basin

Persistent overuse of water and long-term drought has depleted the Colorado River and highlighted the need for a comprehensive understanding of how waters are allocated and used to develop effective management strategies.

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Every Drop Counts: New Algorithm Tracks Texas Daily Reservoir Evaporation Rates

Texas A&M University researchers have developed a more accurate method for tracking reservoir evaporation rates that will improve water planning and management.

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Microscopic Defects in Ice Influence How Massive Glaciers Flow, Study Shows

As they seep and calve into the sea, melting glaciers and ice sheets are raising global water levels at unprecedented rates.

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How Sharks Survived a Major Spike in Earth’s Temperature

The sharks we know today as the open ocean’s top predators evolved from stubby bottom dwellers during a dramatic episode of global warming millions of years ago.

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Thawing Permafrost: Not a Climate Tipping Element, But Nevertheless Far-Reaching Impacts

Permafrost soils store large quantities of organic carbon and are often portrayed as a critical tipping element in the Earth system, which, once global warming has reached a certain level, suddenly and globally collapses.

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Trout in Mine-Polluted Rivers Are Genetically ‘Isolated’

Trout living in rivers polluted by metal from old mines across the British Isles are genetically “isolated” from other trout, new research shows.

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Relics of a Warmer Past, Some Species May Be Suited to a Hotter Future

Some species may be better able to withstand climate change than was previously thought. 

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“Ugly” Fossil Places Extinct Saber-Toothed Cat on Texas Coast

Important scientific finds don’t always come in the biggest, buzziest packages. Sometimes new discoveries come in little ugly rocks.

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