Bigelow Laboratory Launches Kelp Forest Study

Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences has been awarded funding from Maine Sea Grant for a new study of kelp forests in the Gulf of Maine.

New pheromone insight may help predict mountain pine beetle outbreaks

Researchers at the University of British Columbia have shed new light on how mountain pine beetles produce an important pheromone called trans-verbenol, which could aid in efforts to better predict outbreaks.

Coral reefs suffering in Philippines despite outlawing damaging fishing practices

Some of the fishing methods used in today’s small-scale fisheries are causing more damage to coral reefs than ever, a new UBC study has found.

So Close, Yet So Far: Making Climate Impacts Feel Close By May Not Inspire Action

Although scientists warn that urgent action is needed to stop climate change, public engagement continues to lag. Many social scientists say people are hesitant to act on climate change because, especially in Western industrialized countries like the U.S., it feels like such a distant threat.

Wildfire season in Southern Plains off to a strong start after a dry winter

As the first wildfire outbreaks of 2018 threaten communities in Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas, weather forecasters double down on tools to help fight fires.

U.S. to see moderate flooding, warmer-than-normal temperatures

NOAA issued its three-month U.S. Spring Outlook today, highlighting a moderate risk of flooding in the Ohio River Valley basin and lower Mississippi River where streamflows and soil moisture are well above normal after major flooding from recent heavy rainfall.

New Genetic Test Detects Manatees' Recent Presence in Fresh or Saltwater

U.S. Geological Survey scientists have developed the first laboratory test that can pick up traces of manatees’ genetic material in the waterways where they live.  Using a water sample collected in the field, the innovative environmental DNA test can reveal whether one or more of the elusive marine mammals has been in the area within the past month.

Revolutionary new filter can improve drinking water quality

UNSW scientists have developed a world-first, graphene-based, laboratory-scale filter that can remove more than 99% of the ubiquitous natural organic matter left behind during conventional treatment of drinking water.

In a research collaboration with Sydney Water, the team has demonstrated the success of the approach in laboratory tests on filtered water from the Nepean Water Filtration Plant in western Sydney, and is working to scale up the new technology.

The results of some of the ground-breaking research are published in the journal Carbon. The project is led by Dr Rakesh Joshi of the UNSW School of Materials Science and Engineering, in collaboration with Professor Veena Sahajwalla and Professor Vicki Chen of UNSW, and Dr Heriberto Bustamante of Sydney Water.

Progress Toward a New Flu Treatment, Thanks to a Small Tweak

This year’s unexpectedly aggressive flu season reminds everyone that although the flu vaccine can reduce the number of people who contract the virus, it is still not 100 percent effective. Researchers report that a tweak to a small-molecule drug shows promise for future production of new antiviral therapies that could help patients, regardless of the strain with which they are infected.

From Landfill to Lipstick: Grape Waste as a Cosmetic and Food Ingredient

The world drinks a lot of wine, and that means a lot of grapes are consumed every year. But not every part of the grape ends up in the bottle. Seeds, stalks and skins — roughly a quarter of the grapes —- are typically discarded in landfills as waste. But now, researchers say they have found some useful commercial applications, such as prolonging the shelf life of fatty foods, for these wine leftovers.