Even short-duration heat waves could lead to failure of coffee crops

"Hot coffee" is not a good thing for java enthusiasts when it refers to plants beset by the high-temperature stress that this century is likely to bring, research at Oregon State University suggests.

A study by OSU’s College of Forestry showed that when Coffea arabica plants were subjected to short-duration heat waves, they became unable to produce flowers and fruit.

Satellite galaxies at edge of Milky Way coexist with dark matter, says RIT study Paper to publish in "Monthly Notices for the Royal Astronomical Society"

Research conducted by scientists at Rochester Institute of Technology rules out a challenge to the accepted standard model of the universe and theory of how galaxies form by shedding new light on a problematic structure.

NASA Examines the Rainfall Left Behind from Ex-Tropical Cyclone Debbie

Tropical Cyclone Debbie generated a lot of rainfall before and after it made landfall in Queensland, Australia, and NASA analyzed how much rain fell from a vantage point of space. NASA's Terra satellite provided a look at the remnants early on March 30 is it lingered near Australia's Gold Coast.

Tigers, ready to be counted

A new methodology developed by the Indian Statistical Institute, and WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society) may revolutionize how to count tigers and other big cats over large landscapes.

USGS and Partners Team Up to Track Down Nonnative and Invasive Fishes in South Florida

U.S. Geological Survey scientists teamed up with government, nonprofit, and university partners in South Florida's Big Cypress National Preserve to hold a scientific scavenger hunt for nonnative and invasive freshwater fish species.

A superbloom of wildflowers overtakes California's southeastern deserts in March 2017

After five years of exceptional drought, desert landscapes across southern California exploded with “superblooms” of wildflowers this March following ample winter precipitation. According to local news reports, it’s the most spectacular display some locations have seen in more than two decades.

Tackling resilience: Finding order in chaos to help buffer against climate change

"Resilience" is a buzzword often used in scientific literature to describe how animals, plants and landscapes can persist under climate change. It’s typically considered a good quality, suggesting that those with resilience can withstand or adapt as the climate continues to change.

But when it comes to actually figuring out what makes a species or an entire ecosystem resilient ― and how to promote that through restoration or management ― there is a lack of consensus in the scientific community.

Reusable carbon nanotubes could be the water filter of the future, says RIT study

A new class of carbon nanotubes could be the next-generation clean-up crew for toxic sludge and contaminated water, say researchers at Rochester Institute of Technology.

Enhanced single-walled carbon nanotubes offer a more effective and sustainable approach to water treatment and remediation than the standard industry materials—silicon gels and activated carbon—according to a paper published in the March issue of Environmental Science Water: Research and Technology.

Solving the mystery of the Arctic's green ice

In 2011, researchers observed something that should be impossible — a massive bloom of phytoplankton growing under Arctic sea ice in conditions that should have been far too dark for anything requiring photosynthesis to survive. So, how was this bloom possible?

Using mathematical modeling, researchers from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) found that thinning Arctic sea ice may be responsible for frequent and extensive phytoplankton blooms, potentially causing significant disruption in the Arctic food chain.  

Making Cows More Environmentally Friendly

Research reveals vicious cycle of climate change, cattle diet and rising methane