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Arctic Ice Season Shortens by 24 Days as Fewer Lakes Freeze to the Bottom
Posted by Nature World: James A. Foley on February 5th, 2014
Nature World: The winter ice season in the Arctic is 24 days shorter today than it was in the 1950s, according to new research led by University of Waterloo scientists.
Writing in the journal The Cryosphere, the researchers report that not only is the ice season shorter now than it was more than six decades ago, the ice is also thinner - by 38 centimeters at its thickest point.
"We've found that the thickness of the ice has decreased tremendously in response to climate warming in the region," said Cristina...
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New Fish Species Discovered Western US Rivers
Posted by Nature World: James A. Foley on January 31st, 2014
Nature World: A new species of fish has been confirmed swimming in rivers in the western US, according to the US Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station.
Like most new animal species confirmed today, the physical differences between this new fish species, a type of sculpin, are few when compared to its kin. But genetic analysis of the fish revealed that it is indeed a new species.
"Recognizing species of sculpins is a challenge because even distantly related species look very much alike. So rather...
Asian Carp Invasion Barriers Evaluated in New Great Lakes Study
Posted by Nature World: James A. Foley on January 29th, 2014
Nature World: Asian carp pose a major risk to water ecosystems in North America and wildlife managers have been struggling to keep the invasive species from spreading unmitigated throughout continental waterways.
A new study by the University of Notre Dame, Resources for the Future, and the US Forest Service documents the various barriers available for Asian carp prevention and assesses the effectiveness of each one.
While previous studies have assessed the pros and cons of different Asian carp management...
Oceans Worth of Water Could be Trapped Beneath the Earth’s Mantle
Posted by Nature World: James A. Foley on January 27th, 2014
Nature World: Large amounts of ocean water could be transported through deep-sea fault zones in volumes much greater than previously believed, according to new research from the University of Liverpool, which focused on the subduction zone that led to the 2011 Tohoku earthquake in Japan.
The research supports the theory that there could be vast amounts of water buried deep beneath the Earth's mantle.
Understanding how much ocean water is delivered to the mantle is important because it helps explain how the...
10-Year Water-Cycle Trend Identified in Wisconsin Lakes
Posted by Nature World: James A. Foley on January 25th, 2014
Nature World: A 10-year water-level cycle has been identified in Wisconsin's lakes, and researchers there were surprised to find that even the smallest lakes followed the same trend as gigantic lakes like Michigan and Huron.
"There was absolutely no reason for us to expect that our little lakes and lakes Michigan and Huron would act the same way, but they did," said Carl Watras, a research scientist with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
Wataras was part of a team of researchers the documented...
If Managed Properly, Coastal Fish Farms Can be Sustainable: NOAA
Posted by Nature World: James A. Foley on December 21st, 2013
Nature World: As long as coastal fish farms are appropriately located and managed properly, their presence leads to minimal-to-no harm to the coastal ocean environment, according to a new report issued by NOAA's National Ocean Service.
The study focuses on coastal finfish farms. The term finfish is used to distinguish the farm's product as true fish, as the term fish is often used in the fisheries industry as a collective term for mollusks, crustaceans or other harvested aquatic animals.
After analyzing...
Study of Yangtze Finless Porpoise Reveals Not All Cetaceans Hear Alike
Posted by Nature World: James A. Foley on October 21st, 2013
Nature World: A new study from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and marine biologists in China highlights the differences in dolphins' ability to hear across species, reshaping the previous "one-size-fits-all" approach taken on the hearing ability of the cetaceans.
In the heavily trafficked, murky waters near China's Three Gorges Dam, the Yangtze finless porpoise faces an aural assault beneath the water, with the noise of shipping, deep-water dredging and underwater construction creating a cacophony...
Illinois River Otters Being Exposed to Industrial Chemicals Banned Decades Ago
Posted by Nature World: James A. Foley on October 15th, 2013
Nature World: Otters living in rivers in Central Illinois are being exposed to high concentrations of chemicals such polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and pesticides, despite the compounds being banned decades ago, according to new research published in the journal Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety.
Samantha Carpenter, a wildlife technical assistant, and wildlife veterinary epidemiologist Nohra Mateus-Pinilla, both of whom are with the Illinois Natural History Survey, teamed up with Jan Novakofski, an animal...
Japan to Build $320mil Ice Wall Around Fukushima Nuclear Plant
Posted by Nature World: James A. Foley on September 3rd, 2013
Nature World: In an attempt to stop contaminated water from leaking out of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant and entering the flow of groundwater that empties into the ocean, Japanese government announced Tuesday a plan to build a costly "ice wall" around the crippled nuclear plant.
At at cost of 32 billion yen (about $320 million) the underground ice wall will theoretically prevent contaminated groundwater from flowing out to sea by freezing the soil. Freezing the ground as a method of pollution control...
Wildfires to Become Bigger, Smokier and More Frequent by 2050
Posted by Nature World: James A. Foley on August 29th, 2013
Nature World: Wildfires will burn longer, wider and create more smoke by the year 2050, according to a new study by Harvard University researchers that brings with it some bad news for fire crews battling blazes across the western United States.
California's Rim Fire, for instance, has burned nearly 200,000 acres of forest since it ignited two weeks ago and fire crews don't expect to have the largest active wildfire in the country contained for another two weeks to come.
If predictions made by the Harvard...