Florida’s state shell at higher risk of extinction than previously thought
The Florida horse conch population — one of the world’s largest invertebrate animals — is shrinking. Established in 1969 as the Florida state shell with a record length of two feet, it has become symbolic of Florida’s natural resources and widely used in advertising for the state’s tourism industry. But unregulated commercial harvesting and recreational […]
Ultrasounds for endangered abalone mollusks: Ultrasounds proven an effective, hands-off way to help spawn endangered abalone
The world’s abalone are threatened, endangered or otherwise vulnerable in nearly every corner of the planet. While captive breeding efforts are underway for some species, these giant sea snails are notoriously difficult to spawn. If only we could wave a magic wand to know when abalone are ready to reproduce, without even touching them. Scientists […]
Exotic quantum particles — less magnetic field required: Research paves the way for future quantum devices and applications
Exotic quantum particles and phenomena are like the world’s most daring elite athletes. Like the free solo climbers who scale impossibly steep cliff faces without a rope or harness, only the most extreme conditions will entice them to show up. For exotic phenomena like superconductivity or particles that carry a fraction of the charge of […]
Warmer soil stores less carbon
Global warming will cause the world’s soil to release carbon, new research shows. Scientists used data on more than 9,000 soil samples from around the world, and found that carbon storage “declines strongly” as average temperatures increase. This is an example of a “positive feedback,” where global warming causes more carbon to be released into […]
‘Historic Moment’: W.H.O. Approves Rollout Of World’s First Malaria Vaccine
LONDON (AP) — The World Health Organization recommended Wednesday that the world’s first malaria vaccine should be given to children across Africa, in a move officials hope will spur stalled efforts to curb the spread of the parasitic disease. Following a meeting of the United Nations health agency’s vaccine advisory group, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom […]
Drug-resistant bacteria found in the guts of lemurs who live around humans: The more human interaction they had, the higher the proportion of resistant bugs
Antibiotic resistance, which the CDC calls one of the world’s most urgent public health crises, is now being found in the guts of lemurs, our distant primate cousins. In a new study appearing Aug. 9 in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, Duke researchers have found evidence for antibiotic resistance in the microbiome of […]
Molecular underpinnings of a disease affecting corals
Coral reefs are a favorite spot for scuba divers and are among the world’s most diverse ecosystems. For example, the Hawaiian coral reefs, known as the “rainforests of the sea,” host over 7,000 species of marine animals, fishes, birds and plants. But coral reefs are facing serious threats, including a number of diseases that have […]