ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE
Out of shape: Ocean acidification simplifies coral reef architecture and reshuffles fish assemblages
A new study of coral reefs in Papua New Guinea shows ocean acidification simplifies coral structure, making crucial habitat less appealing to certain fish species.
While much media attention has focused on heat stress-induced coral bleaching, this finding, by a University of Adelaide research team led by Professor Ivan Nagelkerken, adds nuance to concerns about how global warming affects coral reefs.
Ocean acidification is caused by an increase in the level of carbon dioxide in oceanwater, leading to a reduction in pH. This makes calcium carbonate less available in the ocean, which corals use to build and repair their skeleton.
Professor Nagelkerken and his team show that, while ocean acidification in some instances does not reduce overall coral cover on a reef, the structures are less branched and therefore less appealing as habitat to some fish species.
Researchers observed two reefs in Upa-Upasina, Papua New Guinea: one located next to a volcanic seep releasing a steady stream of carbon dioxide, causing natural acidification, and another located 500 metres away unaffected by the volcanic gases.
“Aquarium experiments are rather simplistic and cannot adequately mimic the complex species interactions that commonly occur in nature,” says Professor Nagelkerken.
“These reefs presented an incredible opportunity to directly compare current and future-analogous conditions side-by-side, with a full suite of ecological interactions in place.”
Of the five damselfish species Professor Nagelkerken’s research team observed, two displayed a preference for complex, branched structures; while two others were not disinclined to interact with simplified coral structures but still sought out complex habitats even as they became scarce. A fifth rubble-specialist species associated most strongly with rubble.
“Ocean acidification has the potential to reshuffle ecological communities globally, lead to the loss…
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United States Signs Arrangement With Panama to Implement Removal Flight Program
On Monday, the United States and Panama announced the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
Pentagon Official Says Partnerships Are Central to Building Robust Industrial Capacity
Close collaboration with like-minded partners remains a top priority as Defense Department leaders drive efforts
America’s Next Nuclear Power Plant Begins Construction
On Monday, Bechtel celebrated the official groundbreaking of the Natrium Demonstration Project. Bechtel is TerraPower’s engineering, procurement, and construction partner on this first-of-a-kind project in Kemmerer, Wyoming. The project is part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program.
Natrium is an advanced nuclear reactor that uses a…
Human Hunting Linked to Woolly Rhinoceros Extinction, New Research Reveals
Researchers have discovered that sustained human hunting prevented the woolly rhinoceros from accessing favorable habitats as Earth warmed following the Last Ice Age.
An international team of researchers, led by scientists from the University of Adelaide and the University of Copenhagen, made the discovery using computer modeling, shedding light on…
University of Idaho Researchers Receive $15 Million Grant to Study Drought and Fire Impact on Forest Ecosystems
A multidisciplinary team led by University of Idaho researchers has received a $15 million grant to study the long-term impact of drought and fire on forest ecosystems.
The six-year award is from the National Science Foundation’s Biology Integration Institutes (BII), which is dedicated to supporting diverse and collaborative…
Rising Threat of Wildfires in Arizona’s Sonoran Desert: Research and Preparations for a Fire-Prone Future
Despite the dry heat of southern Arizona, the Sonoran Desert has long been surprisingly immune to wildfires. No more, say desert researchers—as invasive species increase in the desert, which stretches from north Phoenix south into Mexico, so does the risk of more frequent, destructive wildfires.
This important work was led…
The Navy conducted a tabletop exercise alongside Caribbean partner nations to explore ways to enhance climate readiness and resilience throughout the region
The Navy conducted a tabletop exercise alongside Caribbean partner nations to explore ways to enhance climate readiness and resilience throughout the region.
The two-day event in San Juan, Puerto Rico, marked the third in a series of exercises held in recent years designed to validate the Navy’s Climate Action 2030 strategy.
Participants addressed many scenarios reflecting the real-world impact climate change is having in the region, ranging from wildfires spurred by arid conditions, strains on power grids and crop production due to high temperatures, and damage to critical infrastructure caused by more frequent and intense hurricanes.
Vaughn Miller, minister for the environment and natural resources for the Bahamas, said the exercise captured the wide-ranging impacts climate change is having in the region and further underscored the importance of regional partnerships in addressing the threat.
“The Bahamas is facing several challenges in the face of climate change, and over the last few days we’ve explored opportunities for cooperation with the United States and our regional partners,” Miller said.
He also noted a range of emerging climate-related threats that are reshaping the Bahamas and neighboring countries. Those include forest fires due to extended droughts and extensive damage to coral reefs which provide the first line of…
Exploring water solutions for a better future
Scientists at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Southwest Climate Hub and California Climate Hub have developed a browsable map-based tool that addresses water scarcity in the U.S. Southwest.
The Water Adaptation Techniques Atlas (WATA) consolidates over 200 case studies on research and practices that water managers and producers can use to find location-specific and topical information to make informed decisions regarding water management.
Over the years, urban areas and agriculture have expanded in the Southwest region. For the past century, water use in the Southwest has been sustained through the capture, storage, and distribution of surface water, aided by dams, canals, and associated infrastructure, while extraction of groundwater has also intensified. However, water scarcity has become a pressing issue with extremely hot temperatures and severe prolonged droughts in a region already challenged by its arid and semi-arid conditions. As reservoir and aquifer levels drop, information about strategies to adapt to this new reality is urgently needed.
WATA provides information based on research from USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) and other sources about practices for lessening the gap between water demand and available supply, with an emphasis on cropping and irrigation practices across the Southwest, including Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah.
The solutions…
Researchers Advocate for Protecting ‘Nature’s Strongholds’ to Meet Global Biodiversity Targets
To meet the imperative of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework target, which seeks to protect at least 30 percent of the planet by 2030, researchers in an essay in PLOS Biology argue that “conservation areas need to be large enough to encompass functioning ecosystems and their associated biodiversity, and…
Genomic Study Reveals Breakthrough in Enhancing Disease Resistance in Strawberries
Globally, strawberries are gravely affected by Macrophomina phaseolina, a soilborne fungal pathogen that drastically reduces yields. Following the phase-out of conventional soil fumigants like methyl bromide, there is an urgent need to enhance genetic resistance to this pathogen. The resistance mechanism is intricate at the genetic level, presenting considerable obstacles to…
U.S. Department of Energy Selects Principle Power and Aker Solutions to Advance Plans for Serial Manufacturing of WindFloat Foundations
Principle Power and Aker Solutions (“FloatHOME” consortium) have been chosen as a winner for the second phase of the U.S. Floating Offshore Wind Readiness (FLOWIN) Prize by the DOE. The award consists of a $450,000 cash prize and $100,000 in technical assistance from the DOE National Labs. Prize money…
Clean Power Alliance Launches $10 Million Energized Communities Program to Advance Sustainability Efforts in Southern California
Clean Power Alliance (CPA) has launched its Energized Communities Program to help CPA’s partner communities reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) by providing financial and technical support for vehicle and building electrification. The program is designed to promote sustainability in the 35 communities CPA serves.
CPA is making $10 million…
Army Corps of Engineers Commanding General and 55th Chief of Engineers Lt. Gen. Scott Spellmon said he sees progress in the recovery of communities on the island of Maui that were impacted by severe wildfires last year
By Yves Ducrot / Environmental ReporterThe U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Commanding General and 55th Chief of Engineers Lt. Gen. Scott Spellmon, accompanied by Command Sgt. Maj. Douglas Galick, recently visited the Hawaii Wildfires Recovery Field office team on the island of Maui. The visit, which took place on June 12, aimed to assess the ongoing progress of USACE missions in support of the Kula and Lahaina, Maui community.
The officials, along with County of Maui Mayor Richard Bissen, FEMA’s Deputy Federal Coordinating Officer (FCO) for the mission, Curtis Brown and other local, state, and federal officials, began with an aerial tour of the impacted areas in Kula and Lahaina, Hawaii, led by Col. Eric Swenson, the Hawaii Wildfires Recovery Field Office commander. This tour provided an up-to-date overview of the progress made on USACE missions in supporting the Maui community’s recovery efforts.
After the aerial tour, local media representatives joined the officials at the Kilohana temporary housing site for a presentation on the assigned Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) housing mission. Spellmon, along with other leaders and subject matter experts from USACE, participated in interviews about the project following the presentation.
“What I saw is progress,” Spellmon said. “It was great to get up in the air today and see that progress, but I want to add that on behalf of the thirty-eight thousand Men and Women in the Army Corps of Engineers, our hearts are with the people of Maui and all the people who suffered through this terrible wildfire incident.”
USACE’s role includes providing design and site preparation, construction of…
MORE ARTICLES
Biden-Harris Administration Announces More Than 9,000 American Climate Corps Members in Positions by End of June, Hosts Inaugural Swearing-in Ceremony
Study Reveals Increasing Polarization in Climate Change Coverage Between Elite and Heartland News Sources
Veterinarians Team Up With Fishers to Evaluate the Health of Accidentally Caught Sea Turtles
Six of seven sea turtle species are endangered, and humans are primarily responsible. Commercial fishing activities, due to accidental capture, are the largest human-caused disturbance to sea turtles.
Fishers are typically unaware if a sea turtle is caught in their net until it’s completely pulled out of the water. However,…
Expert Says Fireflies Aren’t Going Extinct, but Their Numbers Are Dwindling
For many people, fireflies lighting up backyards is a sign of summertime. The thrill of catching them in a jar and releasing them back into the wild is a childhood pastime. But if you have noticed a decline in fireflies over the years, you’re not alone. Virginia Tech entomologist…
Demystifying the Complex Nature of Arctic Clouds
With dancing ribbons of light visible in the sky, a team of researchers flew on a series of scenic and sometimes stormy flights into the cold unknown, trying to learn more about why one of the most frigid places on Earth is warming at a feverish pace.
The researchers—a University…
Next generation of climate leaders – including AmeriCorps members – join swearing-in ceremony, recite oath written by Pulitzer Prize-winning author and environmentalist Barbara Kingsolver
The Biden-Harris Administration hosted the first swearing-in ceremony for members of President Biden’s landmark American Climate Corps – a groundbreaking initiative modeled after Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Civilian Conservation Corps that will put a new, diverse generation of young Americans to work fighting the impacts of climate change today while gaining the skills they need to join the growing clean energy and climate-resilience workforce of tomorrow. At the end of this month, AmeriCorps expects more than 9,000 American Climate Corps members – nearly halfway to President Biden’s goal of 20,000 members in year one – will serve across the country, going to work conserving and restoring our lands and waters, bolstering community resilience, deploying clean energy, implementing energy efficient technologies, advancing environmental justice and more.
“Today’s inaugural swearing-in ceremony for the American Climate Corps marks a new era of youth-powered climate action that will advance President Biden’s ambitious climate, conservation, and clean energy priorities,” said Michael D. Smith, CEO, AmeriCorps. “The President’s landmark initiative is fulfilling a key promise to mobilize a new, diverse generation of Americans – and we couldn’t be more excited to see the enthusiasm from so many young people who are eager to get to work protecting their…
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Study Reveals Increasing Polarization in Climate Change Coverage Between Elite and Heartland News Sources
Researchers Offer US Roadmap to Close the Carbon Cycle
Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and six other Department of Energy national laboratories have developed a United States-based perspective for achieving net-zero carbon emissions.
The researchers from the DOE laboratories — ORNL, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Ames National Laboratory and…
Surf Clams Off the Coast of Virginia Reappear – and Rebound
The Atlantic surfclam, an economically valuable species that is the main ingredient in clam chowder and fried clam strips, has returned to Virginia waters in a big way, reversing a die-off that started more than two decades ago.
In a comprehensive study of surfclams collected from an area about 45…
Older Adults in Ohio Are Among the Most Vulnerable to Extreme Weather
Nearly 1 in 5 older adults in central Ohio report not being prepared for emergencies, such as extreme weather events, or not knowing if they are ready.
That is concerning because research shows older adults are at greater risk of harm during disasters such as extreme weather events, said Smitha…