Scientists say Greenland’s sinking sea levels will have a ripple effect on coastal communities, shipping routes, fishing and infrastructure. Rising temperatures are causing sea levels to rise around the world, putting millions at risk of severe flooding and coastal erosion. But in Greenland, the opposite is happening. Researchers at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, which is part […]
Researchers at Tokyo Metropolitan University set out to understand how polymer-coated fertilizer (PCF) used on farmland eventually reaches beaches and ocean waters. By examining PCF debris collected from shorelines across Japan, they found that very little fertilizer plastic returns to land through rivers. Only about 0.2% of the PCFs applied in nearby areas were detected […]
Scientists are raising new concerns after a study found that microplastics are interfering with the ocean’s ability to absorb carbon dioxide, a process that plays a vital role in regulating Earth’s temperature. Microplastics are tiny plastic particles measuring less than five millimeters. Over time, they have spread across nearly every part of the planet. Researchers […]
Newly published research finds that tropical forests can rebound up to twice as fast after deforestation when their soils contain enough nitrogen. The study shows that what happens below ground plays a major role in how quickly forests return after land has been cleared. Scientists led by the University of Leeds launched the largest and […]
Researchers have found that microplastics drifting through rivers, lakes, and oceans constantly release a complex blend of dissolved organic chemicals into the water. This chemical leakage continues over time and becomes much more intense when plastics are exposed to sunlight. The new findings offer the most detailed molecular-level picture so far of how microplastic-derived dissolved […]
Overfishing and global warming are depleting food from our oceans, but rebuilding reef life could help provide millions of meals every year. Coral reefs could become a crucial part of the pathway to help fight global hunger and improve nutrition around the world. According to UNICEF data, around 2.3 billion people experienced moderate or severe […]
A research team led by scientists at the University of Ottawa has produced a new set of detailed 3D models that map temperatures deep beneath Greenland and northeastern Canada. These models shed light on how the region formed over millions of years and help explain how Greenland’s massive ice sheet has responded, and may continue […]
From napping half their brain while flying to taking four-second naps to survive parenthood, these animals have evolved clever ways to catch some shuteye. Every animal with a brain needs sleep – and even a few without a brain do, too. Humans sleep, birds sleep, whales sleep and even jellyfish sleep. Sleep is universal “even […]
A new study from the University of California San Diego identifies an unexpected influence on global crop stability: the original source of rainfall. Published in Nature Sustainability, the research follows atmospheric moisture back to the place where it first evaporated, whether from the ocean or from land surfaces such as soil, lakes and forests. Sunlight heats […]
Long-term exposure to polluted air may significantly reduce the positive health effects of regular physical activity, according to new research from an international team that included experts from UCL (University College London). The study, published in BMC Medicine, examined information from over 1.5 million adults who were monitored for more than ten years across several countries, […]
