Breaking Waves: Ocean News

Agriculture: Less productive yet more stable pastures

admin — Mon, 22 Jul 2024 19:50:45 +0000

Climate change will have a considerable influence on the biodiversity and productivity of meadows and pastures. However, according to the results of the large-scale climate and land use experiment the extent of these changes depends on the land use. Grassland optimized for high yield responds much more sensitively to periods of drought than less intensively used meadows and pastures.

Genome study informs restoration of American chestnut tree

admin — Mon, 22 Jul 2024 19:49:54 +0000

Researchers use genomes to help restore the American chestnut population and adjust species breeding to the changing climate.

‘Dark oxygen’ in depths of Pacific Ocean could force rethink about origins of life

admin — Mon, 22 Jul 2024 17:49:05 +0000

Charged metallic lumps found to produce oxygen in total darkness in process akin to how plants use photosynthesis

In the total darkness of the depths of the Pacific Ocean, scientists have discovered oxygen being produced not by living organisms but by strange potato-shaped metallic lumps that give off almost as much electricity as AA batteries.

The surprise finding has many potential implications and could even require rethinking how life first began on Earth, the researchers behind a study said on Monday.

Pollution plan ‘must cut intensive farming for Lough Neagh to survive’

admin — Mon, 22 Jul 2024 16:42:29 +0000

Stormont’s rescue proposal for UK’s largest lake criticised by campaigners for dilution of sewage reduction targets

Scottish government selects Galloway as preferred site for new national park

admin — Mon, 22 Jul 2024 15:36:45 +0000

If approved, the region would become Scotland’s third national park and first to be made official in UK since South Downs in 2010

Galloway has been selected by the Scottish government as the preferred site for Scotland’s third national park.

The region, which came out top from a shortlist of five, will now be the subject of a consultation and an investigation into its suitability before potentially being made official by 2026. The unsuccessful candidate areas were Lochaber, Loch Awe, Scottish Borders and Tay Forest.

Australia’s major food companies failing nature, report finbds

admin — Mon, 22 Jul 2024 15:00:39 +0000

Targets to halt environmental damage ‘severely lacking’, Australian Conservation Foundation says, urging food industry to ‘step up to the plate’

Chimpanzees communicate in similar quick-fire fashion to humans, study shows

admin — Mon, 22 Jul 2024 15:00:37 +0000

Analysis of thousands of wild chimp gestures in east Africa found striking similarities to human conversations

Humans might be the masters of quick-fire banter, but it seems chimpanzees have their own rapid back-and-forths, albeit in the form of hand signals.

Researchers analysed thousands of gestures made by wild chimps in east Africa and found striking similarities with the turn-taking seen in human conversations, in particular how swiftly the apes responded to one another.

Solar and wind ‘will miss 2030 clean energy target without £48bn funding’

admin — Mon, 22 Jul 2024 11:14:59 +0000

Hitting target for zero-carbon electricity system will require ‘step-change’, says analyst Cornwall Insight

It’s ‘almost impossible’ to eliminate toxic PFAS from your diet. Here’s what you can do

admin — Mon, 22 Jul 2024 11:00:32 +0000

Found in products such as eggs and rice, ‘forever chemicals’ have been linked to cancer, kidney disease and more

In recent years, research has found or pointed to the presence of toxic PFAS “forever chemicals” in a range of staples, products and beverages across the food system.

I’m obsessed with ocean sounds: ‘I can’t see but I can hear the whole reef, like an orchestra’

admin — Mon, 22 Jul 2024 10:00:31 +0000

Padi’s first South African blind scuba diver describes how her other senses enhance her experience underwater