Lifestyle of a killer: In wild European brown shrimp, parasitic dinoflagellates have bacteria-like endosymbionts
Posted: 06 Sep 2012 05:33 PM PDT
Parasitic dinoflagellates of the genus Hematodinium are a big problem for crab, prawn and shrimp fisheries across the world. New research has found that, in wild European brown shrimp (Crangon crangon), these parasites have bacteria-like endosymbionts. The presence of these endosymbionts indicates a previously unknown side to the lifecycle of Hematodinium.
Biologists tag ‘zombees’ to track their flight
Posted: 06 Sep 2012 03:20 PM PDT
After last year’s accidental discovery of “zombie”-like bees infected with a fly parasite, researchers are conducting an elaborate experiment to learn more about the plight of the honey bees.
Genome of malaria-causing parasite sequenced: Even when on different continents, organism features same mutations
Posted: 06 Sep 2012 03:19 PM PDT
Scientists have discovered that the parasite that causes the most common form of malaria share the same genetic variations — even when the organisms are separated across continents. The discovery raises concerns that mutations to resist existing medications could spread worldwide, making global eradication efforts even more difficult.
Why claws come out over feral cat management: Finding common ground among ‘cat people’ and ‘bird people’
Posted: 06 Sep 2012 03:16 PM PDT
A national survey shows that “cat people” and “bird people” have heated differences of opinion, complicating the challenge of managing more than 50 million free-roaming feral cats while protecting threatened wildlife. A new study identifies why the claws come out over feral cat management and which approaches might be useful in finding common ground among those with polarized opinions.
Weapon-wielding marine microbes may protect populations from foes
Posted: 06 Sep 2012 11:48 AM PDT
Researchers have recently found evidence that some ocean microbes wield chemical weapons that are harmless to close relatives within their own population, but deadly to outsiders.
Guantanamo Bay Lepidoptera study sets baseline for future research
Posted: 06 Sep 2012 11:48 AM PDT
Scientists publishing the first study on butterflies and moths of Guantanamo Bay Naval Station have discovered vast biodiversity in an area previously unknown to researchers.
Changes in water chemistry leave lake critters defenseless
Posted: 06 Sep 2012 11:18 AM PDT
Changes in Canadian lake water chemistry have left small water organisms vulnerable to ambush by predators, according to a new study. Low calcium levels affect the exoskeleton development of water fleas, which are food for fish and keep lakes clean. Plankton in the world’s oceans may also be affected.
Destroyed coastal habitats produce significant greenhouse gas
Posted: 06 Sep 2012 09:32 AM PDT
Destruction of coastal habitats may release as much as one billion tons of carbon emissions into the atmosphere each year, 10 times higher than previously reported, according to a new study.
Chikyu sets a new world drilling-depth record of scientific ocean drilling
Posted: 06 Sep 2012 08:22 AM PDT
Scientific deep sea drilling vessel Chikyu sets a world new record by drilling down and obtains rock samples from deeper than 2,111 meters below the seafloor off Shimokita Peninsula of Japan in the northwest Pacific Ocean.
Weighing the Ocean: Solving the biggest problem in sea level science
Posted: 06 Sep 2012 08:19 AM PDT
Oceanographers have thought of a novel way to measure the global ocean ? weigh it. Scientists have proposed an idea that will assess the mass of the world ocean by weighing at a single point.
Plants cry for help when an attack can be expected
Posted: 06 Sep 2012 05:43 AM PDT
Eggs of insect pests deposited on plants trigger the production of scents by plants that affect different plant community members probably helping the plant to get rid of the pest before it becomes harmful, according to new research.
Bacteria on marine sponges can develop capacity to move and inhibit biofilm formation
Posted: 06 Sep 2012 04:42 AM PDT
A new study shows that when enough bacteria get together in one place, they can make a collective decision to grow an appendage and swim away. This type of behavior has been seen for the first time in marine sponges, and could lead to an understanding of how to break up harmful bacterial biofilms, such as plaque on teeth or those found on internal medical devices like artificial heart valves.
Deep-sea crabs grab grub using UV vision: Some crabs on the sea floor can see UV light and use the ability to select healthy food
Posted: 06 Sep 2012 04:42 AM PDT
Crabs living half-a-mile down in the ocean, beyond the reach of sunlight, have a sort of color vision combining sensitivity to blue and ultraviolet light. Their detection of shorter wavelengths may give the crabs a way to ensure they grab food, not poison.
North America’s Rocky Mountains affect Norway?s climate
Posted: 06 Sep 2012 04:40 AM PDT
Both the Gulf Stream and the Norwegian Sea have a major impact on Norway’s climate. However, it turns out that weather conditions are also influenced by geographical elements from much farther away. North America’s Rocky Mountains, for instance, play a major role in weather in Norway.
Malay Archipelago bat not one, but two species
Posted: 06 Sep 2012 04:37 AM PDT
Genetic studies of Myotis muricola, otherwise known as the Wall-roosting Mouse-eared bat or Nepalese Whiskered Myotis, suggest that it consists of not one, but two distinct species.