All posts tagged: Biodiversity

Pink ‘living rocks’ reveal hidden ecosystem beneath Japan’s coast

Pink ‘living rocks’ reveal hidden ecosystem beneath Japan’s coast

Published by Jenni Sidey

Life beneath the ocean surface often hides in plain sight. Along the seafloor near Tanegashima Island in southern Japan, what appears to be scattered pink stones is actually something far more remarkable. These pebble-like forms, known as rhodoliths, are living algae that build entire underwater habitats and quietly store carbon for decades. A new study led by researchers at Hiroshima University reveals that these “living rocks” are far more diverse than expected. Scientists identified at least 12 species of coralline algae in a small patch of seafloor, including four species never seen before. The findings show that deeper ocean zones can host entirely different ecosystems, even when located just a short distance from shallow waters. A living habitat beneath the surface Rhodoliths are formed by coralline algae, a type of red algae that builds hard, calcified structures. Over time, these algae grow into rounded nodules that roll along the seafloor, shaped by currents and waves. Map of Japan showing the locality of Tanegashima Island (black square) and the nearest shallow rhodolith bed, Shirasu. (CREDIT: Journal …

Dartmoor pony cull would increase risk of wildfires, warn experts

Dartmoor pony cull would increase risk of wildfires, warn experts

Published by skeptic

The Prime Minister was forced to deny plans for a cull of Dartmoor ponies this week, after campaigners highlighted the semi-feral horses’ role in preventing wildfires. Dartmoor ponies have roamed the area for over 3,500 years, as a hardy, semi-feral breed. Used in medieval times as working animals in tin ore mines and set loose, the short but strong pony has become “the most effective natural defence”, according to the University of Plymouth’s Dr Paul Lunt. “They will eat vegetation that other species such as cattle and sheep won’t,” he said. “From that point of view, the fire risk is reduced.” The proposal was originally focused on tackling overgrazing The potential cull of Dartmoor ponies was put forward earlier this month after it was proposed that the species could be included in livestock grazing quotas, which would require farmers to reduce their livestock by 75%. Campaigners responded that this would mean 93% of the ponies would be killed to facilitate commercial cattle grazing, a move which would devastate local biodiversity and pose a serious fire …

Toothed whales reveal scale of marine PFAS contamination

Toothed whales reveal scale of marine PFAS contamination

Published by skeptic

PFAS contamination is increasing across the global marine environment, with a major international study finding some of the highest concentrations in toothed whales living in the Pacific Ocean. Researchers say the findings highlight how deeply these persistent chemicals have infiltrated marine ecosystems. The study, published in the journal Marine Pollution Bulletin, analysed the accumulation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in more than 70 species of toothed whales, including dolphins and porpoises. The research was led by scientists from the University of Wollongong (UOW) and involved collaborators from Australia and New Zealand. Researchers found that PFAS contamination varies significantly by region, species, age and sex, with young male animals carrying the highest concentrations. The findings position toothed whales as valuable indicators of ocean pollution and provide new evidence that forever chemicals are becoming increasingly widespread throughout marine food webs. Global assessment of PFAS contamination PFAS, often referred to as “forever chemicals”, are a group of synthetic compounds used in industrial processes and consumer products because of their resistance to heat, water and oil. However, their …

Swedish lakes help solve Darwin’s 160-year puzzle about invasive species

Swedish lakes help solve Darwin’s 160-year puzzle about invasive species

Published by Jenni Sidey

Darwin’s old puzzle starts with a simple question: when a species enters a new habitat, does it do better by fitting in or by standing apart? A study of fish introductions in Swedish lakes argues that the answer depends on the species missing from the community. Notably, it does not depend just on the ones already there. For more than 160 years, ecologists have wrestled with two conflicting ideas traced back to Charles Darwin. One says a newcomer should succeed if it closely resembles local species, because it is already suited to the same environment. The other says distance helps, because a less closely related species may avoid direct competition and use different resources. The new research ties that split outcome to a concept called dark diversity. The term describes species that could live in a place under local conditions but do not currently occur there. When dark diversity is combined with the species already present, it creates a fuller picture of the site’s species pool. In other words, this is the set of species …

The hidden biodiversity battle to save Europe’s forests

The hidden biodiversity battle to save Europe’s forests

Published by skeptic

Forests across Europe are struggling with drought, fire and disease. Researchers working to future-proof them say one of the answers lies in their diversity. In the village of Suonenjoki, the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) stands surrounded by a forest of pine trees. The local soils are not fertile and pine is pretty much the only species that can grow there. But in a nursery on campus, where young trees are grown from seed before being planted, there are genes from all over the continent: European larch, wild cherry, Scots pine. This small but deliberate act of diversity is part of a wider EU-funded research project called OptFORESTS. The seedlings are planted in plots in 28 locations across Europe, involving 12 tree species. The plots are designed to study how different species and genetic mixtures perform under different environmental conditions and in future climates. “The goal is to diversify forests in Europe and also bring forward species that are mostly ignored in forestry,” said Katri Himanen, a senior scientist at Luke, who is overseeing the …

Using bioacoustics AI to help protect wildlife

Using bioacoustics AI to help protect wildlife

Published by skeptic

AI systems are learning to listen to and decode the sounds of nature, helping scientists to track species and spot ecosystem changes much faster than traditional field surveys. Strolling through a forest, you may notice that the air is filled with sound. Birds sing, insects and small mammals rustle through the undergrowth, and at dusk bats squeak as they communicate with each other. These soundscapes contain a wealth of information about which animals are present, how many there are and how healthy an ecosystem may be. But analysing all that audio is a huge challenge. Scientists can now collect enormous quantities of recordings using small autonomous devices placed in forests, wetlands and urban areas. The problem is no longer gathering data, but making sense of it quickly enough to be useful. Professor Dan Stowell from the Naturalis Biodiversity Centre in Leiden, the Netherlands, is one of the leading researchers in the emerging field of computational bioacoustics that uses AI to analyse wildlife sounds and environmental recordings. “We now have so many ways to record animal sounds and soundscapes,” said Stowell. …

Sex jumpstarted Earth’s animal biodiversity

Sex jumpstarted Earth’s animal biodiversity

Published by Jenni Sidey

Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. By signing up, you confirm you are 16+, will receive newsletters and promotional content and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time. Evolution is responsible for Earth’s stunningly diverse spectrum of life, but that wasn’t always the case. In fact, the earliest eras of living organisms were comparatively boring. The earliest known animals date back about 635 million years (during the Ediacaran Period), yet they look remarkably similar to their descendents 96 million years later at the dawn of the Cambrian. Why did evolution remain so stable for so long? It might be simply because Earth’s first creatures simply weren’t having much sex. “Life was pretty nice during the Ediacaran, so the need for sex was rather limited,” Emily Mitchell, a paleozoologist at the University of Cambridge, explained in a statement. “There was relatively little competition, so there was no real pressure to change anything.” …

Wildlife thrives in solar farm built on restored peatland

Wildlife thrives in solar farm built on restored peatland

Published by skeptic

A meadow pipit at the solar park on peatland in northern Germany Wattmanufactur A solar farm on a rewetted peatland is home to more types of bird than drained agricultural fields nearby, suggesting that land used for renewable energy can make money for landowners, lock away carbon and boost biodiversity at the same time. Peatlands are the largest terrestrial carbon store, holding twice as much carbon as all forests. But enormous tracts of them have been drained to create farm fields or dug up to produce potting soil for gardening. Ninety-five per cent of peatlands in Germany and 80 per cent in the UK have been degraded. Once farmers drain a peatland with ditches and pumps, microbes begin breaking down the ancient carbon it holds, emitting carbon dioxide for decades or centuries. A German state-funded research programme has begun looking at whether solar farms could help promote peatland restoration. “We can’t simply just say, ‘Let’s just rewet it all and put it back to nature conservation’,” says Hanna Rae Martens at the University of Griefswald, …

Study Warns Biodiversity Loss Could Trigger Wave of Debt Crises

Study Warns Biodiversity Loss Could Trigger Wave of Debt Crises

Published by Sam Flores

LONDON, June 5 (Reuters) – Financial markets are underestimating the ⁠economic ⁠risks of biodiversity loss, potentially exposing ⁠countries to sovereign debt crises and sharply higher borrowing costs, according to research published ​on Friday. The study, led by economists from the Universities of Sussex, Sheffield and Heriot-Watt, presented what they described as the world’s ‌first biodiversity-adjusted sovereign credit ratings model. It ‌said existing ratings frameworks fail to incorporate environmental degradation, leaving some $83 trillion of global assets vulnerable to mispricing. Using an ⁠adjusted version of ⁠S&P Global’s ratings methodology, the researchers estimated that even a partial collapse of ​key ecosystems – including wild pollinators, marine fisheries and tropical forests – could increase annual global sovereign debt interest payments by $162 billion. “Financial markets are effectively blind to nature-related risks,” said the University of Sussex’s Matthew Agarwala. “As biodiversity loss undermines economic performance, it becomes harder for ​countries to service their debt, raising borrowing costs and fiscal strain.” Ecosystems underpin the global economy through “ecosystem services” like ⁠crop ⁠pollination and seafood production. Partial disruption ⁠to these could …

Community-engaged research at Southern Cross University

Community-engaged research at Southern Cross University

Published by skeptic

Community-engaged research from subtropical Australia delivering scalable solutions to global environmental, agricultural and public health challenges Southern Cross University is a research-intensive institution with campuses and field sites across the temperate and subtropical east coast regions of Australia. The University operates at the intersection of biodiversity, environmental change, sustainable food systems, coastal resilience and community health. Our research model is grounded in collaboration, field-scale deployment, and measurable impact. From marine ecosystems and regenerative agriculture to complementary medicine, environmental genomics and climate adaptation, Southern Cross University combines scientific capability with strong industry, government and community partnerships to develop scalable solutions to global challenges. The University’s research infrastructure spans advanced analytical laboratories, clinical trial capability, drone and AI-enabled environmental monitoring systems, marine and catchment observatories, and ‘living laboratories’ with long-term environmental datasets. These capabilities enable rapid translation from research to implementation across agriculture, healthcare, environmental management and resilience planning. A distinctive strength of Southern Cross University is its ability to integrate interdisciplinary science with community and stakeholder co-design. Researchers work closely with Traditional Owners, industry partners, policymakers, …