Quick recovery of coral reefs possible

Posted on October 4, 2011 by Jorn van Dooren

Good news for coral reefs around the world. New research on the state of Hawaiian coral reefs and their relation to human activity over a 700 year time span shows that even strongly degraded reefs can recover, with the right … Continue reading →

Shark decline confirmed by demographic model

Posted on October 2, 2011 by Rolf Schuttenhelm

75% of cut-the-fin-dump-the-dying-shark fishery is illegal. Many sharks also die as by-catch of conventional fishing. These sharks never reach the shore either – and their deaths are also not documented.

Urban areas expand by 950,000 square kilometres by 2030

Posted on August 20, 2011 by Jorn van Dooren

Global patterns of urban population growth are recorded fairly accurately and predictions put the number of people living in urban areas in 2030 at 1.47 billion higher than it is now. But how urban areas evolve to accommodate such great … Continue reading →

Closing in on CCD: a cocktail of cocktails is killing the bees

Posted on August 2, 2011 by Rolf Schuttenhelm

Although that would of course be much more convenient when trying to solve the problem, research shows Colony Collapse Disorder, or CCD, that sudden die-off of bee populations in Europe, North America and Asia, cannot be attributed to one single … Continue reading →

Iron fertilisation geoengineering affects deep sea ecology too

Posted on July 7, 2011 by Rolf Schuttenhelm

Ocean iron fertilisation, one of the most discussed CDR geoengineering proposals, deliberately tries to stimulate biological activity in the upper ocean. New research shows this in turn affects ecology at the ocean floor too. Let’s just hope sea cucumbers don’t … Continue reading →

CCD threatens supply of healthy foods more than staple and fast foods

Posted on June 29, 2011 by Rolf Schuttenhelm

‘Some 35 percent’ of the foods we eat [and two-thirds to three-quarters of the crop foods] are derived from flowering plants and trees that depend on pollination by insects. This often-cited percentage is used to stress the importance of bees … Continue reading →

4 new bee viruses discovered, link to CCD unclear

Posted on June 15, 2011 by Rolf Schuttenhelm

Scientists from UC San Fransisco have finished a ten month bee survey and last week published their findings in PLoS ONE. It turns out American bee hyves are swarmed with viruses and other pathogens.

Another forest study points to negative climate feedback

Posted on June 7, 2011 by Rolf Schuttenhelm

And this one may really present some good news for the climate, as it isn’t a Petri dish case, but very much in vivo. But don’t get overexcited. A group of Finnish researchers studied forest sites in 68 nations and … Continue reading →

Stress hormone inhibitor may be key to hair growth

Posted on February 23, 2011 by Judy Keen

Baldness is an ailment that many would rather reverse or avoid completely. Stress and other life events can impact hair follicle growth and contribute to baldness, suggesting that stress hormones, including corticosteroids, are major contributors to the problem. Wang et … Continue reading →

2010: hottest year, Caribbean coral bleaching record

Posted on November 22, 2010 by Rolf Schuttenhelm

There is some big climate news under way. Negotiators in Cancún however can consider themselves fortunate that it will be at least another month before NASA scientists can announce their findings: 2010 will be the hottest year on record.

Bits of Science

Tag Archives: PLoS ONE