Rising sea surface temperatures threaten tropical coral reefs, as these ecosystems are sensitive to a changing environment.
Logging down the value chain raises future forest sustainability concerns
Over a 50-year period, logging on B.C.'s Central Coast preferentially targeted the highest value locations on the landscape, according to new research. The systematic depletion of high-value components of the environment raises concerns about future sustainability and intergenerational access to natural resources. Led by SFU PhD graduate Jordan Benner and...
As Winters Warm, Nutrient Pollution Threatens 40% of U.S.
Scientists are ringing alarm bells about a significant new threat to U.S. water quality: as winters warm due to climate change, they are unleashing large amounts of nutrient pollution into lakes, rivers, and streams.
Study links omega-3s to improved brain structure, cognition at midlife
Healthy study volunteers whose red blood cells contained higher concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids were found to have better brain structure and cognitive function in middle age.
The surprising Swiss-Army-knife-like functions of a powerful enzyme
Blue-green algae (AKA cyanobacteria) have a superpower which likely helps them be highly successful as invaders of waterways. They have an extraordinary ability to store energy and nitrogen in their cells for times of need. But how exactly they do so remains only partly understood. Now researchers have uncovered an intriguing hitherto...
New understanding of the inner world of lysosomes
Scientists have pinpointed a protein in lysosomes that is involved in recycling a crucial fatty component of cell membranes to keep cells healthy.
Among ancient Mayas, cacao was not a food exclusive to the elite
It was the money that grew on trees. Said to be a gift from the gods, cacao for the ancient Maya was considered sacred, used not only as currency, but in special ceremonies and religious rituals. It's the progenitor plant of chocolate, and notions of luxury are embedded in its...
Game-changing new theory upends what we know about how charged macromolecules self-assemble
In a discovery with wide-ranging implications, researchers recently announced that uniformly charged macromolecules -- or molecules, such as proteins or DNA, that contain a large number of atoms all with the same electrical charge -- can self-assemble into very large structures. This finding upends our understanding of how some of...
Coffee drinking is associated with increased longevity
Drinking two to three cups of coffee a day is linked with a longer lifespan and lower risk of cardiovascular disease compared with avoiding coffee, according to new research. The findings applied to ground, instant and decaffeinated varieties.
Heat-Related Mortality Risk is Widespread Across Washington State, Study Shows
Heat-related deaths are an issue across Washington state, and they occur even in regions that typically have milder climates, according to a University of Washington study published Aug. 30 in the journal Atmosphere.