New research has revealed that only 15 per cent of coastal areas around the world remain intact, exposing the need for urgent coastal rehabilitation and conservation on a global scale.
The Congo tropical forest is simply different
Until now, research assumed that the vast forest area of the Congo Basin, like other tropical forests, releases large amounts of nitrous oxide and binds methane. Researchers have now shown that it behaves differently: methane is released, while nitrous oxide emissions are smaller than thought.
Deep insights into the Arctic of tomorrow
Hundreds of international researchers are currently analyzing observations from the one-year MOSAiC expedition, during which hundreds of environmental parameters were recorded with unprecedented accuracy and frequency over a full annual cycle in the Central Arctic Ocean.
Venomous Australian sea anemone may lead to life-saving drugs
An entirely new toxic compound found in an Australian tropical sea anemone is being analysed as a potential new drug therapy, after it was discovered by biomolecular scientists during investigation of the species' multiple venoms.
Preventing pandemics costs far less than controlling them
An analysis by epidemiologists, economists, ecologists and biologists at 21 institutions finds we could reduce the risks of future pandemics by investing as little as 1/20th of the losses incurred so far from COVID into conservation measures designed to stem the spread of zoonotic viruses from wildlife to humans in...
The abyssal world: Last terra incognita of the Earth surface
The first unified vision of the world ocean biodiversity, based on analysis of DNA sequences from the surface to deep-ocean sediments, unveils the rich and unknown life in the abyssal realm, the last terra incognita of the Earth surface. This collective effort was made possible by 15 international deep-sea expeditions.
Study looks at glacial lakes, dams in Alaska and potential for flooding
Researchers have produced a detailed inventory of glacial lakes and dams over a 35-year timeframe from 1984 to 2019 in Alaska and northwest Canada.
US household air conditioning use could exceed electric capacity in next decade due to climate change
An 8% increase in summer air conditioning demand can be expected in the U.S. when the global average temperature exceeds 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. This climate driven increase is likely to cause prolonged blackouts during peak summer heat if states do not expand capacity or improve efficiency, according...
How our body controls inflammation during clean-up mechanisms of damaged cells
A research team has investigated in detail how messenger substances signal inflammation during the removal of damaged cells in the body. Using high-resolution microscopy methods, the researchers were able to show that two proteins interact dynamically with each other and thus determine whether a dying cell triggers an inflammatory reaction...
Love of nature is partially heritable, study of twins shows
A person's appreciation of nature and their tendency to visit natural spaces are heritable characteristics, according to a large-scale study of UK twins.