ScienceDaily: Top Environment News

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• Scientists shine light on world's least-studied bat
• New species of dolphin found in Australian waters
• Thawing permafrost: The speed of coastal erosion in Eastern Siberia has nearly doubled
• Coral reefs may be able to adapt to moderate climate change
• Scientists gain new insights into dolphin's evolutionary history and conversation
• Physicists provide new insights into coral skeleton formation
• Earthworms invade New England
• Paleontologist presents origin of life theory
• Echolocation: Bats and whales behave in surprisingly similar ways
• Geneticists map human resistance to AIDS
• 'Lost world' discovered on Australia’s Cape York Peninsula
• Common bioindicator resistant to insecticides

Scientists shine light on world's least-studied bat Posted: 29 Oct 2013 02:19 PM PDT The Mortlock Islands flying fox, a large, breadfruit-eating bat native to a few remote and tiny Pacific islands, has long been regarded as one of the world's least studied bats. Today researchers published a wealth of new information on this "forgotten" species, including the first detailed observations of wild populations.

New species of dolphin found in Australian waters Posted: 29 Oct 2013 11:30 AM PDT A species of humpback dolphin previously unknown to science is swimming in the waters off northern Australia, according to biologists.

Thawing permafrost: The speed of coastal erosion in Eastern Siberia has nearly doubled Posted: 29 Oct 2013 10:38 AM PDT The high cliffs of Eastern Siberia -- which mainly consist of permafrost -- continue to erode at an ever quickening pace. This evaluation is based on data and aerial photographs of the coastal regions for the last 40 years.

Coral reefs may be able to adapt to moderate climate change Posted: 29 Oct 2013 10:37 AM PDT Coral reefs may be able to adapt to moderate climate warming, improving their chance of surviving through the end of this century, if there are large reductions in carbon dioxide emissions, according to a new study. Results further suggest corals have already adapted to part of the warming that has occurred.

Scientists gain new insights into dolphin's evolutionary history and conversation Posted: 29 Oct 2013 10:37 AM PDT Researchers report their original genomic research on Baiji, also known as Yangtze River dolphin (Lipotes vexillifer). The study gives new insight into the genetic and evolutionary adaptations of the dolphin, and provides valuable resources for the conservation of mammals and cetaceans in particular.

Physicists provide new insights into coral skeleton formation Posted: 29 Oct 2013 10:34 AM PDT Scientists have shed important new light on coral skeleton formation. Their investigations, carried out at the nanoscale, provide valuable new information for scientists and environmentalists working to protect and conserve coral from the threats of acidification and rising water temperatures. As corals grow, they produce limestone -- calcium carbonate -- skeletons which build up over time into vast reefs. The skeleton's role is to help the living biofilm to move towards the light and nutrients.

Earthworms invade New England Posted: 29 Oct 2013 10:31 AM PDT At least 16 species of earthworms are now found in Vermont and elsewhere in New England. All are exotic and many are invasive. As they spread, they devour organic matter, disrupting forests and releasing carbon dioxide. But they also store carbon deep in the soil. So, do the worms, on balance, slow or accelerate climate change? Vermont researchers are on the case.

Paleontologist presents origin of life theory Posted: 29 Oct 2013 10:31 AM PDT Meteorite bombardment left large craters that contained water and chemical building blocks for life, which ultimately led to the first organisms, according to one origin of life theory.

Echolocation: Bats and whales behave in surprisingly similar ways Posted: 29 Oct 2013 07:16 AM PDT Sperm whales weigh up to 50 tons, and the smallest bat barely reaches a gram. Nevertheless, the two species share the same success story: They both have developed the ability to use echolocation -- a biological sonar -- for hunting. Now researchers show that the biosonar of toothed whales and bats share surprisingly many similarities -- even though they live in very different environments and vary extremely in size.

Geneticists map human resistance to AIDS Posted: 29 Oct 2013 06:20 AM PDT The key to future HIV treatment could be hidden right in our own genes. Everyone who becomes infected deploys defense strategies, and some even manage to hold the virus at bay without any therapy at all. Scientists retraced the entire chain of events in these battles, from the genome of the virus to the genome of the victim, and have published their results.

'Lost world' discovered on Australia’s Cape York Peninsula Posted: 28 Oct 2013 01:36 PM PDT An expedition to Cape York Peninsula in north-east Australia has found three vertebrate species new to science and isolated for millions of years -- a bizarre looking leaf-tail gecko, a golden-colored skink and a boulder-dwelling frog.

Common bioindicator resistant to insecticides Posted: 28 Oct 2013 01:29 PM PDT Scientists have found a common bioindicator, Hyalella azteca, used to test the toxicity of water or sediment was resistant to insecticides used in agricultural areas of central California. The study is the first to demonstrate that the indicator species may adapt to polluted conditions of a habitat and become an entirely unreliable source of information about ecosystem health.

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