The world's dying oceans

Posted Tue, 13 Sep 2011 08:47:01 GMT by Lucy Brake

A United Nations top scientist believes that coral reefs will potentially be the first ecosystem that human activity effectively destroys. A new book released this week in the United States, Professor Peter Sale, who leads the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health, states his concern that the world's coral reef ecosystems are likely to disappear this century.

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Natural disasters pose threat to coral reefs

Posted Mon, 12 Sep 2011 18:12:00 GMT by Melanie J. Martin

Earthquakes launched half of the Belizean Barrier Reef into deeper waters. Studying the possible effects of natural disasters must play a role in protecting ecosystems, researchers assert. The Belizean Barrier Reef is the second largest reef ecosystem in the world, second only to Australia's Great Barrier Reef.

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Rhino horn use slammed by Chinese traditional medicinal practitioners

Posted Mon, 12 Sep 2011 16:31:00 GMT by Martin Leggett

Another important body in the Chinese medicinal community has come out strongly against the use of rhino horn in traditional remedies. The Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine has put out a statement condemning the practice, which may go a long way to shifting attitudes, and reducing demand for the horns of these endangered animals.

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Fluttering tail-feathers strike winning note for male hummingbirds

Posted Thu, 08 Sep 2011 18:01:00 GMT by Martin Leggett

Intriguing research published in Science today has uncovered the details of the fluttering sound-scaping used by male hummingbirds, as part of the dramatic diving displays, given to impress watching females. The tones produced by feather-fanning are more complex than first thought, and are distinct for each humming bird species, say the researchers.

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New flood warnings for New York as Tropical Storm crosses northeast

Posted Wed, 07 Sep 2011 15:46:00 GMT by Laura Brown

Tropical Storm Lee is likely to cause heavy rain and flooding in areas still cleaning up after Hurricane Irene. Flood warnings have been issued for Pennsylvania, New Jersey and upstate New York. The National Weather Service has issued a flooding notice to Catskills and Schoharie Creek as the storm moves northeast out of Pennsylvania.

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Stranded calf whale freed after 8 hour battle

Posted Wed, 07 Sep 2011 09:45:10 GMT by Laura Brown

Calf whale swims to freedom after becoming beached in River Humber. A calf whale who became stranded off the English coast after becoming separated from its mother has been freed after an 8 hour rescue effort by emergency services.

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500 Texas homes destroyed by wildfires

Posted Tue, 06 Sep 2011 09:14:00 GMT by Laura Brown

Officials continue efforts to control blazes covering 25,000 acres in drought conditions. Wildfires have destroyed almost 500 homes in Texas, as strong winds hamper the ability of firefighters to control the blaze.

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Hurricane Katia becomes category 4 storm

Posted Tue, 06 Sep 2011 08:56:56 GMT by Laura Brown

Latest storm off US coast gathers pace. Hurricane Katia, currently around 450 miles south of Bermuda is now capable of reaching winds up to 135 mph according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm has moved over warmer water, allowing it to pick up speed. However analysts believe that Hurricane Katia is unlikely to hit land over the coming days in the US.

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Fungus from California suspected of killing cypress trees worldwide

Posted Sat, 03 Sep 2011 13:11:00 GMT by Gracie Valena

Genetic analysis has determined a fungus that has been causing cypress canker disease and killing trees in six out of the world's seven continents originated from California. The fungus, Seiridium cardinale, enters a tree through cracks in the bark. Once inside, it releases toxins that interfere with the flow of water, sap and nutrients, making the tree sick and eventually killing it.

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The jumping fish with a tale of the earliest land creatures

Posted Wed, 31 Aug 2011 15:47:00 GMT by Colin Ricketts

An extraordinary jumping, land-living fish could tell us a lot about how life first moved from sea to land according to the first detailed study of its life. The study, study published in the journal Ethology and led by Dr Terry Ord, of the UNSW Evolution and Ecology Research Centre is the first detailed examination of the extraordinary life of the Pacific leaping blenny.

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Sat-nav ospreys tracked from Scotland - destination Africa: Updated

Posted Wed, 31 Aug 2011 15:11:00 GMT by Julian Jackson

RSPB website follows one of Britain's favourite birds on a perilous journey. Ospreys migrate to Africa for the winter, returning in the spring, and this hazardous journey can now be analysed as some birds have been fitted with satellite tracking by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).

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Invading beetles threaten autumn colours

Posted Wed, 31 Aug 2011 14:58:00 GMT by Colin Ricketts

An asian beetle is finding a welcoming new home in the iconic forests of the American north east causing damage that could threaten the area's $1 billion tourist industry say researchers. The Asian longhorned beetle is the alien species in question and scientists fear it could spread from tree-lined city streets to the north east's beautiful maple forests.

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New primate species found skittering in threatened Amazon

Posted Thu, 25 Aug 2011 16:52:00 GMT by Martin Leggett

A three-week expedition through some of the unexplored remnants of Amazonian rainforest, in Brazil's Mato Grosso state, has uncovered a wealth of nature - including a brand new species of monkey. The new member to the titi monkey family was discovered alongside new species of fish and plants, all in a part of the Amazon where most of Brazil's deforestation is happening.

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Keeping shark attacks in perspective

Posted Thu, 25 Aug 2011 12:16:00 GMT by John Dean

Recently the media has been full of stories about 'killer sharks' and, according to a leading expert, it could be a change in human behaviour that is creating the conditions for such incidents. Richard Pierce, a UK-based shark conservationist and a writer and broadcaster, believes that because we spend more time in the water, the risk of confrontation between man and shark is increasing.

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Salmon farming puts wild populations at risk

Posted Mon, 22 Aug 2011 19:44:01 GMT by Louise Murray

Researchers have linked declining wild salmon populations with infestations of parasitic sea lice emanating from intensive salmon aquaculture in the Broughton Archipelago in Canada. After a number of contradictory reports, scientists have correlated sea lice outbreaks with the depletion of wild salmon populations of pink and coho salmon.

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A fishy tale for the origins of some MCS Chilean sea bass

Posted Mon, 22 Aug 2011 16:02:57 GMT by Martin Leggett

Not all MCS-labeled fish turn out to be true to their sticker, according to a new study on the make-up of the Chilean sea bass, commonly found in US grocery stores. Many of the fish labeled as sustainably-sourced in fact comes from different South American fisheries, or even from oceans on the other side the world, say the authors of the work published in Current Biology.

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