The moon determines when migratory birds head south
A new study shows that the presence or absence of moonlight has a considerable bearing on when migratory birds take flight in the autumn.
Read moreGeography
The makeup of mariculture: Global trends in seafood farming
The process of farming seafood in the ocean, known as mariculture, is a growing trend yet little is known about the trajectories of its development. That's why a team of researchers set out to shed some light on the industry.
Read moreCO2 emissions cause lost labor productivity
Extreme high temperatures caused by CO2 emissions could lead to losses in labor productivity. The authors found that every trillion tons of CO2 emitted could cause global GDP losses of about half a percent. They add that we may already be seeing economic losses of as much as 2% of global GDP as a result of what we have already emitted.
Read moreWarm ocean water attacking edges of Antarctica's ice shelves
Upside-down 'rivers' of warm ocean water are eroding the fractured edges of thick, floating Antarctic ice shelves from below, helping to create conditions that lead to ice-shelf breakup and sea-level rise, according to a new study. The findings describe a new process important to the future of Antarctica's ice and the continent's contribution to rising seas. Models and forecasts do not yet account for the newly understood and troubling scenario, which is already underway.
Read moreHush, little baby: Mother right whales 'whisper' to calves
A recent study explores whether right whale mother-calf pairs change their vocalizations to keep predators from detecting them.
Read moreThe deeper these octopuses live, the wartier their skin
Deep beneath the ocean's surface, surprisingly cute pink octopuses creep along the seafloor. Some of them have super warty skin, and some are smooth. Scientists weren't sure if these octopuses were even members of the same species, and they didn't know how to explain the differences in the animals' looks. But a new study shows that the deeper in the ocean the octopuses live, the bumpier their skin and the smaller their bodies.
Read moreWas early stick insect evolution triggered by birds and mammals?
Stick and leaf insects are a strikingly bizarre group of insects with a worldwide distribution. They are famous for their impressively large body size and their remarkable ability to camouflage themselves as twigs, leaves or bark in order to hide from potential predators. A team of international researchers has now generated the first phylogenomic tree of these insects.
Read moreEarly hunter-gatherers interacted much sooner than previously believed
A nearly 4,000-year-old burial site found off the coast of Georgia hints at ties between hunter-gatherers on opposite sides of North America, according to new research.
Read moreNew method gives first global picture of mutual predictability of atmosphere and ocean
Scientists have carried out a novel statistical analysis to determine for the first time a global picture of how the ocean helps predict the low-level atmosphere and vice versa. They observed ubiquitous influence of the ocean on the atmosphere in the extratropics, which has been difficult to demonstrate with dynamic models of atmospheric and oceanic circulation.
Read moreProximity to paths and roads is a burden for white-tailed sea eagles
A research team has now measured concentrations of the hormone corticosterone and its metabolic products in white-tailed sea eagles in northern Germany and correlated these values with potential causes of stress. They found that the levels of corticosterone in the birds' urine are higher the closer a breeding pair's nest is to paths or roads.
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