Despite increased photosynthetic activity at northern latitudes in recent decades, plant productivity in tropical zones suffers because of water limitations.
biogeosciences
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Acidifying Oceans Could Get Help from Kelp
Forests of fast-growing kelp influence the chemistry of the water in which they live. A new study evaluates their potential to ameliorate ocean acidification in sensitive coastal ecosystems.
Posted inScience Updates
Reaching Consensus on Assessments of Ocean Acidification Trends
Scientists are working to establish a common methodology for evaluating rates of change in—and the various mechanisms that affect—acidification across ocean environments.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Jellies Transfer a Significant Amount of Carbon to the Deep Ocean
Jellyfish and sea salps aren’t getting the credit they deserve for their role in ocean carbon cycling, according to a new study.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
How River Capture Affects the Evolution of Aquatic Organisms
River basins are dynamic environments that are always changing and reorganizing under geologic forces. New research investigates how this shape shifting influences aquatic speciation and extinction.
Posted inScience Updates
Life Teems Below the Surface
Scientists are resolving how plants, microbes, and lithology sculpt the structure of the critical zone.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Ideal Temperatures for Carbon Uptake by Subtropical Plants
Air temperatures in coastal ecosystems of Australia routinely exceed the optimum range for photosynthesis, hindering plants’ ability to take up atmospheric carbon.
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Podcast: Putting Brains in Rock Machines
One geophysicist deviated from his usual work on paleomagnetism to study the magnetic remanence of human brains.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Lake Ice—and Ecosystems—in a Warming World
Extending ice records and standardizing sampling protocols are among recommendations to help researchers better predict how changing ice cover will affect aquatic ecosystems.
Posted inScience Updates
Measuring, Monitoring, and Modeling Ecosystem Cycling
Scientists leverage long-term environmental measurements, emerging satellite observations, and recent modeling advances to examine changes in ecosystem carbon and water cycling.