Researchers have found cyanobacteria colonies as big as softballs thriving unexpectedly on shallow Greenland lake bottoms, exuding liver-damaging microcystin. Locals dubbed them "sea tomatoes."
ecosystems
Posted inNews
Ships Bring More Than Cargo to Arctic Waters
A probe of ballast water in ships at an Arctic port finds hitchhiking organisms that polar warming could allow to invade the region's ecosystems in less than 40 years.
Posted inNews
Antarctic Sediment Plume Disrupts Deep-Water Community
Increased sedimentation from a melting glacier inhibits filter feeders in an Antarctic fjord.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Climate Variability Across Scales Affects Ecosystems over Time
Given enough time, short-term variations in temperature, precipitation, and solar radiation influence the fluxes of water and carbon through ecosystems.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Reservoirs Act as a Source for Greenhouse Gases
Scientists examine nitrous oxide production in aquatic environments and the conditions that drive it.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Underwater Gliders Find Swirling Vortices of Warm, Salty Water
Vortices formed off the west coast of Sardinia could play a large role in Mediterranean water circulation and mixing and are significant for marine ecosystems and regional climate.
Posted inFeatures
Contaminated Sediment and Dam Removals: Problem or Opportunity?
Restoring rivers to their free-flowing state promises a host of environmental benefits, but contaminated sediments may cloud the picture.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
As Forests Age, Their Climate Effects Shift
The amount of moisture transpired from leaves increases for some tree species but drops on average.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Survey Shows Where Arctic Marine Bird Populations Thrive
"Hot spots" of species richness currently include the Bering Sea, Lancaster Sound, Baffin Bay, and Davis Strait. Will this change as sea ice melts?
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Survival of Young Sardines Flushed Out to Open Ocean
Despite favorable conditions within eddies and streamers that form ideal habitats for larval sardines, the young fish may not survive when flushed into the open ocean.