Nutrients from the seabirds’ guano fuels the growth of carbon-storing phytoplankton, but penguin populations have plunged in the past 4 decades.
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Harpy Eagles Concentrate Precious Nutrients in the Amazon
Amazon soils are usually low in the nutrients that plants covet, but harpy eagles can create local hot spots with their poop and prey.
Spring and Sewage Are in the Air Near San Diego
Sea spray can transport sewage-contaminated waters inland, potentially exposing those living kilometers from the beach.
Veterinary Antibiotics Reduce Soil Carbon Sequestration Capacity
Livestock grazing areas sequester less carbon than those under wild herbivores.
Traditional Fertilizers Beat Out Industrial Chemicals in Soil Health Test
New research in western India found that fertilizer based on Traditional Ecological Knowledge made soil more fertile in a head-to-head test with industrial fertilizers.
Large Herbivores May Improve an Ecosystem’s Carbon Persistence
The grazing habits of wild animals like elephants and boars enable long-term carbon storage, according to new research that stresses the need to align climate mitigation goals with biodiversity conservation.
Ancient Eruptions Reveal Earliest Settlers on the Faroe Islands
Lake sediment is helping scientists resolve a decades-long historical mystery.
A Global Map of Human Sewage in Coastal Ecosystems
Prodigious quantities of nitrogen from human waste flow into coastal waters, a study of nearly 135,000 watersheds reveals.
Microplastics Morph Cell Metabolism
Microplastics get into our bodies, potentially altering how certain cells convert sugar into energy, especially in the gut. Continued ingestion could cause chronic problems.
Species of Feces Help Phytoplankton Feed Itself
The unicellular plants more readily take up iron in the presence of salp feces than in krill feces, an experiment in Antarctica reveals.