Cooling ocean temperature could buy more time for coral reefs

Limiting the amount of warming experienced by the world’s oceans in the future could buy some time for tropical coral reefs, say researchers.

Corals turn to algae for stored food when times get tough

Researchers present new evidence for the crucial role of algae in the survival of their coral hosts. Ultra-high resolution images reveal that the algae temporarily store nutrients as crystals, building up reserves for when supplies run low. ...

Microbes capture, store, and release nitrogen to feed reef-building coral

Microscopic algae that live within reef-forming corals scoop up available nitrogen, store the excess in crystal form, and slowly feed it to the coral as needed, according to a study published in mBio. ...

New endurance record for small electric unmanned aerial vehicle

Using liquid hydrogen fuel stored in a new NRL-developed cryogenic fuel storage tank, the flight shatters the previous 26-hour record set by the UAV in 2009. ...

Revealing hidden fungal species using DNA: The importance of recognizing cryptic diversity

In contrast to traditional approaches using morphological characters to delimit species, five new lichen-forming fungal species were described from what was traditionally considered a single species using genetic data exclusively. The new species can be identified using DNA barcoding. This pioneerin...

No-win situation for agricultural expansion in the Amazon

The large-scale expansion of agriculture in the Amazon through deforestation will be a no-win scenario, according to a new study. The study shows that deforestation will not only reduce the capacity of the Amazon’s natural carbon sink, but will also inflict climate feedbacks that will decrease the...

Plants ‘talk’ to plants to help them grow

Having a neighborly chat improves seed germination, finds new research. Even when other known means of communication, such as contact, chemical and light-mediated signals, are blocked, chilli seeds grow better when grown with basil plants. This suggests that plants are talking via nanomechanical vib...